OUR SADDLE-HORSES. 9 



continental nations, has to act in line, so that its 

 duties differ little from those of heavy cavalry, 

 and ought therefore to be mounted on horses 

 of much physical power. At Waterloo, though 

 at the opening of a campaign, our light cavalry 

 failed from want of physical power, while our 

 heavy cavalry charged successfully, from its 

 greater weight. 



Our artillery horses were, down to a recent 

 period, the best in our army ; they are now 

 become as bad as the rest. 



Looking at our great facilities for breeding 

 horses, we ought, without taking credit to our- 

 selves for much skill, to possess now what 

 we formerly so long had — the best mounted 

 cavalry in the world; while, for bearing up 

 under the fatigues and privations of a severe 

 campaign, both our cavalry and artillery horses 

 are now become the worst in the world. 



The late Lord Harcourt, who was considered 

 in his time, an excellent cavalry officer, told 

 me so long ago as the year 1826, that our 

 cavalry horses in the American war were very 

 much better than they had been since ; that 

 the 15th and 16th regiments of light dragoons, 

 which went with him to America, and were 



