OUR CAVALRY. 79 



day in the trial here recommended should be 

 rather more than is likely to be required in a 

 campaign, seeing that our horses at home are 

 better fed than in a campaign. 



This trial would serve to clear up another 

 point now little understood yet of great impor- 

 tance — that of ascertaining the best means of 

 preventing or greatly diminishing the serious 

 evil of sore backs amongst the horses by un- 

 equal pressure of the saddle. 



General Cathcart, when in Canada, in order 

 to prevent this had a quarter blanket placed 

 under the saddles of his regiment, and this 

 with very good effect ; but on that regiment 

 coming home the blanket was ordered to be 

 discontinued on the sole ground of unsightliness 

 without any trial being made of it. This is to 

 be regretted, seeing who was the author of that 

 system, and that it had answered in Canada, 

 while we remain, down to the present day, 

 without any plan for preventing our horses' 

 backs becoming sore when having to travel for 

 only a few consecutive days. 



The Life Guards, in Spain, had a large 

 portion of their men dismounted while only 

 marching up the country to join our army, by 



