94 THE DIFFERENT BREEDS OF EXGLISII HORSES. 



early handled, but should not be broken in until three years old ; and 

 then, the very best breaking-in for the carriage-horse is to make him earn 

 a little of his living. Let him be put to harrow or light plough. Going 

 over the rough ground will teach him to lift his feet well, and give him 

 that high and showy action, excusable in a carriage-horse, but not in any 

 other. In the succeeding -winter he will be perfectly ready for the town 

 or country market. 



THE CAVALRY HORSE. 



This is the proper place to speak of the Cavalry Morse. That noble 

 animal whose varieties we are describing, and who is so admirably adapted 

 to contribute to our pleasure and our use, was, in the earliest period of 

 which we have any account of him, devoted to the destructive purposes of 

 war ; and the cavalry is, at the present day, an indispensable and a most 

 effective branch of the ser-vice. 



The cavalry horses contain a different proportion of blood, according to 

 the nature of the service required, or the caprice of the commanding 

 officer. Those of the household troops are from half to three-fourths 

 bred. Some of the lighter regiments have more blood in them. Our 

 cavalry horses were formerly large and heavy. To their imposing size 

 was added action as imposing. -The horse was trained to a peculiar, and 

 grand, yet beautiful method of going ; but he was often found deficient in 

 real service, for this very action diminished his speed, and added to his 

 labour and fatigue. 



A considerable change has taken place in the character of our troop 

 horses. This necessarily followed from the change that has occurred in 

 the thoroughbred horse. If he has lost much of his muscular form and 

 actual power of endurance, a similar alteration will take place in the off- 

 spring ; lightness and activity will succeed to bulk and strength, and for 

 gkirmisliing and sudden attack the change ^ill be an improvement. But 

 if the horse be improved, there still requires to be a great change effected 

 in the bulk of the accoutrements which is carried by the Light Dragoon. 

 When the men are of equal av eights, the accoutrements of the Light 

 Horseman are, when on active service, quite as ponderous as those of the 

 Heavy Dragoon. Hence the want of judgment shown in those command- 

 ing officers of Hussars who continue to mount their regiments with 

 thoroughbred horses of little power, to carry weights of 15, 16, or 17 

 stones. It was proved that in the engagements previous to and at the 

 battle of Waterloo, our heavy household troops alone were able to repulse 

 the formidable charge of the French guard. 



There are few things that moi-e ianperiously demand the attention of 

 government. If from the habit of rmming short distances, and at the 

 very early ages of one and two years, with light weights, there is a dete- 

 rioration in the strength and stoutness of our thoroughbred horses, they 

 will become every year less and less fitted for getting stock sufficiently 

 hardy and powerful to do credit to the courage and discipline of our 

 cavalry. 



The following anecdote of the memory and discipline of the troop-horse 

 is related on good authority. The Tyrolese, in one of their insurrections 

 in 1809, took fifteen Bavarian horses, and mounted them with so many of 

 their own men ; but in a skirmish with a squadron of the same regiment, 

 no sooner did these horses hear the trumpet and recognise the uniform of 

 their old masters, than they set off at full gallop, and carried their riders, 

 in spite of all their efforts, into the Bavarian ranks, where they were made 

 jjiisoners. 



The wounds of o, soldier are honourable. The old war-horse can some- 



