208 UNASKED ADVICE. 



up his head, catch the bar across the nose, and the bit is 

 useless when he does so. The remedy is to loosen the 

 rein, when the bit is obliged to reassume its proper 

 place; but, while the rider is doing this the horse has 

 time to do a good many things too. Further, I would 

 never have the lower branch of the bit more than double 

 the length of the upper, and in training the remount I 

 would use a standing martingale, when temper or carriage 

 of head demands any extra assistance. Our horse has 

 now, we will suppose, an easy bit, a comfortable saddle, 

 not too heavy, yet roomy and strong ; but before he is 

 mounted we must have a glance at the man. The 

 present height of the recruit is all right, but what about 

 his drill and dress ? The drill is well enough, with this 

 exception, that he ought to be trained, in addition to 

 what he learns at present, to ride over real fences, and 

 to use his arms at speed. His riding drill admits of one 

 more improvement. On the march, and on all occasions 

 off parade, he should rise in his stirrups at the trot. The 

 seat without rising is preferable in the school it is 

 easier, for example, to ride a young horse up to his bit 

 so, than when one is "jockeying," as rising is termed in 

 the army : in riding in line also it is difficult to rise, and 

 almost impossible for men to dress well when so doing ; 

 but it is neither in the school nor the drill field that sore 

 backs are given, and they would be less common on the 

 march were rising in the stirrups permitted. On the 

 march cavalry should travel at a seven-miles-an-hour trot 

 (walking of course at intervals), the men keeping the 

 sides of the roads, and rising in their stirrups. As a 

 general rule, the length of a man's arm shows the length 

 of his stirrups. No horseman, least of all a dragoon, should 

 ride too short; to do so is a worse fault than the reverse. 



