i8 



anything to choose between stallions and 

 geldings in respect of endurance. To arrive 

 at a solution of the latter question, one hun- 

 dred of the men were mounted on entires 

 and the other hundred on horses which 

 had been castrated only six months pre- 

 viously, regardless of age, for the purpose 

 of making the experiment. 



The squadrons marched to their destina- 

 tion, took part in field-days and pageants, 

 and started to reach Bangalore by forced 

 marches ; they accomplished the last 180 

 miles at a rate of thirty miles per day, 

 bringing in only one led horse, the remainder 

 being perfectly sound and fit for further 

 work. One horse, a 14.3 Persian, carried a 

 corporal who, with his accoutrements, rode 

 22 stone 7 Ibs. It may be added that there 

 was nothing to choose between the perform- 

 ances of the stallions and geldings ; though 

 the fact that the latter had so recently been 

 castrated was held to make their achieve- 

 ment the more creditable. 



A forced march such as this has far more 

 value as testimony to staying power than a 

 more trying feat performed by a single 

 animal ; but mention must be made of 

 Captain Home's ride. This officer, who 

 belonged to the Madras Horse Artillery, 



