34 



ARMY HORSES OF THE FUTURE. 



Let it not be supposed for a moment 

 that in urging the merits of small horses the 

 writer seeks to asperse the value of heavy 

 cavalry. Weight in men and size in horses 

 are indispensable for such work as our heavy 

 cavalry are called upon to perform ; even 

 the civilian mind can appreciate the mysteries 

 of tactics so far as to recognise that a charge 

 of heavy cavalry can effect infinitely greater 

 results upon an enemy than men mounted 

 on ponies of fourteen hands or fourteen 

 hands two inches. 



Authorities on military affairs seem agreed 

 that the great improvements made in small 

 arms of precision since the Crimean War 

 have done much to impair the former value 

 of heavy cavalry for direct attack ; it needs 

 no trained intelligence to recognise that 

 cavalry advancing in close rank might well 

 be shot down to a man in attempting to 

 charge a foe, not necessarily under cover, 

 over a thousand yards of fairly open ground 

 on which such a manoeuvre is possible to 

 cavalry. For artillery and transport, how- 

 ever, we shall always need powerful horses, 

 and the draught power required is only to 

 be obtained with height. 



