THE MILITAKY SEAT. 91 



cavalry that rides positively well may or may not prove 

 superior in combat to one that rides only comparatively 

 so, this much is quite certain, that the former will bring 

 into and retain in the field a much greater proportion of 

 serviceable horses than the latter, which is in itself an 

 element of success that may be indeed squandered away 

 like all others, but must, if properly taken advantage of, 

 confer great superiority. In fact, what we would say 

 to every cavalry officer of whatever nation is this : Your 

 cavalry is very fine : it has done wonders, and beat all 

 other cavalries in the world ; but it would do still 

 greater miracles, and beat all the rest if you only im- 

 proved your seat, &c., a little more ; besides which it 

 would cost less a matter of some importance and 

 perhaps look quite as well as at present. 



No one, we suppose, will contend that the jockey- 

 style of riding can serve as a model for the cavalry 

 soldier : the kind of work to be done, and its duration 

 are totally different. Perhaps the hunting seat deserves 

 more consideration. This much is certain ; it is of great 

 advantage to cavalry to be able to get across a difficult 

 country, and much of its utility will depend on its being 

 able to do this cleverly, and in an orderly manner. 

 This has been recognised and acted on of late years to 

 a much greater extent than formerly, and, as we think, 

 very wisely too. Up to a certain time the haute ecole 

 dominated cavalry riding exclusively, and, no doubt, 

 very reasonably, in the then-existing semi-cultivated 

 state of Europe, and under the conditions of combat 

 then prevalent. But both of these have undergone great 

 modifications : and first of all, what the Germans call 

 the " campaign school," was introduced for cavalry 

 purposes ; and more recently still, that very indefinite 



