THE MILITAKY SEAT. 93 



only lead to loose and broken charges, or to a voluntary 

 abandonment of full gallop in charging. Further, the fox- 

 hunter does not require sharp turning, and he has both his 

 hands at his disposal ; whilst the cavalry soldier's life 

 depends to a great extent on his horse being able to turn 

 suddenly and rapidly with the aid of one hand. The poise 

 or equilibrium of horse and rider taken together can never 

 be too perfect or too permanent in his case. One of the 

 great mistakes committed is the supposing that what is 

 called a balance-seat is the one thing necessary. The whole 

 machine must be in balance, and not the rider alone. 



But the greatest difference is in the absolute weight 

 or load to be carried. A hunting man buys a horse up 

 to his weight ; cavalry can do nothing of the sort, for 

 their horses are compelled to carry any load we please to 

 inflict on them. People rig out a soldier with everything 

 that combined bad taste and absurdity can suggest put 

 him on a horse that must not cost over a certain 

 price, and call him a hussar, dragoon, or lancer, accord- 

 ing to the cut of his coat ; and so it comes that what 

 is called heavy cavalry sometimes rides lighter, and is 

 altogether lighter, than what people are pleased to 

 consider light cavalry. 



There must be some average weight determinable 

 for the average horses and average work of cavalry, but 

 it is very hard to get at anything like a satisfactory 

 solution of this problem, in consequence of the great 

 number of unknown quantities involved in it. Never- 

 theless, there can be no harm done in attempting, at 

 least, a statement of the question. 



French authorities" tell us that a good sumpter-horse, 



* Migout et Bergery, ' Theorie des Aflftts et des Voitures 

 d'Artillerie.' 



