238 MILITARY COMMISSION TO EUROPE. 



SCHOOL OF EQUITATION. 



The central cavalry school of equitation is at Vienna. A lieutenant from every regiment of 

 cavalry is sent thither — 40 in all. 



Each officer brings a soldier with him to take care of his horses, but this soldier receives no 

 instruction. The practice of instructing non-commissioned officers has been abandoned. The 

 officer brings with him his own "imperial service horse" and that of the soldier. 



There are also about 100 horses belonging to the school, with grooms especially for them. 



The course of instruction lasts for 2 years ; one-half of the officers are changed every year. 



The instruction consists of equitation, stable duty, fencing, and the veterinary art ; for the 

 latter they attend the veterinary school. 



They ride several hours each day, almost always using the English saddle, and frequently 

 leaping, &c., without stirrups or girths. 



They become excellent riders, and manage their horses well. 



A good anatomical museum is attached to the school ; it contains natural preparations, the 

 Augoux models, plates, &c. 



There is also a good fencing room. 



There are two fine riding halls ; one is 238' by 72', the other 175' by 56'. 



The floor is a mixture of clay and sand. 



The stables are excellent ; one, in particular, is probably the finest in the world. 



In this connexion, it may be well to give the dimensions of the riding halls and stables of the 

 school for artillery and engineers, now in course of construction at Wiener Neustadt, near Vienna, 

 as they are regarded as models. 



The riding hall is to be 288' long, 62' wide, and 27' high. 



The stables are to be for 144 horses ; the roof arched, with 2 stalls under each arch. The 

 ventilation and light over the stalls in the roof; the forage and equipment to be kept in rooms 

 over the corridor. 



The corridor is 8' wide ; stalls, 12' X 5', and 15' high ; mangers of marble, 3' X 1', and 3' 8" above 

 the floor ; the racks, 5' 2" above the floor, and 1' 6" high ; bottom of manger, 2' from the floor. 



Open riding grounds are attached to every cavalry barrack. 



THE VETERINARY SCHOOL. 



This is at Vienna. Its chief purpose is to instruct veterinary surgeons for the army. 



The full course is of 3 years ; for certain purposes, 2 years ; for ordinary farriers, merely to 

 learn to shoe the horse, 6 months. 



It is much on the principle of that at Berlin, but is more extensive, and better organized. 



The collections of natural history and comparative anatomy are most excellent ; they embrace 

 not only stuffed specimens of many animals, birds, and fishes, skeletons, bones, jaws, teeth, &c., 

 but also admirable preparations of the muscles of the different parts of the horse, the veins, 

 arteries, &c. — diseased, as well as sound. 



There is a fine collection of instruments for operations on the eye, ear, unrinary organs, &c., 

 as well as for amputations, docking, bleeding, &c. 



For bleeding in the neck, the spring lancet is used. 



A laboratory, lecture rooms, dissecting rooms, rooms for the injection of preparations, &c., are 

 attached to the institution. 



