FRANCE. 245 



days) for vices or diseases. The horses over 5 years are then 

 sent in convoys to their destinations; those under that age 

 are sent to the annexes to be handled and kept till the month 

 of October, when they are sent in lots to their destinations. 

 The remount men are used to take the horses (usually by rail) 

 to their destinations, or the organizations may be asked to 

 send men for this duty. Generally one man is sent for every 

 four horses. Horses undergo no training at the depots. 

 When horses are received at the depots the greatest care is 

 exercised in the matter of hygiene. Horses that are at all 

 sick are separated from the others; lots are kept together; 

 each horse has his own grooming kit, which is used for him 

 alone; the watering troughs are regularly disinfected, in fact 

 every precaution is taken against the transmission of disease. 



Besides the regular purchases by the remount service, 

 special animals may be purchased by any of the mounted 

 troops, but at a price not exceeding the annual average fixed 

 amount. This is accomplished by a commission within the 

 regiment composed of a field officer, a captain, and a veter- 

 inary surgeon, who are appointed by the brigade commander. 



The authorities of the cavalry school at Saumur are also 

 authorized to purchase, through a commission appointed by 

 the commanding general of the school, horses of pure blood 

 or others of suitable quality. Indeed, the better-bred horses 

 are not purchased largely by the remount service, as the prices 

 asked are higher than those authorized to be paid by that 

 service, so that special authority has to be obtained for the 

 purchase of superior animals, whether at the school, in the 

 regiment, or by the remount service. 



In all purchases whatsoever a written guarantee of sound- 

 ness and suitability is always exacted from the seller, who, 

 also, is required to give his name, address, and residence. 

 That, together with the date and place of purchase, the price 

 paid, etc., form the basis of the entry in the horse-descriptive 

 book opposite the animal's number, which number is branded 

 on his near forehoof as soon as he is bought. Later the 

 number of the regiment and the initial of the arm are branded 

 on the off forehoof. During the purchasing period an ab- 

 stract of the animals purchased is sent to the ministry of war 

 every fifteen days. 



Colts dropped by mares at the depot are taken up on the 

 returns and are sent to Suippes, the special depot for young 

 horses. 



