CHAPTER IV. 



THE MILITARY SEAT. 



IS there such a thing as a standard military seat or 

 not? and is there any real necessity for it, and what? 

 There can be no doubt that a cavalry in some respects 

 technically inferior may achieve, and often has gained, 

 victories over another, not having any fault of the kind. 

 So very much depends on the way in which this arm is 

 handled and on its moral qualities that it is quite im- 

 possible to say, " This cavalry, because it rides very 

 well, must, or even w ill most probably, beat that other 

 one, because it does not ride quite so well." Are we 

 then to conclude that the seat and everything connected 

 with it is a matter of minor importance? The old Aus- 

 trian cavalry regulations contained a paragraph to this 

 effect : '' Cavalry that cannot ride (that is to say, well) 

 is a burden to the State;" but we have been often 

 tempted to paraphrase this and say, " Cavalry that can 

 only ride is not less so." Both expressions taken to- 

 gether will then mean, that it is not enough for a cav- 

 alry man to be a bold rider ; his riding must be done 

 so as to make him an efficient combatant as well : for 

 whatever doubt may exist on account of the almost im- 

 possibility of estimating precisely " the other things 

 equal" of the question to be solved, as to whether a 

 cavalry that rides positively w^ell may or may not prove 

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