The Military Scat. 97 



depends to a great extent on his horse being able to 

 turn suddenly and rapidly with the aid of one hand. 

 The folse or equilibrium of horse and rider taken to- 

 gether can 7tever be too pe7-fect or too permanent In his 

 case. One of the great mistakes committed is the sup- 

 posing that what is called a balance-seat is the one 

 thing necessary. The whole machine must be in bal- 

 ance, 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, 

 according 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 solu- 

 tion of this problem, in consequence of the great num- 

 ber of unknovv^n quantities involved in it. Nevertheless, 

 there can be no harm done in attempting, at least, a 

 statement of the question. 



French authorities* tell us that a ^<90fl? sumpter-horse. 

 Working on a good road, can carry 100 to 150 kilo- 

 grammes (equal to 15 stone \ lb., or 23 stone 8f lb.), at 

 a walk, to a distance of 40 kilometres (equal about 24^-^^ 

 English miles) in ten hours. But if the same horse be 

 required to do its work in trot, the burden must be 

 reduced to 80 kilog. (equal 176^ English pounds), in 



* Migout et Borgery, '* Theorie des Affiits et des Voitures d'Artil- 

 lerie." 



