92 Suyphj of Horses adapted to the English Ai-mj/. 
For these favourable results we are indebted, in the first 
instance, to the vigilance and practical skill of His Royal 
Highness the Field-^SIarshal Commanding-in-Chief, who expects 
every branch of the service to be "always ready," and at once 
detects any defect, whilst he so encourages and supports every 
zealous officer as to make the performance of duty a real 
pleasure. 
In the second place, these results are due to the exertions of all 
the officers and men of the various regiments, who constantly vie 
with one another in the practical application of the best means 
of keeping horses in ^health. These means are so correctly 
appreciated in the army, and are so few and so simple, that 
they can be easily carried out. Good oats, 10 lbs. per diem ; 
hay, 12 lbs. ; straw, 8 lbs. ; water, ad lib. ; exercise ; surface 
drains ; clean stables, dry litter floors, and proper ventila- 
tion. The system of ventilation is threefold : — 1st. Ground 
ventilation — for drying the floors; 2ndly, ceiling ventilation — for 
the egress of vitiated air ; and lastly, but not least, respiratory 
ventilation — for the supply of fresh air under the horse's nose ; 
all these ends being accomplished without the creation of strong 
currents. It will easily be seen that our principles of stable 
management are founded on common sense. 
These results contrast very favourably with the comparative 
military statistics of our neighbours the French. They muster 
an effective force of about 41,793 horses of all arms of their 
service, and the average of deaths is Sh per cent, (instead of 
about li), namely — 5 per cent, from glanders and farcy, and 3i 
per cent, from accidents and what we have designated curable 
diseases in contradistinction to those which defy all medical 
skill. 
For many years there has not been any very important change 
in the characteristics of the horses required for the army on 
home service. They may be appropriately divided into^ two 
chief classes — those of the Cavalrv and the Artillery : the first of 
which may be subdivided into Heavy and Light Cavalry ; the 
second into Horse and Field Artillery ; the requirements of the 
Engineers and ^.lilitary Train being put under the same head as 
those of the Field Artillery, although tlie Engineers use a 
rather smaller horse, and the Military Train a slightly heavier 
one, than the Field Artillery. Each corps selects its own horses. 
that it fell upon its butt, and pointed backwards. A horse in the succeeding 
squadron caught the point on his breast, and so completely impaled himself ou it, 
that it cam',' out close to his tail. Again, tlic other day two horses wliilst at drill, 
approaching each other from opposite directions, came into collision, and the 
combined force was so great as to fracture the skull of one and break the back 
of the other. The horses could not fail to foresee the shock, and, but for their 
docility, might have avoided it. And yet we are expected to doubt the power of 
eavalr}' to break a square of infantry I 
