THE HORSES OF THE PRUSSIAN ARMY. 905 
And, first, as regards age, size, colour, and sex. 
■Age .—The horses are bought at the age of three and a 
half years ; that is to say, they are, for the most part, foaled 
in January—March, and are purchased in the summer and 
autumn of their third year. They are then kept for a period 
of twelve months in one of the remount depots, of which 
there are twelve in different parts of the country, during 
which time they are carefully ridden and handled, and finally, 
at the age of four and a half years, they are transferred to 
their respective destinations. The horses of the Life Guards, 
and Guard Artillery, and officers’ chargers of the Line, 
Artillery and Riding Establishment, remain another twelve- 
month at the remount depots. 
The average ages of Prussian Army horses are given 
thus : 
1856.—Cuirassiers, ten and a half years. Uhlans, ten 
one-third. Hussars, ten one-third. Artillery, nine one- 
quarter. Train, twelve one-twelfth years. 
1864.—Cuirassiers, nine three quarters. Uhlans, ten one- 
twelfth. Hussars, nine eight-twelfths. Artillery, nine. 
Train, eight seven-twelfths. 
1869.—Cuirassiers, ten one-twelfth. Uhlans, nine seven- 
twelfths. Hussars, nine six-twelfths. Artillery, eight eight- 
twelfths. Train, ten years. 
The average age during the twenty*five years’ period afore¬ 
said was about nine years, and, as will be observed, it was 
less during the later part of the time. The comparatively 
short time which army horses last in our own service has 
more than once been made the subject of comment. It 
certainly well deserves more careful attention than it has yet 
received. 
Size .—The lowest heights at which horses are admissible 
to different branches of the Prussian Army were fixed, by a 
Cabinet Order of 1854, as follows:—Cuirassier regiments, 
fifteen hands one inch. Hussars and Light Dragoons, four¬ 
teen and a half. Uhlans, fifteen. Artillery wheel-horses, 
fifteen and a half. Ditto lead-horses, fifteen hands one inch. 
Ditto riding-horses, fourteen hands three inches. 
The average height of the horses in the ranks and at the 
remount-depots, in 1868, was fifteen hands two and three 
quarter inches. The standard was highest in the Cuirassier 
regiments, sixteen hands one inch ; and lowest in the Hussars 
and Light Dragoons, fifteen hands one inch. 
Now, from the horse-rolls of Wichmann’s regiment, at 
present the 4th Prussian Hussars, for September, 1750, we 
find that of 1110 horses then on the strength of the regiment. 
