3 
The Inter-Regimental R.A. v. R.E. Racket and Billiard Matches are fixed to be 
played this year at Woolwich, on Friday and Saturday, the 21st and 22nd April. 
Any officer who may wish to represent the Regiment in either event is requested 
to communicate with the Honorary Secretary R.A. Games’ Fund, Woolwich. 
SOY Ala ARTILLERY DINNER CLUB. 
Rules. 
Officers of the Royal Artillery on full or half-pay, can become annual sub¬ 
scribers at the rate of five shillings per annum, under the-following conditions :— 
(a) On joining the Regiment. 
(5) If a Subaltern, by payment of five shillings for every year of service 
up to five years, which shall be the maximum number of years 
subscription chargeable to officers of that rank on joining. 
(c) If a Captain, by payment of six years subscriptions. 
( d ) If a Major, by payment of seven years subscriptions. 
(i e ) If a Lieut.-Colonel, by payment of eight years subscriptions. 
EDINBURGH. 
Haying heard that the Cavalry Regiment here were trying a very novel and 
wholly radical experiment in stable management, which would, I fancy, make the 
hair of some of our old horse-masters stand on end, I went over to Piershill to 
see it. 
The experiment consists in never removing the troop-horse’s bed. The drop¬ 
pings are taken away as far as possible, but otherwise the litter is never touched, 
the fresh ration of straw being added daily. This system, I am told, is in vogue 
in the Austrian Cavalry, and has been tried with success by our own 12th Lancers. 
The chief advantage claimed is that the horse is encouraged to lie down during 
the day, which, of course, he cannot do under the usual regime , and also that he 
lies down more during the night; the result being an improvement in condition. 
All this being contrary to every precept of stable management which one has 
been taught and teaches, I was naturally curious to see it, so took the opportunity 
kindly given of going round stables with the Orderly Officer. Of course, it 
looks simply beastly. When I went round the fresh straw had not been put 
down, and each horse was standing on a little platform of dirty bedding about six 
inches high, from which, when trodden on, a certain amount of moisture exuded. 
Most of the horses had scraped away a good deal of litter in the front part of 
the stall, and were standing with their hind-quarters somewhat raised. 
The Piershill stables are old and low, yet I must confess I found very little 
smell when I went in, and none of that pungent odour of ammonia which one 
would expect. The horses were looking very well; and I was told that there 
was an improvement in their condition since the introduction of the system, about 
three or four months, though this I can give no opinion on, not having seen the 
animals before. As far as I could gather, the horses’ feet do not suffer; I picked 
up one or two, and there was no sign of thrush in them. 
I should think one great drawback must be the filthy state of the horse in the 
morning, and the time it must take to get a long-coated “ hairy ” decently 
clean. He must rise from his couch plastered over with muck like a cow, as I 
should fancy a good deal of the fresh straw, which is added at night, gets eaten. 
There is probably not much chance of this practice becoming the rule of the 
