REMOUNT HORSES IN INDIA. 
491 
To begin with, the syce question is a difficult one : the wages of 
these men are very low, and in consequence you get a very inferior 
class, and more than half of them will rob you at every turn ; it, there¬ 
fore, requires great watchfulness to ensure the horses getting the 
whole of their feeds, also, besides the syces,, there are contractors and 
others who will try to make a living out of the rations of your horses. 
In most batteries some old N.-C.O. or soldier is told off to look after 
the syces, the crushing and mixing of the food, and the lines in 
general. In many batteries he is also responsible for the feeding, and 
measures out the feed for each horse, but I do not advocate this latter 
custom ; it is entrusting too much to one man, especially when sur¬ 
rounded by temptations as he is sure to be. 
A line-orderly there must be, a thoroughly reliable man, of good 
physique to stand the sun, and a man of some weight to keep the 
jemadars and syces at their work during the heat of the day when 
others are not about to see what goes on. 
I do not advocate retaining one man too long in such a billet for the 
reasons I have mentioned above, and, although I have had under me 
many excellent orderlies, I have also had some who have done a good 
trade for themselves in selling the horses’ rations. 
In the battery I command the Orderly Officer weighs out the grain 
and grass at the gram-shed and stack-yard, the gram is then crushed 
and mixed with the bran for each feed, in a large vat, in bulk (the 
crushing machine is the private property of the battery, and a monthly 
allowance is drawn from Government for crushing grain). Bach No. 1 
draws in a tub his feeds at the commencement of each stable hour, and 
I hold them responsible for getting the correct amount. During the 
stable hour the Nos. 1 measure out their various feeds into iron pans, 
mix them with chaff, which they draw in a sack from the line orderly, 
who superintends the chopping of it, also the salt which they also draw 
daily, and place each feed behind the horse for which it is intended. 
The chaff-cutting machine is also private property, though no allow¬ 
ance is given for it by Government. I chaff 400 to 500 lbs. of hay a 
day. The tubs and pans are then taken back by syces to the line 
orderly’s shed, who sees that they are all washed and cleaned in readi¬ 
ness for the next feed. The horses are fed before the men turn out of 
stables at morning and evening stable parade, and a European stable 
orderly is left in each sub-division under the orderly sergeant if the 
battery turns out before the horses finish their feeds, otherwise the 
grain would, in many cases, be robbed by the syces out of the horses’ 
mangers. At mid-day feed the Orderly Officer and Nos. 1 attend, and 
see all their horses fed and watered ; on holidays, the Orderly Officer, 
the orderly sergeant, and the stable orderlies, attend at all stable hours 
to see these duties performed. The lines have to be most carefully 
watched by night and day to prevent the syces stealing the grass, especi¬ 
ally during the hot weather, when there is a great demand for hay and 
litter among the cow-men. 
The litter and refuse should be collected and put in a pit somewhere 
under the eye of the line orderly, and be removed daily by the con¬ 
tractor who purchases it. I make a fresh contract myself yearly for 
9. VOL. XX. 64 
