INDIAN TROOP HORSES IN STABLES AND ON THE LINE OF MARCH 25 
In my battery each sergeant has two barrels, one for gram and one 
for bran. He receives from the line orderly of the day the proper 
amount due for his sub-division. This works far better, as, in addition, 
it enables a Commanding Officer to cut a coarse feeder’s rations, and 
give it to a horse that is not a “ good doer.” Like other animals one 
horse will thrive on less than another, and attention should be paid to 
it. 
WATERING. 
If you want to keep a horse contented and fit, never let him be 
unable to get at water. He likes to dabble his lips in it when there is 
nothing else to do. By all means let him do so day and night. Only 
for reasons before stated on coming in hot stint him until he is cool. 
Marcuina. 
Few things do a horse more good, if properly taken care of, than a 
march in any country with the regular work and feeding every day, so 
- long as he gets his proper night’s rest. The hour of starting in the 
morning must depend on the time of year and the consequent heat. It 
used to be a hard and fast rule with some corps to turn out at un- 
earthly hours on bitterly cold mornings. The reason is one I fail to 
fathom, and seems open to many objections. In the first place you 
cannot see to harness or feed and everybody and horse is a picture of 
misery—whereas a start at, say, eight o’clock, gives everybody time to 
get breakfast, the horses time for a feed, the cooks time to get on to 
the next camp with the dinners, and the whole wheel revolves smoothly. 
Iam, of course, taking a time of year when the sun from eight to 
eleven is not too strong for marching in. You finish the march by 
about 10.45, turn into stables, and out in time for dinners at the 
ordinary dinner hour. 
The pace is an open question. Some Commanding Officers never 
trot, others go at that pace every yard they can. Individually, directly 
on quitting the camp I trot two miles and walk one, and carry this on 
through the march, always walking the last two miles to bring the 
horses in cool. A halt for fifteen minutes every six miles. Incessant 
walking makes the horses and men drowsy, and is the cause of much 
stumbling, and also galls which are much increased by this mode of 
procedure. 
Hiverything, of course, depends on the temperature, state of the 
roads and horses. I have ventured to put forward the above method 
of progression under the conditions of cool days, good roads and fit 
horses. 
GALLS. 
A horse in soft condition galls much more easily than when he is 
fit. Extra care is therefore necessary under the former circumstances 
which may, however, be much ayoided by regular and longer work be- 
fore starting on the march. 
Throwing a horse out of work altogether for a gall is a thing that is 
seldom or never necessary in the R.A. 
I always think that horses are never called upon sufficiently in the 
