| Show H must maust be quickly IY trained to tho the roar V vadir N ff R of guns the main difficulty in training a war horse Is to accustom the animal to the thunder of firearms A horse that can be quickly trained to the roar of cannon and musketry la Is an acquisition which instructors know how to appreciate you hear people talk gli glibly bly enough nowadays of supplying our troops in the east with plenty ot of re in mounts ou remarks n and its quite evident from th the remarks they make that they imagine they need only to lasso a few thousand wild horses in texas ship them off to manila and volla voila our soldiers eol diers are re mounted although most horses can be quickly trained to face the most withering fire many are very difficult to convince that a tremendous noise Is not necessarily a signal of danger while some never can be taught to ignore the rattle ot of musketry your correspondent has had the pleasure or of visiting the farm of a trainer of war horses situated in the wilds of texas in a field adjoining the stables I 1 found ranged in a circle aready ready for Instruction some three dozen fine horses including a few splendid chestnuts the instructor stood in the center of the circle with the horses facing him gave the signal to the attendants to be in readiness and fired three chambers ot of a revolver in rapid succession instantly there was a great commotion most ot of the horses reared and plunged and its was only with the greatest difficulty that some ot of them were prevented from breaking away and racing madly about the field A few on the other hand did nothing more than prick up their ears and toss their heads and these were promptly taken away tor for test the more restive ones of course were subjected to the revolver shots until they coula face them unflinchingly the second test is much morn more severe the horses are galloped up to a supposed company of infantry who fire simultaneously as soon as the animals have got properly into swing the first volley usually plays havoc with the tha formation of the advancing cavalry and some of tha horses rear so wildly that then riders have considerable difficulty in keeping their saddles in a few moments however the tha charge is continued another volley fired this time of course at closer range and the formation Is once more deranged this maneuver Is continued until familiarity having bred contempt the horses advance as readily in tho the face of musketry both volleys and straggling fire as when faced by nothing at ait ail they are ara then taught in precisely the th same way to disregard the boom of cannon once properly trained 4 horse faces the deadly fire of an enemy on the field of battle with an absolute absolu to fearlessness of which man be he as brave as a lion is incapable this however is only natural the horse has been taught to believe the din of battle to be quite meaningless and without result when in actual warfare lie he sees horses and men around him shattered and lifeless there Is nothing to suggest to him that that same din of battle and death are in any way connected and the reports of firearms consequently tor for him have no terrors whatever tho the whistling of bullets and tho the screaming of shells unknown of course at the maneuvers at homo home while insignificant details to the horse are sadly full of meaning to the man and often enough do our soldiers envy the ignorance of the horse tho the ignorance which is bliss |
