A system of giving prizes for the best-trained remount encourages a very deserving class of man in cavalry regiments, and evidences to all that the commanding officer is taking an interest in their work; the danger is that the men sometimes confuse circus tricks with legitimate training for campaign riding. If the commanding officer gets on the three or four best-trained horses before awarding the prize, and generally keeps an eye on the progress of the remounts in training, it will have a marked effect. Above all, rough methods, shouting in the riding school,[98] and any attempt to hurry training should be discouraged; a horse takes a little time to learn in good hands, but it should be remembered that most of the gymnastics which he has to learn involve training muscles and sinews to an unnatural extent, and that this must be done with a weight on the horse’s back which nature did not contemplate. If there is one thing more important than another in the training of a squadron horse it is that he should be taught to walk well, quickly, and freely. By constantly placing the fastest walking horses at the head of the rides, and teaching the men to ride with a fairly loose rein, this is soon effected. The result in a regiment where this has been consistently done is surprising. Once placed in the ranks the squadron leader should not lose sight of the horse, but watch his career. There is a key to every horse’s mouth, so it is said; certain it is that, whilst one squadron commander will see his horses tossing their heads, poking their noses, and going with their jaws set against one side of the bit, without in the least knowing what is the matter, another officer would in a short half-hour have loosened the curb there, adjusted a nose-band or added a martingale here, and have discovered an injured jaw in two other cases. For the latter he would order his farrier to make a carrago nose-band, or would improvise a string bridle with ten or twelve feet of small cord, so that the horses could go on with their work. Let us take an instance, then, of the actual value to the State of these two squadron commanders. In one case the horse becomes unmanageable from pain, develops bolting propensities, injures one or two riders, and is perhaps cast and sold for £5 as vicious. The value of the horse (£40 by purchase at four years’ and £60 for two years’ keep, etc.) is £100. In the other case the mouth is healed and the animal does eight or nine years’ good service. The value to the State of an observant, skilled horse-manager as compared with an indifferent one is some £500 per annum. On service this value may be multiplied by 5 or 10. CHAPTER XX THE TRAINING OF THE MAN 1. That soldiers should make it their function to exert themselves to the utmost of their loyalty and patriotism. 2. That they should strictly observe decorum. 3. That they should prize courage and bravery. 4. That they should treasure faith and confidence.