o keep his horses fresh on their legs, and
ready to turn out in good condition at whatever hour the call may
sound. Of course, these precautions must not go so far as to endanger
the training for service of the squadron, but drill and manoeuvre
results at excessive cost of horseflesh must be absolutely condemned.

If these reasons speak for an intercalation of Field Service exercises
between the drill days, I am further of opinion that the result which
would be arrived at by this system would give a better standard of
the drill efficiency of the unit for War than can be attained by
continuous drill alone.

With the latter, it is certainly much easier to secure unity,
cohesion, and precision in the movements; but we must remember that in
War the emergency calling for drill performances may arise after weeks
of marching, during which no drill has been practised at all, and our
Peace training must take into account such conditions, and accustom
the troops to execute with safety and cohesion such drill movement as
may be necessary without having practised them day for day.

In still greater degree do these principles apply both to regimental
and brigade drills; since in these the demands on the horses are
constantly increasing, the need to give them opportunity for rest and
recovery becomes even more pronounced.

Moreover, the purpose of these exercises is not so much to secure a
single representation of acquired skill in the exhibition of drill
evolutions, but rather to develop and confirm in the men an
ever-increasing familiarity with the principles of their tactical
employment, and this will only then be attained when, as far as
possible, these practices are continued during the whole summer, so
that the Grand Manoeuvres either in the Division or in the Corps form
the natural conclusion of the whole series. In the period of combined
manoeuvres, it is, of course, impossible, in order to save the horses,
to lengthen the fixed period allotted to them; but all the more
necessary, therefore, does it appear to spare them as much as possible
by the introduction of these Field Service days (exclusive of the
ordinary 'rest days') during the time of the drill exercises. In the
course of the subsequent considerations, we shall see that not only
will our horses gain thereby, but many other important objects of our
training be served as well.

Turning now to the subject of these exercises themselves, it must be
laid down genera