CavHooah.com - Cavalry Horses

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"The seat natural, without drawing back the thigh; the legs hang vertically from the knees, and close the sides of the horse; the balls of the foot supported in he stirrup; the heels about an inch lower than the toes; these to the front; the stirrups supporting the weight of the legs in a natural position; the head erect and square to the front; the shoulders square; the curb reins held in the left hand, the little finger between them; the forearm grazing the side, and nearly horizontal; the hand about six inches in front of the body..."

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The first and foremost task of the cavalry recruit was to learn how to care for his horse. He also needed to be able to untangle the confusing web of his saddlery and harness equipment. For the recruit with little or no prior equine experience, this could be a daunting task. It was imperative that he would learn that his mount needed to be cared for, groomed, and fed before he was. This would consume several hours of his day, every day. His mount was his comrade-in-arms, his best friend, and his mobility. The trooper's status as a ready and able fighter often depended solely on the condition of his mount. If his mount was unfit, he either walked or had to stay behind. At one point during the war, the Army of the Potomac was replacing up to 500 horses each day, evidencing the toll that war takes on the animals. In fact, the cavalry of both sides would take every horse they could find from farms and towns when on campaigns and raids, knowing that they would soon be needed to press into service.

With the cavalry being the highly mobile arm, the trooper had to learn quickly the ways of, and signals from, the horse. Horses are impressively strong and loyal animals, but they cannot go on forever without adequate food, water, and rest. Therefore, much of the trooper's day would revolve around the limitations and requirements of his horse. Time had to be allotted for grooming, feeding, and qualifying the mount, even when on the move. The recruit had to learn these things while in camp to impress upon him the importance of caring for his closest comrade.

The recruit would first be taught the tenets of dismounted drill - simple facing movements, marching, and saluting, just like his infantry comrades, before being taught the more complicated mounted drill. Even before getting into the saddle, he had to learn: how to mount the horse from both sides; the names and uses of all his equipment and how to care for them; and how to pack his saddle. An entire week would be devoted to this. During the second week, the recruit would begin his lessons on foot, conducted twice per day, for an hour each time. Any thoughts that the recruit may have had about having an easier time of it than marching like the foot soldier were about to be dispelled once training began in the saddle.

The recruit soon learned that riding a horse on the skirmish line or in battle was hugely different than riding on the farm or in the town streets. Cavalry commands were issued by both voice and bugle, and the new trooper would have to learn the bugle calls by heart, memorizing the notes until they became second-nature. The bugle signals, louder than voice commands, permitted orders to be carried to, and understood by, large units spread out over a wide area. Cooke's Cavalry Tactics manual, the training textbook for the mounted arm, gave the following commands:

1. The General.
2. Boots and Saddles.
3. To horse.
4. The assembly.
5. To arms.
6. To the standard.
7. The march.
8. The charge.
9. The rally.
10. Reveille.
11. Stable Call.
12. Watering call.
13. Breakfast call.
14. Assembly of the guard.
15. Orders for the orderly sergeants.
16. Assembly of the trumpeters.
17. Retreat.
18. Fatigue call.
19. Dinner call.
20. Distributions.
21. Drill call.
22. Officers call.
23. The recall.
24. Sick call.
25. Tatoo.
26. To extinguish lights.

Each command had a distinctly separate call, and the trooper had to know them without doubt, or it could mean his life and that of others, as well as the success or failure of an entire mission or maneuver. As if these weren't enough, another group of calls was taught for skirmish and battle situations:

1. Forward.
2. Halt.
3. To the left.
4. To the right.
5. The about.
6. Change direction to the right.
7. Change direction to the left.
8. Trot.
9. Gallop.
10. To commence firing.
11. To cease firing.
12. To charge as foragers.

Each of these calls, of course, had specific and often complicated movements to be learned. There were also calls that told the trooper when to mount or dismount and fight on foot, etc. Marching tunes were also used. Usually, each company of each regiment had two buglers, as well as a Chief Bugler for the regiment itself.

Interestingly, the horses themselves learned to respond to particular calls, even without their riders. Relaxing horses would learn to "perk up" at the call of Boots and Saddles (the order for the trooper to get himself and his horse equipped and ready) as well as many maneuvering calls.

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Last Cavalry Horse Is Historic Symbol
Pentagram News, Washington D.C.
March 24, 1966

CHIEF, the last living cavalry horse still carried on government rolls, was foaled in 1932 and purchased by the Army in 1940 at Ft. Robinson, Neb. In December of 1949 he was placed in semi-retirement and was fully retired at Ft. Riley, Kan., in 1958. In the event of his death Chief will be buried with full military honors adjacent to Old Trooper, the cavalry monument on main post.

Chief the last remaining government owned cavalry horse is currently in retirement at Ft.Riley, Kan. Though the days of the horse cavalry have long since passed, this horse remains on the Army rolls.
Foaled In 1932, the bay entered the Army eight years later, exactly one year and 12 days prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was purchased at Fort Robinson, Neb., from L. A. Parker of Scottsbluff, Neb., for $183.00.
He arrived at his cavalry post, Ft. Riley, Kan. on April 3, 1941, where he was assigned to the 10th Cavalry and later the 9th Cavalry. In June of 1942, Chief was transferred to the Cavalry School and remained on the post until his retirement.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about the 34-year-old horse is his physical condition. According to the Post Veterinarian. Chief's physical condition is "excellent." He says that except for advanced age, Chief demonstrates no condition to indicate any trouble in the foreseeable future.
About three years ago Chief was thin and lacking in energy. He carried his head low and his ears back. Then his diet was changed from the standard rations be had been receiving and the change has remarkable results.
Every day Chief, now sleek and fat. is let out in a corral at the Ft. Riley Riding Club. After a first burstof running, he lies down and rolls in the sand. Then he springs to his feet, kicks up his heels and prances around the corral. Usually he stops to roll in the sand several more times before retiring to a shady corner to graze.
In recent years, Chief has become somewhat of a historical landmark at Ft. Riley. During the summer months several hundred visitors call at the Riding Stable to look at the animal.
That Chief is the last of thousands is no idle statement. Illustrative of the number just prior to World War II, the Second Cavalry Division was activated at at Ft. Riley and during the early months of that conflict more than 6,000 head of horses were kept on post.
At Ft. Riley is a monument commemorating the operation of the 26th Cavalry Regiment which was totally annihilated by the Japanese during engagements of Luzon and Bataan in the early moments of WW II. This was the last occasion that mounted horse cavalry was used in actual combat by the United States against the enemy.
So the horse cavalry died. but Chief lives on. In 1953 the number of retired mounts at Ft Riley decreased in number from43 to 30 at the year's end. In 1954, the number declined to 11. In 1955, there were just five mounts left--two of whom were the most famous of cavalry horses--Gambler and Joe Louis. The other three were Flicka, Strollalong and Chief. All were geldings except Flicka, a mare.
Now they are all gone. . . all except Chief. the last of thousands. He was agood cavalry mount, well liked and remembered by a few people who have known him for a long time. Chief is a real live reminder of the days of boots and saddles-- Custer and the 7th Cavalry, the great days of opening the American West. Chief was a Cavalry Horse.

( Chief, the Cavalry's last horse, died in 1968 at the age of 36 )

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The Indian rulers placed great reliance on the elephants and harnessed them with several protective and ornamental coverings, such as the howdah, imari, trunk protector, tusk protector, eye protector, chains, ropes and ornamental jhula. The warrior was very much dependent upon his horse or elephant in active warfare which made it necessary that the war animal was properly harnessed and armored. The myth that the ancient Indians never attained proficiency in horse warfare has forcibly been demolished.
There is actually a book covering this subject titled "Horse and Elephant Armour" available here!

The Elephant is used in conjunction with heavy batteries in India, particularly those of the siege train. Elephant batteries are of modern origin, though the animal has been used in war from the earliest times, and can be managed by his mahout with as little difficulty as a well trained collie. It is, indeed, astonishing to see the apparently clumsy animal wheeling to the right or left when ordered, as though he, like the gunners who accompany him, had passed a considerable time under the care of the drill sergeant. Each animal can carry with ease a load of 1,000-lb. Its food is usually from 15-lb to 30-lb of flour mixed with sugar or, or molasses, and 400-lb of green food. It requires at least 25 gallons of water per diem, but works well on only five hours' sleep. The first photograph represents an elephant battery marching past the saluting base. The second depicts a portion of a battery drawn up for inspection. Each heavy gun is drawn by two animals. The gunners are seen in front of the elephants. more

History of War Elephants

During the exploits of Alexander the Great, the Greek army met the Persian army at the battle of Gaugamela, where they faced fifteen elephants. This was the first time the Europeans had come up against war elephants.

Later in India, the Macedonians had to face up to 200 elephants at the battle of Hydaspes in modern Pundjab. (326 BC) They were lined up at 30 meter intervals in front of the whole army. Their prime object then, as it was later, was to stop the cavalry. Horses do not like the smell of elephants. The Macedonian light infantry first attacked the elephants with javelins, trying to kill the animals or the drivers. Finally, Alexander gave orders for the rear half of the phalanx to move up into the intervals between the files to form locked shields formation, presenting the elephants with a mass of spears, and in this formation, they drove them back. Alexander captured 80 elephants, and during future campaigns, he was able to gather as many as 200 elephants into his army.

At the end of the 4th century BC, one of Alexander's captains, Seleukos Nikator, tried to invade India. After an unsuccessful campaign, he sued for peace and gave his daughter in marriage to the victorious emperor in exchange for 500 elephants of war.

(Ironically, 'seeing the elephant' was a Civil War era expression meaning that you had done or had gone to something extraordinary. It came from the 1840s when the first elephants were brought to America and taken on tour. If you went to see the elephants you had seen the biggest thing in your life.)

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The Flying Horse of Gansu (Ganxu) (Bronze Galloping Horse)

Comanche