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Move. Fastest possible walk, slowest possible trot. March not too unduly slow and long.
B.C. responsible for pace. Should always be at head of Battery if possible. If not, Officer to be detailed.
Begin with walk of mile or so. Horses get night stiffness. Then a short trot before first halt.
Start trotting slowly. O.C. start with steady pace – not a rush away.
Trot a hunting jog. Used by Units, individuals and orderlies etc. riding alone (see page 58 F.A.T.). Exercising Order gives good chance of training men in this.
First halt. Everyone looks round, officers too. Adjust breechings, tighten girth, every foot to be examined, kit and equipment seen to be adjusted by Gunners and the Nos. 1. Nos 1 report to S.C. who report to B.C. 20 minutes to half hour after start for first halt. Duration 5 to 10 minutes.
After first halt walk and trot alternately according to temperature, roads and gradients. Average pace 5 to 6 miles an hour including halts. Trot on the level. Don’t order head of Column to halt while tail is negotiating hill. O.C. keep in mind length of his Column in ordering trot from walk or vice versa, 20 yards per 6 horse vehicle must be allowed. Chap. 3 Sect. 25 & 26 F.S. Regs. Part 1 and pp. 195, 197 F.A.T.
Hour of starting. Very early start objectionable. Men and horses fed and chance for men to attend to nature otherwise constipation may result.
Length of marches. Column of all arms 15 miles per day with rest once a week. Small Command can cover 25 miles or more under favourable circumstances if a trek in front – get horses in good condition – using up surplus forage. Don’t keep them on a low ration till last moment. Give chaff during a march if possible.
Rule of Road. Stick to it. In France with pave crown – horse traffic must go on to side to leave pave for mechanical transport.
Before halting a Battery give “close into the left” (or “right” in France) so as to have all vehicles off the road centre. Leave cross roads clear.
Passing of Orders. F.S. Part I p. 47. “No trumpet or bugle call allowed on the march” – orders by signal.
While away from enemy whistle or word of command should be used. While Battery trotting sound whistle or give word order before giving signal. Orders should be passed on.
If silence essential swingletrees, trail-eyes, etc., must be muffled as recommended in Chap. 2 p. 35 F.S. Pocket Book. Rapid passing of orders up and down column requires practice. Nos. 1 and Coverers passing orders from front to rear should turn well round, repeat order clearly and get acknowledgement. Give order from rear of Battery occasionally to waken men up.
Supervision. B.C. responsible and under him S.C., Nos. 1 and Coverers. At intervals B.C. should hand over lead to someone else, fall-out and let Battery go past him. See how things go and that pace set is right. Should be no more sweating in last team than in first. Condition of last team is surest guide as to pace. S.C.s fall out in succession to B.C. and remain till their Section passed. S.C.s move about – pass from one side of Section to other and watch teams. He will learn more about his horses in a week in this way than in a month at stables.
Captains should ride in rear not with the B.C.s.
Nos 1 and Coverers should also move about and on either side of teams.
Every horse to do his share.
Wheel and centre Drivers must cover lead Driver or trace galls result.
Hand horses which lean in should be provided with carefully adjusted side reins.
Slovenly riding and lolling must be checked. Men on vehicles to sit up. Men on limbers sit well back to keep weight off points of pole. Smoking by men on vehicles strictly forbidden.
Up to first halt, all ranks should march at attention – after that march at ease, except when marching thro’ towns. But marching at ease too much leads to slovenly habits.
Gunners & all others except team drivers should dismount & walk for some distance every now & then.
No team drivers should be dismounted. Best way to ease ride horses is to change them with hand horses day by day.
Gunners should walk behind carriages, keeping inside wheels. They should dismount independently at bottom of a hill and mount again at top.
Trot down a long gentle slope – horses are kept in draught and carriage is prevented from running forward and forcing wheelers to sit back in breeching.
On steep slopes apply brake. It should allow wheels to revolve slowly. Gunners putting on brake should look over vehicle and watch point of pole as well as wheels. If point of pole rises unduly, more brake is wanted – if the pole remains fairly horizontal, it is about right. At foot of short steep slope, lead and centre drivers must keep well going. They must not hang fire when they reach level, or wheel horses are forced on top of them.
If any vehicle has to stop altogether, it must not attempt to regain its place till next halt. Falls in at tail of column till then. Its space in column must be left free.
Maintenance of distances. Very important. 10 yards between batteries. 4 yards between horses heads and carriages. B.C. may order extension for reason of dust &c.
Distance once lost should be left and made up at next halt. No jig-jogging. Common fault is closing up to less than 4 yards. At a halt bumping occurs. If proper distance kept and lead drivers pay more attention to carriage in front of them, checks would be avoided. Lead drivers should keep close watch on vehicles in front and if signs of slowing down as if a check might occur, be ready to throw horses off to right, just clear of wheel. Slight overlapping will prevent bumping. To give each a chance of seeing inconvenience of checking, give each subsection the lead in turn.
Over extension annoying as CO. does not know what distance to allow for length of his column.
Watering. Water frequently but never shortly after a feed. Sponge out nostrils frequently. Canvass buckets should be carried on vehicles – they can often be filled at houses on the road when other water is not obtainable.
Water Cart driver should be a good man.
Halts. After initial halt – other halts of 5 to 10 minutes every hour. When halt ordered, brakes should be put on at once. Someone always at leaders heads.
During long halts – especially when horses feeding – and have bits removed – it is advisable to unhook leaders and centres.
Wise to take weight off wheelers necks by letting poles down – but if this is done, the wheelers must be unhooked altogether.
If a single horse breaks away, don’t run after him and don’t let anyone else. He can always beat a man on foot. He will return to the battery or go home. On very long marches, saddles should be removed if a sufficiently long halt can be made. Give horses a roll if possible. Hand massage and slap backs.
During continuous marches in peace, one day a week set apart for a rest – nosebags thoroughly cleaned, turned inside out and put out to air.
Horses can be fed from blankets spread on the ground. Equipment of all sorts carefully overhauled. Wheels and pipe boxes need attention. Screws, bolts &c.
During halt. Horses and harness must be carefully examined. Galls, rubs, loose shoes and stones in the feet should be looked for. Galls and rubs most frequently occur behind the elbow, under breast harness and where tracings and breechings touch. Treatment of saddle galls and sore withers – see Animal Management. Consult it frequently.
Harness fitting must be constantly looked to. It does not always fit at the end of a long march as it did at the beginning. When breast harness gall has begun, it may be stopped by means of “gall pads” 4½ “ long x 3 “ wide x ½“ thick. Soft leather filled with soft waste, stout ties like leather laces sewn on to four corners – a pad is tied on breast harness on each side of gall. A piece of nummnah felt with a hole cut in it so as to fit over the gall is a good substitute.
If a lot of sweating and dust – at each halt wipe inside of breast collar and the horse where the collar touches, with a damp sponge.
For long hard march, harden skins by washing under breast harness with a strong solution of salt and water morning and evening for a fortnight beforehand.
2 snake girths should be carried by each section. They are like ordinary girths but are cut away behind elbow.
A few pieces of sheep skin and brushing boots should be carried.
“Mitten Boots” are like a large thick mitten and are pulled over horse’s fetlock.
Woollen gloves make useful wither pads.
Leaders and centres with sore withers can be kept in draught by removing neck straps and using two baggage straps to support breast harness; attach straps to the dees on the side bars of saddle.
Compliments. If senior officer met, officers of battery salute him. If he is General Commanding, the station or Lieut.-Colonel or Colonel of your Brigade, give “Eyes right”. In case of doubt, err on side of politeness.
Civilian funeral, officers salute hearse. Military funeral, “Eyes right” to gun-carriage.
See other units working as often as possible and note anything worth imitating.
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