The U.S. Cavalry Horse [Paperback]

Gen. William H. Carter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

First published in 1895 and still an important and eminently useful reference for the modern equestrian. Topics covered include:

The anatomy of the horse, including the skeleton, musculature, and conformation

Mechanical considerations for weight-bearing horses, especially in war

Gaits of the horse

Bits and their different purposes

Training of the horse

Saddles and tack

Cavalry equipment

Training horses for courage and endurance

Foot care in the field

Stable management

Feeding horses

Veterinary care of the horse

Treatment of diseases and injuries

Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs and line drawings, THE US CAVALRY HORSE will be an important addition to any equestrian library.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Class, hard work, and attention to detail, in addition to supreme athletic ability, patience, and keen intellect, is only the beginning of a long list of requirements to be a rider of a U.S. cavalry horse. Many would sneer at the excessive care these men insisted on giving their horses and the discipline they needed to ensure that proper means were taken, and the safest procedures followed, every single day. First published in 1895, this book was intended to be a better handbook of instruction for teaching some of the elementary facts and principles essential to the well-being and efficiency of the mounted branches of the military. A horse is capable of long and valuable service, but only if it is selected carefully and trained and cared for properly. In these pages, General Carter combines theory and practice so that readers are able to fully understand the necessity of taking care of their steed at all times, whether at war or peace. General Carter explains all of the benefits such precautions and maintenance provide and warns against less than ideal conditions, detailing the rise in cost and detriment to performance that less than supreme care will render. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs and line drawings, The U.S. Cavalry Horse will be an important addition to any equestrian library.

About the Author

GENERAL WILLIAM H. CARTER (1851-1925), who graduated from West Point in 1873, was a distinguished and much-decorated cavalry commander in the US Army throughout his long career, and was awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Medal in World War I.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592281583
• ISBN-13: 978-1592281589
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Horses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Military Horses and Horsemanship from an American Expert, December 11, 2008

By 

Lou DiMarco - See all my reviews

This review is from: The U.S. Cavalry Horse (Paperback)

W.H. Carter was one of the most important of American army senior staff officers in the years before WWI. He was a close advisor to Secretary of War Elihu Root. This book is a great survey of both American army ideas about horsemanship and the state of horsemanship and tack from other armies around the turn of the century. Carter was an accomplished cavalryman (serving on the frontier with the 6th Cavalry) and an important and clear writer (author of the history of the 6th Cavalry as well as a biography on General Adna Chaffee). Well illustrated with black and white drawing and photos of both American and international horses and tack. This book is essential reading for anyone who is interested in serious military horsemanship.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic in Military Equitation, September 21, 2008

By 

El Cutachero (MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The U.S. Cavalry Horse (Paperback)

In the late nineteenth century William Harding Carter was a well known member of the US Cavalry. He was part of a group of forward-looking officers who sought to improve the Army's development of horsemanship and breeding horses for the Army. This is an extracted edition of his classic.
These officers looked to the British army and French cavalry school at Saumer for inspiration.
One of their major concerns was the improvement of individual equipment and horse equipment, a trend which culminated in the unfortunate design of the Model of 1912 Cavalry Equipment which, put to the test during the Punitive Expedition of 1916, proved to be too flimsy for the hard service in Mexico.
Fortunately, the Artillery did not adopt the 1912 system nor did the Quartermaster Department which still depended on a system based on the Mexican pack saddle and hired civilian packers. (See Daly, Manual of Pack Transportation., reprinted.)
Prior to the establishment of the Remount Depot at Front Royal, Virginia. (now a Smithsonian-National Zoo facility) the Army had bought horses from civilians at roundups and thus took what they could get.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Comprehensive, January 10, 2007

By 

Dennis Lindsey - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The U.S. Cavalry Horse (Paperback)

Being a saddle maker and historian buff, I have found this book to be very informative and valuable to my trade.