(Plate VII.)

While the condemned saddle blankets furnish the principal source of the grooming cloth, the burlap grain sack makes an excellent grooming cloth. This source will doubtless always be abundant. The cloths may be cut of any convenient size for use in garrison, but should be limited for field service to the available space for carrying the cloth in the pommel pockets. The grooming cloth is not an article of issue.

(Plate VII.)

This is made of a blade of cutlery steel and a handle of aluminum cast onto the blade. The blade is ground and polished and handle stamped " U. S." and "R. I. A." and year of manufacture. This article is identical with the infantry knife.

(Plate VII.)

The fork is made of one piece of noncorrosive metal stamped to shape. It has the letters "U. S." and "R.. I. A." and year of manufacture stamped into it. This article is identical with the infantry fork.

(Plate VII.)

The spoon is made of one piece of noncorrosive metal stamped to shape. It has the letters "U. S." and "R. I. A." and year of manufacture stamped into it. This article is identical with the infantry spoon.

(Plate VII.)

This article is identical with the infantry meat can, and is made of an aluminum body and cover, both of which are formed in dies and have the rim rolled over for stiffness. Riveted to the body is the hinge and handle, and to the cover is riveted the loop. When the meat can is assembled the handle folds over the cover and the hooked end of it engages the rim of the body, holding the cover firmly in place.

(Plate VII.)

The aluminum canteen, model of 1910, consists of the following parts:

One body aluminum; one collar, noncorrosive metal; one shackle, noncorrosive metal; one cap chain, German silver; one cap rivet, German silver; one cap, aluminum; one gasket. The body of the canteen is of pure sheet aluminum, which is formed into the shape of a bottle, having one concave side and a capacity of approximately 2 pints. The collar is assembled to the canteen neck, and the cap is attached to the canteen collar by means of the chain, shackle, and sliding ring. The shackle is so designed that, should the chain break, the shackle can be opened, the detached links threaded to that portion of the chain remaining attached to the cap, and the entire chain connected to the sliding ring by means of the shackle. Shackles are issued separately for purposes of repair when desired, as are also caps and chains.

The cup, model of 1910, consists of the following parts:

One body aluminum; one handle, noncorrosive metal; one sliding lock, noncorrosive metal; one hinge, noncorrosive metal; one hinge pin. The cup is drawn seamless from sheet metal, the upper edge of the cup being stiffened by a bead formed on the body. The cup is so shaped as to fit over the bottom end of the canteen, and the handle is so formed that when it is not in use it fits snugly around the cup. The handle contains a slot into which the fork may be fitted when it is desired to lengthen the handle. Both the canteen and cup are identical with those of the infantry equipment.

The Canteen, Model of 1910.

(Plate VII.)

This cover is made of olive-drab cotton duck No. 9, fiber dyed, and is lined with a blue-gray felt. The cover has two flaps which pass over the top of the canteen on either side of the neck and are provided with snap fasteners. These fasteners, like all of this type used on service equipment, are so designed that they will open easily if pulled in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the fastener (which is oval in shape), but will not open if pulled in any other direction, thus avoiding trouble from opening by brushing against objects, clothing, or other men.

On the back of the cover is a web strap which carries a double-end wire hook, by means of which the canteen is suspended from the belt when used by dismounted trooper.

Currycomb, Model of 1913.

(Plate VII.)

This article differs from those of previous issue mainly in being metal throughout except the strap, which is of olive-drab cotton webbing.

Horse Brush.

(Plate VII.)

The horse brush has an oval back piece of russet collar leather 4.67 by 7.25 inches and a hand strap of the same material. This brush is about the size of that formerly issued.

Wire Cutters, Model of 1910.

(Plate VII.)

These cutters, shown in Plate VII, are forged from a good grade of tool steel. They are 8 1/4 inches long over all and have a leverage at the cutting edges approximately ten times the power applied at handle.

The handles are insulated with hard rubber so as to withstand a voltage of 5,000 volts. The extreme ends of the handles are provided with soft rubber tips, because the hard rubber is very brittle and would break if the cutters were dropped on hard ground.

These articles are to be issued to each officer below the grade of major and to each enlisted man. They are carried in their special compartment in the near-pommel pocket.

Individual Soap Box.

(Plate VII.)

This box is made of tin, coated with yellow enamel, is 3/4 inch deep, including lid, and 2 11/16 inches diameter, both outside measurements. The top edge of the box is rolled inward to form a smooth, round rim. The box will hold 2 ounces of saddle soap.

This article is for the purpose of supplying each man an individual allowance of soap for cleaning his equipments. It is carried on the march in his off-pommel pocket. When its contents are exhausted it should be refilled from stores in bulk, and not thrown away as useless.

The 4-inch Sponge.

(Plate VII.)

This is provided for the individual use of the trooper and should not be cut. If cut it would soon fray out and be used up. It is carried in the off pommel pocket.

The Care of the Equipment.

This general subject is entitled to a greater degree of consideration than it has usually received in times past. It should be made a matter of instruction as well as one of administration. The general principles upon which the proper care of leather is based, as well as the proper method of treatment, should be taught to noncommissioned officers in their regular school as are the subjects of Guard Duty, Drill Regulations, etc. The cleaning and oiling of the equipment should, whenever practicable, be superintended by a commissioned officer as is stable duty. Leather properly cared for remains soft and pliable until absolutely worn out, probably many years; if uncared for or improperly cared for it soon dries out, becomes brittle, and its fibers are then easily broken and the equipment rendered useless. Under such conditions it lasts only a comparatively short time, a few years at the most, and even during that period, is stiff, difficult of adjustment, and generally unsatisfactory.

It is a very simple matter in principle to properly care for leather equipment-in practice, considerable skill is required. Two agents only are needed to keep the equipment in first-class condition-soap and oil. The soap for the purpose of removing all dirt and the other matter that would serve as an obstacle to the penetration of the oil, the latter for softening and preserving the leather. Two varieties of soap are ordinarily issued-Castile and harness soap. Castile soap is a powerful cleanser, frequently containing an excess of free alkali that renders it an active agent in removing dirt, but it has no tendency of itself to soften and preserve the leather, as does good harness soap, which has no free alkali, but, on the other hand, frequently has a greater or less percentage of uncombined fatty substance available for softening and preserving purposes. Other agents are not only wholly unnecessary but frequently absolutely injurious and should never be made use of.

‘When new equipment is received it should, before use, be given a light application of oil. The necessity for this step is occasioned by the fact that leather frequently remains a considerable period of time in store in the arsenal, constantly drying out and parting with its oil. Upon issue this oil should be replaced. As new equipment is already clean, no application of soap is necessary in this instance.

All that is needed is that the leather be slightly moistened, and that the oil be lightly and quickly applied. As far as practicable the oil should be applied on the flesh side, as it penetrates much more readily from this side than from the grain side. It should be applied by a rag or cotton waste, moistened in it to prevent an undue amount being used. A larger amount would do the leather no injury, but any amount above what the leather would readily absorb and retain would not only be waste, but would continually ooze out under the action of the heat of the sun and soil the clothing. In order that no more oil than is really necessary be applied, it should be measured out in the beginning, and should rarely exceed the soap box cover full, about 1 ounce, for a trooper's entire equipment it should be lightly applied for a similar reason. If much force is used, the portions first receiving the application get too much oil. If not applied quickly, the same holds true-portions where the rag is allowed to rest too long take up too much. A light, evenly distributed application should be the aim. Neatsfoot oil is furnished by the Ordnance Department for this purpose, and no other oils should be used. After the equipment has been thus oiled it should, if possible, be permitted to remain in a warm, dry place for 24 hours, if practicable, and then be rubbed thoroughly with a coarse, dry cloth to remove any unabsorbed oil.

The equipment. is now ready for use, and will be found much improved in pliability by this initial treatment, but a single treatment is insufficient to attain the desired end. As time goes on, if care and treatment is given, the equipment will continue to improve both in flexibility and appearance until it is a delight, to eye and fingers.

Daily, or as often as used, the equipment should be wiped off with a cloth slightly dampened in water, merely to remove mud, dust, or other foreign substance, and the bits and other metal portions wiped off with a rag slightly moistened with oil to prevent rust. This takes but a few minutes after each daily use, and maintains the appearance of the equipment. It is, however, insufficient of itself to properly preserve it.

At intervals of from one to four weeks, depending upon circumstances, it is essential that the equipment be thoroughly cleaned. To do this properly every detachable piece should be separated-all billets unbuckled. and the entire equipment reduced to its simplest elements. The trooper should then form a thick lather by moistening his sponge in clean water, squeezing it out and working it vigorously upon the Castile soap. When a thick, creamy lather is thus obtained he should thoroughly clean each piece of his leather equipment, working the sponge upon every portion, and drawing each strap its entire length through the lathered sponge, so as to actually remove the salt, sweat, dirt, or whatever may be, from each leather piece. After the leather parts are thus made approximately clean by the use of the Castile soap he should go over them again similarly with the harness soap in order to obtain a fine surface dressing and finish, the former being better adapted to cleansing, the latter to softening and preserving the leather. After the leather has been allowed to become partially dry, but not to harden. it should be rubbed thoroughly with a soft cloth. If the foregoing has been carefully executed, the appearance of the equipment should now be perfect, and if the leather is thoroughly soft and pliable nothing further is required. In general. however, it will be found desirable to apply a small amount of oil. This is done precisely as in the case of the new equipment, care being taken to avoid an excess, and thoroughly rub with a dry cloth before use.

All metal parts, except bits and spurs, need ordinarily only to be wiped clean with a cloth slightly moistened in oil ; they are purposely issued dark, and it is desired they be retained in that condition. The use of warm water on the bits, stirrups, or similar portions to remove hardened saliva, sweat, mud, etc., is frequently advantageous. The bit, chain, and spurs may also be polished, but all dark metal should be cleaned and oiled only and should never be attacked with eroding agents.

The feed bag is a canvas cylinder, open at one end, suspended from the horse’s neck when in use in a horizontal position, thus spreading the grain over a considerable area. There are two web suspending straps, one over the head and one near the withers on the neck. The body of the bag is of olive-drab duck No. 9, approximately 22 1/4 inches long. The supporting straps are of heavy 1-inch olive-drab cotton webbing, and are fitted with bronzed snaps and adjustable buckles.

The grain bag is of unbleached drilling formed into a long cylinder. 30 1/2 by 8 inches. open at one end. There are two soft cotton binding cords sewed to the outside of the bag, one at the open end and one at the center, the first to close the bag when full and the second to equalize the loaded bag into two parts for slinging across the pommel of the saddle.

The grain bag is used to avoid spilling grain while carrying it on the march. (The capacity of the bag is 10 pounds.) Place the amount of grain desired to be carried within the bag, tie the choke securely, divide the grain into two approximately equal portions by the string in the middle, place the bag inside the feed bag. press the grain bag well over toward the side of the feed bag opposite the webbing straps, fold the elliptical end piece of the feed bag in over the end of the grain bag, turn the extra canvas on the side of the webbing straps over upon the opposite side and secure it, first by the thong attached midway of the feed bag and then by the webbing straps of the latter, taking a half hitch, with each around its own end of the roll thus formed, then turning the roll over and bringing the free ends of these web straps out from the under side of their respective ends of the roll, then up over these ends, under the half hitches, and snapping the hooks thereon into each other. Place the grain roll thus formed upon the pommel. hooks upon upper surface, and secure by the two double-buckle straps furnished for that purpose, the grain roll being attached by the buckle at the extremity, the rain coat being attached immediately in front of the grain roll by the second buckle. To feed, take the grain roll off the pommel and remove grain bag from interior of feed bag. Untie grain bag and empty such portion of grain as is desired to feed therefrom into feed bag. Place grain bag in any desired position of safety while horse is feeding. Place the feed bag on the horse so that the opening will be immediately under his nose and the body of the bag under his neck. Snap the hooks into the corresponding D rings to support bag in this position; Adjust by making the steadying strap across the front of the horse’s nose just sufficiently taut to allow the horse to feed easily, with a portion of his nostrils always above the opening. It is important that this adjustment be carefully made, as in the event of the horse not feeding well from the bag it will in most cases be due to the lack of adjustment of this strap. Adjust the remaining two straps by shortening them to a convenient height. The rear one should be drawn up well back on the neck about as high as comfort will permit. Once adjusted to any given horse no further adjustment will be needed until used on a horse of materially different dimensions.

By use of a second grain bag, or by carrying grain in the feed bag without a grain bag and using the regular grain bag for this purpose, an additional 10 pounds of grain can in emergencies be carried in the cantle roll.

In camp or on the march grain is fed morning, noon, and evening. The men are to remain near their horses until they have finished eating.

(Plate XI.)

This should be done, whenever practicable, after the horse is saddled. When impracticable to pack after saddling, pack the saddle beforehand, and have each packed saddle placed accurately upon the horse by two troopers, one on either side of the animal. It is a virtual impossibility for the ordinary trooper, unaided, to properly place his packed saddle upon his horse. His attempts to do so result usually in placing the saddle inaccurately upon the back and either riding all day with it in such undesirable position or, making matters worse, by shoving it into the proper position after it has been placed, thus insuring folds and wrinkles in the layers of blanket or pad below, all of which evils can be readily avoided by carrying out the simple directions above.

To Form the Cantle Roll.--Lay the shelter tent on the ground and turn in triangle to lie flat. Turn under from 6 inches to 8 inches from end opposite the triangle. Spread the articles to be carried. viz, six tent pins, necessary underclothing and toilet articles, uniformly along the triangle edge over a range not exceeding 28 inches in length leaving a vacant space of about 4 inches in the middle part to enable the roll to break nicely when completed. Turn over the two sides of the tent till they nearly meet in the center. Roll snugly from the triangle seam toward the other end. On reaching the other end, bend the roll and bring the underfold neatly over the roll to bind and secure it in a snug, compact form. This gives a roll about 30 inches long. The roll, when the ration bags are packed, should rest its ends on top of the bags, holding them snug.

If the bed blanket is to be carried on the horse, fold it neatly to six layers, each the size of the folded saddle blanket, and place it accurately upon the latter.

Place the pommel pockets, with their prescribed contents, upon the saddle as indicated under their description and pass the tapered end of a double-buckle coat strap through one staple, above the pommel-pocket oval, from front to rear, flesh side up. Place the grain roll, formed as indicated under description of that article, symmetrically upon the pommel, passing one of its center thongs under the base piece connecting the two pockets and tying both center thongs by a slipknot. Pass the second double-buckle coat strap correctly through its staples and then snugly secure the grain roll in position by the buckle on the main part of each double-buckle coat strap. (See Plates XI and XII.)

Place the raincoat or the overcoat, as the case may be, properly folded, just in front of the pommel pockets, and secure it in that position, first, by the additional buckles on the double-buckle coat straps, taking care to keep these straps toward the center so that the raincoat when placed will readily break down in front of the pommel pockets, and, second, by the attaching straps of the pommel pockets, the billet of each of which passes from the loops on underside of pocket around in front of the lower part of the raincoat on its respective side, then between the webbing strap and the feed bag at its respective end of the grain roll, and by then buckling into its own buckle secures pommel pockets and all snugly to the loop on front edge of saddle skirt. (See Plate XI.)

Place the rifle carrier boot, saber carrier, intrenching tool carrier with its prescribed contents, and carrier strap as indicated and attach the saber and picket pin it its case, all as indicated under the respective descriptions of these several articles.

Place the ration bags. if carried, as stated under their description. Form the lariat into a snug roll about 14 or 15 inches long place this roll upon the upper surface of the cantle roll, middle point of lariat roll over middle point of cantle roll, and secure the combination thus formed to the cantle by the three coat straps pertaining thereto, the cantle roll to be symmetrically disposed as regards the median plane of the animal, the coat straps to include in their grasp the suspender straps of the ration bags, if the latter are carried, so that all will form a compact cargo, well raised above the back of the horse and side bars of the saddle.

In order to reduce the burden upon the horse in a measure whenever practicable, the bed blanket and the cantle roll should be carried in wagons.