The soldier's pocket-book for field service / by General Viscount Wolseley.

  • Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The soldier's pocket-book for field service / by General Viscount Wolseley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    8G] FORAGE FOB TRANSPORT ANIMALS. [parti. reo-t. then passing it. This is a very necessary rule to make, for it.is essential | to°keep each unit of baggage together, so that in the event of a break-down the drivers and all the transport establishment of the regt. concerned mayj be at hand to assist. Except in the case of illness, no one to be allowed j to travel in any wagon or to ride any of the transport animals, and all . amted men musyt cafry their arms themselves. Transport offrs cannot be too strict in carrying out this rule. All transport offrs. to be held responsible that every animal under their charge carries one day s corn with it. I Care of Transport Animals.—Transport offrs. to take care that all the* animals under their care receive their full allowance of food, and haxe as* much water as they can drink. The best time for watering is m the middle of the day. Nothing is more refreshing to an animal after a hard da\ s work than grooming, and every endeavour should be made to effect it. inf South Africa to remove the saddles or harness from mules or horses lor even a quarter of an hour during a march, so that the animal may roll andt stale has a most reviving effect. The prejudice against removing the sadd e when the horse is warm is not believed in by South African colonists. It is very necessary to keep animals warm at night; if any description of bedding, can be obtained, it adds greatly to their comfort and health. When trans- port is being worked by fixed stages along any line of road, fines for t e animals in well-sheltered positions should be made. Every care should be taken to keep these lines clean and well drained. If possible the dung. should be dried and burnt in fine weather. When it can be done, soman sort of rough shelter should be erected to protect harness and pack sadciiesr from wet, as wet gear is very likely to cause sore backs. The lines per mules,• ■ponies, and bullocks should be divided into blocks to hold about 50, 60, or 80 animals each (according to the numbers in which they are organize® in sections, divisions, &c). The animals of each unit should be ranged m 2 rows facing inwards, with a clear space of 8' between the picket ropes, to which their heads are fastened. Each animal to be allowed a width o 6' in the rows. For ponies and mules, heel-ropes should be provided possible, the pegs for the heel-ropes being 11' in rear of the head picket. I)e't'ooD for Horses and Transport Animals.—Hay.— If possible, obtain that of last year's saving ; hay cut in the summer is not gooc until about October 1. It should smell sweet, be free from weeds anc dirt A load is 36 trusses of 56 lbs. of old, or 60 lbs. of new, each. It | shipped for use during voyages, and sent to armies wanting forage in com pressed trusses bound with iron hoops, weighing 102 lbs. gross, ant 100 lbs. net. and measuring 6 cub ft. Hay is considered new fo j , months. A cubic yard of old weighs 126 lbs., of new 84 lbs. , it we nressed old hay weighs as much as 225 lbs. to the cubic yard. In inspect Li- hay’ thrust'the arm into it, and its age may be tolerably estimated »
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