Cavalry Charges

One of the most interesting aspects of cavalry riding is the open-field charge. It is also one of the most dangerous aspects. The historic cavalry charge was never as fast as the kind performed by cavalry units today. The 1883 manual requires that the charge be conducted "well in hand." That is the horses were not allowed to bolt but maintained a speed of between 12 and 15 mph. Anyone participating in a charge at one of the forts around the nation knows that the horses are anything but "well in hand." "Out of control" would be a more apt description as the horses gallop as fast as they can. Your only hope is that the horse slows down before he gets to the end of the field. The 1883 manual instructs cavalrymen on how to practice charges on a 250 yard field. They begin at a walk while maintaining a line for the first 30 yards. At this point the instructor puts them into a trot. After another 50 yards they being to gallop. After 80 yards of galloping the instructor commands, "Charge". Troopers increase the gallop without losing control or opening the files. About 30 yards from the end of the field, the instructor puts the platoon back into a trot, then a halt. This exercise was not to be practiced more than twice per day and the horses would be walked for a period of time aftewards to calm the horses down again. The point of holding the line was to prevent the platoon from getting strung out and thus lessening the impact of the charge.