Saber Exercise U.S. Military 1914

8/6/2019 Saber Exercise U.S. Military 1914

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WAR DEPARTMENT : OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STAFF

Saber Exercise

1914

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTIN G OFFICE

1914

This booklet is a true reproduction of the SaberExercise Manual 1914published on 23 March1914 by the Office of the Chief of Staff, War De-partment.

The manual was written by Master of the Sword,Lt. George S. Patton, Jr. for use with the Model1913 Cavalry Saber which was designed by Lt.Patton.

The drawings in this booklet are exact reproduc-tions of the originals.

Charles M. ProvinceThe Patton Society3116 Thorn Street

San Diego CA92104-4618


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The weight should hang low in the su pport to make it more sta ble.

When the dummy is used outside, iron pins with L-shaped heads

may be driven into th e ground with t he projection over the support t o

prevent it from being knocked down. In the hall it will occasionally be

upset. The supports cann ot be made longer or t he horses will step on

them.

An ordinary sa ck filled with st raw makes a good prone dumm y. An

old blouse a nd breeches sh ould be put on it t o accustom th e horses t o go

steadily among men.Rings or other tar gets which offer no resistan ce to the saber should

not be used. Dummies ma de by suspending sacks from above are u nsat -

isfactory as th ey swing up instead of down when stru ck.

O


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War Department,Docume nt No. 463.

Office of the Ch ief of S taff

Construction of dum mies.

45 . As nearly all the mounted work with the saber is carried on

against du mmies it is necessary to have suitable ones. The resista nce

should be approximat e tha t offered by a h uma n body, and th e dumm y

should be constructed so as to give way in about th e same man ner a s a

huma n body in combat, without h urt ing the tr ooper or frightening his

horse.

A dummy constructed on t he following lines seems to a nswer t he

purpose. It can be m ade out of old ma terial, at small cost, by anyone

who can us e tools.

The dummy itself is a cylinder of burlap or sacking 10 inches in

diameter and 20 inches long. The upper end may be fastened with astring or sewed. The lower end is tacked t o the frustu m of a right cone

10 inches in diameter at the upper section and 6 or 7 inches at the

lower. The frustum is from 3 to 4 inches thick. The sack or cylinder of

burlap is stuffed as tightly as possible with straw. A strip of leather

nailed around the bottom of the sack where it joins the wooden base

keeps the burla p from tea ring out.

The wooden support is ma de as shown in th e diagram. The basin at

the t op in which the du mmy moves is made by cutting holes of suitable

diameter in two or three 1-inch boards and nailing them t ogether. The

diameter of the basin should be 3 inches great er th an t hat of the base of

the du mmy.

The weight , a bag of san d, should weigh about 40 pounds. It can bechanged to vary t he st iffness of the dumm y.


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War Department

Office of the Chief of Staff

Washington, March 23, 1914

The following Saber Exercise, prepared by Second Lieutenant George

S. Patton, Jr., Fifteenth Ca valry, Master of the Sword at the Mount edService School, and revised by the Cavalry Board, is approved and is-

sued for th e informa tion and governmen t of the Regular Army an d the

Organized Militia of the United Sta tes.

By order of the Secretary of War:

Leonar d Wood

MajorGeneral, Chief of S taff

If in the a bove case both t ouches a re of equal value ea ch man is

given zero.

If no touch is ma de in th e time a llowed each is given minu s one.

When one man clearly runs a way and th e other is una ble to catch

him, the ma n who run s is given minus one, the other zero.

Each organization must enter th e same number of contest ant s; the

one with t he largest a lgebraic sum a t th e end wins. Or th e combat can

be to deter mine individual championship, in wh ich case each contes-

tan t must fight every other contestan t; the one losing the smallest num -ber of bouts wins. If several lose the sam e num ber th ey must fight off

the tie.

Combat by Groups . Place two groups of four tr oopers each in line

with 6 yard inter vals facing each other 50 yards apa rt. At a signal the

troopers gallop toward each other in the position of guard, each trooper

passing to the r ight of the one facing him. When th e lines have passed

the troopers turn about individually and attack any one of the oppo-

nents t hey please. The signal is given and t he bout stops when all the

members of one group have been t ouched, or a t t he end of one minute.

The following rules must be observed:

1. A man who is fairly touched must hold up his saber and gallop

from the enclosure.2. A man must not touch another if he himself is touched.

3. A man striking his own or an other horse is counted a s touched.

4. A man using th e edge is count ed as t ouched.

5. A ma n going slower th an a ga llop or wh o is forced from th e enclo-

sure is counted as touched.

6. A man guilty of dangerous riding is counted as touched.

7. The individual combat sh ould be conducted in some sort of mar ked

off space 50 yards squa re; the combat by groups in a similar enclosure.

The a bove seven rules apply to both individual combat a nd combat

by groups.

If the combat by groups is pa rt of a competition t he following rulesfor scoring hold:

That side wins which has t he most men left at t he end of a minute.

It is scored plus one, the losing side minus one.

If each side loses the same number of men, the one first losing

them is scored minus one and the other plus one.

If each side loses the sam e number in the s ame t ime, each is given

zero.

If a ma n fails to admit a t ouch, his side is given minu s one.

If neither side loses a m an, each is given minus one.

The groups a re n ot allowed to charge ea ch other a s, to avoid acci-

dents, they would have to pull up or char ge with interva ls; in neither

case could th e effect of the charge demonstr ated.


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SABER EXERCISE

1. For m ilitar y purposes the nomenclatu re of the sa ber is a s follows;

Blade a nd hilt .

The blade is divided into the fort , the 18 inches nearest the hilt;

an d th e point, the re st of the blade. The saber, Model 1913, is two-edged.

All the front edge, and half the ba ck edge, is sha rp, so that it may be

more eas ily with dra wn from a body, and als o, on rar e occasions, used to

cut. Throughout the text the word edge when used alone will meanfront edge.

The hilt is divided into the guard , which protects the hand; the

grip , which th e han d holds, and t he pommel , the lower end of th e grip,

used t o strike with in close fight.

2. The sa ber is solely a weapon of offense a nd is u sed in conjunction

with th e other offensive weapon, the horse, In all the t raining, the idea

of speed must be conserved. No direct par ries are tau ght, because at t he

completion of a par ry th e enemy is a lready beyond r each of an at tack.

The surest parr y is a disabled opponent.

In the char ge and in the melee, the tr ooper must r emember th at on

the speed of his horse in attack, and on his own offensive spirit, rest

nine-tenths of his chances of success.3. Instr uction is divided into: Instruction on foot , and Instruc-

t ion mounted .

Instr uction on foot teaches th e mechanism of the u se of the saber

without embar rassing the trooper with t he control of a h orse. Its chief

purpose is to increa se the r each, teach accuracy and quickness, and above

all, to make the t hru st instinctive.

GENERAL PLAN FO R DISMOUNTED INSTRUCTION .

4. (a) The normal guar d; the other guar ds (four). Pra ctice in assu m-

ing the various guards.(b) The five points (thrusts). Practice in pointing.

(c) Thrust s of precision against instru ctor.

(d) Increase of distan ce so as t o cause t he tr ooper to ta ke th e lunge

naturally.

(e) The lung at the r ight moment.

(f) Exercises to develop the init iat ive of the t rooper.

(g) Replying to attack.

(h) Combat exercises.

(i) Instru ction in pa rrying the lance.

After the trooper, using the exercise saber, has mastered (a) to (d),

the last part of the inst ruction each day should be with the regulation

saber, making points and lunges at command, thus developing themuscles and ma king the tr ooper familiar with his weapon.

Third Example . Jump the hu rdle at the guar d, att ack dummy No.1

at charge saber, No. with a lunge to the r ight; jump th e second hu rdle at

the gua rd, att acking No. 3 to the left while in th e air; take a broad jump,

or two hurdles fixed to simulate one, and a tta ck No. 4 to the right front

in the air.

These examples can be practiced either in a hall or on the drill

ground. In addition, dummies ma y be made of sacks filled with st raw

and eith er tied t o posts or hu ng from tr ees and pla ced on varied ground.

Dummies must always be atta cked at the gallop and hence not placedwhere t his gait is impossible.

(g) Exercise in pursuit .

43 . This exercise should be carried on in a riding hall, or in some

place with clearly mark ed limits, so that the pur sued will have to stay

within th ese limits a nd h ence dodge. Besides being an exercise in r iding

and h andling the h orse, it is also most excellent in tea ching a man t o

keep his left rea r guar d covered.

Example . Fasten a knot of ribbon or pa per t o the left shoulder of

a tr ooper. Give him a star t of a few yards an d then h ave a second ma n

pursue h im and t ry to snatch th e ribbon. If, at the en d of two minutes,the r ibbon is still secure, send out a second man and let the two con-

tinue t he chase for an additional minute. Obstacles should be placed to

aid the t rooper in dodging, and a t th e same t ime practice him in jump-

ing.

(h) Exercise in combat.

44 . Only troopers wh o have shown m ark ed proficiency in all th e

previous exercises, and who in addition have sufficient intelligence and

discipline to abide absolutely by the ru les, should be allowed to part ici-

pate in this exercise. And even with these pr ecautions the exercise has

such a tendency to make men slow up and to frighten horses that itshould not be frequently indulged in, and never without an officer as

judge.

Individual Combat. Place two troopers ar med with ma sks an d exer-

cise sabers facing each other a t a distance of 50 yards. At a signal they

approach each other a t th e gallop in the position of guar d. Each tries to

touch. When one touch is ma de, or a t t he en d of 30 seconds if no touch is

made, a signal is given and the bout stopped. If the bout is part of a

compet ition th e scoring is as follows:

Plus one for th e man m aking the t ouch.

Minus one for th e man touched.

If both touches occur at the same moment the man who in the

opinion of the judge makes the most serious touch is given plusone and the other man m inus one.


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APPLICATIONOF TH E GENERAL PLAN FO R DISMOUNTED INSTRUCTION .

5. Grasping the saber. Grasp the grip with a ll the fingers of the

han d, the th umb extending a long the back of the grip so as to occupy

the lower ha lf of the t humb groove, i.e., the par t n earest the pommel. If

the th umb occupies the ent ire groove it will be so near the gua rd th at it

may be bruised if the point en count ers a strong resista nce.

(a) The gua rds.

6. The normal guard , or gua rd t o the right front. At t he comma nd

GUARD , carr y the right foot about 24 inches to the right a nd bend th e

knees to simulat e the position mounted. Incline the body to the front

from t he waist (not t he hips). Let the blade fall to the front t o a positionnear the horizontal, elbow well away from the body, forearm and saber

forming one st raight line, edge of the blade to the right, point at height

of adversar ys brea st, at the same time placing the left h and, closed, 6

inches in front of the belt buckle to simulate the position of the bridle

hand. This is the position of guard, dismounted . It is usually taught

from th e carry, but may be assum ed from an y position at the command

guard. The other guard posit ions are taught from the normal

guard.

In a ll guar ds, lunges, etc., the left ha nd should be kept stea dy and

in place to as t o form th e habit of not jerking the horses mouth when

exercising m ounted.

7. 1. Left front , 2. GUARD . Carr y the right han d to the left so that

it is above and slightly in front of the left han d. The sa ber is held a s

before except th at the wr ist is bent slightly to the right so as t o decreasethe a ngle between the blade a nd th e neck of the h orse. If the wrist is n ot

use the charge saber and accentuate the leaning to the front. Against

broken infant ry or men lying down at tack from the guar d.

First example . Atta ck No. 1 at charge saber, then, still keeping the

gallop, attack th e other four dummies in a ny suitable order as long as

two are attacked to the right or right front and two to the left or left

front.

Second example . Atta ck dummy N o.1 at charge sa ber, No.2 with a

lunge t o the left front, No. 3 with a lunge t o the left, No. 4 with a lunge

to the right, No. 5 with a lunge to the left front, and No. 6 (a prone

figure) with a lunge to the right front low.


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bent t he blade points too much to the left.

In all movements of the sa ber from one side to the other r aise the

saber slightly when pas sing over the horses hea d so as not t o scare

him. This movement sh ould be insisted on dismounted so as to form the

habit .

8. 1. Right, 2. GUARD . Carry the h and, elbow bent an d well away

from t he body, 90 degrees t o the right, forear m a nd blade n early hori-

zonta l and pointing t o the right, point at height of breast of adversary,

edge to the rea r, finger na ils down, head a nd eyes to the r ight or in th e

direction of the point; at th e same t ime stra ighten th e body on th e hips

so that, if mounted, the trooper would be sitting erect.

9. 1. Left , 2. GUARD . Carry the hand in front of the left breast,fingernails down, elbow well away from the body, forearm and blade

near ly horizonta l and pointing to th e left, point at height of adversary,

edge to the front, head and eyes in the direction of the point; at the

same t ime stra ighten th e body on th e hips so tha t, if mounted, th e trooper

would sit erect.

to the r ight and left. After charge sa ber or lunge to the r ight front, the

saber will usua lly have penetra ted deeply. The trooper in with drawing

it should give a decided pull to the rear as he rotates his wrist to the

right. This does not rem ove the sa ber, but t he movement tightens t he

muscles of the forear m an d prevents th e wrist from bending and being

hurt. There must be no thought of withdrawing the saber until it has

gone well home in the dummy.

After lun ge to the left front th ere is a tendency to let the ha nd come

over the head in withdrawing the saber. This is dangerous, as a slipmay cut the face. As soon as the blade has gone well home force the

han d down, keeping th e elbow stiff, stra ighten th e body to the guar d

position, at the sa me time th e back of the h and will come against the

body near t he belt and the m ovement of the horse will easily withdraw

the saber.

Place a hurdle or low fence so as to form a barrier between the

trooper and the dummy and about 5 feet from the dummy. Cause the

trooper at guard to pass th is on his right ha nd and lun ge to the right a s

he passes, then t urn and t aking guar d to the left front, lunge to the left

front a s he pa sses. The only use of the bar rier is to keep th e troopers

from riding too close to the dummy; if this can be done without the

barrier, the latter m ay be omitted.

(f) Varied work again st dumm ies.

42 . The preceding exercises should be pra cticed un til th e tr ooper

has accuracy and confidence. As the charge is the chief feature of com-

bat, the first dumm y should always be att acked from th e charge saber.

If a trooper gets careless or flinches, he must go back to (e).

The object of the following exercises is to simulate combat, to de-

velop bold riding, and increase confidence. The exercises given below

are examples of what ma y be done; the difficulty must be proportionate

to the ability of the tr ooper as a horsema n.It must be remembered that in all a ttacks against a dummy from

charge saber, the trooper is supposed to be in th e front ran k of a line

charging in close order. His horse is jammed in the press of horses an d

can only move to the front. If a horse a t drill cont inua lly avoids a dum my

when his rider is a t th e charge, he should be put in a chute or in some

other way made to move straight to the front. When the dummies are

att acked from a guard position the t rooper is supposed to be in a m elee

or in line in extended formation. When attacking from guard to the

right front or left front th e lunge must a lways be at t he right moment;

there must be no short lunges or poking. The saber is fully extended in

time for t he speed of the horse to do the penet rat ing. In lunges or points

to the right or left it is, on th e other ha nd, the power of the m an, not th espeed of the horse, which causes penetra tion. Against infantry in line


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10 . 1. Right rear, 2. GUARD . Carry the ha nd well to the r ight rear,

fingerna ils down, blade pointing downward ma king an angle of about

45 degrees with th e ground, body erect and twisted to the r ight rear at

the waist, hea d and eyes in th e direction of the point.

11 . In teaching the guards, as in all subsequent instruction, care

must be exercised not to tea ch the m ovements by the num bers, as it

has been in great measure due to this tendency that, with the former

regulations, the idea of the sa ber as a weapon lar gely disappeared from

the mind of the trooper.The ma nua l of the sa ber (that is, the car ry, present, etc.) is the only

part tha t should be exact. The guards, lunges, etc., with th e saber a re to

it what ran ge practice is to the rifle. Results ar e what count , not useless

uniformity a t dr ill. This does not mean tha t deta ils should be slighted,

but it does mean tha t th ere should be no idea of cadence.

When the various positions of guard, as taught from the normal

guard, have been ma stered, they should be taken from a ny guard, from

rest, or from an y position what ever at th e appropriate command.

(b) The point s.

12 . Being on guar d: 1.Right front , 2. POINT. Without m oving th e

body extend the sa ber in th e direction in wh ich it is pointing with ma xi-

mum force and rapidity, rotating the wrist slightly to the left at the

same t ime, so that edge will be up and t o the right; resum e the guar d at

once. In drawing back the hand, rotate the wrist to the right until the

fingernails ar e up; when the guard is reached, tur n th e fingernails down

and r esume gua rd a s prescribed. The object of this r otation is to give a

more secure hold in withdrawing th e saber from a body. It must be in-

sisted upon at a ll times in points an d lunges to the right front an d in

charge saber.

When th e horses cease being excited, have the tr oopers str ike the

flats of their exercise sabers t ogether as t hey halt opposite each other,

and t hen pass on. Later, strike sa bers without ha lting.

Place the troopers on concentric circles on opposite ha nds a nd h ave

them st rike the flats of their saber s as they pass.

Finally, lines of troopers with int ervals sh ould pass t hrough ea ch

other at a gallop, striking their exercise sabers as they pass, exciting

the h orses as little a s possible.

(d) Passing among dummies.

40 . Dummies should be movable and not a lways set up in the sa me

place.

Arrange five or six dummies on a rectangle at varied intervals. Have

the inst ructor on a tra ined horse lead the column of troopers through

the du mmies at all gaits. When th e horses go fairly well, the tr oopers

should begin thr usting at th e dummies and striking their sabers against

the supports. Put t he nervous horses at t he rear of the column .

(e ) Pre l iminary work against dummies.

41 . Place the dummies in a row with about 10 yard inter vals. Have

the troopers attack them to the right front in the position of charge

saber, at th e walk, trot, and school gallop. Insist tha t t he t rooper does

not flinch, but keeps his full extension un til the point ha s enter ed the

dummy, and the instantly withdraws it and a ssumes guard with th e

rotation to the right described in point to the right front. When the

trooper is proficient, place a second row of dummies 10 yards behind

the first and cause t he troopers to att ack the first r ow as before and t he

second from guard. In the second attack be sure that they make full

lunges at the right moment and not too late, as is the usual tendency.

After both attacks the guard must be instantly resumed.There is no trouble in withdr awing the sa ber from dummies in lunges


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13 . Being on guard to the left front: 1. Left front , 2 . POINT. Ex-

tend t he saber in the direction in which it is pointing with m aximum

force and r apidity, rotating the han d to the left so that the edge of the

blade is up; twist t he body slightly to the left a t th e waist; resume th e

guard a t once. Care must be ta ken not to move the bridle hand.

14 . Being on gua rd t o the right : 1. Right, 2. POINT. Without mov-

ing the body, extend the saber to the right with maximum force and

rapidity; resum e the guar d at once.

15 . Being on gua rd t o the left: 1.Left , 2. POINT. Extend the saber

in the direction in wh ich it is pointing with maximum force and rapid-

ity, rotat ing the wrist t o the rear so that t he edge of the extended blade

will be up; twist the body slightly to the left a t t he waist; resume t he

guard a t once. Do not dera nge the bridle han d.

16 . Being on guard t o the right r ear: 1.Right rear, 2. POINT. Raise

the hand until the forearm and blade are nearly horizontal; then ex-

tend the a rm to the right rea r with ma ximum force and rapidity, rotat -ing the wrist to the right at the sa me time, so tha t when t he full exten-

consulting the figures.

The lunges should be ma de very slowly at first, so as n ot to frighten

the h orses; when t he horses h ave become a ccustomed to the movements,

snap a nd vigor mu st be insisted on.

When using th e lunge to the r ear in combat, the only way for th e

man in front t o reach his pursuer suddenly to atta ck him, is to check his

horse quickly at the moment of making h is lunge to th e rea r. To do this

he closes his legs forcibly behind th e girth and increases th e pull on the

reins, momentarily supporting his weight by them as he lunges andresumes the guard.

At drill, however, the t rooper does not ma ke th is sudden h alf halt,

on account of th e dan ger of pun ishing th e horses mouth , but on execut -

ing the lunge to the rear allows the r eins to slip through the fingers of

the left ha nd, supporting himself by these fingers on the pommel of the

saddle.

(b) Guards, points, and lunge s at the various gaits .

38 . When lunges ar e first made on a horse he will frequent ly swerve

from h is course or change his gait. These tendencies must be overcome.

Place the troopers in forma tions such as columns of troopers on acircle or on the t ra ck with a dista nce of two horse lengths between horses.

Or, being in column of troopers on the track, as the head of the column

crosses the short end of the rectangle, have the leading three or four

troopers move by the flank stra ight down the length of the rectangle,

each succeeding three or four to follow the first.

Being in such forma tion commence at th e walk an d cause th e troop-

ers to execute guards, points, lunges, and charge saber at command.

See that full and a ccura te extensions are made an d tha t horses do not

change gait or direction. Do not increase gait un til troopers a nd h orses

go well. Combat t he t endency to make only partial extensions. Have

charge saber held for considerable periods. The work s hould be carried

on in the vicinity of dummies so th at the h orses may gradu ally become

used to them.

(c) To accust om the h orse to the s aber.

39 . When ha ndling horses t hat have not become used t o the sight of

the saber at drill, it is best to use the exercise saber. Let the trooper

carry it and execute the movements un der (b) at a walk.

Arrange th e troopers with inter vals in two para llel lines and cause

them t o advance as if to pass thr ough the intervals, first a t guar d and

later a t charge sa ber. When the troopers a re opposite each other ha ve

them halt and raise their sabers, all the while soothing their horses;then resume the guard and continue the ma rch.


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sion is r eached toe fingerna ils will be up a nd th e edge of the blade to the

right; resume the guar d at once.

A momentary pa use a t th e horizonta l position is necessar y in order

to get the saber in the desired direction.

17 . The points a re explained from their respective guards for sim-

plicity. When they have been mastered they should be executed from

any other gua rd a s well as from th e appropriate one; also two or more

points sh ould be made at one command. Examples, being in any gua rd:

1. Right front and left front ; or, 1. Right front and right , or etc., 2.

POINT. Point in the directions named with the utmost rapidity and

then r etur n to the gua rd from which th e movement s tar ted. Or, being inany guard: 1. Right front (left front, or right) , 2. Two t imes , 3.

POINT. Point twice in the direction na med and r esume th e guard from

which the movement started.

Exam ple of going from one gua rd t o a differen t point: Being on guard

to the left front, 1. Right front, 2 . POINT. Lift the sa ber so as not to

strike t he horses hea d an d execute right front point, merely sliding

thr ough the normal guard an d retur ning from the extension to the left

front gua rd by the shortest line.

In a ll the points the eye follows th e point.

(c) Thrusts of precision .

18 . The trooper uses an exercise saber. The instructor wearing a

plastron and mask, but without a saber, approaches him on his right

front a nd causes h im to take t he position of guar d. The instr uctor veri-

fies the position accurat ely and in the sam e way causes h im to take the

other four gua rds. He next moves around th e trooper, causing th e latter

to follow him with his point, thus passing na tur ally from one guard t o

another.

In t his an d in a ll succeeding exercises where men oppose each other

dismounted, care must be taken tha t th ey do not exactly face each other

when pr acticing combat to the front. If mounted t his would be impos-

sible as horses will not r un int o each other head-on if they can a void it.Hen ce if A, facing n ort h, is a tt acke d by B, to th e righ t fron t, B will

37 . The points and lun ges are executed as h as been explained dis-

mounted. Care must be ta ken tha t the legs remain in place and do not

fly to the rear. In making th e extension in th e lunges to the front and in

charge saber, the left han d supports par t of the weight on the n eck of

the h orse, and the left forear m rest s on th e horses left shoulder.The positions are simple and na tur al an d can be best underst ood by


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face south, a nd a zone of indefinite length run ning from north t o south

and at least one foot wide will separate, at all times, the lines of ad-

vance of the right feet of the combat ant s.

If A is at ta cked by B to th e r ight, th ey would face as above, but

the sepa ra ting zone would be wider an d B would be opposite A.

Similar conventions must be mainta ined in att acks from left front

and left, and from the right r ear.Conditions where m en cross each other dia gonally will arise in com-

bat and may be practiced mounted; but, dismounted, they cannot be

even approximat ely represented.

Also, in combat tr oopers s hould ride down opponen ts, str iking them

head-on in the flank, but th is cannot be practiced.

When the trooper has gone through all the guards accurately the

instru ctor will begin a t t he r ight front, placing himself in th e position

described and a t such a distance the t rooper ma y reach him easily. He

will indicate with his finger various places on his body, give the com-

mand POINT, and cause the trooper to point rapidly at them and re-

sume th e guard quickly each time. He will not advan ce to a new gua rd

until the t rooper is accura te in the one he is in.

This same practice should be carried on with the service sabers

against a bag of bran or sand fixed at the height of a ma ns chest, the

instru ctor using a wire circle 3 inches in diamet er on the end of a stick

to indicate t he spot and cau se the t rooper to point t hrough it.

(d) Practice with increased distance .

19 . When th e trooper is accura te at (c) the instr uctor directs him to

take t he position of guard a nd to point a t him, gradu ally increasing th e

distance to that the trooper must lean farther and farther to the front

to touch him.As the trooper extends his arm and body to the utmost he should


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rotate h is hand t o the left so tha t when fully extended th e edge of the

saber will be up and t he fingernails to the right. The blade should be at

the height of the eye, the line of sight parallel to the direction of the

blade. The body should be bent forward so as to be nearly horizontal,

the t rooper ma king every effort to reach a s far t o the front as possible.

This is th e position ofLunge to the right front, a lso the position of

Charge Saber.

20 . Being at any guard: 1. To the right front , 2. LUNGE . The

above position is taken , making t he extension with ma ximum force and

rapidity and retu rning to the guard at once.

At the comman d: 1. Charge , 2. SABER, the above position is ta ken

and h eld until changed by some appr opriate comma nd, such as:Guard ,

Carry Saber, etc. In retu rning to an y guard or other position from th eright front lunge or char ge saber, the sa me rotat ion of the wrist to the

right is made as in r etur ning from the r ight front point.

21 . The instr uctor now causes the exten sion t o the left front to be

tak en in th e same wa y. When th e extension is completed, the blade sh ould

be at t he height of the eye and pa rallel to the line of sight, the edge of

the blade u p an d slightly to the left; the body bent well to the left front

so as t o be near ly horizontal, left s houlder carried forcibly to the r ear so

as to be covered by the extended saber. It is ta ken from any guard a t th e

comma nd: l. To the left front , 2. LUNGE .

1 . R i g h t r e a r , 2 .

GUARD . The right ha nd,

nails down, is rested onthe cantle near t he center,

or may be held in the a ir

near this position; other-

wi se a s e x p l a in e d d i s -

mounted. This guard will

only be taken in cases of

emergency. It is always

preferable to circle and r e-

ceive the attacker on the

right or right front.


13/16

22 . The instru ctor causes t he lunges to the right an d left to be takenin the same way. These two lunges differ only from the corresponding

points in ha ving the foot on th e side away from the lun ge lifted slight ly,

so as to give the m aximum r each, and th e foot on t he side of the lun ge

turned slightly out as would naturally be the case in the same lunge

mounted. They are taken from any guard at the command: 1. To the

right (left), 2. LUNGE .

23 . The lunge to th e right r ear cannot be ta ken gra dually on foot.

Being at t he right rear guard: 1. To the righ t rear , 2. LUNGE . Cause

the tr ooper to raise th e forear m an d blade to the horizonta l, as in the

right rea r point, and then to extend the sa ber forcibly to the rea r, rotat-

ing the h and during th e extension, so tha t a t its completion, fingerna ils

will be up and edge to the right (outside); and at the sa me time keep th e

eyes to the rear and bend the body vigorously to the rear from th e hips.

This lunge may be executed from any guar d after it is mast ered.

(e ) The lunge at the r ight moment.

24 . In th e charge t he t rooper is m erely a pr ojectile, the sa ber its

point. He is a unit in a line rushing on the en emy with the one idea of

riding him down an d tra nsfixing him with his rigid saber, held at t he

position of charge saber. In the mle, the trooper still goes at speed,

riding down his opponent, but h ere the r anks a re broken, and both he

and h is opponent have more room. In this case should he maint ain th e

position of charge saber, he would have less control of his horse and

might ea sily be att acked from either flank or from the rea r, an d he would

be helpless except aga inst a tta ck in front. Hence, he takes the position

of guard toward his n earest enemy, crouching slightly in his sa ddle and

alive to all possible att acks. In this alert position he gallops on h is ad-versary an d makes a lunge to the right front or left front when he est i-

1. Left front , 2. GUARD .Make the chan ge of guar d as de-

scribed dismounted.

1. Right (or left), 2. GUARD . The toe on the side of the guard

nat ura lly turns out a little, otherwise the position is as described dis-mounted.


14/16

mat es tha t t he point of his saber will reach its full extension about 6

inches before touching the breast of his adversary. If the trooper does

this accurat ely his enemy will have no time to parr y and th e speed of

approach of the two horses will instant ly tran sfix him. This is called the

thrust at the r ight moment .

25 . In teaching this the trooper and instructor face each other at

the gua rd t o the right (left) front. The instru ctor causes the t rooper to

lunge at him at comma nd: First, too soon, thus losing the a dvanta ge of

his alert position by lunging at too early a m oment; then too late, thus

sacrificing his reach and running the danger of letting his adversary

beat him t o the touch; then at t he right moment, so that t he saber willreach th e extended position when the inst ructor is about 6 inches from

its point. When the tr ooper un dersta nds wha t th e right moment is, the

practice should be continued with th e tr ooper us ing his own judgment

as t o when to lunge. This exercise should be practiced to the right front

and left front, and much less frequent ly to the r ight rea r, in th e follow-

GENERAL PLAN OF MOUNTED INSTRUCTION .

34. (a) Without arms, and then with arms, at a halt, require the

troopers t o take a ll the positions of guar d and to make a ll the lunges,

extend ing slowly.

(b) Make lunges from various guards at comma nd at the walk, trot,

and school gallop. Conduct t he exercises near dummies t o accustom t he

horses to them.

(c) Accustom t he horses to the sight an d sound of sabers.(d) Pass a mong dummies with sa bers.

(e) Preliminar y work a gainst dum mies.

(f) Varied work against dummies.

(g) Exercise in pur suit.

(h) Exercises in combat.

APPLICATIONOF GENERAL PLAN OF MOUNTED INSTRUCTION .

35 . Being mounted and in an y position:GUARD . Instantly assume

the position of guar d as explained in t he instr uction dismounted, draw-

ing the saber if not alrea dy drawn.

Being mounted and in any position: CHARGE SABER . Assumeand h old the position of lunge to the r ight front, at the sa me time t aking

the gallop straight to the front un less some other gait a nd direction ar e

indicated. At th e comma nd guard, resum e the normal guar d. In ret urn-

ing to the guard from charge saber or from the lun ge to the right front,

the r otation of the wrist t o the right is as described in point t o the right

front. When a t char ge saber and difficult going is encount ered, resume

the guar d, tak ing char ge saber again when the ground permits.

Never jerk t he horses mouth while making an y of the m ovements

with the sa ber.

(a). Exercises w ithout arms ; exercise s with arms , at a halt.

36 . The troopers being mounted, without arms, and t hen with a rms,

in any suitable extended formation at a halt, cause them to take the

various guards they have learned dismounted, using the same com-

man ds. The genera l principles of the dismounted instru ction a pply.

GUARD . Thrust the feet home in the st irrups a nd crouch slightly

in the sa ddle, bending forward from the waist. The left ha nd, near t he

base of the neck, grasps t he r eins so as t o feel the horses mouth. Oth er-

wise as explained dismounted.


15/16


16/16

escape uninjured, but s o will the other man . The speed of the horses is

such tha t th e enemy will be out of reach before th e trooper can m ake a n

effective lunge at him, whereas if he disregards th e others saber and

lunges a t h is body, he will, in so doing, force his a dversa rys sa ber a side

and tra nsfix him. Moreover, the very idea of seeking the sa ber so as to

parr y it is ta king a defensive fram e of mind a nd is contr ary t o offensive

cavalry spirit.

2nd; The instr uctor who atta cks with the cut must carefully avoid

hitting th e tr ooper after he ha d himself been touched. With t he exercisesaber the touch with the point is hardly perceptible and would not

weak en th e instr uctors cut. In combat , however, the difference in time

between a touch with the point and a cut with the adverse edge will

usua lly be sufficient for the spasmodic contraction caused by th e en-

tra nce of the point to render the cut ineffective. If the ins tru ctor disre-

gards th is fact, he will get th e trooper to parrying, and spoil him as an

offensive swordsman. The sa me is t rue if th e instr uctor, taking a dvan-

tage of his superior skill, continually touches the trooper with t he point;

he will ruin his confidence. These exercises are t o instruct t he ma n, not

to glorify the instr uctor. They should be carr ied on in th e sam e sequence

as t he exercises under (e) and (f).

(h) Combat exercises.

29 . In teaching th e combat dismounted, every effort must be made

to preserve th e idea of combat mount ed. The tr oopers m ust move either

on straight lines or large curves; and they must never halt during an

attack.

In dismounted work it is not permitt ed to give an y of the exercises

of at ta ck or of combat from t he position of char ge saber, for the cha rge is

an ext ended position deriving all its great effect from the momen tu m of

the h orse. On foot it is impossible to impart this m omentum, hence th e

use of the charging position dismounted would produce incorrect ideas.

The position of charge saber should be learned accurately on foot; and

then, when m ounted exercises ar e begun, the charge assum es its tru e

place and should be practiced as much a s all the guard positions com-

bined. This mus t be carefully noted or else, the cha rge being less inter-

estin g, will be slighted.

30 . First Exercise . Place the trooper on guar d. Place around him

thr ee assista nt inst ructors, one to the r ight front, one to the left front,

and one t o the right rear, each at a dista nce of 25 feet from the t rooper

(fig. 2).

The instructor takes his place to the left rear where the trooper

cannot see him. He then signals for first one and then another of theassistants to attack the trooper, indicating by a prearranged signal

whether they are to use a cut or a thru st.

The trooper replies in all cases with a lunge at the right moment,

care being taken t hat he does not shorten his extension. As the tr ooper

becomes accustomed to ra pid changes of guard t he instr uctor may de-

crease the intervals between atta cks and cause the a ssistants to atta ck

at double time.

In order to preserve t he t roopers confidence, the a tta cks of the as-

sistant s should usua lly be faulty, especially at first. The at tacks mu st

never be so difficult or rapid tha t th e trooper cannot reply to them, as

this is a situat ion th at could not occur in combat owing to the u nru li-

ness of excited horses, and to represent it on foot would destroy the

troopers confidence. The men a cting as assist ant s must either be tr ained

assista nts or, if such a re n ot available, tru stworthy noncommissioned

officers who will enter into the spirit of the exercise.

31 . Second Exerc ise . Place the trooper on guard. Place two col-

umns of assista nts to face him, the head of one column to his right front,

the other to his left front (fig. 3).

At the command of the instructor th e two columns advance on the

tr ooper a t th e gait indicat ed (slow walk, fast walk, or double time), keep-

ing their relative positions a nd a tta cking th e tr ooper su ccessively with

various attacks.

These attacks may be prearranged by the instructor at first, and

later left to the discretion of the assistants. The trooper in all cases

replies to the attacks with lunges at the right moment either to the

right or left front. Care must be taken th at t he assista nts do not get out

of position so tha t two att ack at once. They must st ay as in t he diagram

so as to att ack successively. The sa me caut ions a pply to this as t o the

first exercise. Later t he exercise should be conducted in the same se-quence as under (e) and (f).

Saber Exercise U.S. Military 1914

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