15 NOVEMBER 1902, Page 19

The War Office have made an important departure in allot-

ting a certain number of remount horses to Yeomanry regiments. The horses are to be handed over to such Yeomen as may apply for them. The men may treat them in every way as their own property, except that they are to bind themselves to lend them to the regiments for military purposes on sixty days each year for five years. At the end of this period the horses are to become their absolute property. We welcome this step as an important attempt to overcome one of the chief deterrents to recruiting for the Yeomanry,—viz., the rapid decrease of the yeoman farmer type owning his own riding horse. Obviously a man is a better horseman, too, if he rides all the year round, than if he is mounted only during the training, for that perfect union between horse and man which is so essential to cavalry work can only be obtained when the individual and his horse are old friends. This Government grant of a horse to the horseless man will greatly increase the number of good horsemen in England, and will further have a most favourable effect upon recruiting for the Yeomanry.