Horses fought, too.

Cavalry troops have been an integral part of warfare throughout long history and have played a crucial role in battles. It was thanks to horses that battles had high mobility and maneuverability, strikes were powerful and swift, and attacks were parried with particular ease.

Thanks to every warrior that today we rejoice in the blue sky above our heads, while horses can only worry about a tasty lunch. Nevertheless, the cavalry troop has not gone down in history. And you can even get into it!

Throughout history, the choice of horses has always been treated with special reverence. For example, in Russia since the 18th century cavalry were divided into 3 classes:

light - guard and reconnaissance service;

Linear - the middle rank, which could perform various types of actions;

heavy - closed attacks.

Horses were selected according to their own criteria for each category. If cuirassiers (heavy cavalry) required larger, bony, hardy and unpretentious horses, the Cossacks, hussars and lancers (light cavalry) were chosen for frisky, not very tall (150-160 cm in withers), flexible, agile and clever horses.

An indispensable skill of the cavalry was jigging. A true cavalryman must be able to use a fighting weapon called the sword-chest, and the horse must help him. In training, cavalrymen learn to cut at full gallop with a sword. The cutting of the vine is considered the pinnacle of skill. The cut stem must have a perfect 45 degree angle and the cut twig must stick with the stem exactly to the sand.

Why is jigging so important to a cavalryman? In war, the skill of performing the elements can save a life. For example, when a rider mounts his horse, he studies the picture of the battle, looks at what and where is going on. If he lies down on the saddle, he imitates death or wounding (the element is called "Cossack Vis"). It is at this point that real trust takes place between the rider and the horse - in order for the cavalryman to successfully pull off the trick, the horse without controls must itself move forward without slowing down or speeding up.

The strain on cavalry horses is serious, which means they must be well fed to replenish their strength.

Kremlin horses are fed 8-9 times a day, with oats, hay and carrots in the basis of the ration. For special gourmets, muesli and candied sweets are served. Each horse is offered five kinds of "business lunch" to choose from. And this is no joke. Five rations have been developed for the entire stable - they differ in quantity and type of feed. Whoever works the hardest, eats the hardest.

Of course, the modern cavalry is very different from the cavalry of World War II. The horses of our time live in complete comfort under a roof over their heads, with a varied menu and entertaining training. People and horses who fell on the battlefields will remain in our memory forever. And we'll do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again!