Recruits Evade Horse Mannequins

Vintage Photograph – Cavalry Dismount Drill at Warwick Depot (c. 1935) This striking black‑and‑white image shows a line of young recruits practising dismount and evasion drills on wooden “horse” mannequins in the open yard of the Warwick military depot. Under the watchful eye of NCOs, each soldier swings himself over the mock‑horse’s back and then flips clear in a precise motion—an essential skill for cavalrymen who needed to mount and dismount swiftly under fire.

Historical Context Even as armoured vehicles and mechanised units were on the rise, Britain’s Army in the mid‑1930s still maintained cavalry regiments whose training included traditional horsemanship. Wooden horse dummies like these provided a safe, weather‑proof way to rehearse mounting, emergency dismounts and falls before ever saddling a live animal. Depots such as Warwick—home to the Royal Warwickshire Regiment—blended old‑world drill with emerging modern tactics as the Army prepared for the challenges ahead.

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