Exercises from the 1829 Ordinance

These exercises can be found in Ordonnance sur l’exercice et les evolutions de la cavalerie, du 6 decembre 1829, Carabiniers et cuirassiers, volume 1, pp. 24-33 (28-37 of the PDF). They are performed on foot as if on a horse, first in the barracks or on the parade ground, then in the field (pp. 68-79 of the PDF). They represent the basic training a trooper got before being issues a horse. The translation is rough as guts – beware!

Au commencement EN GARDE, porter le pied droit à 2/3 de metre di pied gauche, les talons sur la meme ligne;

Placer la main gauche fermée à 16 centimetres du corps et à hauteur du coude, les doigts en face du corps, le petit doigt plus près que le haut du poignet (position de la main de la bride).

Porter en meme temps le poignet droit en tierce, à hauteur et à 8 centimetres du poignet gauche, le pouce allongé sur le dos de la poignée, le petit doigt réuni aux trois autres, la pointe do sabre inclinée à gauche, et plus élevée que le poignet de 2/3 de metre.

“At the start EN GUARD, place the right foot at 2/3 of a metre from the left foot, the heels in the same line.

Place the closed left hand at 16 centimetres from the body and at the height of the elbow, the fingers in front of the body, the little finger closest to the height of the wrist (the position of the hand on the bridle).

Place at the same time the right wrist in tierce, at the height of and 8 centimetres from the left wrist, the thumb stretched along the back of the hilt, the little finger united with the three others, the point of the sabre inclined to the left, and higher than the hilt by 2/3 of a metre.“

All of these exercises start in the portez sabre and en garde positions and return to them when complete.

• À gauche, moulinet: a vertical moulinet in an anticlockwise direction.
• À droit, moulinet: a vertical moulinet in a clockwise direction.
• À gauche et à droit, moulinet: combo of both the above.
• À droit et à gauche, moulinet: combo of both the above.
• En arriere, moulinet: “Elever le bras en arriere a droit de toute sa longueur, the pointe du sabre en l’air, the tranchant à droite, le pouce allongé sur le dos de la poignée, le corps tourné à droite. Decrire un cercle en arriere de gauche à droite, le poignet éloigné du corps le plus possible.”
• En tierce, pointez: Handle to the level of the eyes, elbow backwards withdrawing the right shoulder, point forward, cutting edge upwards. Thrust forward lengthening the arm to its fullest extent.
• En quarte, pointez: Lower the hilt to the level of the hip, the thumb along the right side of the hilt, the point a little higher than the hilt. Thrust forward lengthening the arm to its fullest extent.
• À gauche, pointez: Withdraw the hilt in tierce to the right at the height of the neck, the cutting edge in the ait and the point directed to the left. Thrust.
• À droite, pointez: Place the hilt near the left breast in quarte, the cutting edge in the air, the point directed to the right. Thrust.
• En arriere, pointez: Turn to the right and gather the hilt to opposite the right shoulder, the arm half extended, the blade horizontal, the point backwards, the cutting edge above. Thrust.
• Contre infantrie à gauche, pointez: Lift the hilt in tierce to near the neck, the point of the sabre directed at the height of the chest of a man on foot. Thrust.
• Contre infantrie à droite, pointez: Place the hilt in quarte near the right hip, the point of the sabre directed at the height of the chest of a man on foot. Thrust.
• En avant, sabrez: Lift the hilt slightly above the head, the rearwards and higher than the hilt. Cut forward (presumably vertically?).
• À gauche, sabrez: Lift the hilt, extending the arm to the right, in quarte, the point higher than the hilt. Cut diagonally (down?) to the left.
• À droite, sabrez: Lift the hilt, place the hilt in front of the left breast, the point in the air and the cutting edge to the left. Cut horizontally to the right.
• En arriere, sabrez: Turn to the right withdrawing the right shoulder, place the hilt in front of the left shoulder, the sabre perpendicular and the cutting edge to the left. Cut horizontally behind.
• À droite, en tierce et en quarte, sabrez: As per à droite, sabrez then turn the hand into quarte and cut horizontally back.
• A gauche, en quarte et en tierce, sabrez: As per à gauche, sabrez then turn the hand into tierce and cut horizontally back.
• En tierce, parez: Quickly place the hilt a little forward and to the right without moving the elbow, the point inclined forward and at the level of the eyes, and in the direction (poor word choice?) of the right shoulder.
• En quarte, parez: Quickly place the hilt a little forward and to the left, the point inclined forward and at the level of the eyes, and in the direction (poor word choice?) of the left shoulder.
• Pour la tête, parez: Quickly lift the hilt above the head, the arm nearly extended, the cutting edge above, the point to the left and higher than the hilt by around 16 centimetres.
• Contre infanterie à droite, parez: Turn to the right withdrawing the right shoulder, the arm extended to the right and top the rear, the point in the air, the hilt in tierce, the cutting edge to the left. Make a vertical moulinet in a clockwise direction using the back of the blade against the bayonet and gather the hilt at the level of the head, the point in the air.
• Contre infanterie à gauche, parez: Lift the sabre, the arm forward and to the right, the point in the air, the hand in tierce. Make a vertical moulinet in a clockwise direction (yes) against the bayonet, gathering the hilt, always in tierce, above the left shoulder.

When the troopers start to execute correctly the strikes with the point, the cuts of the sabre and the parries detailed above, the instructor can have them make compound movements, as follows:

• En tierce, pointez et en avant sabrez: [no descriptions given]
• En quarte, pointez et en avant sabrez:
• A gauche, pointez et sabrez:
• A droite, pointez et sabrez:
• En arriere, pointez et sabrez:
• Contre infantrie à gauche, pointez et sabrez:
• Contre infantrie à droite, pointez et sabrez: