If marching at the trot or gallop, the gait is ordinarily decreased progressively, the halt being executed from the walk (par. 239).
384. Being in line at a halt, to march backward: 1. Backward, 2. MARCH.
All the troopers rein back (par. 280), regulating on the guide, who maintains his distance from the leader. The execution of the march backward as a collective movement is habitually limited to cases where the movement may be necessary; it is then executed for short distances only. It is not executed at an increased gait.
385. Being in line, to oblique and resume the original direction: 1. Troopers right (left) oblique, 2. MARCH.
Executed by each trooper as in par. 230. During the oblique march the right knee of each trooper should be just in rear of the left knee of the trooper on his fight; the trooper on the flank toward which the oblique is made acts temporarily without special indication as directing guide (Def.) of the squad. The line during the oblique march should be parallel to its original direction. The leader does not take position in front of the flank trooper during the oblique.
Halting the mounted squad while at the oblique should be avoided. If the squad has to be halted thus, the troopers upon halting turn their horses to the original front in so far as practicable.
To resume the original direction by similar means, the commands are: 1. Forward, 2. MARCH.
In executing the oblique by trooper, dismounted, each trooper preserves his relative position, keeping his shoulders parallel to those of the directing guide and so regulating his step that the rank may remain parallel to its original front. In resuming the original direction, the troopers half face to the left in marching, then move straight to the front. If at half step or mark time while obliquing, the oblique march is resumed by the commands: 1 Oblique, 2. MARCH. Should the halt be commanded while the squad is obliquing, the troopers halt faced to the front (fig. [32]).
