At the time of its establishment, Maidstone Barracks served as the army's Cavalry Depot (for inducting and training new recruits). In 1832 the Cavalry Riding Establishment moved there from St John's Wood. The Riding Establishment had been set up in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars to encourage best practice in equitation: standardised regulations were drawn up, and from 1834 all Riding Masters (responsible for training across the cavalry regiments) were sent on a course of instruction at Maidstone, to ensure that they were schooled in the official way of riding. From 1844 chosen NCOs from each regiment were also sent to Maidstone to be trained according to the prescribed regulations; this enabled them to assist the Riding Master and to serve as squadron Riding Instructors. In the 1860s the Riding Establishment moved from Maidstone to Canterbury.
