Planning for 2010 - Max the Civil War Horse?

While for some time I've considered returning to Civil War reenacting (I did it for over 10 years as an infantryman), it would be as a cavalryman or mounted staff officer (or something else on horseback) and that, as all you horse people know, presents all sorts of issues.

For the past year, I've been slowly working Max up, desensitizing him to gunfire, taking him to events, doing parades, and anything else I can think of. With the exception of parades, it's been pretty successful so far although we're still a ways off from where we want to be (especially in terms of shooting off of him).

I plan on taking Max to an introductory mounted shooting clinic in the Spring that's put on by the California Desperados (I might even take up mounted shooting!)and taking him so some events- ones that weren't too massive and which would provide the right sort of environment (not too crowded, not too many guns, room to ride off if there's an issue, etc.). One of the big issues was my inability to haul Max places- fortunately, this has for the most part been resolved (I still have to borrow a trailer).

With all of that, recently a friend of mine decided that he wanted to do Civil War cavalry and he put me in touch with a unit, the 7th Ohio Cavalry . The offer a number of training weekends with the first one scheduled for January 15-17, 2010. The training program appears to be just what Max would need and they're based out of a ranch located in Acton; it's not too far away from where I board so hauling Max there wouldn't be an issue.

This is a very interesting development and while Civil War isn't my most favorite period, I can get past that if it allows me to work with Max and have a good time. Naturally, we're going to have to work on gettnig Max used to the gunfire and shooting off his back. Also, there's the whole sword combat thing- although judging from how he did at Anza last May, this might not be such an issue. Finally, since a lot of this work is in formation, we'll need to work on this- he's normally pretty good but with strange horses, it could be challenging (especially the backing up- but this isn't a parade).

The other issue is that I'm going to have to acquire some new/different uniforms and equipment and look at getting a new 1859 McClellan since the one I have now doesn't fit. I'll bring the saddle to the training weekend and maybe I can sell it and use the money towards a new one. One can hope! :-)

Anyway, I'm a bit nervious but this is what we've working towards for the past five years and it's time to get going.

The Green Cavalry Horse

People seem to think that all cavalry mounts were perfectly trained and ready to go on campaign and into battle with no issues. The reality, sad to say, is somewhat different and even the smallest things can cause problems unless horses are conditioned for it. Even things as trivial as the noise of a saber being drawn or waving a sword above the horse's head can cause a real rodeo unless the horse has been desensitized.

The following is a brief description of some of these issues from a history of the 7th Indiana Cavalry from the American Civil War (and 1861 in particular) as quoted in The War Horse by Louis A. DiMarco (an excellent book, by the way):

The horses having been but recently drawn, had never been exercised in drill. Some of them had never been backed.... The men were as green as the horses. Some of them never having been on a horse's back, did not know how to mount. Those who had wild steeds, had great difficulty in maintaining their positions in the saddle, and some in attempting to mount suddenly found themselves on the ground. However, after great effort, the horses were sufficiently quieted, so as to stand in reasonable proximity to each other. The hour having arrived for the review, the companies were marched to the parade ground, and the regiment, after long and patient effort, formed in a reasonably straight line. Governor Morton and his Staff, accompanied by Colonel Shanks, took their positions in front of the regiment. Colonel Shanks, in genuine military style, gave the command "Draw Sabres:" The men obeyed the order. The sabres in being drawn made a great rattling and clatter, and waved over the horse's heads, the sight and sound of which greatly frightened them. This was more than they could bear. Some of them reared and plunged, depositing their riders on the ground; others darted over the commons, their riders hatless, holding on with both hands to the horses' manes, or the pommels of their saddles, presenting pictures not in keeping with accomplished equestrianism....So ended the first grand review of the regiment.

I have pretty much experienced all of the above and it's gratifying to know that I'm not alone in some of the trials I've undergone trying to get Max ready for cavalry work. The key here is TRAIN! TRAIN! TRAIN! It just goes to show that some things have never changed. :-)

Surviving Finals

Finals are over!!!!!

Since late August, I've been taking some equine classes over at Pierce College and I'm happy and relieved that finals are done with and I can now get on with the holidays and renew see Max more often (like he's really broken hearted not having to work...yeah, right! :-)).

I think I did pretty good in my classes- either Bs or As and lord knows, I put in a lot of study time. Sure, there's some stuff that got me but I think overall I studied hard and memorized what was necessary. But more importantly, I think a lot of the information will "stick" long after the exams. The point of the whole exercise here is to learn practical information that I can use in my horse dealings later on- it's not really enough to just know it for the final exam.

But more imporatntly, I have to say that these classes were a real eye-opener for me. I thought I knew things but in reality, the classes proved how little I know and the need for more education. One area that stands out is the whole sciece/art of biting the horse. There's a lot to know and it's very easy to mess up a horse's mouth with little effort- there's a wide variety of bits out there with all sorts of mouthpiece and port configurations and it's easy to get lost.

The bottom line is that there's two basic types: direct pressure and leverage. But with that, there's a lot to consider between teh horse's disposition, your sport, you hands, etc. A lot to think about. So why the preoccupation with bits? Well, it's one of the most basic parts of riding the horse (unless you plan on going bitless or bridle-less) and anyone who is serious about riding needs to know this stuff , or at least be aware and especially what the various bits DO to a horse's mouth.

Now this doesn't mean that I'm now an "instant expert"- far from it. But it does tell me that I need to know more. One thing I can highly recommend, even though it wasn't required for the class or anything, is get a hold of the Myler's "A Whole Bit Better"- it's very instructive and the various demonstrations of how bits act on the horse is excellent.

I'll continue to press on with the education program although one of the most frustrating aspects is that some of the classes are held during the day at hours that I simply can't take off time from work for. Perhaps I can eventually work something out but that's been one of the most frustrating aspects of the whole education process.

More soon but I'm relived that school's done for now! :-)

Out & About On Max

Last night I was finally able to get out to the stables to check up on Max. I needn't have worried... :-) Max was covered in mud and greeted me with a nicker that seemed to indicate "about time you showed up- where's my treat?!"

Since the ground had dried out (somewhat) and things weren't too swampy, I decided to saddle up and ride. What was interesting was that although nights have been running pretty cold where I am, it wasn't that cold although there was plenty of cloud cover.

We didnt' do anything remarkable, mostly walking and trotting around the track with a friend of mine. We basically did the sitting trot with some intermittant walking. It was good exercise- not too much where Max was going to be sweaty (and taken more time to cool down) and just enough to engage all the leg muscles. Also, mentally Max needs to be more attuned to working at the sustained trot in avariety of speeds so this is good training- life isn't all about cantering everywhere we go (plus the footing was probably a bit too muddy).

It's funny but when riding with someone else, it seems that the time flies by. By the time we were done, an hour and a half had passed by. INteresting...:-) We ended with the usual and customary special mix bucket and I made sure that Max had his rain blanket on- more rains was on the way.

Hopefully the rains won't mess up the weekend riding schedule too bad. Oh well, it could be worse- we could have snow! :-)

Bits! Bits! And...More Bits!

For the past several months I have been taking a number of equine classes at Pierce College and one of them has been Beginning Horse Training. Now, I have no intention of becoming a trainer nor do I have the experience (no Pat Pirelli here!) but it's been a real eye-opener in terms of all the equipment, methods et al. In fact, it's a bit overwhelming (pardon the pun :-)).

Last week we went into bits in great detail and the instructor showed us a variety of bits of varous types and configurations. I really havn't given much thought to bits except to know that I have been using a snaffle bit on Max.

Well, I've really have had to do a re-think on this. Basically, it seems that bits break down into two basic categories: direct rpessure and leverage. Within each, there are a variety of mouthpiece configuations and work with varying degrees of severity.

So how does this all tie into Max?

Well, with the sorts of riding I've been doing lately, it's become apparent that a curb bit would be more useful in helping Max collect up better and hold a better frame. Also. I'd like to eventually train up to using the double bridal.

Naturally, I'm going to have to approach this in a systematic manner. Early on, I attempted to used a curb bit on Max (because I didn't know any better) but my hands were too rough and Max made it very clear that he wasn't happy about it. I think that this time, it will be different but it's going to be a gradual process.

Perhaps I'll start with a Kimberwicke bit, which is sort of a hybrid where I can use direct pressure or leverage, depending on where the reins are set.

I'm going to have to do some more study on this but I think it's time to move forward in this area.

Ugh! There's a lot to consider.

HMS Prince of Wales

68 years ago today, the battleship HMS Prince of Wales met its deimse when it was attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft off the coat of Malaya, along with the HMS Repulse. RIP.

Angeles National Forest - Closed Areas

Since the Station Fire in late August, much of the Angeles National Forest has been closed to include riding. For a map of the closed areas, click HERE.

68 Years Ago Today

Today is the 68th Anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. While to many, this may seem like ancient history, it will always remain etched in this nation's history and served as a wake-up call that things in the world that needed dealing with.

Although there are those conspiracy theorists who will argue that President Roosevelt purposely ochestrated events so as to provoke a Japanese attack and cause America's entry into the way, I really don't think so. We were on a collision course iwth the Japanese Empire for some time and if the attack on Pearl Harbor hadn't occurred, then it would have happened somewhere else.

At any rate, below is the usual picture I post on December 7, the USS Arizona in better days because that's the way she should be remembered.

Max & I Hit the Trail into the Mountains

You might think that I haven't done much riding of late but that's not the case...actually, with a pretty full schedule (and some unexpected plumbing issues around the house), I've been struggling to keep up my training with Max.

For the first time, the weather here has started to really cool down and today, I awoke to find it cloudy with occasional sunny patches and a brisk wind. Not that THAT was going to stop Max and I from getting out! :-)

I was supposed to have a lesson (the first after a three week hiatus) but my trainer was a bit under the weather with the flu bug so the lesson was canceled. I'd been working Max for about a hour and a half with various transitions, flexion exercises, side passing, leg yields and just plain galloping down the track at Warp speed (with Max, that's about Warp 1...) so we were both pretty limbered up.

Just about that time, a couple of friends rode by to let me know that they were planning on riding the Audry Trail. Cool!

Now, in the wake of the fires last August, the National Forest Service had pretty much closed all the National Forest area, which contains the majority of trails that I ride on. That pretty much left the Hansen Dam Basin and to be honest, that gets real OLD after awhile, espcially since it's all flat and Max has not gotten any serious hill work since early August.

I was a bit concerned since there's a stiff fine for riding in the closed area ($1500 or so) but it turns out that most of the Audry Trail is on private land so it wouldn't be an issue (it also turned out that our subsequent ride to the Sheep Pens was also on private land).

So anyway, I jumped at the opportunity- jeeze, it's been forwever since I've been on some real trails up in the hills and since my friends were going, well screw the National Forest Service. By this time, the wind was definately getting cooler and the sun had disappeared- I was dressed pretty warm but then decided to also put on my Army rain jacket (it's one of those new Gortex EWACS thingies) and that turned out to be a good decision- kept me warm all afternoon.

We soon headed out and made our way towards the trailhead with no issues. It threatened to rain but unless it actually started raining, we pretty much didn't care. One of my friends had been out on the trail the week before and indicated that there shouldn't be any issues (I haven't been on the Audry Trail since June or so).

We gardually made our way up the trail- it's amazing how much has grown back since the Marek Fire last year. This trail doesn't get a lot of equestrian use so we had to clear branches here and there.

Finally ,we got to the one tough part of the trail where you ascend on about 500 feet on a number of narrow switchbacks and then when you get to the top, you have to make a sharp right turn (the drop-off is something fierce!), go about 20 feet and make a sharp left turn. You a literally balancing on the spine of a steep, narrow peak. After that, the trail improves and there's no more mountain goat tracks, although the trail was faint in a few places and we had to adjust our course every now and then.

After about an hour or so, we wound up at the end of the trail, which borders Little Tujunga Canyon Road. We crossed the and then decided to make our way up the old cross country course, which borders the sheep pens (unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures).

After some time, we made our way up to the old cross country course (it's a course of eventing-style jumps that haven't been used in 20 years and have fallen into disrepair) and checked it out. Where we were was basically on the Western edge of the Station Fire and it was interesting to see the landscape with almost no vegetation (you can also see where hills have begun to slide and erode). Pretty interesting.

We then followed one of the trails that we had followed on a previous ride in July but we'd had to turn around because of trail erosion and thick vegetation. However, that wasn't an issue this time with all the vegetation burned off and we were easily able to pass but in retrospect, it was a wise decision- it was impossible to see the footing and it would have been easy to take a wrong step and fall off the trail (it's about a 100 foot drop). Very instructive.

We finally made our way home and throughout the entire ride, Max was well behaved and had no physical issues. I think the cool weather made him a bit more energenic (but not to the point of stupidity). Moreover, I think he actually liked getting out on a real trail for a change. Max knew my friends' horses well and they all seem to get along well and have no issues- that always makes for a pleasant trial ride.

For me, it was good to get out and spend some hours in the saddle. I can't being to tell how much it improves my mental outlook of being able to roam- I think Max and I, in our own ways, hate to be tied down. Anyway, it was an excellent ride and I promptly followed it up with a couple shots of Port and some cheese. :-)

and we were able to see where we'd turned around the last time we rode this trail (there was extreme erosion and thick vegetation which had forced us to turn back

Join the Cavalry!

Came accross this today- I thought it was pretty neat so here it is!