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RIDING A RAID
Civil War Cavalry Review No. 1 1990
By Nick Nichols
Long distance road marches can be a real learning experience, but lack of preparation can prove hazardous.
Much can be learned about cavalry service through the printed word (which, presumably, is why you’re reading this), but when it comes to horse soldiering, nothing beats the School of Hard Knocks for a real education!
And within this broad category of OJT, the distance ride earns high marks as one of the best Examples of learning by doing. To carry this line of thought a step further, you can maximize the educational benefits of the cavalry distance ride by playing an active role in it from start to finish – from pre-event planning and conditioning, to common-sense horse management en route, and finally, to proper post-event “wind-down” activity.
The cavalry distance ride – be it a simple road march or interpretive “raid” – has much in common with the civilian sport of endurance riding; in fact, it can be even more demanding on both horse and rider, since the cavalryman is severely restricted in his choices of clothing and tack (not to mention the addition of weapons, accoutrements and so on). With this thought in mind, we’d like to offer some tips to help you get the most from your cavalry distance ride.
“Rapidity of movement being the chief element of success (in raid service), it is evident that horsemanship, i.e., an ability to get the greatest amount of travel out of a horse…with the least injury to the animal, is the most important qualification for troops intended for this service.”
This comment was penned by one Major T.B. Brooks and published in the Army and Navy Journal of October 17, 1863. Offering that his views were “the result of a quite extended experience in cavalry raids,” Brooks elaborated, “The idea should be inculcated among mounted men that their most important duties as soldiers are, to keep their horses in good condition, well shod, well fed, well groomed, and to ride carefully, and that their success and lives depend largely on these things.”
So you see, adequate preparation for and care in the execution of our interpretive activities bears historical precedent. As this relates specifically to the distance ride, your preparation should begin several months prior to the event itself. If you intend to spend many hours in the saddle for several days, you can insure your physical safety and that of your horse by pursuing a well-designed conditioning program.
If you’re out of shape, you’ll soon tucker out and slouch in the saddle—with disastrous effects on your mount. Too, subjecting an unprepared horse to such an extended “trail-ride” can result in dehydration, exhaustion, and permanent muscle damage.
Prepping Your Horse
It is not within the scope of this article to address the conditioning of the rider, but as this extremely important subject is so often neglected, we promise to treat it in depth in a future issue of Review. For the time being, we’ll focus our attention getting your mount in shape. Many injuries result from attempting to push a horse beyond his level of fitness; soft tissue injuries and foot problems being the most common ailments. A lack of proper muscling can also led to bone and joint disorders, as these areas must take up the slack produced by the untoned muscles. The best way to prevent these problems is by properly conditioning your horse before the ride.
Begin your conditioning program at least 90 days out, but before embarking on any exercise regimen, be sure your horse is in good general health in the first place. If you have any doubts about this whatsoever, you should consult your veterinarian before beginning any conditioning program. Basically, your horse should be in full flesh, current on his deworming program and his feet should be properly trimmed and shod. If your distance ride will include a fair amount of work on improved roads or other hard surfaces you should consider padding the front shoes to help cushion the shock and prevent stone bruises.
Assuming your horse is accustomed to occasional trail riding, you should institute a routine that endurance riders call “long slow distance work” to fit him up for the challenge ahead. This aerobic program involves making the horse perform as much work as he is capable of without becoming out of breath. The speed at which the exercise is performed and the duration of the workout sessions are the variables, while the point at which the horse becomes out of breath is the constant in the equation, as the workout is always terminated when this condition sets in. Long slow distance work provides an excellent means of building up your horse’s soft tissue structures and cardiovascular system without subjecting him to the oxygen deficit which would result from pushing him beyond his level of fitness.
Setting The Pace
Of course every horse presents a unique situation, but generally, you should plan to begin with 30 minute workouts at around five or six miles per hour (roughly an extended walk). You can calculate the speed factor by laying out a course over a known distance then dividing that distance by the time it takes to cover the course (in fractions of an hour). So if you cover a one mile course in 10 minutes (1/6 of an hour), you’re moving out at six miles per hour. These sessions should be performed no less than four or more than six days per week.
Work on gradually extending the duration of the session first—perhaps 5 to 10 minutes per week—until you’re performing an hour-long workout that doesn’t tax your horses wind. Then begin to slowly step up the pace until you’re working at about 10 miles per hour (this will obviously require a combination of gaits).
When your horse has attained this level of fitness, you should shift into a maintenance mode; that is, you may reduce your workout schedule to three (in some cases even two) days a week without adversely affecting the gains you’ve made.
When perusing a long slow distance work program, there are several key points to remember:
• Work Progressively: Be patient. You’re developing an equine athlete here, and these things take time. Don’t expect instant results and always alternate the increases in session length and speed—never increase both at the same time.
• Keep His Interest: Vary the course you use for your training sessions to prevent your horse from becoming bored and sour. This will serve the dual purpose of introducing him to a variety of terrain while increasing his trail savvy in the bargain.
• Monitor His Progress: Watch closely for signs of undue fatigue. Your horse’s appetite is an excellent index of general fitness. The appetite should improve as conditioning progresses; if you notice he’s off his feed, you’re probably pushing too hard. Also, he should display a good attitude and enthusiasm for this physical challenge; a drooping, listless horse is probably being overworked. If you suspect this condition, back off your current goal a little and give him a couple extra days off. The R&R should put him right—if it doesn’t, it’s time to call your vet for a check-up.
There are a number of techniques you can and should employ during your training sessions to prevent overexerting your horse; these include frequent monitoring of pulse and respiration (P&R), capillary refill time (CRT) and hydration status. Further, the time required for your horse’s pulse and other indicators to return to normal following exertion provides a good fitness index. For a thorough discussion of these topics, we refer you to “Red Alert!” in Vol. II, No. 2 of the CWCR.
Packing Light
So you and your horse have arrived at the assembly area in top shape for the forthcoming ride—and when you hear the sniveling and moans and groans at the tail end of the trek, you’ll be glad you were prepared! The next critical subject to consider is how to pack your gear to make your horse’s job as easy as possible.
As you are surely aware, early-war volunteers were notorious for carrying so much gear that they resembled trussed turkeys, and the fault was not entirely their own. Some period manuals and handbooks actually advised them to do so! Consider this excerpt from The Army Officer’s Pocket Companion, published in early 1862 by Lt. William P. Craighill, a West Point Instructor:
“Privates should carry only what is strictly necessary. They should not load themselves with useless objects. Many a horse and many a man have been left behind, for the mere overload of a pound. A pair of pants, a coat, a great-coat, two pairs of shoes, two collars, three shirts, two pairs of drawers, three pocket handkerchiefs, two flannel waistcoats, two caps, one for extra duty and one for usual wear, are sufficient for every on, officer or private, on horseback or on foot”.
Though he makes no mention of such incidentals as a canteen, grooming tools or ammunition, Craighill does go on to suggest that in addition to his normal tack, the trooper should always carry “four spare shoes, with as many nails as are necessary to fix them and half as many more.”
One campaign season was all it normally took to show the tyro the folly of such sage advice. Cavalry reenactors have few opportunities to spend long stretches in the saddle and therefore replicate the early-war volunteer all too authentically by accumulating mountains of useless impedimenta.
Lean and Mean?
Some folks think they’ve got to find a way to pack every last bit on their poor horse; but before loading your pard down with all your “necessities” consider this:
Many period sources use a figure of 225 pounds as the average total weight to be toted by a troop horse; this breaks down to about 150 pounds for the fully-armed trooper and 75 pounds for his pack (saddle and tack, forage, ammunition…the works!).
Sound like a pretty hefty load for your horse to be lugging around? It is. And chances are that all those useless little geegaws you normally haul out to your campsite in the back of your pickup weigh more than 225 pounds all by their lonesome.
For a real eye-opener, lay all of your gear out on the living room floor and weigh each item on a bathroom scale (small stuff can be lumped together to register on the scale). Now enter the figures on a worksheet. Don’t forget to include your rations, a full canteen, your bridle and halter, two spare horseshoes/nails, and a 12-15 pound allotment of grain. Now add your own weight, uniformed and accoutered (be honest!). What is your bottom line? Surprised?
The typical cavalry reenactor probably outweighs his historical counterpart by at least a few pounds, and this means we’ve got to dispose of even more baggage than he did if we’re going to approach that magical 225 pound figure.
Packing Light
But what goes and what stays? Some deletions should be pretty obvious; multiple revolvers (and spare cylinders for same), pommel holsters, belt knives, coffee pots, extra bedroll blankets, tent pegs, extravagant amounts of food, ad infinitim, ad nauseum.
A few other items aren’t quite as apparent, but they’ve got to go all the same. For example, the crupper—though issued to federal troopers with the M1859 equipment—was a useless encumbrance that was frequently lost by the rank and file. A breast strap (or breast plate, or martingale, as you prefer) on the other hand, might have occasionally come in handy, but this was not an item of issue during the Civil War. Rather, it represents a private purchase item, and would therefore have been fairly rare sight on a private’s horse. Also keep in mind that great-coats were generally kept in storage except in the cold weather months (When troops were typically in garrison or cantonment). In fact, on active campaign, the trooper rarely carried more than a spare shirt, stocking and charge of drawers.
After you’ve purged your kit of unnecessary garbage, re-weigh the stuff that made the cut. If you’ve actually pared enough weight off to bring the total down to 225 pounds, congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a veteran trooper.
If however, you’re still a little on the hefty side, here are a few hints that will help you shave a few more pounds:
• Trade in your eating utensils for a pocket knife—it’s the only tool you really need (salt pork’ll stick to it as well as a fork). Measure your coffee in the palm of your hand and stir it with a twig. Cook your grub and eat it off the same item—a tin plate, canteen half, small frying pan or whatever.
• Keep your ration simple and Spartan. It’s only for a few days for crying out loud…you can take it! Rely on foods that are lightweight and good sources of energy, such as desiccated fruits and meats (both are highly authentic). You can swap with yer pards or do some foraging to add a little variety to your diet.
• Some items are necessary, but don’t need to be carried by each individual trooper—this list would include things like a small hatchet, weapons cleaning implements and so forth. One per squad is plenty, so why not prevent redundancy and distribute the load evenly?
Packing Right
Once you’ve streamlined your gear, you’ve got to use some common sense in packing it to prevent problems. To quote Lt. John J. Boniface’s turn of the century classic, “The Cavalry Horse and His Pack”:
Nothing is more destructive of the cavalry horse than ignorant, careless, or hasty saddling.
You should place your horse grooming items and spare ammunition in your saddlebags (Being careful to balance the load between the bags). Your personal items should be rolled up securely in your bedroll. You might consider using your bedroll as a second saddle blanket—the additional padding can often compensate for the fact that your saddle wasn’t custom fitted to your horse. In this case, roll your personal stuff up in your poncho.
As you pack your saddle, try to keep everything as low and close to the horse as possible. For example by rolling your bedroll a little wider, the cylinder will be smaller in diameter (don’t overdo it or the ends will flap up and down). Be sure nothing is dangling from the saddle, and that everything is securely fastened. If you’re carrying a greatcoat, draw the center coat strap up tight enough to keep the roll off your horse’s withers. And police up the loose ends of those coat straps—either roll them into a tight scroll around the frame buckle or tuck the billet end under the tightened portion of the strap…..
Before You Head Out
Having arrived at the rendezvous point for your ride, you can begin preparing your mount for the trek as soon as you’ve got him off the trailer. Sure, you’re getting pretty psyched by now (and so’s your horse) but it’s important to keep his stress level as low as possible prior to departure, so take it slow. Leisurely lead him around the area and let him get to know some of the other animals and generally scope out all the unusual sights and smells to reassure him that everything is ok. Water him, and then give him a light feed of his normal ration to keep him pacified while you unload your gear.
Incidentally, in most cases, the hosts of such events will provide prepositioned hay at your camp sites, but if your horse is finicky at all about his fodder, we suggest that you bring enough of his own ration to cover him for the ride and give it to the appropriate party to be deposited at the bivouac areas (be sure it’s clearly tagged for easy identification).
Give your buddy a thorough grooming paying particular attention to his legs and feet. If your horse has a tendency to be pretty charged up at times like this, you might also consider longeing him a bit—just enough to take the edge off.
Take your time in tackling up, carefully observing the points we touched on (previously). Hopefully, you’ve had the foresight to clean your gear and inspect it for potential trouble spots before you left home, so you should be “good to go”. Capt. Frederick Whittaker of the 6th New York Volunteer Cavalry offers the following general remarks regarding cavalry marches:
Campaigns are made up of marches and battles. Cavalry takes part in both, and excels in marches. Good cavalry can execute stupendous feats in marching if its horses are in good condition, but horses fall away from fatigue and privation much faster than men. Weight and time tell on horses. With a light weight, and at a brisk pace, they will execute far greater distances than if heavily loaded and travelling slowly. Every moment a load remains on their backs, standing or moving, is a penance to them. The removal of weight rests them very quickly. Good food, plenty of it, dry quarters, and room to lie down, will carry the horses of a regiment triumphantly though the hardest marches, if they are not loaded too heavily.
Keeping these landmarks in sight, the principles of managing cavalry on the march are not difficult to acquire.
The Column
The first important principle to consider is the nature of the marching column itself. Any gathering of more than, say, a dozen riders should be broken down into two or more groups—the size of these sub-elements being tempered by the nature of the road surfaces and terrain you’ll encounter en route. Dirt roads—even gravel—can produce a generous dose of choking dust. Naturally, the increased gaits also contribute to this problem. These factors should be taken into consideration in determining the distance to be maintained between the sub-elements of the column. If the enemy should be encountered along the route of march, it only takes a few seconds to close the column for combat deployment.
Keeping the appropriate distance between the sub-elements of the column is of course a bit more difficult in broken terrain, and allowances must be made for such conditions. For example, after the head of the column passes over an eminence or through some rough country, the pace should be slackened long enough to allow the remainder to close to the established distance; otherwise, the rearmost elements may be forced to resort to increasing the gait to close up. This is not only hard on the horses; it’s an aggravation to their riders, too.
Paces & Gates
The subject of gaits warrants additional attention: It is the responsibility of the officers and NCO’s to keep an eye on the column as it marches at various gaits to help maintain a pace which is neither so fast that the troopers in the rear must accelerate to the next hire gait to close up, nor so slow that the tail-end elements are constantly stopping and starting, accordion fashion. Again, this problem will be partially alleviated through the subdivision of the column, as the distance between each body of riders’ acts as a buffer which allows corrections to be made by extending or diminishing the particular gait without having to perform consistent upward and downward transitions.
The commander should designate an NCO to ride at the head of the column and act as the pace setter. The commander may then set a particular pace and knowing it will be maintained by the pace setter, he may then direct his attention to other parts of the column. Of course, this implies that the commander of the column knows how to set a particular pace in the first place. It is incumbent upon every officer to time his own horse over a set distance at different paces and gaits on a regular basis and develop the ability to readily identify a four mile per hour walk, seven mph trot, and so on. This facility enables him to calculate how many periods at various gaits (and of what duration) he must employ to cover a prescribed distance in a given amount of time. And just what is the best gait to employ in a long road march? This has long been the subject of heated debate among professional cavalry horses’ energy for the real work ahead…while having the added advantage of allowing the supply trains to keep up with the column. Others say this is flawed logic; they insist that a comfortable trot will actually preserve the horses’ condition better by reducing the time they’re under saddle to cover a given number of miles…The advocates of the trot as the best all-around principal gait further suggest that a slower rate of march encourages troopers to get lazy and slouch in their saddles (and poor posture is guaranteed to result in sore-backed mounts), often forces them to establish their bivouacs in the dark, and undermines the spirit of dash so essential to successful cavalry operations.
Actually, neither of these schools of thought considers two key points which contribute greatly to preserving the condition of the horses: Much more important than which gait is to be labeled the “primary” gait, it is critical that the gait be changed at regular intervals; too, that the men be required to dismount and lead their horses for some portion of each segment of the day’s march.
Stop n’ Go
A survey of contemporary cavalry literature supplies us with the following general summary of the conduct of the march:
At the outset, the column should be halted briefly a mile or so down the road to allow the men to check and adjust their equipment and tighten their girths and surcingles. This procedure should be scrupulously supervised by the officers and NCO’s. Writing after the turn of the century, Lt. John J. Boniface further suggests that during this initial halt the men should be required to attend to calls of nature. Troopers are proverbially careless in this matter, and if this rule is not strictly adhered to, men will continually request permission to fall out to relieve themselves.
Following this initial pit stop, the column should continue for an hour at a casual walk. A second halt (15-20 min) should be called at the end of the hour (and hourly thereafter). During these brief stops, girth should be slightly loosened and bridles removed. Troopers should be required to stay with their mounts.
After the initial warm-up hour of riding, the gait should be increased to the trot, and then changed several times during the course of this and each succeeding hour. For the remainder of the day, when the walk is utilized it should be increased to a more brisk five mph. During the course of the march, it’s important that all riders make a conscious effort to maintain a good seat. As fatigue sets in, the natural tendency is to round the back/shoulders and slouch in the saddle throwing the weight against the cantle. This will not only wear down the rider more quickly, it will also be telling on his horse. American military saddles of the period have rather short bars, and such poor posture shifts the weight to a point where it presses the rear edges of the saddle’s bars into the horse’s sensitive lumbar musculature. This uneven distribution of weight will lead to hot spots, galls and ultimately open saddle sores.
In addition to policing yourself on this point, keep an eye on your pards and let them know if they begin to slouch—you’ll be doing them a favor!
During the Halts
The hourly halts provide both horses and men time to rest and stretch. Afterward, each trooper should exercise care in re-saddling, taking full advantage of this opportunity to make any necessary adjustments to his gear. The men should also check his mount’s hooves for stones and to be sure the shoes are firmly set.
When the period specified for the halt has elapsed, the column should be reassembled and put underway without dawdling. Under no circumstances should the column delay its departure to accommodate a trooper who is not prepared to resume the march at the appointed time for whatever reason. Such stragglers should be placed under the supervision of an NCO, whose duty it is to rejoin the column with his charges as soon as possible.
In addition to checking his tack, each rider should perform a number of tests to determine the condition of his mount during every halt. This entails noting such factors as P&R (Pulse and respirations), heart rate, capillary refill time, and hydration status. For a complete tutorial on these important tests, see “Red Alert!,” CWCR II-2. This article also provides guidelines on how to interpret the results of these tests. This data will help you determine when it’s necessary to pull your horse from the ride. Either temporarily or permanently. Too, it never hurts to have a vet along the ride to render on-the-spot professional opinion and administer treatment if necessary.
Another routine practice which should be performed at every halt is changing the order of march; the troopers who’ve been riding drag should be rotated to the head of the column. This change of scenery will help keep both men and horses fresh and alert.
A longer halt (1 to 1.5 hrs) should be made around midday. During this nuncheon break, the horses should be unsaddled and unbridled, and each and every horse’s back should be inspected by an officer or NCO for any signs of soreness or galling. Following this inspection period, the saddle blanket should be unfolded and draped (wet side up) over the horse’s back, being secured in place by the surcingle. This serves the dual purpose of preventing the horse from taking a chill and airing out the blanket. After the noon meal, the horses should be thoroughly curried prior to re-saddling.
If you’re traveling through hostile country, it’s a good idea to break this halt into two shifts, thus keeping half of the men saddled and ready for action at all times.
As we've already indicated, the gait should be changed occasionally throughout the day with the final two miles being covered at the walk. Following this basic schedule, a column starting at 8:00 am can easily cover 35 miles by mid-afternoon and arrive at the bivouac site with neither horses nor men having been overly taxed. This schedule allows ample time to curry your mount and establish a cozy camp well before you've lost the daylight.
- - - Updated - - -
In preparation for our own 150 mile cross country campaign event (Collins' Last Ride), I came across this older article from 1990. I found that it refreshed many principals that I have actually forgot. I agree with alot of what he says and question a few other items.
I am curious to see what your guys' take is on this article?
One point that keeps coming up that is so true in many of our "standard" events is that they are more forgiving and there isn't enough time or distance covered to reveal mistakes we make in our set-up/gear/uniform. When we only ride a couple miles (even 5-10) we get away with heavier equipage than would be realistic. I have found in my own training that mile 15 on the second day (previous day of 30 miles) is where our "bad habits" get exposed.
I am also curious if this is true of others. I look forward to your thoughts.
Civil War Cavalry Review No. 1 1990
By Nick Nichols
Long distance road marches can be a real learning experience, but lack of preparation can prove hazardous.
Much can be learned about cavalry service through the printed word (which, presumably, is why you’re reading this), but when it comes to horse soldiering, nothing beats the School of Hard Knocks for a real education!
And within this broad category of OJT, the distance ride earns high marks as one of the best Examples of learning by doing. To carry this line of thought a step further, you can maximize the educational benefits of the cavalry distance ride by playing an active role in it from start to finish – from pre-event planning and conditioning, to common-sense horse management en route, and finally, to proper post-event “wind-down” activity.
The cavalry distance ride – be it a simple road march or interpretive “raid” – has much in common with the civilian sport of endurance riding; in fact, it can be even more demanding on both horse and rider, since the cavalryman is severely restricted in his choices of clothing and tack (not to mention the addition of weapons, accoutrements and so on). With this thought in mind, we’d like to offer some tips to help you get the most from your cavalry distance ride.
“Rapidity of movement being the chief element of success (in raid service), it is evident that horsemanship, i.e., an ability to get the greatest amount of travel out of a horse…with the least injury to the animal, is the most important qualification for troops intended for this service.”
This comment was penned by one Major T.B. Brooks and published in the Army and Navy Journal of October 17, 1863. Offering that his views were “the result of a quite extended experience in cavalry raids,” Brooks elaborated, “The idea should be inculcated among mounted men that their most important duties as soldiers are, to keep their horses in good condition, well shod, well fed, well groomed, and to ride carefully, and that their success and lives depend largely on these things.”
So you see, adequate preparation for and care in the execution of our interpretive activities bears historical precedent. As this relates specifically to the distance ride, your preparation should begin several months prior to the event itself. If you intend to spend many hours in the saddle for several days, you can insure your physical safety and that of your horse by pursuing a well-designed conditioning program.
If you’re out of shape, you’ll soon tucker out and slouch in the saddle—with disastrous effects on your mount. Too, subjecting an unprepared horse to such an extended “trail-ride” can result in dehydration, exhaustion, and permanent muscle damage.
Prepping Your Horse
It is not within the scope of this article to address the conditioning of the rider, but as this extremely important subject is so often neglected, we promise to treat it in depth in a future issue of Review. For the time being, we’ll focus our attention getting your mount in shape. Many injuries result from attempting to push a horse beyond his level of fitness; soft tissue injuries and foot problems being the most common ailments. A lack of proper muscling can also led to bone and joint disorders, as these areas must take up the slack produced by the untoned muscles. The best way to prevent these problems is by properly conditioning your horse before the ride.
Begin your conditioning program at least 90 days out, but before embarking on any exercise regimen, be sure your horse is in good general health in the first place. If you have any doubts about this whatsoever, you should consult your veterinarian before beginning any conditioning program. Basically, your horse should be in full flesh, current on his deworming program and his feet should be properly trimmed and shod. If your distance ride will include a fair amount of work on improved roads or other hard surfaces you should consider padding the front shoes to help cushion the shock and prevent stone bruises.
Assuming your horse is accustomed to occasional trail riding, you should institute a routine that endurance riders call “long slow distance work” to fit him up for the challenge ahead. This aerobic program involves making the horse perform as much work as he is capable of without becoming out of breath. The speed at which the exercise is performed and the duration of the workout sessions are the variables, while the point at which the horse becomes out of breath is the constant in the equation, as the workout is always terminated when this condition sets in. Long slow distance work provides an excellent means of building up your horse’s soft tissue structures and cardiovascular system without subjecting him to the oxygen deficit which would result from pushing him beyond his level of fitness.
Setting The Pace
Of course every horse presents a unique situation, but generally, you should plan to begin with 30 minute workouts at around five or six miles per hour (roughly an extended walk). You can calculate the speed factor by laying out a course over a known distance then dividing that distance by the time it takes to cover the course (in fractions of an hour). So if you cover a one mile course in 10 minutes (1/6 of an hour), you’re moving out at six miles per hour. These sessions should be performed no less than four or more than six days per week.
Work on gradually extending the duration of the session first—perhaps 5 to 10 minutes per week—until you’re performing an hour-long workout that doesn’t tax your horses wind. Then begin to slowly step up the pace until you’re working at about 10 miles per hour (this will obviously require a combination of gaits).
When your horse has attained this level of fitness, you should shift into a maintenance mode; that is, you may reduce your workout schedule to three (in some cases even two) days a week without adversely affecting the gains you’ve made.
When perusing a long slow distance work program, there are several key points to remember:
• Work Progressively: Be patient. You’re developing an equine athlete here, and these things take time. Don’t expect instant results and always alternate the increases in session length and speed—never increase both at the same time.
• Keep His Interest: Vary the course you use for your training sessions to prevent your horse from becoming bored and sour. This will serve the dual purpose of introducing him to a variety of terrain while increasing his trail savvy in the bargain.
• Monitor His Progress: Watch closely for signs of undue fatigue. Your horse’s appetite is an excellent index of general fitness. The appetite should improve as conditioning progresses; if you notice he’s off his feed, you’re probably pushing too hard. Also, he should display a good attitude and enthusiasm for this physical challenge; a drooping, listless horse is probably being overworked. If you suspect this condition, back off your current goal a little and give him a couple extra days off. The R&R should put him right—if it doesn’t, it’s time to call your vet for a check-up.
There are a number of techniques you can and should employ during your training sessions to prevent overexerting your horse; these include frequent monitoring of pulse and respiration (P&R), capillary refill time (CRT) and hydration status. Further, the time required for your horse’s pulse and other indicators to return to normal following exertion provides a good fitness index. For a thorough discussion of these topics, we refer you to “Red Alert!” in Vol. II, No. 2 of the CWCR.
Packing Light
So you and your horse have arrived at the assembly area in top shape for the forthcoming ride—and when you hear the sniveling and moans and groans at the tail end of the trek, you’ll be glad you were prepared! The next critical subject to consider is how to pack your gear to make your horse’s job as easy as possible.
As you are surely aware, early-war volunteers were notorious for carrying so much gear that they resembled trussed turkeys, and the fault was not entirely their own. Some period manuals and handbooks actually advised them to do so! Consider this excerpt from The Army Officer’s Pocket Companion, published in early 1862 by Lt. William P. Craighill, a West Point Instructor:
“Privates should carry only what is strictly necessary. They should not load themselves with useless objects. Many a horse and many a man have been left behind, for the mere overload of a pound. A pair of pants, a coat, a great-coat, two pairs of shoes, two collars, three shirts, two pairs of drawers, three pocket handkerchiefs, two flannel waistcoats, two caps, one for extra duty and one for usual wear, are sufficient for every on, officer or private, on horseback or on foot”.
Though he makes no mention of such incidentals as a canteen, grooming tools or ammunition, Craighill does go on to suggest that in addition to his normal tack, the trooper should always carry “four spare shoes, with as many nails as are necessary to fix them and half as many more.”
One campaign season was all it normally took to show the tyro the folly of such sage advice. Cavalry reenactors have few opportunities to spend long stretches in the saddle and therefore replicate the early-war volunteer all too authentically by accumulating mountains of useless impedimenta.
Lean and Mean?
Some folks think they’ve got to find a way to pack every last bit on their poor horse; but before loading your pard down with all your “necessities” consider this:
Many period sources use a figure of 225 pounds as the average total weight to be toted by a troop horse; this breaks down to about 150 pounds for the fully-armed trooper and 75 pounds for his pack (saddle and tack, forage, ammunition…the works!).
Sound like a pretty hefty load for your horse to be lugging around? It is. And chances are that all those useless little geegaws you normally haul out to your campsite in the back of your pickup weigh more than 225 pounds all by their lonesome.
For a real eye-opener, lay all of your gear out on the living room floor and weigh each item on a bathroom scale (small stuff can be lumped together to register on the scale). Now enter the figures on a worksheet. Don’t forget to include your rations, a full canteen, your bridle and halter, two spare horseshoes/nails, and a 12-15 pound allotment of grain. Now add your own weight, uniformed and accoutered (be honest!). What is your bottom line? Surprised?
The typical cavalry reenactor probably outweighs his historical counterpart by at least a few pounds, and this means we’ve got to dispose of even more baggage than he did if we’re going to approach that magical 225 pound figure.
Packing Light
But what goes and what stays? Some deletions should be pretty obvious; multiple revolvers (and spare cylinders for same), pommel holsters, belt knives, coffee pots, extra bedroll blankets, tent pegs, extravagant amounts of food, ad infinitim, ad nauseum.
A few other items aren’t quite as apparent, but they’ve got to go all the same. For example, the crupper—though issued to federal troopers with the M1859 equipment—was a useless encumbrance that was frequently lost by the rank and file. A breast strap (or breast plate, or martingale, as you prefer) on the other hand, might have occasionally come in handy, but this was not an item of issue during the Civil War. Rather, it represents a private purchase item, and would therefore have been fairly rare sight on a private’s horse. Also keep in mind that great-coats were generally kept in storage except in the cold weather months (When troops were typically in garrison or cantonment). In fact, on active campaign, the trooper rarely carried more than a spare shirt, stocking and charge of drawers.
After you’ve purged your kit of unnecessary garbage, re-weigh the stuff that made the cut. If you’ve actually pared enough weight off to bring the total down to 225 pounds, congratulations! You’re on your way to becoming a veteran trooper.
If however, you’re still a little on the hefty side, here are a few hints that will help you shave a few more pounds:
• Trade in your eating utensils for a pocket knife—it’s the only tool you really need (salt pork’ll stick to it as well as a fork). Measure your coffee in the palm of your hand and stir it with a twig. Cook your grub and eat it off the same item—a tin plate, canteen half, small frying pan or whatever.
• Keep your ration simple and Spartan. It’s only for a few days for crying out loud…you can take it! Rely on foods that are lightweight and good sources of energy, such as desiccated fruits and meats (both are highly authentic). You can swap with yer pards or do some foraging to add a little variety to your diet.
• Some items are necessary, but don’t need to be carried by each individual trooper—this list would include things like a small hatchet, weapons cleaning implements and so forth. One per squad is plenty, so why not prevent redundancy and distribute the load evenly?
Packing Right
Once you’ve streamlined your gear, you’ve got to use some common sense in packing it to prevent problems. To quote Lt. John J. Boniface’s turn of the century classic, “The Cavalry Horse and His Pack”:
Nothing is more destructive of the cavalry horse than ignorant, careless, or hasty saddling.
You should place your horse grooming items and spare ammunition in your saddlebags (Being careful to balance the load between the bags). Your personal items should be rolled up securely in your bedroll. You might consider using your bedroll as a second saddle blanket—the additional padding can often compensate for the fact that your saddle wasn’t custom fitted to your horse. In this case, roll your personal stuff up in your poncho.
As you pack your saddle, try to keep everything as low and close to the horse as possible. For example by rolling your bedroll a little wider, the cylinder will be smaller in diameter (don’t overdo it or the ends will flap up and down). Be sure nothing is dangling from the saddle, and that everything is securely fastened. If you’re carrying a greatcoat, draw the center coat strap up tight enough to keep the roll off your horse’s withers. And police up the loose ends of those coat straps—either roll them into a tight scroll around the frame buckle or tuck the billet end under the tightened portion of the strap…..
Before You Head Out
Having arrived at the rendezvous point for your ride, you can begin preparing your mount for the trek as soon as you’ve got him off the trailer. Sure, you’re getting pretty psyched by now (and so’s your horse) but it’s important to keep his stress level as low as possible prior to departure, so take it slow. Leisurely lead him around the area and let him get to know some of the other animals and generally scope out all the unusual sights and smells to reassure him that everything is ok. Water him, and then give him a light feed of his normal ration to keep him pacified while you unload your gear.
Incidentally, in most cases, the hosts of such events will provide prepositioned hay at your camp sites, but if your horse is finicky at all about his fodder, we suggest that you bring enough of his own ration to cover him for the ride and give it to the appropriate party to be deposited at the bivouac areas (be sure it’s clearly tagged for easy identification).
Give your buddy a thorough grooming paying particular attention to his legs and feet. If your horse has a tendency to be pretty charged up at times like this, you might also consider longeing him a bit—just enough to take the edge off.
Take your time in tackling up, carefully observing the points we touched on (previously). Hopefully, you’ve had the foresight to clean your gear and inspect it for potential trouble spots before you left home, so you should be “good to go”. Capt. Frederick Whittaker of the 6th New York Volunteer Cavalry offers the following general remarks regarding cavalry marches:
Campaigns are made up of marches and battles. Cavalry takes part in both, and excels in marches. Good cavalry can execute stupendous feats in marching if its horses are in good condition, but horses fall away from fatigue and privation much faster than men. Weight and time tell on horses. With a light weight, and at a brisk pace, they will execute far greater distances than if heavily loaded and travelling slowly. Every moment a load remains on their backs, standing or moving, is a penance to them. The removal of weight rests them very quickly. Good food, plenty of it, dry quarters, and room to lie down, will carry the horses of a regiment triumphantly though the hardest marches, if they are not loaded too heavily.
Keeping these landmarks in sight, the principles of managing cavalry on the march are not difficult to acquire.
The Column
The first important principle to consider is the nature of the marching column itself. Any gathering of more than, say, a dozen riders should be broken down into two or more groups—the size of these sub-elements being tempered by the nature of the road surfaces and terrain you’ll encounter en route. Dirt roads—even gravel—can produce a generous dose of choking dust. Naturally, the increased gaits also contribute to this problem. These factors should be taken into consideration in determining the distance to be maintained between the sub-elements of the column. If the enemy should be encountered along the route of march, it only takes a few seconds to close the column for combat deployment.
Keeping the appropriate distance between the sub-elements of the column is of course a bit more difficult in broken terrain, and allowances must be made for such conditions. For example, after the head of the column passes over an eminence or through some rough country, the pace should be slackened long enough to allow the remainder to close to the established distance; otherwise, the rearmost elements may be forced to resort to increasing the gait to close up. This is not only hard on the horses; it’s an aggravation to their riders, too.
Paces & Gates
The subject of gaits warrants additional attention: It is the responsibility of the officers and NCO’s to keep an eye on the column as it marches at various gaits to help maintain a pace which is neither so fast that the troopers in the rear must accelerate to the next hire gait to close up, nor so slow that the tail-end elements are constantly stopping and starting, accordion fashion. Again, this problem will be partially alleviated through the subdivision of the column, as the distance between each body of riders’ acts as a buffer which allows corrections to be made by extending or diminishing the particular gait without having to perform consistent upward and downward transitions.
The commander should designate an NCO to ride at the head of the column and act as the pace setter. The commander may then set a particular pace and knowing it will be maintained by the pace setter, he may then direct his attention to other parts of the column. Of course, this implies that the commander of the column knows how to set a particular pace in the first place. It is incumbent upon every officer to time his own horse over a set distance at different paces and gaits on a regular basis and develop the ability to readily identify a four mile per hour walk, seven mph trot, and so on. This facility enables him to calculate how many periods at various gaits (and of what duration) he must employ to cover a prescribed distance in a given amount of time. And just what is the best gait to employ in a long road march? This has long been the subject of heated debate among professional cavalry horses’ energy for the real work ahead…while having the added advantage of allowing the supply trains to keep up with the column. Others say this is flawed logic; they insist that a comfortable trot will actually preserve the horses’ condition better by reducing the time they’re under saddle to cover a given number of miles…The advocates of the trot as the best all-around principal gait further suggest that a slower rate of march encourages troopers to get lazy and slouch in their saddles (and poor posture is guaranteed to result in sore-backed mounts), often forces them to establish their bivouacs in the dark, and undermines the spirit of dash so essential to successful cavalry operations.
Actually, neither of these schools of thought considers two key points which contribute greatly to preserving the condition of the horses: Much more important than which gait is to be labeled the “primary” gait, it is critical that the gait be changed at regular intervals; too, that the men be required to dismount and lead their horses for some portion of each segment of the day’s march.
Stop n’ Go
A survey of contemporary cavalry literature supplies us with the following general summary of the conduct of the march:
At the outset, the column should be halted briefly a mile or so down the road to allow the men to check and adjust their equipment and tighten their girths and surcingles. This procedure should be scrupulously supervised by the officers and NCO’s. Writing after the turn of the century, Lt. John J. Boniface further suggests that during this initial halt the men should be required to attend to calls of nature. Troopers are proverbially careless in this matter, and if this rule is not strictly adhered to, men will continually request permission to fall out to relieve themselves.
Following this initial pit stop, the column should continue for an hour at a casual walk. A second halt (15-20 min) should be called at the end of the hour (and hourly thereafter). During these brief stops, girth should be slightly loosened and bridles removed. Troopers should be required to stay with their mounts.
After the initial warm-up hour of riding, the gait should be increased to the trot, and then changed several times during the course of this and each succeeding hour. For the remainder of the day, when the walk is utilized it should be increased to a more brisk five mph. During the course of the march, it’s important that all riders make a conscious effort to maintain a good seat. As fatigue sets in, the natural tendency is to round the back/shoulders and slouch in the saddle throwing the weight against the cantle. This will not only wear down the rider more quickly, it will also be telling on his horse. American military saddles of the period have rather short bars, and such poor posture shifts the weight to a point where it presses the rear edges of the saddle’s bars into the horse’s sensitive lumbar musculature. This uneven distribution of weight will lead to hot spots, galls and ultimately open saddle sores.
In addition to policing yourself on this point, keep an eye on your pards and let them know if they begin to slouch—you’ll be doing them a favor!
During the Halts
The hourly halts provide both horses and men time to rest and stretch. Afterward, each trooper should exercise care in re-saddling, taking full advantage of this opportunity to make any necessary adjustments to his gear. The men should also check his mount’s hooves for stones and to be sure the shoes are firmly set.
When the period specified for the halt has elapsed, the column should be reassembled and put underway without dawdling. Under no circumstances should the column delay its departure to accommodate a trooper who is not prepared to resume the march at the appointed time for whatever reason. Such stragglers should be placed under the supervision of an NCO, whose duty it is to rejoin the column with his charges as soon as possible.
In addition to checking his tack, each rider should perform a number of tests to determine the condition of his mount during every halt. This entails noting such factors as P&R (Pulse and respirations), heart rate, capillary refill time, and hydration status. For a complete tutorial on these important tests, see “Red Alert!,” CWCR II-2. This article also provides guidelines on how to interpret the results of these tests. This data will help you determine when it’s necessary to pull your horse from the ride. Either temporarily or permanently. Too, it never hurts to have a vet along the ride to render on-the-spot professional opinion and administer treatment if necessary.
Another routine practice which should be performed at every halt is changing the order of march; the troopers who’ve been riding drag should be rotated to the head of the column. This change of scenery will help keep both men and horses fresh and alert.
A longer halt (1 to 1.5 hrs) should be made around midday. During this nuncheon break, the horses should be unsaddled and unbridled, and each and every horse’s back should be inspected by an officer or NCO for any signs of soreness or galling. Following this inspection period, the saddle blanket should be unfolded and draped (wet side up) over the horse’s back, being secured in place by the surcingle. This serves the dual purpose of preventing the horse from taking a chill and airing out the blanket. After the noon meal, the horses should be thoroughly curried prior to re-saddling.
If you’re traveling through hostile country, it’s a good idea to break this halt into two shifts, thus keeping half of the men saddled and ready for action at all times.
As we've already indicated, the gait should be changed occasionally throughout the day with the final two miles being covered at the walk. Following this basic schedule, a column starting at 8:00 am can easily cover 35 miles by mid-afternoon and arrive at the bivouac site with neither horses nor men having been overly taxed. This schedule allows ample time to curry your mount and establish a cozy camp well before you've lost the daylight.
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In preparation for our own 150 mile cross country campaign event (Collins' Last Ride), I came across this older article from 1990. I found that it refreshed many principals that I have actually forgot. I agree with alot of what he says and question a few other items.
I am curious to see what your guys' take is on this article?
One point that keeps coming up that is so true in many of our "standard" events is that they are more forgiving and there isn't enough time or distance covered to reveal mistakes we make in our set-up/gear/uniform. When we only ride a couple miles (even 5-10) we get away with heavier equipage than would be realistic. I have found in my own training that mile 15 on the second day (previous day of 30 miles) is where our "bad habits" get exposed.
I am also curious if this is true of others. I look forward to your thoughts.
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