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How Did the US Cavalry ACTUALLY Feed Their Horses While on Campaign? And What the Quarterly Ordnance Returns Can Tell Us.
By: Steve Dacus
11th OVC
Baled hay and grain were definitely available to the cavalry horses while in camp or at an established fort or outpost. However, keeping horses full with enough calories and nutrition each day on campaign proved to be very difficult if not impossible, commonly running horses into the ground. This is something that even extended events experience when riding 30-40 miles in one day. This article was inspired by the desire to challenge our community to try and removed the in-authentic modern hay bales to feed the horses and work at feeding our horses as they might have done in the field. Please note that a garrison event is a completely different conversation.
As suggested above, giving a horse enough calories after each day of hard riding is difficult, if not impossible,which results in a finite amount of time that the original cast or even our own reenacting units can push our column before having to stop for some period of time. From personal experience weather on week long campaigns or hunting expeditions, each day of saddling my horse results in a few inches gained in the girth. Which means that my mount is losing multiple pounds per day.
In order to answer the question, I personally like to start with what the manuals said and the intent of what the troopers were supposed to do; then go to period accounts to see what was actually done in the field. Our answer is found with the two pieces of standard issue equipment that the military issued, to allow horses to graze while in the field. These two pieces of equipment were the Lariat and the picket pin. The use of both of these together allowed each horse to naturally graze in a 30’ circle held in place by the pin in the center. This method of allowing horses to graze while still preventing them from running off has been around for centuries before and is actually still used frequently today.
This method can also be considered better than hobbles as it makes the horse stay in one area while hobbles restrain the movement of the horse but still allow the horse to travel great distances if not kept in check. However, one of the major drawbacks to picketing a horse is that an untrained horse can easily get tied up and cause rope burns which takes that horse out for hard military service.
So what did the standard issue Cavalry Lariat actually look like and was it actually used as intended? It was made from the Best hemp available, and was cut at 30 ft. long. It was NOT initially intended for high-lines which we see at every reenactment today. The 1862 Ordnance manual specifically states that the standard compliment of equipment for a cavalry trooper included the following:
• 1 Bridle
• 1 Watering Bridle
• 1 Halter
• 1 Saddle
• 1 pair of saddle bags
• 1 Saddle blanket
• 1 Surcingle
• 1 Pair of Spurs
• 1 Curry comb
• 1 Horse Brush
• 1 Picket pin
• 1 Lariat
• And when specially required 1 link and 1 nose bag.
As many of you already know, the watering bridle rarely showed up in any numbers in the quarterly returns of the cavalry regiments through the war. However, one thing was for sure. The Lariat was considered a standard piece of gear that most units retained through the war. It’s 1862 construction specified a length of 30 ft, a circumference of 1.25” and must consist of 4 strands (NOT 3). It must also have an eye spliced in one end, the other end whipped with small twine. The Weight should be as close to 2.38 lbs as possible.
The initial design also specified that the spliced end of the lariat should be done through the ring of the picket pin, thus making it a semi-permanent marriage between the two. However in looking at the ordnance returns and using common experience with this equipment, I can safely say that this was NOT the case in the field. The reason I bring up the design requirements is that it proves that the primary intent of the lariat or “picket line” was to allow the horse to graze without running off.
Area Requirements:
While many of you horse guys may be familiar with picketing and do it often, there is one huge problem when this concept is scaled up to the numbers of horses used in the war. A horse on a 30’ picket line creates a 60’ diameter circle. That means only 6 horses can fit across the length of a 360ft long football field. Combine that with only fitting 2.5 horses across the 160’ width of a foot ball field, that means an entire standard football field can only hold about 16 horses. Or another way to look at it is that an acre of land can only support 16 horses on their full picket rope. As you can see, when you scale this up to a full regiment of 500 mounted troopers, you would need 31 acres of land to properly picket all the horses. The space needed to graze the estimated 3,000 (or so) horses of Bufords cavalry at Gettysburg would have taken up an area almost the field of picket’s charge. The fact that Buford was just a small fraction of the whole army exposes the truth that the troopers could not have commonly used the lariat and picket pin as intended. Thus we get into the argument of those of us who follow the rules, vs those of us who would simply do what was most practical. The soldiers then were no different. Some used this equipment as intended, some did not.
The book “History of the Ninth New York Cavalry, by Newell Cheney” gives a better picture of what the “standard” way to feed horses might have been:
“No sooner had the picket ropes been stretched and the horses been unsaddled and hitched, when the men hurried to an adjacent field of wheat, ready cut and bound, and brought enough to feed the horses liberally, then started after pigs, chickens, etc, which made a very satisfactory addition to their rations of hardtack.”
This quote specifically describes the common way that that regiment fed their horses when not on the march. They would “Stretch the ropes” – which indicates tying them up as high-lines, and then manually cut enough hay for their own mount to be described as “Liberal portions”. Other similar accounts of this being the case can be found throughout other first-hand sources of federal cavalry.
On the other hand, I have yet to come across a single first-hand account describing the “proper” use of the picket pin and lariat. Using this knowledge, I assumed that the numbers of picket pins would have been drastically smaller than the number of lariats accounted for in the quarterly ordnance returns. So, I poured over every single cavalry ordnance return through the entire war and found some interesting data. The numbers of picket pins were almost identical to the numbers of lariats reported in each company up until the first Quarter of 1864. I must note that I am averaging out each regiment through the entire war, but the fact remains that the numbers of picket pins still in the field through more than the first half of the war possibly indicates they kept them because they used them.
However, something interesting occurred in the records starting in the first quarter of 1864. The numbers of picket pins drops dramatically while the numbers of lariats remained at the same rate. Another common trend was that the vast majority of regiments were “in the field” from this point on in the war. Another thing to note on reporting locations is that the cavalry regiments who were not in the field rarely had pins or lariats issued while regiments in the field had almost enough lariats for the number of men that were “fit for duty” in that specific regiment. Therefore, the federal cavalry must have used the pin and lariat in the first half of the war in a more traditional sense in how it was meant to be used. However, the pin seems to be disposed of for many troopers in the last campaigns of the war.
Attrition:
After becoming a living historian and using 100% quality 4 strand Hemp rope (as per the Ordnance Department specifications), I noticed a peculiar trend in these ropes. It only takes a few uses to get wet, rotten, and deteriorated to a point that causes it to break with the slightest tug by the horse. We personally experienced this on our last campaign where we were using rope that had been through 5-6 previous muddy events. Our horses kept popping the rope and breaking it throughout the night causing loose horses and a busy shift for the night watches.
We quickly realized that the lariats were really only good for about a month of actual use. After which it would break easily. The quicker they break, the harder it would be for the QM to keep up with reissuing new ones. My Hypothesis was that the numbers of Lariats would progressively decrease as the war went on. As you can see in the data below, a clear trend appeared once we plugged every single company of cavalry that turned in their quarterly numbers.
So, the answer to our original question of how the cavalry kept their horses fed on campaign without running off is ultimately a bit more complex than one single answer. Did they use their issued lariat and picket pin in the way it was designed to allow horses to graze in a 60’ diameter circle? Yes, but I have not yet ran across a single written account that describes anything like this. The only proof I can use to support this is that the numbers of lariats and pins remain equal up until Q1 of 1864. You would also be right if you supported the idea that soldiers disposed of their picket pins, high-lined their horses and cut enough grass for his mount and placed it at the feet of his tied up horse. This is supported not only by multiple descriptions, diaries, and regimental histories, it can also be supported, at least in part, through the later campaigns of the war where the number of picket pins seen to disappear in 1864 while lariats remained a standard part of the troopers equipment.
This short article is not a formal write up and simply my thoughts halfway through my research on the larger subject of "How common was (equipment)". I would like to hear all of your thoughts on this subject. I personally would like to see our branch of the service encourage event organizers to not ship in hay, but allow the horses to graze in a nearby field. While this is not possible at all reenactments, it is the initial spark of intent that matters at this point.
Thoughts?
By: Steve Dacus
11th OVC
Baled hay and grain were definitely available to the cavalry horses while in camp or at an established fort or outpost. However, keeping horses full with enough calories and nutrition each day on campaign proved to be very difficult if not impossible, commonly running horses into the ground. This is something that even extended events experience when riding 30-40 miles in one day. This article was inspired by the desire to challenge our community to try and removed the in-authentic modern hay bales to feed the horses and work at feeding our horses as they might have done in the field. Please note that a garrison event is a completely different conversation.
As suggested above, giving a horse enough calories after each day of hard riding is difficult, if not impossible,which results in a finite amount of time that the original cast or even our own reenacting units can push our column before having to stop for some period of time. From personal experience weather on week long campaigns or hunting expeditions, each day of saddling my horse results in a few inches gained in the girth. Which means that my mount is losing multiple pounds per day.
In order to answer the question, I personally like to start with what the manuals said and the intent of what the troopers were supposed to do; then go to period accounts to see what was actually done in the field. Our answer is found with the two pieces of standard issue equipment that the military issued, to allow horses to graze while in the field. These two pieces of equipment were the Lariat and the picket pin. The use of both of these together allowed each horse to naturally graze in a 30’ circle held in place by the pin in the center. This method of allowing horses to graze while still preventing them from running off has been around for centuries before and is actually still used frequently today.
This method can also be considered better than hobbles as it makes the horse stay in one area while hobbles restrain the movement of the horse but still allow the horse to travel great distances if not kept in check. However, one of the major drawbacks to picketing a horse is that an untrained horse can easily get tied up and cause rope burns which takes that horse out for hard military service.
So what did the standard issue Cavalry Lariat actually look like and was it actually used as intended? It was made from the Best hemp available, and was cut at 30 ft. long. It was NOT initially intended for high-lines which we see at every reenactment today. The 1862 Ordnance manual specifically states that the standard compliment of equipment for a cavalry trooper included the following:
• 1 Bridle
• 1 Watering Bridle
• 1 Halter
• 1 Saddle
• 1 pair of saddle bags
• 1 Saddle blanket
• 1 Surcingle
• 1 Pair of Spurs
• 1 Curry comb
• 1 Horse Brush
• 1 Picket pin
• 1 Lariat
• And when specially required 1 link and 1 nose bag.
As many of you already know, the watering bridle rarely showed up in any numbers in the quarterly returns of the cavalry regiments through the war. However, one thing was for sure. The Lariat was considered a standard piece of gear that most units retained through the war. It’s 1862 construction specified a length of 30 ft, a circumference of 1.25” and must consist of 4 strands (NOT 3). It must also have an eye spliced in one end, the other end whipped with small twine. The Weight should be as close to 2.38 lbs as possible.
The initial design also specified that the spliced end of the lariat should be done through the ring of the picket pin, thus making it a semi-permanent marriage between the two. However in looking at the ordnance returns and using common experience with this equipment, I can safely say that this was NOT the case in the field. The reason I bring up the design requirements is that it proves that the primary intent of the lariat or “picket line” was to allow the horse to graze without running off.
Area Requirements:
While many of you horse guys may be familiar with picketing and do it often, there is one huge problem when this concept is scaled up to the numbers of horses used in the war. A horse on a 30’ picket line creates a 60’ diameter circle. That means only 6 horses can fit across the length of a 360ft long football field. Combine that with only fitting 2.5 horses across the 160’ width of a foot ball field, that means an entire standard football field can only hold about 16 horses. Or another way to look at it is that an acre of land can only support 16 horses on their full picket rope. As you can see, when you scale this up to a full regiment of 500 mounted troopers, you would need 31 acres of land to properly picket all the horses. The space needed to graze the estimated 3,000 (or so) horses of Bufords cavalry at Gettysburg would have taken up an area almost the field of picket’s charge. The fact that Buford was just a small fraction of the whole army exposes the truth that the troopers could not have commonly used the lariat and picket pin as intended. Thus we get into the argument of those of us who follow the rules, vs those of us who would simply do what was most practical. The soldiers then were no different. Some used this equipment as intended, some did not.
The book “History of the Ninth New York Cavalry, by Newell Cheney” gives a better picture of what the “standard” way to feed horses might have been:
“No sooner had the picket ropes been stretched and the horses been unsaddled and hitched, when the men hurried to an adjacent field of wheat, ready cut and bound, and brought enough to feed the horses liberally, then started after pigs, chickens, etc, which made a very satisfactory addition to their rations of hardtack.”
This quote specifically describes the common way that that regiment fed their horses when not on the march. They would “Stretch the ropes” – which indicates tying them up as high-lines, and then manually cut enough hay for their own mount to be described as “Liberal portions”. Other similar accounts of this being the case can be found throughout other first-hand sources of federal cavalry.
On the other hand, I have yet to come across a single first-hand account describing the “proper” use of the picket pin and lariat. Using this knowledge, I assumed that the numbers of picket pins would have been drastically smaller than the number of lariats accounted for in the quarterly ordnance returns. So, I poured over every single cavalry ordnance return through the entire war and found some interesting data. The numbers of picket pins were almost identical to the numbers of lariats reported in each company up until the first Quarter of 1864. I must note that I am averaging out each regiment through the entire war, but the fact remains that the numbers of picket pins still in the field through more than the first half of the war possibly indicates they kept them because they used them.
However, something interesting occurred in the records starting in the first quarter of 1864. The numbers of picket pins drops dramatically while the numbers of lariats remained at the same rate. Another common trend was that the vast majority of regiments were “in the field” from this point on in the war. Another thing to note on reporting locations is that the cavalry regiments who were not in the field rarely had pins or lariats issued while regiments in the field had almost enough lariats for the number of men that were “fit for duty” in that specific regiment. Therefore, the federal cavalry must have used the pin and lariat in the first half of the war in a more traditional sense in how it was meant to be used. However, the pin seems to be disposed of for many troopers in the last campaigns of the war.
Attrition:
After becoming a living historian and using 100% quality 4 strand Hemp rope (as per the Ordnance Department specifications), I noticed a peculiar trend in these ropes. It only takes a few uses to get wet, rotten, and deteriorated to a point that causes it to break with the slightest tug by the horse. We personally experienced this on our last campaign where we were using rope that had been through 5-6 previous muddy events. Our horses kept popping the rope and breaking it throughout the night causing loose horses and a busy shift for the night watches.
We quickly realized that the lariats were really only good for about a month of actual use. After which it would break easily. The quicker they break, the harder it would be for the QM to keep up with reissuing new ones. My Hypothesis was that the numbers of Lariats would progressively decrease as the war went on. As you can see in the data below, a clear trend appeared once we plugged every single company of cavalry that turned in their quarterly numbers.
So, the answer to our original question of how the cavalry kept their horses fed on campaign without running off is ultimately a bit more complex than one single answer. Did they use their issued lariat and picket pin in the way it was designed to allow horses to graze in a 60’ diameter circle? Yes, but I have not yet ran across a single written account that describes anything like this. The only proof I can use to support this is that the numbers of lariats and pins remain equal up until Q1 of 1864. You would also be right if you supported the idea that soldiers disposed of their picket pins, high-lined their horses and cut enough grass for his mount and placed it at the feet of his tied up horse. This is supported not only by multiple descriptions, diaries, and regimental histories, it can also be supported, at least in part, through the later campaigns of the war where the number of picket pins seen to disappear in 1864 while lariats remained a standard part of the troopers equipment.
This short article is not a formal write up and simply my thoughts halfway through my research on the larger subject of "How common was (equipment)". I would like to hear all of your thoughts on this subject. I personally would like to see our branch of the service encourage event organizers to not ship in hay, but allow the horses to graze in a nearby field. While this is not possible at all reenactments, it is the initial spark of intent that matters at this point.
Thoughts?