Tips and Tricks.....

[GAR]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Always approach a horse from the front or side and verbally greet him as you approach. When passing on foot behind any horse, I always slide my hand across his rump so he knows I'm there. It also keeps me too close for the horse to be able to kick with any power. When on foot, be gentle and soothing. When in the saddle, be firm and commanding. During trail rides, whenever you get a chance to spook your horse, you should. Slap a street sign, wave your hat in his face, tug an ear, pour a little water on him, anything you can think of to startle him. Because the surprise is only to the horse, you should be able to control his reactions and this will greatly desensitize him to the unexpected that can happen on the battlefield.
After a Veterans Day parade I ride in, we do a small CW skirmish in a nearby park. That gets followed by a WWII battle with tanks, machine guns, howitzers, etc. that we watch, still mounted, from the sidelines. With all the noise and flames happening only about 30 yards away, the horses in my group will actually start to nod off and nap. As a former stuntman and current Harley rider, I learned that you need to do everything you can to expect the unexpected and not be caught by surprise.

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Do you really want to know what the common folks in 1860 knew and understood about their horses??........almost everything of the period? ...........

including....Horse breeds, how they bought horses, stabled them, groomed them, common horse ailments and veterinary practices, breaking horses, riding horses, driving horses, how to breed horses and mules, saddlery, harness, carriages, racing, etc. etc........??

Go to Amazon.....order (or get your wife to for Christmas)....the book.....

HORSES, MULES AND PONIES AND HOW TO KEEP THEM, PRATICAL HINTS FOR HORSE KEEPERS By Henry William Herbert.

PUBLISHED IN 1859!!!!!!!!!!!

Its only $1.50!!!! plus shipping!! ......Really!! $1.50!! Order one, read it over christmas and vastly improve your knowledge of period horsemanship.

Ken R Knopp

https://www.confederatesaddles.com

[Mark Choate]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Well Ken,

I was dubious and suspicious of your motives (especially after your convincing role as the "shady citizen" played at South Union) and figgered that the info above would secretly link me to your website instead, but to my pleasant surprise......the book, the price, and everything else was just as you said! So, I ordered a copy for myself. Very nice surprise and start to the Thanksgiving weekend!!

I shall never doubt your motives again................well, at least for a while!

Thanks for the wonderful tip!!!

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there in "Cav-Land"!!

regards,
Mark

[GAR]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

The biggest mistake most reenactors make is not spending near enough off time in the saddle. Our ancestors rode every single day while many of us will not ride again until the first event of the next season. It's not reasonable to expect you or your horse to be able to pick up where you left off months, weeks or even days before. Your horse needs to be worked often to be in shape and to break the barn or herd sour mentality that naturally develops when left on their own too long. At every event I have attended, there is always someone getting frustrated, cursing and kicking his horse, trying to force it up into line only to fall out, make a loop and try again. This looks bad and isn't fair to the rest of the unit who attended the muster and took part in the five letter word that every soldier in every branch hated to hear but learned the necessity of: "Drill"
A quote from a Union soldier's letter home says it all: “The first thing in the morning is drill, then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill. Between drills, we drill and sometimes stop to eat a little and have roll call.”
Imagine how well they must have all moved together with a minimum of four or five hours of daily drill, often for months before their first deployment. How can we expect to portray them with any authenticity when most of us don't even ride between events? How safe is that? I know "real life" interferes with being able to ride often enough and it's impossible to do with a rented or borrowed horse so what can we do? We can work that horse for at least an hour in the morning at an event and then drill as a unit well before the battle starts. A proper warm up will help greatly in getting you and your horse on the same page, it will usually reveal any equipment or attitude problems, and will help keep you from being the guy that makes everyone else look bad.

[Third Mainer]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

On it!! Thanks for the heads up! I'll be ordering that book now....
Mike Pearson

[Philip cav]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Always carry an extra pair of socks with you. Nothing kills an event faster than cold wet feet. I forgot an extra pair at home while at a local event I will never forget them again.


Pvt. Philip Brening

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

I came up with a great way to store your mac or ranger saddles to get them out of the way, and out of reach of mice. I took two loops of bale twine and threaded it thru itself from the rafter of the tack room, and took a wooden coat hanger and put it up from the bottom of the saddle and hooked it in to the twine. I then hung the surcingle and cinch from the wood dowel on the hanger that would be used to hang pants on. plm

[Philip cav]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Great idea Paul. Another thing is, always carry a few feet of rope on campaign. I have not needed to use yet, but I still bring it with me in my blanket roll just in case I need to.

Pvt. Philip Brening

[Mark Choate]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Oh you will need it, Philip..........you will need it.

Mark

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Oh you will need it, Philip..........you will need it.

Can the Lieutenant get an amen? Seriously though, keep it! The one time I didn't bring mine is the timed I wished I had.

[Philip cav]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

That is why I keep carrying it. I have not had to use yet. But I am just waiting for the day to use the rope.
Very important piece of gear.

Pvt. Philip Brening

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

If you've not used rope or twine to:
1) rig a shebang in the rain
2) clothesline after the rain
3) hang your saddle in a tree overnight to keep it out of the rain and said water pool on the ground
4) chop off a small piece to tie your poncho closed to keep the wind from blowing it over your head and the rain (totally) soaking you (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
5) as an emergency lead rope when the leather one rips in two pieces
6) hang a boiler over a fire for coffee
7) or for some other misc. emergency tack repair...
You have not been on campaign long enough! Lol!!!

[Mark Choate]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Very well said, Zack.

And believe me, for every one of those truths that Zack posted, there are another dozen unsaid.

regards,
Mark

[Forrestcavalryman]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

I guess I've been doing this long enough then.I've experienced 1,5,6, and 7!

[Philip cav]

Re: Tips and Tricks.....

Yes that is good tips for the many uses of rope. I knew about using it for a shebang. And I have heard and read about using string to close your gum blanket for use as a poncho (Columbia Rifles Research Companion). I have used leather string instead of rope have more of that around . Thanks for the tips , and I will be using them on campaign.

Philip Brening