Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Just use your saddle blanket as your own blanket. Outside a few of my pards I don't see many people doing that.

[Old-South]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

I have to disagree with Casey regarding horse manners. I believe the average cavalry mount was green broke at best. There was no "finishing school" for horses prior to their entry into the US or CS cavalry. For the horse it was learn as you go. The modern horse has usually had "X" amount of days training at a professional trainer and ground manner number one was not crowding or pushing on the rider while on the ground. I have also learned that an unmannered horse would be much more willing or ignorant to push or charge a foot soldier. Those with good ground manners are too polite to invade a person's space. I have seen that first hand training in law enforcement.
My 2 cents. I have no documented references to support this but horses are the same now as they were then mentally. But since this is the Camp of Instruction section, I feel I can make these statements based on personal experience.

And I agree with Robert Johnson about diuble duty for blankets. After a couple of days, horse funk smells better than you do and you actually look forward to it!!!

[Longrope]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Long before the world got motorized, it ran on horse-power. Millions of them. All of them were broke to do a job. Horses were green, but they didn't stay that way for long, not by being used every day. Besides, I can not see the average 19th century man allowing a horse to get away with the crap that I see going on today.

Jeff, "manners" are what I call being well-broke. And an ill-mannered horse is a menace to everyone around it. A horse that "walks all over you" is a horse that doesn't respect you. It's harder for you to control, and if you can't control it, well, you know the road that goes down.

I can not believe that cavalrymen let their horses remain green broke and ill mannered, on the off chance they might one day run over an infantryman. And even if they did, that's not a good excuse for "authentic" cavalry to not try and make their horses as good and well-broke as they are able.

If you're a horseman, take some pride in it!

[The Egyptian Homeguard]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

I've a gelding with great ground manners and if I told/asked him to run over someone while I was on him he would (I've seen him run over calves)... but I was never able to get him really gun broke... ill mannered horses are more likely to bully an infantryman, but a well mannered one will do it because the rider told it to...
Just my 2 cents... Z

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

During the summer of 1861, there was a government horse buying fair in Wheeling, detailed in the Intelligencer (I don't have the date at hand). The article about the fair specified chestnut or bay geldings between five and eight years old, of this size and that build, properly broken to saddle. Of course, the paper also mentioned that some mighty poor specimens of horseflesh had been herded over the bridge to Camp Carlisle, even if the inspectors didn't fall for most of them. The point is that, at least early in the war, there should have been few very young, green horses in camp. Later on, it would be more likely--although at this late date it WILL be hard to prove--that some were less than ideal because of the heavy losses and limited supply.

[David Fox]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Starr's three volume tome on the Union cavalry is replete with entries regarding untrained horses under ill trained cavalrymen, horses who spent their short military lives being mistreated and neglected. "Stoneman's Raid - 1865" documents that, although some few horse soldiers completed the thousand mile raid on their original mounts, many more swapped serially for as many as four civilian horses along the route. I have an enlistment document of a 19-year-old farmer enlisting in the 2nd North Carolina Mounted Infantry at Boone as Stoneman swept into the Tar Heel state. He, himself, underwent OJT from day one.

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Back to hats - stampede strings - I have yet to see a period photo of a hat or anyone wearing a hat with a stampede string. If you take time and effort to break your hat in and fit it to your head, there's no need for a stampede string.

[Longrope]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

To all of you that are submitting instances of bad horse behavior, and bad horse treatment. I am not arguing about the historical record. We are taking here about impressions. I think that you need to look at what this particular thread is named. It is about "Pet Peeves- what really bugs you about our impressions". Well, ill-mannered horses bother me. Ill-treated horses bother me. And "cavalrymen" who can't ride bother me.

Did all these things occur during the war? Absolutely they did.

Does that mean it should happen now? Absolutely not.

[Outrider]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Casey just beat me too it.

Surely every trooper or aspiring trooper/horseman on this forum is aware of *some* instances of untrained horses and riders in the ranks at times during the war but those fellas were actually fighting a war and had not much choice in the matter. We are not. I certainly hope noone is suggesting that untrained horses, untrained riders and/or horse neglect should have anyplace in reenacting! If that is the case we might as well be firing live rounds at each other in the name of authenticity because someone is going to die.
Back to the topic at hand...

Way too much emphasis on fighting at events where cavalry plays a part and not enough on the more usaul scouting, screening etc.

[wavey1us]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Forgot to a couple more to my original list.
1. Too much: Dance of the saber fairies - Need I say more?
2. The Confederate Pistol Carousel
3. Visible modern riding gear on your mount (i.e. western saddle pads, chromed bits, white cotton lead lines with snap hooks)
4. To many hat decorations (plumes, bones, you name it)
5. To many "wannabe" officers that do not have a clue about employment of cavalry forces
6. Not being able to care for onself in the field. (i.e. not carrying the right gear to survivie)
7. Not being able to properly care for your mount in the field (Patrick mentioned this earlier).

I am riding today and sure I can come up with a few more.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

More than a peeve is anybody mistreating any animal.

[Mike Ventura]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Let's get back to our personal impressions, and away from the horse issue - which is a whole different thread / issue.

Here's something else that bugs me -Walmart. etc. knock-off "Railroad" pocket watches. First of all, stem wind watches were not made until AFTER the ACW. See the thread in the Authenticity section on correct period watches. If you don't have a period correct watch, don't carry a bad, historically inaccurate knock-off. Not every trooper had a watch!

[ethan harrington]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

I hate to say it but I don't know what this will accomplish, My first thought was to let it rip if you want to really know the truth all but a handfull of cav out their today don't measure up as far as a horse soldier for one reason or another. I'm manily talking about Cornfed cav, they have a good impression but a crappy horse or can't ride, or have a good horse but don;t even come close to looking the part, I think we miss some of the nasty looking swagger that these men had, ie hair cuts they way you wear your uniforms , wear in certian spots on your gear/ uniforms etc.basically I don't know about you guys but I turn into a different person when I put this stuff on and mount up and I don't think alot of peaple do. Just my 2 cents and we all well most of us try to improve I'll leave it at that See ya'll at Donelson.............

Ethan Harrington

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Well two of my peeves are too many "hearts" on Feds, and too much Fed tack on Rebs.

[MissMia]

Re: Pet Peeves - what really bugs you about our impressions...

Nevermind...
heh.