Ride with the cavalry!

Rob2010 · 09-05-2008, 07:16 PM

What a long holiday weekend.

I ride with a re-activated civil war-era cavalry unit, and we were lucky enough to be able to take part in what is called "Gold Rush Days" in old town Sacramento. We spent Thursday evening to Monday late afternoon camped in a small grassy park, dressed in period cavalry attire (wool pants, wool coats, tall boots, etc), sleeping in period shelters (dog tents) in the often stifling heat- Friday the temperature was 100+ deg.

I have no room to complain, however, thinking about what our wonderful horses had to endure.......

We rode the horses on "patrol" 2-3 times a day for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Thankfully, the city puts down about 200 tons of dirt on the asphalt streets (for realism) which was easier on the hooves. We shared the streets with stagecoaches, carriages, freight wagons, an artillery unit, many other re-enactors and thousands of photographers. We also drilled during the patrols- practicing maneuvers over and over in a large grassy area until we were quite a cohesive unit. The horses were picketed in camp and had to be guarded throughout the night in shifts to keep them watered, untangled, and safe from the homeless people and the SKUNKS. I got a grand total of about 14 hours of sleep over the 4 nights. Our camp was located about 20 feet from the railroad tracks where they ran an old steam locomotive by, blowing its whistle, twice an hour, Saturday-Monday. During the daytime, multitudes of tourists and site seers came up asking to pet/have pictures taken with/ride the horses. You really need to remember that some people have never seen a real horse- and they ask some of the most ridiculous questions. Then there were the fireworks on Saturday night.....

I can't wait to do it again next year.

Here is a picture of us I found via a Google search. That's me on the right

rivervu2 · 09-05-2008, 07:35 PM

That is so cool! Another fun thing to do with your horse.

BarnBum · 09-05-2008, 07:37 PM

Wow- what fun !!

AngelPA · 09-05-2008, 07:38 PM

Elimanate the big buildings in the background and it actually looks like an old western town! Thanks for sharing!

arabiancowgirl · 09-05-2008, 07:53 PM

Your horse is adorable

I bet that was fun!

Rob2010 · 09-06-2008, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngelPA

Eliminate the big buildings in the background and it actually looks like an old western town! Thanks for sharing!

You mean, like this?

Someone came into camp and gave me this photo on Sunday. Thanks, stranger.

Here is the view from just outside our camp at night:

Here's another photo I gleaned off of my Google search. My pony waiting patiently on the picket line.

Here we are preparing for drill:

Luvridn · 09-06-2008, 04:28 AM

That is so neat! I know several people who do re-enactments and I always wanted to try it....just don't know how well my horses would handle cannon fire!

**gbarmranch** · 09-06-2008, 05:55 AM

Oh my - how cool...

They do them down here - the battle of Chickamunga.. We have missed it the last few years, but it is so neat - I bet you felt like you had gone back in time.. Love the photos..

scrapchick · 09-06-2008, 07:28 AM

Great pics! Your horse is beautiful. I did a Civil War ride once, but had to hide my hair in my wool hat and not speak all day for realism sake, no chicks, you know. The wool pants and McClelland saddle just about did me in after 18 miles, but it was really fun.

More pics!!!

**Diamond_Y** · 09-06-2008, 07:49 AM

Wonderful pictures! I love Sacramento, I wish something like that had been going on when my husband and I visited a few years ago.

paso_lover · 09-06-2008, 07:49 AM

What a sight to have seen let alone participating in it.

Rob2010 · 09-06-2008, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luvridn

That is so neat! I know several people who do re-enactments and I always wanted to try it....just don't know how well my horses would handle cannon fire!

They tell me the trick is to expose them to the cannon fire and gunfire slowly, and always with other horses that are used to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapchick

Great pics! Your horse is beautiful. I did a Civil War ride once, but had to hide my hair in my wool hat and not speak all day for realism sake, no chicks, you know. The wool pants and McClelland saddle just about did me in after 18 miles, but it was really fun.

More pics!!!

The artillery unit camped next to us was comprised of about 40% girls and women. Their hair was cut fairly short, but they were not trying to hide the fact that they were females

As for the McClelland saddle- I find it to be quite comfortable, especially on long rides. My 1903 (dressed to look 1859) is the only thing I ride anymore.

More pics:
Our officers (and non-coms) on the way to arrest two troopers they suspect are drinking on duty.

Thankfully, I saw them coming and ducked into the back of the establishment before they saw me. My friend was not so lucky. He was "thrown into irons", had a "drunkard" sign hung around his neck and paraded through town back to camp.

Camp

Our "tack room"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diamond_Y

Wonderful pictures! I love Sacramento, I wish something like that had been going on when my husband and I visited a few years ago.

They do it every Labor Day weekend. Plan your next trip then

Crookedblaze · 09-07-2008, 12:44 AM

WOW that is so cool! That looks like so much fun.

Is that in Downtonwn Sacramento? I recognized that Salt Water taffy store, I got candy there every time we went to Sacramento for field trips from the Bay Area.

Rob2010 · 09-09-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crookedblaze

WOW that is so cool! That looks like so much fun.

Is that in Downtonwn Sacramento? I recognized that Salt Water taffy store, I got candy there every time we went to Sacramento for field trips from the Bay Area.

Yes. Old (down)Town Sacramento. I love that taffy.

Logan-24- · 09-09-2008, 01:01 PM

Very cool! I've always wanted to do it on horseback. My dad n' I reenact on foot. Our last reenactment was at Gettysburg, our camp was about a half a mile from the battlefield. Not happy feet at the end of the day

Great pics though! I wish I could convince my dad to do it on horseback.

~ Kendra

David · 09-09-2008, 01:06 PM

Very cool stuff.

I wonder if you have any good advice on where to purchase a McClelland for a reasonable price. Also, how do the seat sizes convert? I know they say 11 1/2 or 12 or what ever. Don't want to take over your thread but I think others may be interested in the answers as well, that's why I didn't pm the questions.

Rob2010 · 09-09-2008, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Very cool stuff.

I wonder if you have any good advice on where to purchase a McClelland for a reasonable price. Also, how do the seat sizes convert? I know they say 11 1/2 or 12 or what ever. Don't want to take over your thread but I think others may be interested in the answers as well, that's why I didn't pm the questions.

No problem. I got my "Little Mac" from one of the other troopers in our company. He had to order a custom-built for his 17hh QH. His old one (mine now) is a 1903 original refitted to resemble a 1859 model. It is a size 11 and is (as they all were) designed for a narrow-backed horse. It does not fit me well (I would be happier with a 11 1/2 or 12) but it fits my "pony", and that's the important thing. Originals were made mostly in size 11 and 11 1/2- I guess 12's were pretty rare, but there are some still out there. I'm not sure exactly what size 11-12 equates to on a current saddle, but I do know that at a gallop my big fanny ends up on the back of my size 11. Just make sure if you are going to buy one that it fits your horse.

As for purchasing, watch Ebay and check with any cavalry re-enactor groups in your area to see if they have any floating around. There are also quite a few companies making repros, but they can be expensive. I paid $300.00 for my well used one. It needed some work, but the leather was in decent shape. Make sure to get a surcingle too.

**TDH** · 09-09-2008, 07:23 PM

That is absolutely fantastic!

Civil-war era stuff completely fascinates me, I can't wait til one day I can tour VA etc. to see where that history actually happened.

Thanks so much for sharing pictures, extremely cool and I can only imagine how much fun it had to be!

ahlihaff · 09-11-2008, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TDH

That is absolutely fantastic!

Civil-war era stuff completely fascinates me, I can't wait til one day I can tour VA etc. to see where that history actually happened.

ME TOO!! So awesome. Thanks for the photos.

David · 09-11-2008, 09:28 AM

I showed this thread to my wife last night with all the pictures and she said. "hey, that would be cool, maybe we could do that sometime." I bet she would only do one though, lol. She's not much for roughing it. Her idea of camping includes showers and cable tv.

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09-05-2008, 07:16 PM
Rob2010 Halter broke Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 183	Ride with the cavalry! What a long holiday weekend. I ride with a re-activated civil war-era cavalry unit, and we were lucky enough to be able to take part in what is called "Gold Rush Days" in old town Sacramento. We spent Thursday evening to Monday late afternoon camped in a small grassy park, dressed in period cavalry attire (wool pants, wool coats, tall boots, etc), sleeping in period shelters (dog tents) in the often stifling heat- Friday the temperature was 100+ deg. I have no room to complain, however, thinking about what our wonderful horses had to endure....... We rode the horses on "patrol" 2-3 times a day for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Thankfully, the city puts down about 200 tons of dirt on the asphalt streets (for realism) which was easier on the hooves. We shared the streets with stagecoaches, carriages, freight wagons, an artillery unit, many other re-enactors and thousands of photographers. We also drilled during the patrols- practicing maneuvers over and over in a large grassy area until we were quite a cohesive unit. The horses were picketed in camp and had to be guarded throughout the night in shifts to keep them watered, untangled, and safe from the homeless people and the SKUNKS. I got a grand total of about 14 hours of sleep over the 4 nights. Our camp was located about 20 feet from the railroad tracks where they ran an old steam locomotive by, blowing its whistle, twice an hour, Saturday-Monday. During the daytime, multitudes of tourists and site seers came up asking to pet/have pictures taken with/ride the horses. You really need to remember that some people have never seen a real horse- and they ask some of the most ridiculous questions. Then there were the fireworks on Saturday night..... I can't wait to do it again next year. Here is a picture of us I found via a Google search. That's me on the right __________________ Don't be the rider who gallops all night and never sees the horse that is beneath him ~ Jelaluddin Rumi Pictures? Yeah, I gots LOTS of pictures.... http://imageevent.com/kopycat/horses

09-05-2008, 07:35 PM
rivervu2 Long Yearling Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 1,003	That is so cool! Another fun thing to do with your horse.

09-05-2008, 07:37 PM
BarnBum Greenbroke Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 3,612	Wow- what fun !! __________________ Murphys Horse Law - A horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching !!

09-05-2008, 07:38 PM
AngelPA Weanling Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: PA Posts: 381	Elimanate the big buildings in the background and it actually looks like an old western town! Thanks for sharing!

09-05-2008, 07:53 PM
arabiancowgirl Long Yearling Join Date: May 2008 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 1,164	Your horse is adorable I bet that was fun! __________________ I thank God for my horses and german shepherds.

09-06-2008, 04:28 AM
Luvridn Long Yearling Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mobile, Alabama Posts: 1,072	That is so neat! I know several people who do re-enactments and I always wanted to try it....just don't know how well my horses would handle cannon fire! __________________ If your horse wants to bolt, there is probably a nut loose in the saddle! PP

09-06-2008, 05:55 AM
gbarmranch Administrator Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 29,240	Oh my - how cool... They do them down here - the battle of Chickamunga.. We have missed it the last few years, but it is so neat - I bet you felt like you had gone back in time.. Love the photos.. __________________ Quality Foundation Quarter Horses http://home.earthlink.net/~vpgann Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles. ~Author Unknown

09-06-2008, 07:28 AM
scrapchick Seasoned Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Festus, Missouri Posts: 4,838	Great pics! Your horse is beautiful. I did a Civil War ride once, but had to hide my hair in my wool hat and not speak all day for realism sake, no chicks, you know. The wool pants and McClelland saddle just about did me in after 18 miles, but it was really fun. More pics!!! __________________ Better living through chemistry.

09-06-2008, 07:49 AM
Diamond_Y Administrator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Texas Posts: 3,660	Wonderful pictures! I love Sacramento, I wish something like that had been going on when my husband and I visited a few years ago. __________________ Diamond Y Quarter Horses - Breeders of Quality Foundation Quarter Horses Home of King of Cooke County, 2004 Perlino son of Cooke County ETC

09-06-2008, 07:49 AM
paso_lover Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sudbury Ontario Canada Posts: 4,563	What a sight to have seen let alone participating in it. __________________ "I wish I was half the rider she thinks she is" \"Some people feel compelled to cut off the heads of others in order to make themselves appear taller\" ---Paramahansa Yoginanda

09-07-2008, 12:44 AM
Crookedblaze Started Join Date: May 2008 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 2,458	WOW that is so cool! That looks like so much fun. Is that in Downtonwn Sacramento? I recognized that Salt Water taffy store, I got candy there every time we went to Sacramento for field trips from the Bay Area. __________________ Owned by Rocketman, a 17 year old AQHA and Stormy, a 10 year old Peruvian Paso x Arab

09-09-2008, 01:01 PM
Logan-24- Weanling Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 470	Very cool! I've always wanted to do it on horseback. My dad n' I reenact on foot. Our last reenactment was at Gettysburg, our camp was about a half a mile from the battlefield. Not happy feet at the end of the day Great pics though! I wish I could convince my dad to do it on horseback. ~ Kendra __________________

09-09-2008, 01:06 PM
David Long Yearling Join Date: May 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,066	Very cool stuff. I wonder if you have any good advice on where to purchase a McClelland for a reasonable price. Also, how do the seat sizes convert? I know they say 11 1/2 or 12 or what ever. Don't want to take over your thread but I think others may be interested in the answers as well, that's why I didn't pm the questions. __________________ "If you see your stirrups slap together above the horn, you're probably bucked off". Dave Stamey.

09-09-2008, 07:23 PM
TDH Welcome and Introductions Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 3,255	That is absolutely fantastic! Civil-war era stuff completely fascinates me, I can't wait til one day I can tour VA etc. to see where that history actually happened. Thanks so much for sharing pictures, extremely cool and I can only imagine how much fun it had to be! __________________ "Nature, when she made the Arab, made no mistake." -Homer Davenport-

09-11-2008, 09:28 AM
David Long Yearling Join Date: May 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,066	I showed this thread to my wife last night with all the pictures and she said. "hey, that would be cool, maybe we could do that sometime." I bet she would only do one though, lol. She's not much for roughing it. Her idea of camping includes showers and cable tv. __________________ "If you see your stirrups slap together above the horn, you're probably bucked off". Dave Stamey.