Charge Practice

We had our first open-field charge practice with the new riding school class today.  Last Saturday, we had practiced in Wren arena to give them the feel of a charge in an enclosed area.  Today, they graduated to the open field charge.  

We had four of our most experienced riders assisting with the training as it can get a little intense on the parade ground. I was riding Charlie, a big quarter horse who used to race in his previous life.  He is actually assigned to one of the students, but because he injured a student from the last class and has been acting a little crazy of late, we decided to put the student on Cochise, and I rode Charlie instead.

Pete, our most experienced trooper, led the class.  He had us practicing parade maneuvers for a while and then had the class work on controlling their horses on the parade ground at different gates.  The horses were agitated as is usual for them when they are on the parade ground.  They all love the charge and get excited whenever we line up in a skirmish line.  Pete had us practice maintaining the skirmish line at a walk in both directions up and down the field.  Then we tried a trot and then, finally, the gallop.  Of course, the horses were getting more and more exited as we did this.

As soon as we went to a gallop, the student on Cochise departed the line at an extended gallop and was rapidly moving up the field.  Charlie saw this and immediately bolted to catch up.  I leaned back and grabbed the reins with both hands to no avail.  I may as well have been trying to stop a runaway locomotive.  Realizing that Charlie was not going to slow down until he caught up with Cochise, I let him go.  He rapidly closed the distance and soon passed Cochise.  I reached down with my left hand and pulled his left rein to bring his head off line slightly.  This technique, which is taught to all new students, will cause the bolting horse to slow down slightly so the rider can regain control.

Charlie came out of his bolt, but was still in a pretty strong gallop.  I began vigorously halt-halting him to get inside of his head and prepare him to stop as we were reaching the end of the parade ground and about to cross a paved road.  Charlie saw the road and decided it was in his best interests to slow down before we hid the slick asphalt.  I teach the students to not try to stop on the road, as it is slick, but let the horse cross over the road to the grass on the other side.  However, Charlie had slowed down considerably and I was able to bring him to a gently stop.  Cochise was right behind us with his student. 

We debriefed the experience several times afterwords as it was a good lesson on what to do with a bolting horse.  A mysterious bystander filmed the charge as we sped by, which can be seen below. Cochise is in front and Charlie and I are closing in on him on his left.  It is not a good quality image, but you can see the speed of the various horses as they go by.  

Battle of Picacho Pass

Setting sun at the camp.

I"m a little late in posting this. We made our annual trip to Picacho Peak State Park, north of Tucson, Arizona last March.  It's always a brutal weekend from a physical labor perspective, but always very rewarding, especially for those experiencing it for the first time.    

The mess tent.

As always, we left Fort Huachuca on Friday at 1 PM and made the two-hour drive to Picacho Peak.  We took six riders and eight horses, along with a cannon crew to man our mountain howitzer.  We set up camp upon arrival and then pitched in to some cowboy stew. After dinner, we relaxed around the campfire while the horses rolled in the fine dust, turning themselves into dun-colored horses.  

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, we rode up to the first battle re-enactment of the day--the Battle of Valverde. The first battle is always a little easier, as the temperature hasn't gotten hot yet.  The second battle, the Battle of Glorietta Pass, is after lunch when the temps get a little higher.  Of biggest concern is making sure the horses don't get overheated. They still had their winter coats and Tucson weather is about ten degrees warmer than Fort Huachuca.  I had to pull one horse out after the first battle as his hear rate and respiration rate were too high. I had to do this several times during the weekend.

Morning coffee around the fire pit.

The last battle of the day is the Battle of Picacho Pass, which is mostly just about us. No cannons or large infantry formations, just a few Confederate pickets and the Union cavalry. It requires a little play-acting and our lieutenant embraced it wholeheartedly.  He even uttered our traditional line during the interrogation of the Confederate prisoners, "Well, that's a tall tale."  Supposedly, I had said this a couple of years ago and now it has become part of our annual performance.  

On the battlefield.

Cannon crew in action.

Saturday night is steak night, and all tired warriors, cavalrymen and cannoneers, gather in the mess tent for a well-deserved dinner. Afterwards, we convene around the campfire and tell lies and relive the battles of the day. This year, the First Sergeant treated us to readings from Mark Twain. After that, we had our traditional naming ceremony, where troopers get their B Troop nickname. It is a good time and the desert night reveals a sky full of stars not normally visible from the city.  

Saber charge.

The next day, we do it all gain, and then load up and head back to Fort Huachuca.  Everyone is exhausted, but a dinner of pulled-pork sandwiches on the front porch at the stable office, perks everyone up enough to get home.  

The local PBS station in Tucson, put together a little video about the battle, which you can see through this link.  https://youtu.be/W-y3yfgGz8o.  It is pretty good.  

Cavalry Charge Test

As part of their training, new recruits are taught to control their horses during an open-field pistol charge.  It is crucial that they be able to safely handle both their weapons and their mounts.  Today, the surviving recruits (three of a class of six) were evaluated on their ability to conduct a pistol charge.  

Eager recruits before the ride to the parade field.

Upon arriving at Brown parade field in the middle of historic Fort Huachuca, the recruits are dismounted to check their tack and tighten their cinches.  You sure don't want your saddle to get loose during a charge.  The horses are galloping as fast as they can (30-35 mph) and a fall from a horse at that speed would definitely ruin your day.    

Checking their cinches.

Before setting up for the pistol charge, the recruits are taken through the sequence of a ceremony, including a pass-in-review.  During this portion of the test, the recruits need to demonstrate proper handling of the saber as well as correct formation riding. 

Saber salute

After the pass-in-review, the recruits are spread out into a skirmish line and ordered to charge at a gallop.  The idea is to try and hold the line so the horses aren't all strung out, increasing the chances of a pistol discharge into another rider.  Plus, it just looks better to have the horses moving in a single line.  

Setting up the skirmish line

After all the pistol rounds are discharged the recruits need to rein their horses back before they depart the parade ground.  The parade ground is surrounded by a paved road, so if the horse runs out onto the road, the rider is instructed to not try to stop the horse or turn him until he gets off the pavement.  Steel horse shoes on asphalt can slip and result in a bad fall.  In this case, two horses departed the field while one got off to a bad start and fell behind. 

"Forward at a gallop, Charge!"

Digging dirt

The second charge was picture-perfect and all recruits demonstrated skill and courage in successfully completing a charge. 

They have one more test to go before becoming full troopers.  I have to say I'm very proud of them so far.  

Proud survivors

Learning Parade Maneuvers

Pete and Martina gave instruction to the students on how to perform parade maneuvers correctly.  We have a series of maneuvers we use during parades so we aren't just walking down the road.  The crowd seems to enjoy them and it keeps us from getting bored.  

The 1SG giving instruction to the students.

Pete set up some cones to help the students with precision riding.  Parade maneuvers only look good if everyone is lined up correctly and making crisp turns.  Some of the maneuvers we us are files left and right, forward cross, form wedge, form line, wheels left and right, counter-column, and reverse pivot.  

Working the cones

We also taught the students the pattern for what we call the "crosses" where two files of riders ride across each other's path during our riding demonstration.  Some call this "threading the needle."  It is important for each rider to be at the correct distance so that when they cross paths, they don't crash into each other.  We also teach them the emergency break procedure in case someone is out of position.  If executed correctly, people watching won't even know it happened.  

Learning the demo pattern.

Weekend At Picacho

Last weekend, B Troop participated in the annual Civil War in the Southwest at Picacho Peak State Park, just north of Tucson, Arizona.  This was the site of a skirmish between a Confederate picket and a Union cavalry patrol.  It is billed as, The Westernmost Battle of the Civil War.  It wasn't much of a battle, though.  However, there were a couple of large battles in New Mexico that are also re-enacted at Picacho Peak every year.

Sunrise from our camp. 

As usual, it was a mix of good fun and brutally hard work.  We left Fort Huachuca at 1 PM on Friday and drove the two hours to Picacho Peak to set up our camp.  The next day we participated in three battles at 11 AM, 1:30 PM, and 3 PM.  We had to keep a close eye on the horses as they get dehydrated an often suffer elevated heart rates.  I would check them after each battle to see if they were OK.  If they had excessively high respiration rates, I would swap them out for a fresh horse.  We got through the battles OK and then had a big steak dinner prepared by our Chinese cook, Hop Sing (he is really a Japanese-American, but likes to be called after the Bonanza character).  After dinner we relaxed around the campfire and relived our battle exploits of the day and had our "naming" ceremony, where each trooper gets their B Troop nickname.  The names selected this year were, Pistol Pete, Turbo Foot, Kick Stand, Mighty Mouse, and Elmer Fudd.  Each name comes with a story, of course.

The mess tent.

On Sunday, we did it all over again, but had to strike camp after the last battle and make the drive back to Fort Huachuca.  We got back at about 7 PM.  We unloaded and fed the horses, stored the weapons, and then left the rest of the stuff to be unloaded later. My wife left us pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw so we didn't have to drive home starving (and so she wouldn't have to make food for me when I got home). As always, everyone enjoyed the weekend and are looking forward to next year.

Waiting for breakfast and trying to shake off the morning chill at the fire pit.  

Campaign Saddle Training

Well, four of our six students have survived the first phase of the Cavalry Riding School and are eager to get on with the next phase.  Today, we worked on how to build a campaign saddle and put it on a horse.  To give them hands-on training I disassembled my own saddle and then asked the students to put it back together.  I also went over how to clean each individual item on the saddle.  



After the students successfully reassembled the saddle, we found a couple of volunteers out in the pasture so we could practice putting the campaign tack on a horse.  I went through the process of putting the halter and bridle on and showed how all the tack fits together and is correctly configured.

After that we went over horse illnesses and how to treat minor injuries and who to notify in the case of more serious injuries. We even went over how to put a pressure bandage on a horse's leg so that they could do that when necessary.  Since they are being assigned their own horse for the rest of training, they were excited about all this information.

Finally, to wrap up the day, we issued uniforms to the new recruits and showed them how to put everything on.

Looking forward to the next phase of training.  

Posting the Colors

Yesterday and today, we were supposed to be the color guard for the opening ceremonies at the Cochise College Rodeo on Fort Huachuca.  It is one of the regional competitions for the colleges that have a rodeo team.  The Cochise College Rodeo is held every year at Fort Huachuca and is the only one held on a military installation.

I wasn't supposed to be in the color guard yesterday, but one of the riders became ill and I had to replace him.  We had a team of six riders carrying four flags; the American flag, the Arizona flag, the Army flag, and the Troop guidon.  We also had one of our Lady's Auxiliary members singing the national anthem.  I was riding Apache, the Wonder Beast, and carrying the national colors even though I knew it would be a challenging task.

As we were lining up to make our entrance, Apache began fidgeting and spinning around seeking an escape. There was a large tree next to the gate with branches hanging over the entrance.  I was holding an 8-foot staff with a spear point on it.  The spear point kept getting hung up in the trees every time Apache spun around, so I was trying to disentangle the pole from the tree while trying to keep him from fleeing the scene.

Finally, our entrance cue came and we walked into the arena.  I say walked, but Apache was already galloping before we even transitioned to the trot.  I think Pete, our First Sergeant, actually ordered a canter, but it turned out to be a good 15 mph gallop. I was to the left of Pete, who was leading the formation, and the rest of the team followed in a column of twos.

I had shortened my reins to the point where the back of my left hand was nearly touching the back of Apache's neck.  As we galloped into the arena, I held him back with all the strength I had.  We were supposed to circle the arena once (it is 200 x 400 feet), slow down to a trot, and then form into a line in front of the bleachers.  We learned from years of experience that you can not ride right next to the rail as the horses will spook at the banners, steers, broncs, rodeo cowboys, and other scary things on the other side.  Thus, Pete led us a good thirty feet off the fence as we rounded the arena.  Since we weren't following the rail, he had to tell me when he was going to turn, otherwise we would have become separated from each other.  However, Apache and I were able to stay right on his side with only a couple of feet between my stirrup and his.

Thankfully, we finally made it around before the strength in my left arm gave out.  Once we stopped, Apache calmed right down and I was able to concentrate on working the cramps out of my thighs as Anastasia sang the anthem.  Once the anthem was complete, we got the cue to exit the arena, which we did at the trot.  Or, at least everyone else was trotting.  The second we exited the arena they released the first bronc from the bucking chute.  The other riders remarked that I should keep Apache from watching so he wouldn't get any new ideas.  Apache was so fascinated by what was going on in the arena that we trotted sideways down the road that passed behind it so he could watch the event.
I never knew that Apache was a rodeo fan.

Horse Control

Last Saturday, the students progressed to riding a military horsemanship pattern in the practice arena. We try to teach three fundamental skills during the first phase of training; balance, control in a group, and control in a solo pattern.  The bareback portion helps them with balance, but control is more difficult to achieve.  Riding a horse solo involves different control problems then when riding as a group.

Riding as a group involves riding in a circle and maintaining the correct distance between each horse. Depending on the horse, the student may have trouble slowing the horse down or speeding him up. Changing the direction of travel (clockwise or counterclockwise) may change the dynamic depending on which horse is at the front of the line.  A higher ranking horse may object to having a lower ranking horse in front and may try to pass it in the line. Also, a slow horse up front will cause the line to scrunch up while a fast horse will string the line out.  All these dynamics require the student to control his horse in both speed and direction.

Riding a solo pattern is a different exercise, but still requires the student to master both speed and direction. Without the distraction of moving in concert with other horses, the rider must now compel his horse  to perform based solely on his cues and can't rely on his horse just following the other horses. The biggest challenge in this case is maintaining the required gait and riding a complete and round circle.

Both exercises in horse control require a great deal of concentration from the rider and often frustrates them as the horse seemingly does everything, but what they want them to do.  However, they usually get to a point where the "light comes on," and they suddenly understand how to control their mount.  

New Riding School

B Troop typically holds two riding schools each year.  One in the winter and one in the summer.  We just began a new class on 6 February.  We usually have trouble finding enough recruits to fill out the class, but this year we actually had to turn some people away.  We are really only able to handle four students at a time, but we went ahead and took six (although one of them had to quit already due to a job schedule change).

The students with instructors Pete (left end of line) and Jay (right end of line) .

 We are in the first phase of training where we teach riding basics.  Most recruits have little or no riding experience, so we give them a crash course in basic riding.  Of course, they aren't riding your typical school horse, but an Army war horse, which makes it all much more challenging.

We have school three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  I always like the Saturday classes because there is plenty of daylight and it is warm.  At night, I have to rig up some work lights to illuminate the arena.

Today, we worked on riding bareback in column and in a circle.  The students are asked to control their horse at a walk, trot, and gallop.  I have to keep an eye on all of them simultaneously to look for someone losing control or losing balance and adjust the gait before someone comes off.  I had a student take a spill on Thursday night and sprain her wrist.  Thus, she had to watch the lesson from the ground today.

Riding in a column of twos while bareback.

Today, everyone managed to stay on their horses, although a few got close to coming off.  They did a pretty good job considering that two weeks ago they didn't know anything about riding and now they are galloping bareback.

After the lesson, a few of the experienced riders rode over to Wren arena to practice for the opening ceremonies of the Cochise College rodeo.  We gallop around the arena with the colors while one of our Ladies Auxiliary members sings the anthem.  Our First Sergeant, Pete, thought he'd try Ruger, one of our young and wild horses. There were people working on the arena fence, so it was a good chance to expose the horses to the distractions of things going on around the arena.  I tried to keep my horse parallel to Ruger as we galloped around the arena, but Ruger was doing all kinds of strange things with his head and legs, so I kept a little bit of a distance.  We eventually decided that Ruger wasn't quite ready for the rodeo and needed more training in galloping in formation. It was a fun practice, though, and it has been ages since we rode in the arena.

Ruger--1,300 pounds of love and joy.

Fort Lowell Again

It has been a long time since I posted on this blog and it is time to start again.  There are too many interesting things going on in the cavalry world.

Yesterday, B Troop participated in Fort Lowell Days as we do every year.  It is an event held at Fort Lowell Park in Tucson, Arizona as part of an effort to promote the history of the old Army post and the surrounding neighborhood.  Fort Lowell has an interesting history both before and after it was shut down in 1891.  It was from this fort that Captain Samuel Marmaduke Whitside rode out and established Fort Huachuca in 1877.

Anastasia putting a sidesaddle on Journey.

B Troop brought six riders and three cannoneers to put on a historic presentation at Fort Lowell.  Our stable call was at 0600 and we departed Fort Huachuca at 0700.  Arriving at Fort Lowell at about 0830, we unloaded the horses and began setting up our arena.  Four of the troopers headed over to the San Pedro chapel to provide a saber arch for a procession into the chapel, but they were back at about 1030.  Meanwhile, the artillery crew and I set up the portable arena for the riding demonstration.

Upon returning, Ruger spooked for some reason and broke free from the trailer and ran around the field for a couple minutes with all his campaign tack still on.  He circled the trailer two or three times and then came to a stop next to the rest of the horses as if nothing had ever happened.  He broke the strap on his leather halter, but otherwise nothing else was damaged.

One of our lady riders rode around the park in sidesaddle, wearing a period authentic dress and let people know that we were about to start our demonstrations.  She looked fantastic and soon a sizable group came to watch us.

After lunch, the cannon crew gave a great presentation on the procedures for firing our 1840 mountain howitzer.  The rest of us untied the horses from the trailer and held them while the cannon went off.  None of the horses spooked, but it is better to have a man hold the horse, so it is less likely to panic then if tied to something.

The cannon crew getting ready for their demonstration.

After the cannon demo, we put on a mounted drill demonstration in our arena.  The crowd enjoyed it and then we set up some jumps and targets and gave a saber and pistol demonstration.  All the horses did pretty well.  Blade was fired off of for the first time in years, but did well.  Blade had developed a dislike of gunfire at the Picacho Peak re-enactment a couple years ago and we have been slowly getting him accustomed to the sound ever since.  He protested a little at first, but eventually became OK with it.  We had fitted him with earplugs to make it easier for him.

We finally finished around 1500 and headed back to Fort Huachuca.  The horses were all drenched in sweat as they still have their winter coats and it is much warmer in Tucson than at Fort Huachuca.  We got all the horses taken care of and unloaded all the equipment and cleaned weapons.  We signed off the arms room at 1840 and sat on the porch and discussed the day for a piece before heading home.  A long, but successful day.

Boone & Khyber Update

Boone and Martina

We are still working with Boone and Khyber on a regular basis.  Both horses went to a trainer for a few weeks to settle them down and make them easier to work with.  Khyber was the favorite of the trainer and was much easier to work with than Boone.  

Boone had to leave training early due to a persistent lameness in his right hock which we finally assessed.  He had some residual arthritis in the joint due to an injury he suffered getting out of the trailer when he arrived earlier in the year.  He was given a steroid shot to ease the pain, but eventually we are hoping that the joint will fuse and he will no longer feel pain.  If it doesn't fuse, we can help it along with another injection that will fuse it for him.  

Both horses tend to buck when unhappy, but Boone was the more aggressive in this.  Martina has been working with him very patiently for weeks and he is progressing well.  Today, however, he resumed some of his bucking behavior, which may be a sign that the hock is hurting again or that he is just getting bored with the routine.  Neither he or Khyber really didn't want to work today, so it may have just been a mood issue.  

We will take our time with them and bring them on slowly.  Neither are particularly concerned about obstacles or training pistols.  Considering how spooky they were when they arrived, it is amazing to see how calm they are now.  Much of the credit belongs to Martina, who's persistence and patience has helped both horses adapt to their new environment. 

Never Really Retired

Peanut

We go to a lot of trouble to find good homes for our retired horses.  We feel that if a horse gives the Army the best years of his life, he is entitled to spend his final years in pasture just being a horse. One of our former horses, named Peanut, went to a former trooper's ranch in Texas about ten years ago. 

Peanut, a quarter horse, was a favorite of many troopers while he was in the Army as he was fast and fearless, yet could stand still during an hour-long ceremony.  In fact, I remember he once fell asleep beneath me during a ceremony.  When the band suddenly started up, he woke suddenly and whinnied in alarm.  Once he realized where he was, he settled down again.

Even though Peanut is retired, he donned his Army tack one last time for a funeral to honor the man who owned the ranch he retired on.  The man leading him in the photo is the son of that man and a former trooper.  Although saddened by his loss, we are glad to see them both in uniform.  

Until we all meet again on Fiddler's Green.    

Dances With Horses

Cavalry ballet
Photo by Dawn Hill

Riding for the Army has its hazards.  You just never know when your horse is going to react to something in the air or on the field when you least expect it.  Last Friday, one of our troopers was surprised by his young mount, Ruger, who decided he didn't want to play during the charge.  His lack of cooperation was enhanced even further when the cannon went off.  Luckily neither horse or rider was hurt, but you sure couldn't tell by this photo.  

Cal The Lion Fighter

Wounded warrior

Debbie and I picked up Cal from Phoenix today and brought him home.  The staff at Arizona Equine was very good with him.  The interns groomed him daily and loved on him every chance they got.  Cal is not a great patient, so I'm sure he appreciated their efforts to help relax him.  

The wound is looking better, so they say, but we haven't taken the bandage off yet.  It will be changed tomorrow.  He may still need a skin graft at some point, but the wound is doing well right now.  The tendon and bone did not lose there blood supply, so he didn't lose them as we feared.  

He withstood the three-hour trip back to Whetstone in the trailer without a problem.  He was a little nervous when he got out, but he soon settled down.  He knows where he is and that he is safe.  

We will have to change his bandage every two days for a while until the wound heals over and stops draining.  It won't be pleasant, but we will have help and hopefully everything will go okay.  

Un-exploded Ordinance In The Horse Pasture

The hazards associated with working with horses are numerous. Over the years, I've been injured in just about every way you can imagine--bucked off, thrown, trampled, stepped on, rolled on, dragged, and bitten. Normal horse stuff.  However, since I manage horses in Arizona, I also have to deal with poisonous insects, plants, and snakes, plus mountain lions, bear, and wild fire. Well, now I have found a new hazard--unexploded WWII ordinance.  

Bazooka round.  

After the incident with Cal, I decided to go out into the pasture to see if I could find any mountain lion tracks or sign of where the attack occurred. While hiking through the grass, I saw what appeared to be a length of rusty, old pipe.  I went over to pick it up and noticed the rusty, old pipe had a conical warhead attached to it. It was an old bazooka shell.  I stared at it for a while trying to figure out what to do.  The temptation to pick it up was pretty strong.  It would make a great souvenir for the office.  However, a little voice in my head reminded me that we aren't supposed to pick up unexploded ordinance or UXOs.  

I did not have any flags to mark it with (like anyone would be walking around with UXO marker flags), so I stacked some rocks around it and then laid a line of rocks across a nearby horse trail pointing to the UXO. Satisfied I would be able to find it again, I returned to the stables and promptly forgot about it.  I didn't really forget about it, I just didn't have time to deal with it.  The horses were out of the pasture and it wasn't likely anyone would be walking around out there except, maybe, illegal aliens. And, since the shell had been sitting there for about sixty years, I didn't think another day would hurt.  

The EOD convoy.

The fifty-eight acres of land that is now our horse pasture was once a training ground for soldiers on their way to Europe during WWII.  There are all kinds of interesting artifacts and ordinance scattered throughout the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains.  I had found old rocket casings before, but not an unexploded shell.  

When I called the range control people, they came out pretty promptly with the military police and representatives from the Safety Office.  I took them out to the location of the bazooka shell and they decided that there was no way to determine if it was still live and that they would have to call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal  (EOD) people.  However, it would probably be the next day before they could come.  They told me to close the pasture and they would be back.

The C4 crater.  

 The next day an entourage of range control, safety office, military police, fire fighters, and medical personnel showed up at my pasture.  A convoy of all these vehicles went trundling out into the pasture to go deal with this bazooka shell.  A police vehicle blocked the gate after the convoy had passed through.  About thirty minutes later I heard and explosion.  About thirty minutes after that the convoy reappeared and went back to wherever they came from.  The range control people called me and said the UXO was destroyed, but that they had caused a small fire, which all the fire trucks put out.  

Sometime later, I went out to the site to see what they had done.  I was disappointed to see that the C4 they had used to detonate the bazooka shell left only a small dent in the ground.  The grass had, indeed, caught on fire, but they kept it from spreading too far.  

The remnants of the brush fire.  

Now that the area was safe, I resumed my lion hunting expedition.  I didn't find any lions, but I did find...you guessed it...another UXO. Fortunately, this one was already exploded, so it was only an XO.  

Just another boring day at the office.  

Lion Attack

Debbie and I were getting ready to put some steaks on the grill Saturday night, when I heard the hated warbling of the Bat Phone.  As it was just after 6 PM, it could only mean that the weekend pasture feeder had found an injured horses.  Sure enough, it was trooper Mike calling to inform me that one of the horses had a badly injured rear leg.  I asked him to bring the horse in to a stall and I'd be there as soon as I could.  

The wound prior to being cleaned.

As Mike is a new trooper, he didn't know which horse was injured.  As we drove to the stables, Debbie called Mike and asked to describe the horse.  Based on his description, we decided it was Cal, a notoriously difficult horse to treat.  

When we arrived at the stables, Mike's wife, Stephanie, was waiting for us.  Mike had been unable to move the horse out of the pasture and was somewhere in the wash that runs the length of our horse pasture.  After about five minutes of searching we found him and, as we suspected, Cal, down in the creek bed.  The wound on his left, rear leg looked bad, but Cal was able to bear weight on it and Debbie walked him out of the ravine.  She put him into a stall to give him some water and bute, while I contacted Arizona Equine in Phoenix to see if they could take Cal.  They said they could, so we loaded him up and began the three-hour journey to the clinic.  There were no local equine vets available and they would not have been able to handle the wound as severe as it was.  We suspected an animal attack as there were recent bear sightings on Fort Huachuca.  

Claw marks.

The trip to Phoenix was uneventful, but we received numerous calls from the military police and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) about the possible bear/lion attack.  I'm not sure how we arrived at the conclusion that it had been a lion attack, but the USDA agent said that bears attack from the front and not the rear where Cal had been wounded.  They searched the pasture with infrared optics, but did not find anything but deer out there.  They did find lion tracks, but they were old.  

When we arrived at the equine clinic, Cal was immediately tended to.  There was another horse there for emergency care with a similar wound (not caused by a lion), so we didn't feel as bad about getting everyone out to work on a Saturday night.  Cal's was heavily sedated so the doctor could clean and examine the wound.  The claw marks and teeth marks were much easier to see and it was clear that a significant amount of tissue was missing from the wound.  Both the tendon and cannon bone were exposed.  

It was determined that Cal wound have to stay at the clinic for continued treatment as there was a risk of infection to the exposed tendon and bone as well as to the soft tissue around the wound.  AZ Equine provides the best care possible in Arizona, so we left Cal in good hands and returned home.  It was 4 AM before we could get to bed, but there was no other course of action we could have taken.  Hopefully, Cal will recover in time and eventually return to work.  

Me trying to hold up Cal's heavily sedated head.

Boone & Khyber Update

Boone

The boys are still doing okay, but since I haven't been able to spend much time with them, they have regressed in their training.  That's hard to imagine, since they didn't really know anything to start with.  Both of them have managed to put me in the dirt recently, plus Khyber managed to smash my foot.  

Boone had been slowly regressing for while as he went into a bucking phase and then a, "I don't want anyone to get on me" phase.  One day, while trying to mount him he lurched forward as I put my foot in the stirrup.  My glove got caught on the brass peg on the back of the saddle, which caused Boone to take off in a panic.  Fortunately, my glove ripped before he dragged me too far, but I landed hard and not well.  I drove him around the pen for a while, but he wouldn't stand still after that and became increasingly agitated.  Some days it's just best to back off.  

A few days later, on a rainy day, I was feeding the boys out in the small pasture, when they started running around playing grab-ass, the way horses do when its raining.  Khyber started galloping toward me as he tried to get away from somebody else.  I threw up my hands to ward him off and he stopped pivoted 180 degrees and galloped off in the other direction.  The only problem was that he was on my foot while he was pivoting.  He didn't break my foot, but it sure felt like it. 

Khyber

The following week, I tried riding Khyber and didn't have any problems with mounting and dismounting and he did well at the walk.  He started picking up the rein and leg cues and since we had been over this ground previously, figured it was time to try it at a trot.  You know, just a few yards, and then back to a walk.  Khyber took about two steps and then squealed and starting bucking.  Thinking this was the easy horse,I was unprepared and he caught me off balance and put me in the dirt again.  At that point, I decided I needed to hire a trainer.  

Boone and Khyber are young horses and, although they are good horses, they need more attention than I can give them.  A couple months of training should bring them back to normal.  

However, I decided that I would continue with ground training, including loading into a trailer.  So today, I practiced putting them into our stock trailer.  I took Khyber first as he is the braver of the two, and after a little hesitation, he loaded.  Boone stepped in a little quicker since Khyber was already in.  Then, I removed Boone, who got nervous and vaulted out of the trailer.  Okay, fine.  At least he had gone in.  I got Khyber out and then tied them to the side of the trailer and groomed them.  Then, I loaded them both back in. Khyber went first again, and this time loaded without hesitation.  Boone went in just as easily.  Unfortunately, Boone wouldn't come out again.  He was afraid to step down out of the trailer even though it was only about twelve inches high.  I took Khyber out, thinking that Boone would follow.  Nope.  He looked at the edge and stuck his foot out a couple times, but couldn't make the step.  He even tried to back out like he had in the trailer he came in that had a ramp.  He was probably thinking that maybe if he backed out a ramp would appear.  

I eventually took Khyber away and put him in his pen, leaving Boone to stand there looking forlornly out of the back of the trailer.  He may as well have been standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon.  I even tried coaxing him out with horse treats. No way.  He just wasn't coming out.  I finally had to back the trailer against a sloping piece of ground so that there was no step.  He came out with ease then.  Unbelievable.  Who ever heard of a horse that wouldn't come OUT of the trailer.  God help me.  

You think you've seen everything and then something like this happens.  This job never gets boring.  

Hard Luck Charlie

Charlie is one of those horses that always seems to attract disaster. He is partially blind in one eye from being hit by debris during a wind storm, he has a huge scar on his cheek where he had a sarcoid removed, he has a large scar on his abdomen from colic surgery, and now he has been bitten by a snake.  Not just a small snake, but a snake with fangs two inches apart.  Probably the same one that bit Cal last year.  

Although Charlie's luck is poor, he is lucky in that he manages to survive the bad luck.  The snake bite was on one side of his face and the swelling didn't close off both nostrils.  He can still breath through the right nostril.  Thus, we didn't even have to put a hose up his nose in order for him to continue breathing.  

Of course, today was a day off for me and there were no military vets available.  Fortunately, Debbie was home to help me organize a rescue mission and medevac for Charlie.  I asked the pasture feeder who found him to put him in his pen and that I would be there in thirty minutes.  When we arrived, Charlie wouldn't let anyone touch his face, so we knew we couldn't treat him without sedation.  

We managed to find a civilian vet who was available, but she asked us to meet her in Palominas--a forty minute drive from the post.  We loaded Charlie by putting a halter around his neck as he wouldn't let us put it on his face.  He trusts us though, and grudgingly he climbed into the trailer.  We removed the halter and just let him stand freely, which he was fine with.  We got to the designated location in Palominas and then waited another thirty minutes for the vet to get there.  We were lucky that Charlie could still breath through one nostril and that he had been bitten by a Diamondback instead of a Mojave, or he probably wouldn't have survived.  

The vet loaded us up with medications and instructions and we loaded Charlie back into the trailer and brought him back to Debbie's horse spa for continued treatment.  He will probably be okay as long as we can keep him hydrated and fed. He has a history of colic, so we have to watch him closely.  

Meanwhile I discussed the snake issue with the Animal Control officer on post, since I'm not allowed to bring a weapon on post and dispatch the serpent in the way I prefer.  The officer said I should just call them when I find the snake and put a bucket on it until they arrive.  I pointed out that the fang marks on Charlie's face were two inches apart and that I didn't think a bucket would be large enough.  In any case, I've learned from previous experience that until I find and remove this snake, I will continue to have snake-bit horses.  Hopefully, I will find the snake before it finds another horse.  

Picacho Peak

Our lonely mess tent in the desert.  

Last weekend B Troop returned to Picacho Peak State Park for the annual Civil War in the Southwest re-enactment.  We had missed it last year due to the sequester business.  We weren't permitted to participate in an off-post events for a period of time.  

This year we returned in force.  We were able to field ten riders and two cannon crews.  It has been a long time since we had that many people on the field.  We invited our riding students to participate on the cannon crew as they hadn't been trained yet to ride in full campaign gear.  

We set up our camp in the traditional spot which was just as dusty as it always is.  Maybe more so this year because of the winds.  Pretty much everything we took out there came back a dusty brown color.  We set up a corral for the horses, pitched our mess tent, dug a fire pit, and settled down for a big pot of chili.  It was wonderful.  

Are fielding of ten riders at Picacho. 

The next day we went up to the battlefield for the three re-enactments of the day.  First was the battle of Valverde, then the battle of Glorietta Pass, and final the battle of Picacho Peak.  These battles are probably only known to the most ardent Civil War buffs.  They were fought in 1861 to determine who would have control of the New Mexico Territory, which at the time included present day Arizona.  The Union eventually won as they managed to destroy the Confederate supply train at Glorietta Pass.  

Blade and I riding into battle.

We introduced three new horses to the battlefield with predictable results.  Bob, who is an experienced Cowboy Mounted Shooting horse, did the best, although he had trouble with some of the cannon fire.  Blade did the job, but spent most of his time spinning in a circle as each musket and cannon went off.  Ruger, just about came unglued in the first battle, but settled down enough to finish the next two battles.  His rider, however, decided he had enough of a work out and declined to ride the next day.  I took the same precaution with Blade as he was struggling with the whole thing.  One day was enough for these newbies. Bob finished both days.

As always, it was a good time with the usual (or unusual) campfire antics in the evening.  The new students treated us to an interpretive dance of my riding school instruction which had everyone in tears.  There was much toasting to the cavalry and other things and at some point a bag piper from another camp showed up and serenaded us.  The stars and moon were bright, the fire warm, and the conversation ridiculous.  A good weekend all around.   

The cannon crew in action.  

All photos by Dawn Hill

Boone's Bronc Ride

Boone, when he isn't a bouncing cat.

I haven't been able to do anything with Boone for a long time due to a series of injuries that he has had. Amazingly, he managed to get through an entire weekend without injuring himself, so yesterday I pushed the paperwork aside and went outside and saddled up Boone.  

He stood nice and quiet as I groomed him and put his tack on.  He gave no indications that there would be any problems.  However, once I got him into the round pen and stuck my foot in the stirrup, he bounded away from me and commenced to crow hop around the pen for several minutes.  He roached his back and was bouncing off all four feet like a giant, pissed off cat.  His reins had slipped off his neck and were dangling dangerously in front of his front feet.  I thought for sure he'd step through them and lame himself, but miraculously, he did not.

I watched this behavior silently (struck dumb, I guess) until he stopped bouncing around and decided to stand and snort for a while.  I inched close enough to him to snag his reins and speak softly to him until he calmed down.  I had no intention of getting on him at this point.  Instead, I secured his reins to the saddle and left him to go find the whip.  Returning to the round pen, I drove him around for a about ten minutes, changing his direction several times. 

Once I felt I had regained a little respect from him, I stopped him, let him join with me and, after making peace with the Lord, stuck my boot back in the stirrup.  He stood stock still as I mounted and he stepped forward with little leg pressure. Then, however, he stopped, refused to move forward, and began to walk backwards.  The more leg I gave, the quicker he backed up.  Not wanting to stick my heels in him for fear that he'd turn into a bouncing cat again, I dismounted and drove him around the pen with the whip some more.

After another ten minutes of this, I again mounted.  Same thing.  He would only walk backwards.  Dismounted and chased him with the whip for another five minutes.  Remounted--again he walked backwards.  This time I just let him walk backwards--even gave him the backup cue.  We walked half way around the pen until he suddenly stopped. I gave him some leg and finally he walked forward--with energy, no less.  I walked him to the gate and dismounted.  Better to end on a good note.  

Can't wait until our next session.  Horses.  Geez.