The other day I watched an amazing film, "Horses of Gettysburg" (www.inecom.com), the previously untold story of the over 70,000 horses and mules that participated in the Civil War battle that was a turning point in American History. It's a captivating film not only for history buffs, but also for horse lovers.
As I watched incredible scenes of riders galloping into position, cavalry charges, and private moments on horseback, I wanted to learn more about these riders, where they came from, and how they learned to ride in period tack, at high speed, and sometimes amid gunfire.
Spectacular Events
What I learned is that all across the country, from Fort Tejon north of Los Angeles, to Southeast Ohio, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the hobby of period horseback reenacting attracts thousands of participants, and many more spectators. From Civil War reenactments, to the famous Battle of the Little Big Horn- reenacted every year outside Hardin, Montana-there are opportunities this summer and fall to see incredible displays of horsemanship and learn about and experience this piece of our history.
Participating in Reenacting
Colonel Darrell Markijohn, an attorney by day, is with the 6th Ohio Cavalry (http://6th-ohio-cavalry.org/), a well regarded Civil War reenacting unit. A former trail rider, roper and fox hunter, he took up the hobby of Civil War reenacting 13 years ago. "It's definitely one of the best things I've ever done," Markijohn told me, "it really gets the blood up." Like many others who participate, he stressed the camaraderie that everyone participating feels.
I asked Markijohn about the demanding riding I had seen in "Horses of Gettysburg", and he told me that while riding in reenactments could sometimes be "aggressive, with two lines riding at each other carrying sabers," he stressed that one of the main things for horse and rider is endurance. "We sometimes do ten to fifteen miles per day, according to the standard cavalry manual, altering gaits between walking and trotting, and sometimes getting off and walking alongside the horses, as a way to cover the most ground."
A Family Hobby
Markijohn explained that families frequently traveled with Civil War units, and for many reenacting is a family hobby.
Women have the option of wearing hoop skirts and recreating period women's dress, or wearing uniforms and participating in the cavalry, either recreating the documented cases of women who masqueraded as men to participate in the Civil War, or doing what is referred to in the reenacting world as a "male impression." Children also can participate in period dress.
From All Riding Disciplines
Laurie Post, a former three day eventer, started doing reenactments out of Fort Tejon (www.forttejon.org), north of Los Angeles, which has an in-house Dragoon Unit that recreates the U.S. Cavalry in the period before the Civil War. Like Markijohn, she is now in the 6th Ohio, as is her daughter. "What I really enjoy is the camaraderie, the excitement and the friendship", she told me. "The history is so fascinating, and it's a huge rush riding into a battlefield."
Mona Raymond owns her own hunter/jumper barn in Stamford, Connecticut and has been teaching riding for 25 years. She got into reenacting through her husband, and found out that she loved it. "It's a whole different way of riding, and it's great to be doing something really fun and different from the competition of showing," she said.
She participates as a reenactor with the Second US Cavalry, Company H (http://www.seconddragoons.org), an equestrian living history group made up of riders primarily from the Mid-Atlantic States. She enjoys participating in numerous reenactments throughout the year, noting that people come from all over the world to see the larger reenactments, such as Gettysburg. She especially enjoys the camaraderie of "tacticals," where reenactors gear up and go on adventures without an audience, sleeping in the woods, and reliving the life of soldiers.
Members of the Victorian Ladies Aside (www.victorianladiesaside.com), an organization dedicated to preserving side saddle riding (known correctly as "riding aside") also attend Civil War reenactments and promote side saddle riding while wearing period dress. Anne Moss, a VLA member, is currently the only woman in the U.S. to have won her silver medal from the U.S. Dressage Association while riding aside.
Attend a Cavalry School
So where does one go to have a vacation and learn the skills of cavalry riding? One place is the U.S. Cavalry School (http://www.uscavalryschool.org) in Twist, Washington. John Doran started the school after riding in the film, "The Postman" with Kevin Costner. The friends he made during the filming lamented that there weren't places to just cut loose and gallop the way they had in the film.
He invited his new friends the following Fourth of July to his ranch, where they staged a big cavalry ride. When people started asking about learning to ride the way the cavalry did, he decided to open the school.
Continued:
"The only requirement is that people bring a love of horses and history," he told me.
What, Where, When, and How
If you're looking for an equestrian viewing experience that's charged with excitement, or even thinking of taking your riding career in a different direction, you can learn more at www.equestrianadventurer.com or check out these resources:
Gettysburg Reenactment, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3, with over 100 cavalry troopers. (www.gettysburgreenactment.com)
"Horses of Gettysburg", Inecom Entertainment Company, a fantastic DVD with inspiring scenes of horses and riders, narrated by Ronald F. Maxwell, who directed the epic films "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals."
Manassas (Bull Run) Reenactment, the biggest full scale (infantry, artillery and cavalry) event this year, will be held on July 21-23 in Middletown, Virginia. There will be 12,000 reenactors and up to 150 cavalry troopers. www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org
The Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, also in Middletown, Virginia takes place on October 21 & 22, 2006. www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org
Morgan's Raid II, has the largest number of cavalry reenactors; 300 cavalry troopers are expected at this cavalry only event. The 6th Ohio and 2nd Virginia sponsor the event. It is scheduled for Sept 6-10. www.morgansraidii.net
Re-enactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn takes place June 23-25 near Hardin, Montana www.custerslaststand.org
U.S. Cavalry School in Twist, Washington http://www.uscavalryschool.org
Victorian Ladies Aside, promoting the art of riding side saddle www.victorianladiesaside.com
For more information on cavalry and other reenactment groups and events, you can contact local historical societies and history museums in your area. The United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment is an East Coast umbrella organization (www.usvcavalry.com).
Copyright 2006, Equestrian Adventurer Media, LLC
