Riding Halls & Other Horse Related Buildings

Pat Holscher · Sat Feb 22, 2003 8:01 am

The Swiss Army is apparently converting the Swiss Army's riding center into the Swiss Army museum:

http://www.armeemuseum.ch/textonly.php3 ... nguage=120

Pat

Pat Holscher · Mon Aug 09, 2004 8:18 am

Given the recent thread on stable plans, I thought I'd bump this one up, as it has quite a few photos of some interesting buildings.

Pat

george seal · Wed Aug 11, 2004 1:45 pm

I don't know whether to congratulate you Americans on your beautiful riding halls or to weep about your tearing them down (we also tear down our historic buildings in Chile, but we acknowledge we are barbarians). Shouldn't those halls be used to train mounted police? You have police departments made up of about 10 horses, surely they don't have enough training, a mounted police school should be a good idea, there are bunches of civilian companies that train police and military in the US, so there might be a market for something like that.

Congrats on the people of Culver. West Point really prefers college sports to military sports? We did both at the Military School (officer Cadet School) but the interest always centered on sports with military applications. I recently visited the school and they have expanded the military sports curriculum. When I studied in 1990 second or third year included a mountain campaign to learn to ski. Now they also have an indoor rock climbing facility and all students practice there. They have new martial arts halls for fencing, judo and Tae Kwon Do. There are 2 new roof covered "picaderos" our humble equivalent of the riding halls. They have roofs and wind cutters at the sides, not really halls, and a lot smaller. If you could just send us a riding hall as an offset for our F16s!.

When I studied everybody had Tae Kwon Do classes and had some Judo instruction. Fourth years had to have a semester on riding and one on fencing. We all did "utilitarian swimming" : swimming with an obstacle course. There was an instruction period on "Special combat" (martial arts, bayonet and Corvo knife) at first year. You also had to do an extra sport or cultural activity, (if you did a cultural activity you had an extra sports class each semester: athletics, judo, etc) and I did Judo 3 times a week. Yes 3 times Judo, once TaeKwonDo, once swimming, once gym classes, once military gym classes (obstacle courses). Plus all the physical punishment (no hitting or anything, punishments where taking extra cooper's tests, push ups and the like). In addition we had all the marching and the combat training. Plus the academic curriculum.

Horsemanship in particular is getting a lot of attention. We have won to years in a row the world military ridding championship. You want to see a mortified officer?, get one that has trouble with his horse in the annual Great Military Parade. Being in the Infantry is no excuse.
I would have vomited at the mere suggestion of a golf playing general! Officers ride or jump in parachutes or at least do something athletic like long distance running. They don't golf. Golf has no physical contact, what's the point?

Todd · Wed Aug 11, 2004 2:48 pm

Originally posted by george seal
Officers ride or jump in parachutes or at least do something athletic like long distance running. They don't golf. Golf has no physical contact, what's the point?

LOL! Couldn't agree more, however.... Golf (at least here in the US) is more of a political/social thing rather than a sport. It is where people in overly busy fields get a chance to converse/connect/bond/whatever with others. Salesmen use it to get clients one-on-one for long stretches of time. Politicos and their military equivalents use golf for making connections and keeping in touch with other movers-and-shakers. Sad but true - it's not really about sport or even exercise anymore. In a lot of ways, it has become a mandatory requirement for the 'executive classes.'

In the case of Ft. Riley, those two shown in the postcards still exist, although they've been modified - the East Hall (King Hall) much more so than the West Hall.

Todd H.

Pat Holscher · Fri Oct 15, 2004 9:40 pm

Some surviving buildings at Ft. Washakie, formally a post of the 9th or 10th Cavalry (I forget which one, my apologies) and now the seat of government for the Wind River Indian Reservation. These buildings depicted here are still in use by the BIA. Quite a few military buildings exist in the town, with some large Army admininstrative buildings still in administrative use by various agencies.

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:19 pm

HABS, Library of Congress, photos of the Veterinary Hospital at D. A. Russell, now F. E. Warren.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS [or HAER], Reproduction number [e.g., "HABS ILL, 16-CHIG, 33-2"]

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:37 pm

HABS photo of Quartermaster Stable, Ft. Sheridan, IL

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS [or HAER]

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sat Dec 04, 2004 10:26 pm

You know, it's sort of depressing to see stables that might look better built than a person's house. . .

Pat

Pat Holscher · Thu Jul 28, 2005 11:57 am

Given the discussion on Natinoal Guard armories, I thought I'd bump this up.

Pat

Pat Holscher · Thu Jul 28, 2005 12:07 pm

Some examples of a small National Guard Armory from the 1930s, as discussed on the NG thread.

http://www.ultimatewyoming.com/sectionp ... useum.html

http://www.newcastlewyo.com/anna.html

Pat

steenie · Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:38 pm

I have some photographs of the Riding School of the then Earl later Duke of Newcastle who built this building in 1630 at his castle at Bolsover. Newcastle was a leading exponent of the arte equestrian of his time. He was a General in the Kings Army in the English Civil War although he left before the end of the conflict after the loss at the Battle of Marston Moore. In interesting sub note is that the Riding School is still in use as just that a riding school.

I have sent the pictures to Pat as you all know, I am as about as blonde as you can get with the technology in here lol. So you will have to wait for him to put them up.

steenie · Fri Jul 29, 2005 5:48 pm

Pat I am sending you some pics of the Riding School of the then Earl later Duke of Newcastle who built this building at his castle in Serbyshire Bolsover in about 1630. He was a renowned riding master and was a General in the Kings Army in the English Civil War. However he did not see the end of the conflict as he left the Island after the debacle for the Royalist Army at the Battle of Marston Moore.

The Riding School is still used for just that, a riding school.

Sorry I have sent he pics to u Pat but I seem so blonde with regard to the ways of sticking a pic in here

Pat Holscher · Fri Jul 29, 2005 9:27 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by steenie
 Pat I am sending you some pics of the Riding School of the then Earl later Duke of Newcastle who built this building at his castle in Serbyshire Bolsover in about 1630. He was a renowned riding master and was a General in the Kings Army in the English Civil War. However he did not see the end of the conflict as he left the Island after the debacle for the Royalist Army at the Battle of Marston Moore.

The Riding School is still used for just that, a riding school.

Sorry I have sent he pics to u Pat but I seem so blonde with regard to the ways of sticking a pic in here
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Photos courtesy of Stan from his collection.

By far the oldest riding hall we've ever had photos of here!

Pat

Pat Holscher · Wed Aug 03, 2005 8:13 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Pat Holscher
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by steenie
 Pat I am sending you some pics of the Riding School of the then Earl later Duke of Newcastle who built this building at his castle in Serbyshire Bolsover in about 1630. He was a renowned riding master and was a General in the Kings Army in the English Civil War. However he did not see the end of the conflict as he left the Island after the debacle for the Royalist Army at the Battle of Marston Moore.

The Riding School is still used for just that, a riding school.

Sorry I have sent he pics to u Pat but I seem so blonde with regard to the ways of sticking a pic in here
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Photos courtesy of Stan from his collection.

By far the oldest riding hall we've ever had photos of here!

Pat
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Some additional commentary on the photos we had posted here can be found here:

http://www.equichat.com/dcforum/DCForumID3/1411.html

This topic seems to have widespread interest.

Pat

steenie · Wed Aug 03, 2005 11:27 am

I followed through the link Pat and noticed one of the contributors said
'the Duke got an indoor before indoor plumbing...'

Actually the 'little' castle which is beside the Riding School is a most delightful place to stay and believe it or not most rooms are en suite.The 'plumbing' would be good enough for anyone these days and a lot better than some of us have got lol.

http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_mi ... castle.htm

Pat Holscher · Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:09 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Subotai
 Greetings All,

To not put too fine a point on it - I Want One of Those!

Terroriferi delende est,

Jeffrey S. Wall
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Me too. These building are nifty.

What's a little disappointing is that there's several old military ones around this state, but not one is still used for riding.

Pat

John Fitzgerald · Thu Aug 04, 2005 10:39 am

Brand new riding hall.

Our county commissioners have just approved plans and budgeted funds to build us a new 150'x 300' riding hall.

It will be nice to have an indoor arena to use during some of the nasty winters we've had lately.

John

"A good horse rides best for a good horseman"

Pat Holscher · Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:15 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John Fitzgerald
 Brand new riding hall.

Our county commissioners have just approved plans and budgeted funds to build us a new 150'x 300' riding hall.

It will be nice to have an indoor arena to use during some of the nasty winters we've had lately.

John

"A good horse rides best for a good horseman"
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Good for them.

Our Commissioners did that several years ago, although it is of course called an "Arena".

The Arena was built when the town first attracted the College National Finals Rodeo, but proved to be inadequate for their needs, in spite of its large size. None the less, it has received tremendous use as it's the only large sized riding arena (that's really big) around. It is actually hard to book time in it. And the Arena sees a lot of non horse related events scheduled in it. It's one of those rare things that's been a success all the way around.

I mention this as it's been interesting to see how a thing like this plays out politically. Building it was somewhat expensive, but not unreasonable so. And it was built by the County, through the Fair Board. Subsequently the State Supreme Court determined that this town needed a third district court judge, but that it did not have adequate space for one. One was appointed anyway, upon the assumption that hte county would build a facility with two additional courtrooms. The district court judges are actually employees of the State, but hte clerks are employees of hte county, and the facilities for them are county facilities. Very oddly our Circuit Court judges, who used to be called County Court judges, are employees of the County, but their clerks are employees of hte State. They have their own courthouse.

I mention all of this as the fact that the Arena had been built was picked up by a local politician. Or perhaps I should say gadfly, as he's not presently in office and has not been for quite a while. He was an opponent of the two recent efforts to build a new courthouse with an added .01 cent sales tax. The effort did fail, so there will not be a new courthouse.

That is neither here nor there, but every time it has come up, he's talked about how the County built a new "horse barn". The term was used in a very derogatory manner, suggesting that hte County wasted money by building a "horse barn" to be used by hicks who liked horses.

This went on for quite some time, sometimes in print, until I couldn't stand it any longer and replied to one of his letter to the editor comments, noting that hte County had built a "horse barn", with my own letter. In it I noted that it was an arena, and that hit was heavily used and, at that time, had actually just been used for an indoor Easter Egg hunt. In the end, not being able to resist sarcasm, I suggested that perhaps he use terms properly, or the perhaps next time he ran for Commissioner he could claim to be running for the "Politicians' Barn", or that perhaps he might claim to live in the "Sadler Barn" (his last name).

He did reply accusing me of being a lawyer. But he hasn't used the term again.

Pat

John Fitzgerald · Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:25 pm

I-70 passes through the center of our county, right through the Eagle River Valley. Everything along that corridor and up all the creeks is becoming totally suburbanized. The yuppies are building on every available patch of ground there. The rest of the county is agricultural.

We have 3 commissioners. The up valley yuppie, the down valley hick and a guy in the middle who will go either way, depending on his mood. There is a constant struggle between us hicks and the yuppies. They want scoccer fields, ball fields, and bike paths. We want riding arenas, event centers, and non-motorized trails.

I'm really surprised (and thankful) we got the new indoor arena.

John

"A good horse rides best for a good horseman"

Kelton Oliver · Thu Aug 04, 2005 9:21 pm

{i]Originally posted by Pat Holscher[/i]

He did reply accusing me of being a lawyer...

Pat

Is that a punishable offense in your state? [:o)]