Forums at The Military Horse

Gentlemen,
What I propose it is a topic concerning cavalry training & tradition.
I present you pictures (from the late 40?s) of cavalry training & tradition of the Portuguese Cavalry. In a picture you see a Lieutenant at full gallop downstairs, followed by three other cavalrymen. This was at the city of Torres Novas where the Cavalry Practical School was placed in the 40?s. This is a tradition still kept. When leaving Military Academy young cavalry cadets go by train to the Cavalry Practical School. At the railway station the officers are waiting on horseback and also a horse for each cadet. The rest is ? (following the officers) ?a long and stressful ride across open fields and the city itself until everybody reach the school. This is done every year, now at Santarem, where the school is placed.
The others pictures are about an old challenge, words for what ?? Just a way to test the cavalryman?s guts.
Looking forward to knowing about other training & tradition of Cavalry around the world.
(Pat will post the pictures)
Miguel

Wow! Great photos.

This is a great idea for a thread as well. Indeed, about two or so years ago we tried to get a similiar one up and running, when there were a lot fewer participants, all of whom, at that time I think, were US participants. Unfortunately we didn't get too far that time, I'm hoping this thread will be a continuing one and we'll pick up a lot of good information.

Pat

A photo of the training of cavalrymen in World War One:



The photos of the steep declines above remind me of the photos of the two methods of going down the "Riley Slide" we used to have around here. I'll see if I can locate that old thread.

Pat

Here's the old info on the Ft. Riley Slide, but I failed to save a copy of the photos, and the old link to them no longer works. Interesting text none-the-less.

topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=140

Pat

Boy, the photo of the horse and rider biting the dust really brings back WAY to many recent memories! Ah, the fun of "taking the rough" off of a horse with Spring Fever! Ow...it hurts to laugh!!

Gordon

"After God, we owe our Victory to our Horses"

Gonsalo Jimenez de Quesada, 1543

Classic Cavalry school humor regarding the Ft. Riley slide, thanks to Philip.



Pat

Not really a training photo, but one of a timeless cavalry stunt. Jumping a big obstacle:


Photograph curtesy of the Denver Public Library, Western Heritage Collection.

Pat

Miguel:

Finally had time to scan these old hand-colored photos from the turn of the century. As you can see, some of the US training was similar to that used by Portugal. The last poor boy is in Hawaii, and looks as if he needs <i>more training</i>! The guys on the slide date to about 1916 or 1917, and are obviously using the old methods of riding.

Joe

Those slide photos just turn my stomach, eek!

It reminds me of an old Tim Conway skit in which he plays a kamikazee pilot, with Harvey Kormann as his instructor. Korman keeps using a magnetic board to show the plane approaching a ship, and then diving in it. In made up Japanese, Conway keeps repositioning the airplane to fly above the ship.

I think going around would be the preferred option! Having said that, just a few months ago I had the distinct pleasure of watching my father-in-law, and en expert horseman, ride a horse and take two pack horses down an incline about like that, which had a lot of loose rock as well. Always a pleasure to see an expert at work.

Well, I'm off topic. Neat to see these photos. Anybody have an idea as to training specifics, how long, course, etc?

Pat

These are very good pictures. Wherever you have horses you will have the same spirit, the same chalenges the same taste of adventure.
I am trying to get a few more interesting pictures about this subject.

Miguel

This question is more for Miguel and Oscar than anyone else, although many may have soem good responses.

In equitation training for Cavalry officers in Latin countries what style is taught and in how in depth is equitation studied academically (sic?). By style I refer to teachings by any particular master, school, or general works. Assuming emphasis is placed on cross country skills how much flat work training is practiced by Officers vs. enlisted personnel?

In the early period of the 20th century did Portugal, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico send any officers to Saumur, Tor Di Quinto, Pinerolo, Hanover or any other schools. I have seen photos of Latin officers at Ft. Riley in the 30's and 40's but no written info was available during the day I was researching to further detail it.

This may have been asked already so my apologies if it has; what type of saddles are in use now as opposed to the 20th century and are they the same as used in the school/s? Also is there a predominant style of bit/s?

Regards,
Ron Smith

Wow, great PIX!WIsh I had someone take a shot of my horse and I when we slid down an embankment on a wagon train ride I was on. I was playing "Indian ambush" as the train followed the dirt road cut through the hill. The deer track I was following disappeared at the crest of the embankment. As the wagoneers jeered at me and hollered I'd have to hustle to catch back up I said,"I don't think so!" Pointed my horse's nose over the 50'bank and down we skittered! AT the bottom the other folks stood slack jawed and after calling me crazy said, "Wow! Do that again!" So we did! What a rush! P.S. My horse is a 14.2 hh Arab Mare and I am a female! I was 35 at the time.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

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This question is more for Miguel and Oscar than anyone else, although many may have soem good responses.

In equitation training for Cavalry officers in Latin countries what style is taught and in how in depth is equitation studied academically (sic?). By style I refer to teachings by any particular master, school, or general works. Assuming emphasis is placed on cross country skills how much flat work training is practiced by Officers vs. enlisted personnel?

In the early period of the 20th century did Portugal, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico send any officers to Saumur, Tor Di Quinto, Pinerolo, Hanover or any other schools. I have seen photos of Latin officers at Ft. Riley in the 30's and 40's but no written info was available during the day I was researching to further detail it.

This may have been asked already so my apologies if it has; what type of saddles are in use now as opposed to the 20th century and are they the same as used in the school/s? Also is there a predominant style of bit/s?

Regards,
Ron Smith


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I'd be very interested in the answers to these questions as well. I'd also be curious as to the length of a training course in periods of weeks/months.

Pat

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Interesting photograph. What does the Chilean Army use for field tack?

Pat
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This quote is from the "US ARMY Reserve Equestrian Association" thread but I thought this is the thread to post some information (and to keep the topic alive until I can post something more significant about South American military saddles).

As you may already have guessed I’m not and expert in military tack, I’m learning a lot reading the forums but for the time being I’m keeping my mouth shut and let the experts talk.

But here is a little contribution on the topic that you my dear “military tack experts” can find of help, perhaps you can pick some information from the pictures posted below. Anyway I’ll try to get some mores detailed pictures of current military saddles (which I don’t have) as soon as possible.

These are the pictures of Army riders and horse that I could manage to put together.

http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/i/fotosesc/86/18.gif

Mounted section commander
http://www.ejercito.cl/carreras/images/ ... ontada.jpg

Mounted unit on patrol
http://www.ejercito.cl/carreras/images/ ... ontada.jpg"

Major Drummer “Timbalero” of the Granaderos (Grenadiers) Cavalry Regiment stationed at San Bernardo, 25 miles south of Santiago, that harbors the Presidential Escort Squadron.
Both pictures are from the Great Military Parade on Army Glories Day – Sept 19 each year-
http://www.ejercito.cl/carreras/images/timbalero.jpg

http://www.lun.com/fotos/4lcp3235.jpg

Presidential Escort Squadron

http://www.ejercito.cl/gif/escolta.jpg

http://www.ejercito.cl/noticias/images/parada1.jpg

Presentation unit of Artillery Regiment Nr. 1 “Tacna” during the Great Military Parade on Army Glories Day – Sept 19, 2.001, with their uniforms of 1.912 and Krupp guns and limbers of the early years of the last century.

http://www.lun.com/fotos/4LRD3220.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/warbook2000/no ... C00504.jpg

At the turn of the century President Germán Riesco ordered that the cavalry regiments Dragones (Dragoons), Lanceros (Lancers), Guías (Guides) y Cazadores (Hunters) detached an squadron each and put them under orders of the Secretary of the Interior (which in Chile is tasked with public safety) . That way they formed in 1902 the “Gendarmerie Regiment” to quell with rural delinquency, later it was called “Regiment of Carabineers”, and later Carabineers Corps . After 1927 this unit along with municipal urban polices and another rural unit that operates at the “Frontier” ( the territory gained from the araucanos the “Colonies Gendarmerie”) were put together as national police of military character called “Carabineros de Chile”.

I’ve made this prologue to explain that here in Chile the national police – Carabineros – has a strong horse tradition, as strong as the army’s, and they compete to each other every year in the equestrian championships. They also have an equitation school and policemen that serves on the border - officers and troop - have to be horse qualified.

I also bring them up because I could manage better – more detailed - pictures from the cops than from the soldiers regarding to tack and saddles.

Border patrol armed with Model 57 Sig Swiss made assault rifles 308 Win caliber.

http://www.carabineros.cl/institucion/g ... -1_cop.jpg"

http://www.carabineros.cl/institucion/g ... -1_cop.jpg


Policemen at service at Santiago downtown, present day. Mounted services at the major cities were suspended in the early sixties but they were reinstated in a small scale in 1987 when the Pope visit Chile. Due to the positive outcome, they’ve been thoroughly expanded in every major city - and beach resorts during summer - and lately a whole precinct was transformed to mounted service in Santiago, the 51 Mounted Precinct, with more that 120 troopers, that can be expanded to up to 300 if the need arises with horse qualified personnel from the Officer’s Academy, NCOs School and Equitation School.

http://www.carabineros.cl/admin/foto/1009813160.jpg

Director General Alberto Cienfuegos (Police C in C) inaugurating the new mounted service in Santiago’s downtown.

http://www.carabinerosdechile.cl/admin/ ... caball.jpg

Regarding the subject of the history and courses of the Equitation School of the Armored Cavalry School of the Chilean Army, the best thing to do is read the information of the URLs listed below. I’ll translate the information of courses of the Armored Cavalry School itself (Horse and tanks), the later harbors the Equitation School, which unfortunately is only in Spanish.

http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... storia.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... MEprog.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... MEofic.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... Ecivil.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingles/pagi/CIMG.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... MGprog.htm
http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/ingl ... perfec.htm

I will be delighted to give you that information but I need some time and once again I have to ask Pat to pubkish the pictures concerning the saddles and other equipment.
See you later.
Miguel

I did post these pictures on another thread, but I think that they’d be better here.
This two last pictures show a performance of the Black Cadre, the cavalry acrobatic team of the army, currently stationed south of Santiago at Regimiento Granaderos (Grenadiers)

Presentation of the Black Cadre, May 1999.

http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/i/fotosesc/99/31.gif

Presentation of the Black Cadre (September, 2000).

http://www.e-equitacion.cl/escuela/i/fo ... 000/25.gif

Dear friends, in this old post Miguel Freire from Portugal pasted old portuguese cavalry pictures, stating that they were taken at Santarem Cavalry School, and it seems i'ts the same location where the film was shot.

Oscar