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Gentlemen,

I just bought the book "In der Kavallerie 1942-1945" by Lieutenant Miegler who wrote about his experiences in the German "Reiter Regiment 41". There are some interesting passages on Cavalry training, the use of captured French Spahi horses in Russia, and a lot of other interesting stuff. If you are interested I'll get down to translating a few things as we are experiencing a sort of rainy season here I should have some past time to do this. Just give me a shout.

Cheers

Tom

Tom Muller wrote:Gentlemen,

I just bought the book "In der Kavallerie 1942-1945" by Lieutenant Miegler who wrote about his experiences in the German "Reiter Regiment 41". There are some interesting passages on Cavalry training, the use of captured French Spahi horses in Russia, and a lot of other interesting stuff. If you are interested I'll get down to translating a few things as we are experiencing a sort of rainy season here I should have some past time to do this. Just give me a shout.

Cheers

Tom

I'm interested.

First riding lessons:

According to Hartmut Miegel who started his cavalry officer training on 01. July 1942 in Fürstenwalde east of Berlin, all of the other recruits had been riding before. When volunteering for a “Aufklärungsabteilung” which is a reconnaissance unit, he imagined to go to a motorcycle or armoured unit. He never imagined to go to a horse mounted unit, as he never even stroked a horse before.
Miegel writes: “Kissing the sand” (a graffiti he read on the stables wall) started in our first riding lesson. Not just for me! Still confident we lead the horses into the riding hall. No saddle, the snaffle reins tied on the neck of the horse. We were wearing heavy cavalry boots – without spurs. Spurs were only permitted much later, as a special reward. The riding hall with the huge mirror on the long side of the wall reminded me of a circus. The smell is similar too. We lead the horses by the reins. I shout “Rider Miegel and horse “Unfall” (which means accident)”. In the middle of the riding hall stands sergeant Pohle, next to him staff sergeant Albert Schulze fists on his hips. Pohle commands:”jump up” (I’m translating the commands as Miegel explains them). Well things are starting to happen now. Such a live horse is somewhat different from the wood and leather horses in the gym at home! It’s prancing, and moving about. “Get up, for f…. sake” Pohle screams at us. Apparently not all of my riding companions were used to riding bareback and fell off as well. “Attention” shouts Pohle. Then the next command: “About turn seated”! Not easy on horseback. The next command: “Cross your arms on the chest”. Facing backwards, we recruits try looking like cavalrymen. Now one of the NCO’s takes off his belt and slaps each horse on the haunches and off we go. Like rockets “Unfall”, “Vestalin” and “Zote” run off through the riding hall, around the next corner, just like a horse race. In the corners we fall off like ripe apples. Backwards! Nobody gets hurt, it’s like a miracle. This way we “kissed the sand” for the first time. We were on our long way becoming cavalrymen. From now on we have riding lessons twice a day, including grooming and polishing our mounts. Experienced NCO’s and CSM’s train us constantly, try to improve our seat and aids. All this in the riding hall, on the jump course and in the field.

Hope you enjoy and more to come

Tom

Sounds like they were trying to get the "falling off the horse" part out of the way before proceeding with the serious training. A bit unorthodox but it sort of makes sense (I might have a different opionion had it been me).

Barb horses in the German Cavalry – Russia 1944

Miegel writes:” In April 1944 the Regiment recieved the first Barb horses that were long overdue, small, wiry French Colonial horses. The German riders start loving them very soon. “Trusting, almost like a child” these reliable comrades were described. Hermann Wunder from 2nd Squadron writes:” We were all a bit worried when we had to give away our old horses and were issued these Barb stallions. Today I have to admit that these were the most enduring and reliable horses I have ever ridden. There were horses that stopped in their tracks when a rider came off and they waited until he could mount again. I could observe this behavior even under heavy artillery fire. Some day we got the order to camouflage the gray horses. They were camoed with “Byrtanin” (a hair dye made of birch sap – Tom) and took on a brown colour. It took us weeks to get the dye off again.”

Tom Muller wrote:Barb horses in the German Cavalry – Russia 1944

Miegel writes:” In April 1944 the Regiment recieved the first Barb horses that were long overdue, small, wiry French Colonial horses. The German riders start loving them very soon. “Trusting, almost like a child” these reliable comrades were described. Hermann Wunder from 2nd Squadron writes:” We were all a bit worried when we had to give away our old horses and were issued these Barb stallions. Today I have to admit that these were the most enduring and reliable horses I have ever ridden. There were horses that stopped in their tracks when a rider came off and they waited until he could mount again. I could observe this behavior even under heavy artillery fire. Some day we got the order to camouflage the gray horses. They were camoed with “Byrtanin” (a hair dye made of birch sap – Tom) and took on a brown colour. It took us weeks to get the dye off again.”

Who is interested in the use of this Barb-stallions in the Wehrmacht, should read the book "Kavallerie-Regiment Süd - Reiter-Regiment 41" written by Hans-Ulrich Berlin. In this regiment most of this horses were used and there are also some fotos of them in it.

Horrido!

Nicole

That seems very impresting are both those books in English or are they in German, if so I only know a few words of German?

Kentucky Horseman wrote:That seems very impresting are both those books in English or are they in German, if so I only know a few words of German?

As far as I know, these are German texts.

Kentucky Horseman wrote:That seems very impresting are both those books in English or are they in German, if so I only know a few words of German?

They are only available in German. Interesting is how often these guys were dismounted and then mounted again.

Tom