Cavalry Saddle
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103rd Cavalry Officer's saddle Lt. R.V.H. Wood $1,900.00 |
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U.S. Cavalry McClellan Handsewn Leather Saddle BROWN ** Battle Re-enactments ** $309.00 |
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McClellan Replica Cavalry Saddle - Brown - 15 $310.99 |
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U.S. Cavalry Army McClellan Reproduction Saddle Horse Tack Black $199.20 |
Is there some knack to wearing a full length uniform dress cloak and spurs and mounting a horse?
I'm a hapless actor with (the costume designer assures me) an accurate US civil war Union cavalry Lieutenant-Colonel's uniform.
The spurs keep catching in the hem of the cloak, and unless I ride side-saddle I can't mount a horse. Surely the lower part of the cloak should be split.
Or is the cloak purely formal and not worn in action?
In modern saddle seat wear, all coats have a single center vent that can give the appearance of tails, due to their long length.
The coat shouldn't reach all the way down to your spurs, most of them seem to come down to about the knee, or a little shorter when they're standing. Looking at some photos from the civil war, it seems that the lower part is split down the sides.
You should be able to reach your stirrup with your foot, and pull/jump yourself up and over the saddle. Have someone hold your leg and give you a boost over if you need to.
And never sit on the back flap of fabric, it should drape behind you.
How to mount a horse, if you need them.
Be on the left side. Always the left.
Put your left foot into the stirrup so the iron is on the ball of your foot. Be facing the saddle, or a point slightly behind it.
Hop a couple of times, and boost yourself up by jumping with your right foot, and then lifting over with your left.
At this point, get your right foot into the stirrup and adjust your seat to taste.
Or, you can have someone hold you by the left leg and help you boost up and over.
I'm a guy who's 5'6" with a 30 inch inseam, and I can do this just fine.
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103rd Cavalry Officer's saddle Lt. R.V.H. Wood $1,900.00 |
|
|
U.S. Cavalry McClellan Handsewn Leather Saddle BROWN ** Battle Re-enactments ** $309.00 |
|
|
McClellan Replica Cavalry Saddle - Brown - 15 $310.99 |
|
|
U.S. Cavalry Army McClellan Reproduction Saddle Horse Tack Black $199.20 |
Hell Hole Swamp Gator Ride 2009
The bugle call to the post?
About 5 minutes before post time the racetrack bugler sounds the call to the post. There are two different tunes used, both borrowed from the days of the old U.S. Army Horse Cavalry, "Assembly of Trumpeters" also known as "First Call" is the cavalrymen call to duty and is the tune used at Churchill Downs and most other racetracks, and "Mounted Drill" also known as "Boots and Saddles" is to call cavalrymen to their horses and is used at the Keeneland Race Track.
This is "First Call" used to call riders to the post at Churchill Downs, Pimlico Race Course, Belmont Park, and racetracks other than Keeneland:
http://www.superflag.com/doc/wavs/assembug.wav
This is "Boots and Saddles" used to call riders to the post at the Keeneland Race Course:
http://www.superflag.com/doc/wavs/boots.wav
Why does Keeneland use the "Boots and Saddles" bugle tune to call riders to the post rather than the "First Call" bugle tune used by most other racetracks?
I've wondered about what those tunes are for years!
I don't know the answer to your question; just wanted to thank you for answering mine!
