horses included?

We couldn't afford horses while growing up, but I helped at a farm that boarded horses, so I got to ride a lot in my mid teens.  This on a cutting horse that barely was tall enough to be called a horse, but she was fearless and catching her to put a saddle on her got me kicked a few times.  (Her owner almost never rode her, but was fine for me to ride her a lot.)  There was a bounty on feral dogs a couple years, so we taught them not to be gun shy and would shoot our .22 pistols (we used for Coon Hunting) from their backs to collect some bounties. 

Years later when I was the XO of Longstreet's Corps (UnCivil War) all reenactors paraded through the town on Saturday and the reenactment was to be held on Sunday.  Unbeknownst to me, my CO had made a deal with a couple cavalrymen to borrow their horses and ride in front of our troops in the parade.  My CO asked only a few minutes before, "You do ride, don't you?"  The horse I borrowed belonged to a cavalryman who would have been short even for period cavalrymen.  I barely mounted and got right off to let out the length of the stirrups.  Took me no time to let the stirrups out and my CO commented, "I see you are experienced."   Now all we did was walk the horses ahead of the troops in the parade.

However, at the 125th year Anniversary of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, once again I would unexpectedly ride, but this time in the reenactment.  Following the pre-determined battle plan, I broke off half of Longstreet's Corps and crossed into a different field "to support" the Stonewall Brigade.  After arriving and we fired some volleys, Rusty Todd portraying Stonewall Jackson, sent word for me to report to him.  I didn't realize this would be filmed for the video they were making on the event.  After I saluted and reported to him, he thanked me for so quickly coming to their support and offered me his hand to shake.  He then said, "Bring that horse over here for the Major (me), as he will need it.  I got close to him and said in a low voice, "Rusty, this may be a bad idea.  Is that horse trained for the noise of the re-enactment?"  He replied it was well trained by a cavalryman, though this was a different horse than I had ridden before.  Then in a regular voice he replied, "You are welcome, Major, now please return to your troops." 

I took a little time to stroke the horse's neck and get used to my smell and voice before I mounted him.  For those who don't ride, the confidence and experience of the rider (or the lack of same) "flows right down the reins to the horse."  The horse was well trained even for cannon fire, so we got along great.  I meant to walk him back to my troops, but he wanted to do a pretty canter, so I went with it.  I took up my station behind and centered on my troops and everything went well.  

Finally Rusty ordered me to lead the Brigade for the final assault on the Federal Lines.  This was to be done at the quick march and then followed by a charge.  Well, that could have become VERY dangerous, and I was not about to go crashing through the Federal lines on horseback in a reenactment and hurt people badly.  So a little before the point to make the charge, I ordered the troops to close up on my right and left, gave them a period pep talk and ordered them to charge.  I could feel the horse wanted to charge, but I kept him reined in while the troops took off.  Then I walked the horse forward and remained outside the Federal lines for safety.  

I was later informed it actually looked good to both the crowd and the reenactors, but I was happy no one got hurt by the horse.

Gus