Extension Course at UOP

I thought that I should give myself a little free advertising here (since that's kind of what this is for) concerning my upcoming extension class that I am teaching at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA on March 12. By a strange series of coincidences, it's been entitled "History, Theory and Application of Cavalry, 1550-1600" (Well, that's what my previous class was called, to, so there you have it.)

The class will be entirely classroom this time (due to some insurance delays). But we can always get together on our own at a later date to do some field work for those who have horses, or even arrange for some rentals for those who don't. But you have to take the class first... Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Gordon

No Cavalry School in Salinas...

Sadly, the Cavalry "School of the Horse Soldier" that Doug Kidd was planning on teaching this weekend in Salinas at Camp Warhorse was cancelled due to an ungodly amount of rain this past week... and this weekend as well. We would have churned those pastures into a good representation of the Trenches in France in WWI! So instead I went with NEB to a Geekfest in SF, Wondercon, and met up with my old compadre Adam Baldwin from The Patriot. Lately he's been a main character in the TV-show-come-movie Firefly/Serenity, thus his appearance at the geekfest (currently he's starring in The Inside on Fox). All in all it was pretty fun, and worth the trip. Not as much fun as riding, but more fun that riding in the rain and sleeping in the mud for three days!

On a different note, my friend in Oz, Rod, forwarded me some great pictures of himself firing his flintlock carbine from the saddle, while kitted out in his English Civil Wars era Harquebusier rig. Pretty cool! Thanks Rod!

Readying for Cavalry Schooling!

I've been obsessing of late on getting things organized for the upcoming School of the Renaissance Soldier that the RMS is sponsoring on the first weekend of April, and of course my part of it is primarily the Cavalry Organization and Training. Yesterday I got together with three of the fellows who are planning on being there, and last Saturday did the same with three other folks who are planning on attending as Cavalry. There is, needless to say, an enormous amout of work to be done, from gathering together sufficient flintlock carbines and clothing to lend out as needed, to making sure that all of the required horses are healthy and show up, hay, tentage and food for the soldiers, etc. , not to mention the funds to secure various other things in advance.

In two weeks, however, I'm going to be just a trooper and let everyone else have to worry about such things. I'm taking a refresher course under my old pal Doug Kidd owner of Borderstates Leather Works, down at Camp Warhorse in Salinas, CA (School of the Horse Soldier). I did it last year, and had a great time with the folks that attended. This year I get to try it with a new horse who needs to be exposed to what a REAL Cavalry horse is supposed to do! Taxi has been great in helping to teach Woody the ropes, but only being with a LOT of other horses will get Woody really into the right frame of mind, to understand just why I make him do these crazy evolutions.

Now back to work, or off to play with horses. I'm sure I'll find SOMETHING to do...