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The idea of a-horse
mounted unit in the 12th Cavalry at Fort Carson, Colorado was
first thought of by Mr. Hugh Trabandt, manager of the Special
Services Riding Stables during the early Fall of 1960.
The 12th Calvalry Squadron Commander approved the idea and called
for volunteers to form a mounted platoon of approximately one
officer and 16 enlisted men. This group reported to the stables
five days a week, at 5:00 a.m. to receive mounted instruction
in equitation under Mr. Trabandt. This lasted until winter weather
set in, and cold weather and early morning darkness forced the
cancellation of the instruction period. This ended the initial
attempt to form a mounted platoon.
From the really interested members to the above initial unit,
a group of four men, with SGT Billy King as the chief motivator,
formed a mounted color guard. Initially, they were able to wear
the olive drab uniform with the old campaign hats with yellow
hat cords of the Cavalry. Regulation brown 3-buckle boots and
spurs were located and procured, and four highly prized old brown
leather Cavalry McClellan saddles and olive drab blankets were
procured through devious ways. Two sabers were obtained, and the
mounted colors of the 12th Cavalry came into being during the
summer of 1961.
Later that same year, five more men were added to the color guard
- these five men carried the red and white guidons - one for each
troop of the 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry. Since no McClellan saddles
were available, they repaired and used five old "Phillips"
type flat (English) saddles that were borrowed from Special Services
Riding Stable. All horses used by this unit were Special Services
horses - the same horses that were rented out to military pleasure
riders and their dependents.
During the fall of 1961, the men of this unit, with the ready
assent of the Squadron Commander, decided that the unit should
change their uniforms from olive drab to the type of blue uniform
worn by the U.S. Cavalry during the Civil War and the later Indian
Wars in the west. The Army campaign hat was discarded and replaced
by the black "slouch hat" with yellow hat cord and brass
crossed sabers as hat insignia. The O.D. shirt was replaced by
one of dark blue, worn with a yellow neckerchief, and skyblue
trousers with the yellow Cavalry stripe and black boots completed
the change in appearance. Also about this time, an NCO in charge
of the nine man group was assigned, raising the total strength
to ten men.
When Major General Roland Gleszer assumed command of the 5th Infantry
Division (Mechanized) and saw the "horse solders" of
the 12th Cavalry on a street parade in Colorado Springs in 1968,
he visualized the usefulness of such a unit as an excellent public
relations link between the Army and the public, as well as its
value in enhancing and adding color to various ceremonies at Fort
Carson. He gave instructions that the unit was to be enlarged
to a full platoon consisting of a Platoon Leader and 20 men of
whom four were to furnish the
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Mounted
Color Guard when needed. Also, General Gleszer desired better
quality horses for the unit, and all men to ride the Cavalry
McClellan saddles, instead of a "mixture" of equipment
that had existed up to this time. Funds were made available
for purchase of the saddlery - and here came a difficulty: no
saddles for purchase could be located anywhere. A west coast
firm was finally found that could reproduce the saddles and
bridles, in the authentic black leather used by our Cavalry
prior to 1900. Staff Sergeant Donald Mutter, the Platoon Leader,
after much research, came up with authentic drawings of the
Cavalry uniform worn during the Indian Wars in the 1870s and
1880s. A firm in Denver made up the uniforms to his specifications.
Mr. Jack Gayler, the manager of the Special Services Stable,
combed the countryside for good and suitable horses for the
Horse Platoon - so, at long last, after 8 years of struggle
and "make-do," the Platoon was in existence, properly
uniformed and mounted on excellent horses. All of the above
consumed many months, getting the various equipment together,
so it was not until the Spring of 1969 that the unit was ready
to learn the basic elements of Cavalry drill.
Cavalry drill? Does anyone know how to do it? NO. Are there
any manuals available from which to learn the drill? Again,
no. Here the Platoon was stopped dead in its tracks - no one
in the Division, much less the Horse Platoon had even seen the
"Cavalry Drill." Finally it occurred to some members
of the Platoon that there was an old retired Cavalry officer
that boarded his own horse out at Special Services Stables,
Colonel Carroll Prunty. A request was made to him for help,
and he gladly held a "school session" indoors, explaining
the different movements of "Cavalry drill" - how to
form the platoon, mount, form rank, and the various changes
in formation such as forming column of twos, column of fours,
line and other pertinent information. Next, a session was held
with the men on horse-back and from then on, the Horse Platoon
was a going concern.
Under the guidance of the Platoon Leader, SSG Mutter, a "musical
ride" was drawn up and committed to memory by the men.
So, beginning with the summer of 1969, and extending up to the
present time, 1971, the Horse Platoon has made many appearances
at rodeos and street parades, and has been more than well liked.
Requests for their return this year (1971) are already being
received from many places, and other cities from as far away
as Montana, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico have heard of the Platoon
and have sent in requests for their presence at a myriad of
functions.
It should be brought to the attention of all who see or hear
of Fort Carson's "Horse Platoon," that it is comprised
entirely of volunteers. Each man trains at his assigned MOS
(Military Occupation Specialty) during the morning hours with
his mechanized troop of the 4th Squadron, 12th Armored Cavalry
Regiment, and comes to the Platoon stables in the afternoon
to care for his horse and saddle equipment, and to take part
in Cavalry Drill rehearsing the "Musical Ride." Many
of the men are combat veterans of the present war in Vietnam
- and most are former ranch boys, wanting to be around horses
again.
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