Page 6 - Demo

Horses
at VMI
BY BRIAN BOWEN
Brian Bowen became a “rat” at VMI in 1939. A Lynchburg city boy, he had no previous equestrian experience.
The horse was big. No question about it. His wet, rubbery muzzle twitched, and then his lips took a nip at my grey wool shirt, leaving a streak of foamy saliva. “I may not like this cavalry stuff,” I told myself.
I’m not sure how I got in the cavalry. I can’t remember whether we chose our branch or whether we were just assigned; anyway, I was excited to be learning how to ride. This was 1939. Virginia Military Institute was still maintaining its traditional ROTC programs which included three branches: Infantry, Cavalry, and horse-drawn Field Artillery. The U.S. Army provided 150 horses and a cadre of enlisted men to take care of them and act as instructors.
All the Basic Skills
Our first lesson was in the paddock in front of the stables. First my instructor showed me how to place the saddle blanket and smooth it out. Then I threw the saddle on the horse, tightened the girth, and adjusted the stirrups. With visions of Tom Mix from the days of cowboy movies leaping onto his mount, I put my left foot in the stirrup, grabbed the pommel, and struggled my way into position. I gathered the reins and we filed into the corral. I looked down as my horse plopped his hooves in the
black, sticky mud mixed with manure and shuddered at the thought of falling off.
For the most part, Army horses are docile, obedient, and already programmed to perform. For this introduction the instructors had obviously chosen horses that fit this profile. All went well in the ring, and I was elated at my skill in controlling a real horse!
The horse era at VMI began back in 1919. The National Defense Act of 1916 had authorized college ROTC programs to add cavalry instruction to military science courses. Three years later the first contingent of government horses arrived, along with a contingent of regular army troopers to care for them and to provide instruction for the cadets.
Military science in ROTC included instruction in all the basic skills such as leadership, marksmanship, map reading, care and use of weapons, and use of artillery. At VMI it also included stable management, animal care, and equitation, to which I was now being introduced.
 LYNCH’S FERRY
A platoon of horse cavalry passes in review at VMI in 1942