army training for riding

[Rides 2 Far <rides2far@juno.com>]

> But I think our sport started as training 
> for> horses used in war.  DP

Just read my new Newsweek.  It stated this quote from when the Norther
Alliance took Mazar-e Sharif: "We have the airport, we have Mazar, we
have everything" exulted Gen. Rashid Dostum, the Uzbek warlord who
commands the Northern Alliance's forces in the northwest and who arrived
on horseback.  

It also mentioned that our C-130's are dropping "fodder" for the horses &
donkeys used by our special forces.

This got me thinking.  Back when the Russians invaded Afghanistan a
friend of mine was approached at an auction in Tennessee about selling
her mule.  Seems he'd been hired by the U.S. government to buy mules to
send to the resistance to use in that conflict.  This week I talked to
another endurance rider on-line whose husband has just been called up to
go to Ubeckistan...and I just got to thinking.  What if our government
put out a call for horses that could be used?  Can you imagine?  

I once read a story about a Civil War battle where a Southern officer had
a new Thoroughbred...when they began their charge the TB bolted and
outran all his troops taking him right at the Union army all by himself
no matter how hard he tried to get the horse in control...the union
soldiers saw him coming at them all by himself and thought it was Jeb
Stuart and they paniced and ran.  I'm afraid that if I was patriot enough
to donate Kaboot that's the sort of thing he'd do to a member of our
special forces...but just to torment myself I keep thinking...if *she* is
willing to give up her husband for the cause...would I be willing to give
up my endurance horse?

I think I'll take my mind off of it by getting out this GPS Josie won and
trying to figure it out. >g<

Angie
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