Cavalry Spur Ride: But Where are the Horses?

This is a story of spurs, strength and the spirit only spouses can bring to the fight.

The early dawn hours of an August morning in north country New York were cool and humid. Bags were loaded and laces tightened. The packing list was complete, and all that was left was the sunscreen.

Gathered in the pavilion near the lake, 77 spouses of modern-day cavalry troopers stood quietly in the sun waiting for their spur ride  instructions. Lynda borrowed a helmet from a female trooper, as her soldier’s was too big for her.

An actual spur ride!

Excitement swept through the spouses; they all laughed and hugged as they waited for their horses to arrive. A dust cloud came down the road, not with the sounds of horse hooves, but with the engine’s roar of the modern cavalry. The spouses were quickly seated in the back of a light medium tactical vehicle (LMTVs) for what promised to be an adventurous day.

Carried far from main post and places to which they were unfamiliar, the spouses of 1-89 Cavalry, 10^th Mountain were dropped quickly into an uncleared patch of land now teaming with dragon flies who had come to warm their wings in the increasing heat.

The spouses listened to directions that guided them through their first task, identifying field gear, and progressing onto a land navigation course.

They muddled their way through an obstacle course and a three-mile ruck march and paused to show their skills on the rifle range. Having successfully annihilated their share of paper targets, they proceeded to their culminating event; a hike through the woods to a “hand-over-hand” rope challenge while suspended over the river.

Manned by an overzealous 1^st Sergeant and crew on the other side who delighted in dunking them all in the river, they made their way across to spot snipers and finally to be pinned with their ceremonial spurs.

The successful end to a long day, the cavalry spouses eased their way home for a shower and a long rest. It was the closest they would get to understanding what their troopers endure on a traditional cavalry spur ride.

Spur Rides of the Past.

As a glorious reminder of the cavalry’s past, the US Army cavalry trooper has retained many traditions including their stetsons and spurs. Today, as throughout history, all cavalry troopers wear their stetsons, but their spurs must still be earned!

On the frontier, spurs were not allowed for new troopers learning to ride because they would make training difficult. After extensive instruction and lessons, they were given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy, with sabre and horse, of earning their spurs.

Spur Rides of Today.

Today, a “Spur Ride” tests a trooper’s physical, technical, and professional abilities as well as stamina. To emulate their soldier’s tests of rigor, the spouses’ spur ride offers spouses of cavalry soldiers the opportunity to participate in various physical and mental challenges.

The Yellow Garter.

In the past, wives would earn the yellow garter for their time on the spur ride. A symbol of their trooper’s love, traditionally, all wives who had earned their garter, would wear their yellow garter, under their ball gown, three inches above their left knee.

All cavalry wives who were members of the yellow garter society would gather for pictures and, with skirts hiked just so, proudly display their membership into this exclusive club. Click here to read more on the tradition of the Garter.

Although the yellow garter ceremony hasn’t been seen in many years, the spouses’ spur ride is still an event of great importance within a cavalry unit.

This tradition is one of many that connect us, not just with our trooper, but with those cavalry spouses who have come before us. Though today’s hardships are vastly different from those endured by cavalry wives on the American frontier, as cavalry spouses, across the generations, we all hold close to our hearts our mounted trooper!

For more articles about Traditions and Protocol of our Great Army, Click Here… HOOAH!