Horsing Around

It wasn’t long ago that my wife, Brenda, and I were discussing vacation plans. Where could we go to “unplug” for a few days?

We considered a couple of old favorites.  Years ago we went to a rustic campground in the mountains.  We also considered Sugar Creek, Ohio, nestled in the midst of Amish country two hours away.

Then Brenda threw out another suggestion.  How about Lancaster, Penn.?  True, it’s a little further away, but it has all the Amish amenities and a theater that performs wonderful Christian-themed musicals.  The musical that was playing through the fall was called “Joseph.”  I was intrigued.  Then Brenda sweetened the pot.  Maybe we could also make a day trip to Gettysburg and tour the battlefield.

Now I have to stop right here and tell you that I’m a bona fide history geek.  I loved taking history classes, I minored in history in college, and I’ve always been a rabid reader of history books.  Gettysburg was, and still is, one of my favorite battles to study.  So when Brenda suggested a trip that included Gettysburg, I jumped at it.

That’s when she blindsided me.  I didn’t even see it coming:  “Maybe we could take one of the horseback riding tours.”

As you can probably guess, Brenda loves horses.  She’s ridden for many years and is very comfortable in the saddle.  I’ve only ridden once–and, to be honest, I wasn’t anxious to repeat the experience.  But how could I say no?  Brenda had stretched herself by agreeing to do something that I liked.  Why shouldn’t I?  Even if I was secretly scared to death?  I must have muttered something that sounded like “yes” because in a day or two all of the arrangements had been made.

We left for Lancaster two weeks later, and early Monday morning we made the hour long drive from Lancaster to Gettysburg.  We wound our way through the historic downtown area, and then onto one of the narrow roadways running parallel to the battlefield.  Before long we were sitting in a sprawling parking lot at a nearby campground.  Horses and trailers were visible in the distance.

I was introduced to the horse I would be riding.  His name was Prince, and strangely enough he did seem to have a royal baring.  I cautiously stroked his snout, hoping that he didn’t sense any of my fear.  Then I tossed out plenty of complements in a transparent attempt to win his favor.  So far, so good….

I put my foot in the stirrup, breathed deep and lifted myself up into the saddle.  Surprisingly, I felt very safe and comfortable.  The guide gave us a crash course in horsemanship, but she assured us that the horses were well-behaved and very responsive to commands, even for the greenest of riders like me.

Soon we were heading toward the battlefield.  Whatever fear I might have had disappeared as we neared the battlefield and I began focusing my attention on what the guide had to say.

It turns out we spend most of our time behind the battlefield.  We followed a trail that was over 150 years old and ran directly behind the Confederate lines.  It was used by the Confederates to ferry their messages and supplies during the battle.  We also stopped at a spot near General Lee’s monument that was probably used by Lee as an observation point.  Farther along the trail we saw an old farmhouse.  We were told that Confederate soldiers camped and ate their meals in the neighboring fields.  We also saw General Picket’s headquarters and passed through the woods where Picket’s soldiers waited before their famous charge on the battle’s third and final day.

For a history lover, it was an adventure of a lifetime.  I had toured the battlefield itself ten years ago.  But this tour was like taking a peek behind the curtain and seeing the things that actually made the battle possible.  Messages from Lee to his generals followed the same path we took.  It’s said that an army marches on its stomach, and we saw where the soldiers ate, slept and cooked their meals.  Picket’s charge is the most famous part of the battle and we saw where it all began—in the woods where 15,000 men huddled, waiting for the order to advance against the Federal lines.

I have a confession to make.  This horseback tour wasn’t just informative and eye opening.  It was actually fun.  Yeah, that’s right.  Fun.

Just don’t tell my wife….

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