For example, they could ride at any time during the day or night, in all terrain types. Broken stirrups were repaired with parachute cargo straps.Īlthough Nutsch said there was a steep learning curve at first, the men adapted well and the horses actually provided them with some flexibility. The men essentially received a horseback riding crash course involving hours on the horses as soon as they arrived in Afghanistan - a painful process that demanded using new muscles.įurthermore, the saddles and riding gear wasn’t designed to accommodate the Americans, who were larger and heavier than their Afghanistan counterparts, according to an Army news release. One of the other men on the team had ridden horses a little in high school, and it was a completely new experience for the other 10 members. Not everyone was as experienced as Nutsch. “There’s a whole lot of things going on besides having this half-wild animal that you’re trying to figure out how to ride,” Nutsch said.Īccording to Nutsch, it was “pure fate” that he grew up on a cattle ranch and already knew his way around horses. “We’re figuring out, how do you carry your rifle? What gear do I keep on my body? What can I put on the horse? What do I leave behind? You know, can I trust the guys next to me? Is there an ambush up ahead?” Nutsch said. Upon arrival, the team had a lot to learn - including how to ride the horses the locals rode within hours of touching down in Afghanistan. “There were a lot of unknowns,” Mulholland added.

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