Archives for January 2022

By Mary Cioffi

Where do the wild horses go during these bitter cold, windy, wet winter storms?

After years of watching wild horses during all kinds of weather I find their ability to survive incredible!   Sometimes people tell me that horses don’t need shelters because they don’t have them in the wild.  In the wild the horses have miles and miles of terrain to wander over.  The lead mares hold the memories for the bands and on the first signs of a change in weather will guide the family to the best spot to find shelter for the current condition.

I love photographing horses during a storm.  All those lovely manes and tails flowing in the wind make such interesting shots. I sit in the warm comfort of my truck while I search for them on and between the hills.

One day, years ago, I was headed out to the hills of Nevada in the early spring to get some shots of wild horses in a wind-storm, suddenly the temperature dropped and the wind became a biting cold.  I was driving out in my truck and called a friend who lived in the area, on a hill that overlooked the range and asked if she could see horses with her binoculars.  She looked and looked and reported that she was unsure what she was seeing.  A couple miles from her house was a big brown ball against the east hillside.   It was too far away from her to tell what it was.  I drove over the rocky jeep trails to the area she described on the range while I could feel the cold wind pushing at the side of my truck.  As I turned around the corner, I was shocked to see all the horses in the area all standing together in a big giant circle.  Over 60 horses were hugging the hillside to feel less of the bitter cold wind.

Every band was there and all the new foals and their Mom’s were in the center of circle protected from the wind.  The babies in the very center, the Mom’s on the outside circle of the babies. Each mare standing at the hip or side of their own foal. The remaining mares and yearlings created the third circle with the band stallion standing behind and between the mares creating an imaginary line between the bands.  Lastly on the outside circle, creating one more wind block with their tails to the wind were the young well-muscled bachelors.  It was an amazing site. A large brown ball of over 60 horses packed in snuggly together in a tight circle to protect each other from the frigid cold wind.  Each member of the community understanding their responsibility to protect the new foals and each horse having a ranking. Occasionally a band stallion would pin his ears to remind a yearling colt or a bachelor stallion where he belonged.

That was an extreme example.  In general, on most days the horses will wander across the land searching for the best place to eat.  Many things factor into their decision of the direction they head.   How far to water?  The time of the day. They keep a distance from other bands or bachelors.  They move away from the noise of motorcycles, jeeps, humans, target shooters, predators and anything else that might make them at all threatened or uncomfortable.  As they travel around, just like you in your home, they may get a little cool or a little warm.  You might grab a sweater or take off one.  But they are limited to their environment.  If they are cold from the wind, they head to the side of the hill with less wind or drop down in a ravine or canyon.

As I drive across the desert looking for horses I use my binoculars to pan the landscape to find them.  I pull the truck off to the side of the trail and hike to them with my camera.  When I finally reach them I am frequently amazed at how the weather and temperature changes when I reach the area they are standing.   They know where to go and what to stand behind to get out of those chilly winds and they stand together and share each other’s warmth.

I have often witnessed my domestic horses shivering in the cold, yet I have never witnessed a wild horse shivering.   My horse has a barn to go in at any time.  It is rare that you will see her in her stall during a storm or rain.   Horses prefer cold weather to hot weather and prefer the open areas. You might see her stand in her stall in the heat of summer but rarely in the winter.

I once witnessed the old band stallion Shorty on a bitter cold and windy afternoon trot to the watering hole, jump into the pond and drop to his knees.  He barely stayed in, just a quick second.  Just enough to wet the outside of his coat.  He then stepped onto the shore and rolled in the wet sand, stood up, and then rolled on the other side.  He coated his entire body, even his neck and head, with a thick coating of mud which quickly dried.  I mentioned to a friend that shorty stopped to put his coat on. In only a few short minutes the warmth of his body and the wind dried the mud and he stood behind his mares with his thick coat of mud keeping him warm.  If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I would not have believed it.

Horses have been surviving in the wild for centuries.  The most important thing to understand is that the strongest survive for a reason.   It is not always strength… it is the smartest ones who follow the direction of their elders, remember the best places to go to stay comfortable and remember where all the secret watering holes are.  They do not need humans to distract them with a flake of hay because they feel sorry for them.   If we want to fight the cause to keep wild horse’s wild we need to let them be wild and only interfere when absolutely necessary for their survival.

~ By Kim Harris of Western History ALIVE!

I think I’ve kept you in suspense long enough. The end of 2021 was a challenging one, so here’s to a brighter 2022. To be honest, this was a difficult article to write. By using the “installment” method, I was able to put off the inevitable…until now. This is the final chapter in the life of Sgt. Reckless USMC.

The previous installment ended as Lt. Eric Pedersen left San Francisco with Reckless, for her journey to her final and permanent post – Camp Pendleton, approximately 500 miles south down the Pacific coast. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States, and is located in San Diego County.

Reckless’ arrival at the base was met with great fanfare. She was greeted at the gate by Camp Boss Major General John T. Sheldon, and then driven to the Ranch House to meet Mrs. Sheldon where it was love at first sight. Reckless of course made her mark in the guest book, but not without Lt. Pedersen’s intervention before she devoured the pen!

Sgt. Reckless was still on active duty and still expected to serve the Marines while at Camp Pendleton, however she was never to be considered an ordinary horse. Therefore Colonel Andrew Geer laid out a list of directives for her care. The list included, but was not limited to; “Nothing other than a blanket was ever to be placed upon her back, she would graze in a commodious pasture with the best greens,and she was to be groomed and inspected with regularity”. Also, as to her preferred delicacies, Geer laid out how often and when she could have Coca-Cola, milk, scrambled eggs and sugar, among other foods.

Colonel Geer also wrote a letter to Marine Corps Commandant Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. laying out directives for handling Reckless’ celebrity. Most importantly, she was never to appear on any program that was not dignified, or one that would compromise her integrity as a war heroine. Eventually, Reckless was a popular guest appearing in several parades in 1955, as well as on “Art Linkletter’s House Party” television show.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with a retired Marine, Richard Velarde of Stagecoach, NV. Velarde worked with Sgt. Reckless and her foal Fearless, when he was stationed at Camp Pendelton. He reminded me that everything was about perspective. While Geer, Pedersen and other’s might be “horse savvy”, not all Marines were, and at first some didn’t even know who the little “pony” was enclosed in the barbed wire fence, in the parking lot at Camp Pendleton.

Velarde, who took care of the General’s horses, requested of him that a Veterinarian see to the little horse, which turned out to be the famous Korean War heroine Sgt. Reckless. Her teeth needed filing, she needed de-worming, and looked lonely and sad. After she received the much needed attention, she became the darling of the base and all was right in her world once again.

Other “duties” Reckless was obligated to perform included military and civilian parades, and various retirement ceremonies, as well as guest appearances on Armed Forces Day. She also participated in drills like the one in March of 1958 when she, along with nearly 2,400 Marines marched in a 110 mile round-trip hike to Camp Elliot. The only trouble Reckless encountered was when she tried to cross a road rail. She got her front legs over, but could not get her lame hind leg to go over, so she was stuck half-way. Several Marines lifted her front legs back over and she was walked to an opening. However, when eight other Marines in that march dropped out due to various medical problems…Reckless made it the entire way carrying two (empty) artillery casings on her back for show.

Camp Pendleton served the Marines in many ways, but perhaps it never expected to be a “Mare-ternity” Ward. In early spring of 1957 a sign placed on the hill above the camp read “Its a ____”. On April 5^th the sign was completed with the word “boy” and with that, Reckless became a mother giving birth to her first colt named “Fearless”.The sign on the hill was eventually extended to read: “Mother and son doing fine.” Reckless would go on to foal three more colts, two of which would live. “Dauntless” was born in 1959, and Chesty was born in 1964. A little filly was born in 1966, but died of unknown causes only one moth later.

During her assignment at Camp Pendleton, Sgt. Reckless was the recipient of two additional promotions. On June 15 of 1959, she was promoted to Staff Sergeant Reckless level E-5. Then, later in 1959 the Marine Corps added two new pay grade levels – E-8 and E-9. With the new structure, Reckless’ level became “Acting Staff Sgt.” and she qualified for a promotion. On August 31,1959, Reckless was promoted to Staff Sergeant E-6. These promotions reflected the genuine respect the Marines had for her.

To show you that the Marines take ranks and tradition into no small consideration, I will share with you that the above promotion of Sgt. Reckless resulted in the removal of Corporal Winters as Reckless’ parade leader, because she now outranked him! A new ranking NCO was found to replace Winters when the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Randolph McCall Pate was chosen in Winter’s place.

Well, whether we want to admit it or not, we all need to face “retirement”. Reckless’ official retirement was set for November, 10, 1960 – six years to the day after arriving at Camp Pendleton. And Reckless never quit serving….”quit” was not in her vocabulary! She continued to serve in a therapeutic sense to soldiers who had served in war conflicts, and to those headed off to Vietnam.

No one lives for ever… not people, not horses. All we can do is acknowledge both for their contributions to our better way of life. According to Reckless’ Veterinarian Dr. Robert L. Miller, Reckless’ final years were plagued with ailments which led indirectly to her demise. In her final years, she suffered from arthritis and lamenitis. Recall this, she had worked hard and long during the battles in Korea and this was her ”reward”.

On May 13 of 1968, Reckless’ aliments, indirectly led to a freak accident. Reckless fell through a barbed wire fence and into a ravine. Although she was rushed to hospital, her injuries proved too severe and her life was humanely ended by Dr. Miller. Reckless was 20 years of age.

Her burial ceremony was a small and somber affair. Care was taken as to where and how she was buried on the Camp Pendelton property, to make sure that she was comfortable in her final rest. It wasn’t until November 20, 1971 that a memorial was erected in her honor. The 1^st Marine Division Association dedicated a black granite memorial at the camp’s stables front gate. The memorial includes a picture of Reckless in her parade blanket.

Three more memorials have since been dedicated in Sgt. Reckless’ honor. Two similar sculptures by artist Jocelyn Russell, via tremendous fundraising efforts, are here in the United States. The first of the two was unveiled on July 26, 2013 at Semper Fidelis Memorial Park at National Museum of the Marine Corps. The other was unveiled at Camp Pendleton on October 26, 2016. Both statues depict Reckless in action in Korea. The third memorial was dedicated in 2018 at Yeoncheon Gorangpogu History Park, near Battlefield of Outpost Vegas Battle.

A little Mongolian mare, who started her career as a racehorse, has become the legacy of a true Marine. So let me say, “Sgt. Reckless USMC – I salute you!