Saddle Up | Ride with the Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard (FULL)

Marines located in Barstow, California are part of the only mounted color guard in the Corps. They travel the country participating in ceremonies, continuing one of the oldest traditions of Marine Corps.
Video by Sgt Tony Nardiello

[@kristiemoore2689]

I grew up on this base (early/mid 80's). I volunteered with the Base Stables and taught/helped some of the Mounted Color Guard how to ride and helped exercise the horses, teaching general horsemanship to the ones that knew nothing... Glad to see them keeping the dream alive!

[@CiscoZero]

I love horses and the cowboy way. Props to whomever made this video. This story has great pacing and story structure. It deserves more views.

[@daleswanson1784]

I get it, what these Marines and their trainer are experiencing and learning. I'm glad the Corps does this and I wish they could expand it but of course their job is to provide the worlds best fighting force, not provide color guards or ranchers. I was fortunate enough to grow up with horses. It started with my sister buying me a Morgan stallion for my birthday. Then a family friend who owned a circus horse knew his days were coming to an end and boarded his horse with us, knowing he would never come back. That white mare gave birth to a foal. My dad bought an Army surplus horse, a huge black gelding that came with an old time leather covered wooden calvary saddle and all the tack and gear. Then came a small pinto for my mom. We weren't ranchers or farmers, it all just happened without planning as a result of that first horse my older sister bought for my birthday and became something the family could share. It led to creating a pasture from some unused land, planting trees to provide proper shade in it outside of the barn. We had a small creek running through the property that we then had to care for in order to insure an adequate supply of clean untainted fresh running water. Horse manure accumulates quickly and has to be disposed of or properly used. Allowed to pile up it will generate high temperatures in warm weather and spontaneously combust. It is almost impossible to put out even with high pressure hoses and will reignite days later from a seemingly impossible sludgy mess. Stall floors have to be rebuilt with new wood periodically, hay, oats and water has to be rotated and kept free from rodents. Horses are expensive to own and the work required to take care of them is not insignificant. We lived within easy walking distance to a K-8 school but sometimes I rode my horse to school because I knew he would go home as soon as I went inside. My sister and I rode together as did the whole family, although mom was petite and somewhat intimidated which the horses will pick up on. Years later in the Marines, I often would go riding at the base stables or off base on weekends. To my great regret I haven't ridden in years and miss it. The value of riding was not only in that moment of enjoyment but in the lessons learned along the way. My dad grew up working as a blacksmith before going to college. He taught me how to care for a hoses hooves, saddle a horse right and stop them from bloating when you do. I learned how to make horseshoes from bar stock using a forge, anvil and tools, how to shoe horses, clean and float their teeth so they can digest their food. Washing, currying, brushing their manes and tales, checking for injuries, illnesses or allergies, what, how much and when to feed them plus more were things that came back to me later in life as invaluable experiences and lessons learned about life. I harvested and baled hay by hand to help pay for their feeding and upkeep. We learned how to care for leather, braid rope, install iron halter restraining bars in the box stall that wouldn't be ripped out the first time we took file to teeth and much, much more. I grew to understand what was mean by the cowboy way, that unwritten code of behavior, the work ethic, and the personal honesty and humility gained when the health and well being of another living thing depends on you for its very life. When you get close to an animal and you learn to trust each other, to have affection for one another, you learn lessons about responsibility, generosity and sacrifice that are hard to teach. When I was about 8 years old I was trotting down a dirt road on my Morgan decided for my first time to let the horse go full gallop. When I gave the morgan his head the burst of speed surprised and scared me. I wasn't strong enough to pull his head up so I jumped off, landing hard and rolling to a stop. Ginger, named for his color, stopped fast, came back and nuzzled me as if to see if I was alright and kept it up till I got up on my feet. As we walked back to the barn, I knew that he and I were to be close friends forever. We also had a Dalmatian who loved being with the horses. When the Calvary horse Old Smokey fell and couldn't get up, he somehow knew it was the end and wouldn't leave him, even after the vet came and put him down. He stayed with Smokey till they took him away and wouldn't eat for days. Fortunately the foal was born just days after Smokeys death and that snapped him out of it. He too was loyal to the family, to his end. I think this is why I loved taking care of my Marines and our Corpsmen, trying to teach them and guide them to always look out for each other. Marines are a lot like horses and dogs in that loyalty is everthing and you get back what you give. Both recognize a phony pronto and won't hestate to let you know. I have no regrets about the decades I spent in the Marines despite the many seperations from my wonderful loyal wife and sons, but I do wish I had been able to provide them with some of the expereinces that educated me about life and people, through the horses and the dogs.. The occasional day on a ranch or riding somebody else's horse at a stable just can't even scratch the surface. That's like watching someone else achieve or experience something important but without ever doing it yourself. If I do anything better as a father it would be to find a way to have my boys spend a couple of their summers on a working ranch while they were growing up. I'm trying to arrange that now for my granddaughter before she finishes school and is too busy with life to do it. I have two grandsons in college who have been heavily involved with sports that have had a taste but not as much as I would like. I think that taste may have been enough to maybe make them interested in doing more, especially and I hope when they become married and have kids.

[@ghostbear200123]

In the spirit of SSgt. Reckless, Fighting Fifth Marines. SEMPER FI‼️🍻

[@tuntavern5757]

Yee-haw !! Getty up go.... Well done brothers and sisters !!!

[@sammytravis4788]

Give us more!!!!

[@mustangmare]

So glad to see this.

[@alextalavera1397]

I've been trying to look into this, just don't know how to get to it. Really interested

[@adamdiaz84]

Alex Talavera, the color guard is housed at MCLB Barstow, CA.

[@cm-pr2ys]

If you’re cool with going to Barstow, then yeah, ask Gunny google

[@ddoc7117]

@@cm-pr2ys You make Barstow sound like a bad thing.

[@cescasmare6]

Stationed there from 2010 to 2013. Looked forward to the rodeo every year.

[@mayamcrosslow5241]

Is this an MOS in the Marines?

[@PlaneSaddles]

Is the saddle and tack standardized and issued through the normal system or is it whatever the Color Guard can find?

[@tasonycusa2093]

❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️

[@frankcruz8863]

I Love Country SoundTrack I Love It 🇺🇸💪🏻⚓️🪖👨🏼‍🎓😻

[@Roses6858]

Please give these people proper training. You’re not supposed to hold reins like that as it may cause difficulties for you and the horse.

[@adolfhitler9284]

1,2,3,4 U.S.M.C !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@frankcruz8863]

I Love Cowboy 🇺🇸💪🏻⚓️🪖👨🏼‍🎓🐴

[@luiteluet7465]

dose anyone know what breed of horses are used at all

[@hannahtex6768]

luite luet they are all palomino mustangs, or at least they were the last time I checked.

[@luiteluet7465]

@@hannahtex6768 ty so much :3

[@DanApparently]

Yeehaw

[@panamapatti3364]

Is this a joke? This is the Marines! When was the last time you cleaned that tack? Regroup, reorganize and start over. Since when did slob and Marine become synonymous? I'm supportive of the mounted color guard, but, this is embarrassing. P.S. - my father rode with the remount cavalry at Fort Riley Kansas 1937 - 39, and he taught me.

[@rosestorming5420]

Yeah, I thought it was weird how they were saying that they would communicate with the horses through body language, meanwhile they are being quite heavy handed with their shank bits. A real horsemen does not need to pull on a harsh shank to communicate with their horse. Foot note: They were bouncing a *lot* in the trot and canter. Even when I was a noob at riding (English) I was not bouncing around and ripping on my horses face..

[@redriverfire7931]

@@rosestorming5420 I can’t stand English saddles, but I grew up on a ranch so our style is a completely new thing here in Texas especially, it’s rough tough and sometimes ends up in us getting our horses drug to the ground by big steers or maverick bulls but they couldn’t keep in time with the horses I will admit