Name:
Sergeant Tom
Date
of Birth: 1983
Breed:
17 H 2400 lb. grey Percheron
How
horse came to Ranger: retired from the South
Carolina National Guard. He arrived at Ranger during Memorial Day
week in May 2005.
Interesting characteristics
or anecdotes:
Sgt.
Tom was trained by the Amish with his half brother Terry.
They were inseparable and a perfect team, always in step with
each other. They went to Arlington together and
then on to South Carolina. According to Sgt. Lindsey
Riggs, their caretaker in SC, the pecking order was
always Terry, Tom, and then everyone else. Recently
Terry died of cancer, and Tom had to make a big adjustment.
Tom is very
herd oriented and is alpha in the pecking order. He
has a nice disposition, good with kids, and easy to work
around. He is accustomed to just everything and
considered bomb-proof. He is trained for pulling
carts and riding
Tom's first
job in the military was in The Old Guard at
Arlington National Cemetery in the Caisson Platoon of the 3rd
US Infantry Regiment at Ft. Myer, Virginia. He was
there for many years.
He then
went to the South Carolina National Guard Caisson
Detachment, and was quartered at Half Past Farms in
Ravenal, SC. He was there for 7 years.
One
of Tom’s distinguished achievements is participating in
the burial of the crew of the H. L. Hunley, a submarine lost
at sea during the Civil War and discovered in 1995.
The vessel sunk in 1864 moments after making history
as the first submarine ever to sink a ship in battle.
It was found resting on the floor at the Atlantic
Ocean off the coast of Charleston, SC,
well preserved under sand and silt with its eight
member crew intact. After
the vessel was raised, the crew was given a final burial
with full military honors.
Horse drawn caissons led the procession 4 miles
through downtown Charleston to Magnolia Cemetery where the
first two crews of the Hunley were buried.
Tom
also pulled the casket of Capt. Daniel Gardner McCollum, US
Marine Corps, buried in Columbia, SC. McCollum's plane
crashed in Pakistan in 2002 while supporting America's
war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
Special
care needs: Sgt.
Tom developed Anhydrosis, which is the inability to sweat.
Horses depend
heavily on sweating to regulate body temperature.
Not being able to work in the heat, Tom was forced to
retire. The more
northerly climate in Maryland is better suited for him.
On hot days he comes into a cool stall with a fan, he
is kept body-clipped, and he gets frequent “showers” from
a hose. His
pasture has lots of trees providing plenty of shade, and he is
on a supplement that helps him sweat.
Ranger
buddies: Tom
is getting to know his new Ranger family. He is the big
guy at the farm and still figuring out who will be his buddy.
Sponsorship:
Tom is in need of a sponsor
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