WAR HORSE FACTS – THE UNSUNG HEROThe horse has served man all through his wars for thousands of years. Their fortitude and resolve permitted man to conquer many lands and achieve many feats. Over the years, billions of men willingly offered to serve, but similar numbers of horses were requisitioned to the clashes of war without uttering a sound in rebuttal.
Horses were in high demand during times of conflict. Needed for transportation, they were taken from every aspect of humanity that included both public and private facilities. Horses participated heavily in wars by moving soldiers, generals, messages, armaments and food to the business that lay ahead of them. Through appalling conditions the horse took on the labor of these duties; some carrying soldiers and weapons up to the front line and returning as ambulances transporting wounded soldiers to makeshift medical wards for care.
The horse used in battle required skill and had to prove it was fit for the post. The horse required training to overcome its natural instinct to flee from the slightest uncertainty, which is a regular occurrence in the field of battle. Accepting any sudden or unusual movements of humans while using a weapon or avoiding one was an important ability the horse had to achieve to survive to the next day. Some horses were taught to bite, kick and strike in close combat, thus becoming weapons themselves for the warriors they carried.
As well as being taught to work together in close proximity with other animals, certain horses were trained for battle situations under chaotic conditions. During chariot warfare, and later for transporting people and items to the conflict, these loads were pulled by a team of two to four horses. As man evolved, so did his methods and tools used in warfare. The techniques man utilized in training a horse for war constantly changed, as warriors tried to find a system that would accomplish their goals in warfare. Some men devised practices that achieved their intended results, but many of these attempts were without merit and merciless. The horse suffered some of the negative impacts of these failed strategies, which prompted a few individuals to take a serious look at finding a healthier means for the horse's training and care. The earliest written training manual for war horses was a guide for the conditioning of a chariot horse. It dates back to 1345 BC and was written by Kikkuli who was the horse master to the Hittite king Suppililiuma. Kikkuli's training program produced superb horses for the Hittites that allowed them to become a mighty power rivaling Egypt.
He wrote an extensive piece from his research on the art of horse training for military purposes (Hippike or On Horsemanship) around 360 BC. His theoretical ideas of unifying humane training and care methods for horses found use in practical military applications. Xenophon's approach changed the systems of horse training forever; it was the beginning of what became known as good horsemanship. Xenophon lectured on teaching the horse to trust humans through civilized means, thus allowing the horse and human to unite their capabilities and simultaneously perform complex cavalry maneuvers.
Whether ridden by soldiers or used by them to tow other soldiers or weaponry, developing the balance and agility of the horse was crucial in fighting wars effectively. Horses were trained to be both obedient and maneuverable by reacting to various commands and cues from the rider or handler. Learning to react appropriately to certain situations the horse might encounter on the battlefield was a required combat skill. Xenophon and his works on cavalry training methods developed successful maneuvers designed for the battlefield. These classical horsemanship exercises were expanded over the centuries into the discipline of dressage and modern-day Olympic equestrian events.
From the first time that man first captured the horse from its freedom and required him to perform labor to the millions who served in war, the horse has made an unfaltering contribution to history. The horse deserves to be placed on a high pedestal not only for their dutiful service, but also as a memorial to the great misfortune of the ones who suffered and died. The voices of these “Unsung Heroes” are now silent, but their honor has in effect earned a loud reminder.
GENERAL FACTS
There were no green pastures of retirement for the faithful horse that survived war.
Perhaps the most pervasive component of an artillery division was not the equipment piece itself, but rather the horse that pulled it.
Cavalry mounts were the best horses selected from a pool of high quality animals.
Soldiers took advantage of every opportunity during a halt in a march to give extraordinary care to the animals on which so much depended. The troops would cut grasses, wheat and oats for feed wherever possible to give to the horses.
The men often slept in their saddles on long marches while the horses would tread wearily along in a somnambulist state.
The cavalry could cover about 35 miles a day without overburdening the men or horses. Under normal circumstances, at a walk, cavalry could cover four miles in an hour; at a slow trot, six; at a maneuvering trot, eight; at an alternate trot and walk, five; at a maneuvering gallop, twelve; and at a full extended gallop, sixteen.
Because of their status, generals usually rode horses and did not walk like the ordinary soldier.
Mounted horses during attacks had advantages and disadvantages for generals. The horse added height, facilitating them to see their men on the front line. This towering height also allowed their voices to carry over battlefield noise enabling their voices to be enhanced, thus extending their commanding abilities of the troops. Additionally, the men could spot their general without difficulty; above all the confusion on the ground and the sight of their commander majestically poised on his horse possibly strengthened them. However, there was a definite downside to the height and superiority of a mounted general; not only was the general more visible to his men, but the other troops could fix him as a target with ease.
The cavalry reached its height of prominence during the Civil War. This outstanding position marked the best moments the horse soldier would ever hold in the American military.
Artillery horses were generally selected after the Calvary chose the finest specimens. The cavalry used their horses hard but the artillery used the greatest number of horses and subjected them to the worst duty.
In addition to battle injuries, they suffered from disease and exhaustion from long marches, typically 16 miles in 10 hours pulling massive loads.
The movement of the artillery horse was made difficult because several were harnessed together into teams carrying weapons and supplies.
The capacity of a healthy horse to pull a load was affected by a number of factors. The main issue was the nature of the surface over which the load was being hauled. Horses were required to pull enormous weight. Documentation of certain wars offers astonishing abilities for a number of equines. Records indicate a single horse could pull 1,100 over rough ground individually, but if this horse carried a rider on its back, the pulling ability was reduced by one-half. In later wars where macadamized roads were available, the weight increased to 1900 pounds and eventually over a hard-paved road a single horse could pull 3,000 pounds 20 to 23 miles a day.
As time passed, safety factors were enacted that helped to prevent the massive loss of artillery horses due to fatigue from working extensively under brutal conditions. New safety guidelines required the pulling capacity of each horse be reduced to no more than 700 pounds. The number of horses in a team increased to six. Even though this team of six had only seven-ninths the pulling capacity it would have had in a team of two; the results extended the length of time a horse was employed.
Horses paid with their lives, after heavy fighting, during the Mexican Revolution.
Artillery and saddle horses had to endure ample danger in battle and many lost their lives. When a battery was under attack, horses were easier targets than men because of their mere size, as well as being a more tactical target. Supplies and weapons were impossible to move if the horses harnessed to them were dead or disabled. Horses are difficult to bring down and keep down, and during assaults their strength of mind and loyalty proved them able to endure much punishment. Unfortunately, even if the severely wounded horse could regain its footing, it was usually killed by another hit.
Despite the millions of horses killed or wounded in battle, the highest number were lost to disease, starvation and exhaustion.
EARLY WARS
The horses of the great Roman and Asian warriors were highly prized. One notable difference, the Asians favored pony sized horses, preferring their sure footedness to the large horses that the Romans desired. In fact, Alexander the Great used ponies to defeat his enemies as they battled throughout the mountains because of this trait. It is noted, after the dynamic pair of the Great Alexander and his horse, Bucephalus, it was all but expected of a conqueror that he have a favorite horse. See more on Bucephalus… Horses of Military / War
From the Revolutionary War to the middle of the 20th century, the horse served the U.S. Army in almost every military exploit. The last cavalryhorse, named “Chief” was given partial retirement in 1949 and full retirement in 1958. When Chief died on May 24, 1968, he was given a funeral with full honors with the Commanding General of the Army in attendance. Read more on Chief… Horses of Military / War
REVOLUTIONARY WAR
1775 - 1783
1775 - 1783
General George Washington established a mounted force and on December 11th, 1776, he wrote to Congress:
"From the experience I have had in this campaign of the utility of Horse, I am convinced there is no carrying on the war without them and I would therefore recommend the establishment of one or more Corps . . . In addition to those already raised in Virginia."
In the 18th century, armies relied on horses, mules and oxen to move their artillery and supplies as well as their cavalry. Without the animals, they would have been paralyzed.
CIVIL WAR
1861 - 1865
1861 - 1865
Total U.S. horse population in 1860 was put by the census at 6,115,458, of which only 1,698,328 were in the seceding states.
At the start of the war, the Northern states held approximately 3.4 million horses, while there were 1.7 million in the Confederate states. The border states of Missouri and Kentucky had an additional 800,000 horses. Adding to these totals, there were 100,000 mules in the North, 800,000 in the seceding states and 200,000 in Kentucky and Missouri.
In the North the government furnished the cavalry mounts and remounts, whereas in the south the soldier was expected to furnish his own.
It is estimated that the Union army alone had 825,000 horses and the Federals spent $124,000,000 acquiring them.
An enlisted man was paid forty to fifty cents per day for providing his own horse.
The average price of a horse was $150.00 a head. Occasionally, high-class horses were found, but the reverse was commonly true.
Horses that were between the ages of five and seven years old were usually selected for war.
The South had a fondness for horse racing. Race tracks were everywhere and the sport developed a superior stock of pure-blooded, fleet-footed animals. Ideal for the Calvary mount and these horses were superior and preferred to the North’s stocky, strong draft horses used in fields, ordinary carriage horses and riding horses.
Horses selected for military service needed to fit certain requirements. From writings and pictures of the war, various breeds of horses were used. Many were typical “Grade” quality, while some were “High-class” purebreds. The breeds native to and developed in the South were probably the most dominant. With long, hard hours spent in the saddle, the Tennessee Walker and the American Saddlebred were most widely used because their gaits were smooth and comfortable to ride and they had tremendous endurance. Morgans are depicted in papers and may have been widely utilized because of their small and compact confirmation. These features in a horse typically result in incredible endurance. One breed, not yet widespread in the United States during the War shows up in documentations; the small Arabian which is noted for being fiery, courageous, and having remarkable stamina.
During the Civil War, most of the fighting was done on Southern soil. Involuntarily, the South furnished many horses to the North because the local horses were easily seized by Northern troops. Some horses were bought, but many were taken from farmers within the area of the battles. There were instances that children's ponies were confiscated. Even though the Confederates had opportunities to take Northern horses during the occasional raids into Northern territory, the number taken was small compared to the thousands seized by Union troops, who occupied large areas of the South for several years. Eventually, both sides commandeered horses that belonged to enemy allies; not always out of necessity but simply to deprive the enemy of horses.
John Gibbon, a Major General for the Union, writes in his diary the qualities most valued in a horse intended for artillery.
"The horse for artillery service should be from fifteen to sixteen hands high ... should stand erect on his legs, be strongly built, but free in his movements; his shoulders should be large enough to give support to the collar but not too heavy; his body full, but not too long; the sides well rounded; the limbs solid with rather strong shanks, and the feet in good condition. To these qualities he should unite, as much as possible, the qualities of the saddle horse; should trot and gallop easily, have even gaits and not be skittish."
When the war was over at the surrender in Appomattox, VA, 1865, the horse played a very important role of unification between the North and South. Lee insisted on a provision to be granted to every Confederate cavalryman. When the men returned to civilian life, each of them was entitled to take his horse home. It was imperative that a soldier take his horse for without it the soldier wouldn't be able to work or eat. Lee knew and it was understood by Grant that the economic success of the Southerners depended more than ever upon the horse. This action was a crucial issue for the south to be capable of having an economical rebound. Accepted by Grant, this expression was part of the surrender terms.
The horse paid a dear price for America during the Civil War.
It has been estimated that 2.5 million horses died and close to 1 million mules were killed in the Civil War. These are astonishing numbers; horse and mules died at a rate almost six times the number that both Union and Confederate soldiers were killed.
Many historians believe the battle of Gettysburg was the most deadly for the horse. Both sides, Union and Confederacy used about 72,000 horses in the battle. After the fight, an estimate of three to five thousand animals lay dead on the field. Death was everywhere; scholars have calculated approximately 5000 to 7000 human lives were lost in the conflict. Over 51,000 casualties resulted (killed, wounded, captured and missing on both sides) in the entire campaign. At Gettysburg, the soldiers were buried and the dead horses and mules were dragged into piles and burned. Many of the wounded horses were taken to a field* near Rock Creek and shot. Their bodies never buried and for many years the bones lay in a brush on a run which flowed into Rock Creek.
At the Battle of Gettysburg, Major General Gibbon commanded the 2nd Division, II Corps on July 1 and July 2, 1863. While observing the horses of Chushing's Battery, Gibbon commented on the sight.
“One thing which forcibly occurred to me was the perfect quiet with which the horses stood in their places. Even when a shell, striking in the midst of a team, would knock over one or two of them or hurl one struggling in his death agonies to the ground, the rest would make no effort to struggle or escape but would stand stolidly by as if saying to themselves, 'It is fate, it is useless to try to avoid it”.
*The site was south of Culp's Hill, just east of the Abraham Spangler Farm and along the Baltimore Pike. It holds no marker on today's battlefield, but it is within sight of the Park's Visitor Center".
The horses of Bigelow's (9th Massachusetts) Battery lie dead on the battlefield after the fighting at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Even though many horses were killed in battle, starvation was another major cause of death for the horse in the war. Several diaries written by soldiers indicate the fluctuation in food available for the horses. During good times, an artillery horse was portioned 14 pounds of hay and 12 pounds of grain, usually oats, corn or barley each day. A cavalry horse received 12 pounds of hay and 10 pounds of grain. Often, these allotments were far less to nothing at all. There are accounts of horses eating merely two ears of worthless corn per day; as well as those having nothing to eat. The writings continue to speak of the affects the lack of food brought to the horses. These horses became so famished that eerie sounds bellowing from their mouths as to plead for food; some horse devoured tails and manes of other horses.
Although battle kills and starvation were major factors for the mass number of losses, illness, disease and intentional kills contributed to the foremost reasons why horses lost their lives during war. Poor food qualities and extreme changes of food caused many illnesses. The horse is an unusual creature; it can endure herculean feats but it is also extremely susceptible to an inexplicable number of ailments.
The North and South both faced the equine aliment of lameness. Problems ranged from a bruised hoof to diseases of the hoof i.e. hoof rot, grease-heel or the scratches. These diseases are caused by improper care, wet conditions, and lack of quality food. Frequently with these highly contagious diseases, the infected horses were deliberately destroyed. Even a bruise caused by a stone or misstep could develop into a more serious condition, hoof abscess. This too doomed the horse to death. If a horse came up lame or too physically distressed to continue its duties, they were killed by the soldiers on purpose. Many horses met this fate; even those that were not mortally ill or wounded were destroyed because there was no time to wait for them to heal. Time was of the essence in many situations of war and soldiers could not wait for the fatigued horses to recover after an extreme battle. They were shot by the retreating army rather than letting them fall into enemy hands. War is life and death and it can rarely convey compassion.
Lieutenant Frank Aretas Haskell, an aide-de-camp to General John Gibbon wrote a letter to his brother where he related the faithfulness of his horse,
"I am weary and sleepy, almost to such an extent as not to be able to sit on my horse. And my horse can hardly move--the spur will not start him--what can be the reason? I know that he has been touched by two or three bullets today, but not to wound or lame him." He goes on to say that try as he might the horse just would not move along at more than a walk. Lt. Haskell finally came upon an ambulance and borrowed their lantern to look at his horse and see what was wrong. "With a light I found what was the matter with "Billy". A bullet had entered his chest just in front of my left leg as I was mounted, and the blood was running down all his side and leg, and the air from his lungs came out of the bullet hole. I begged his pardon mentally for my cruelty in spurring him, and should have done so in words if he could have understood me".
Billy, the Lieutenant's horse, died not long after.
Of the Civil War Horse, Chaplain S.L. Gracey of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry said in a tribute to the war horse,
“A man may ride from Winchester to Petersburg, through rain and mud and cold and get little to eat and sleep and yet not suffer in health very much. But the horse that carries him on the trip is apt to reach his journey's end in pitiable plight. Hunger and cold have starved him, pitiless rain has pelted him, deepening mud has mired him and tired him. His back has been galled with pinching saddle or frozen blanket; he is leg weary and foot sore; decrepitude is in his gait and dejection in his eye; great scars are scalded on his weather-beaten front, and on his ribs and rump famine might hang her banner. Some indomitable wills bear up through it all, though, and these deserve to be rewarded of their country”.
Hard service and malnutrition were a great threat to the civil war horse.
Robert A. Niepert wrote in “The Expendable Horse In The Civil War”
“It is the great misfortune of horses that they can be saddle-broken and tamed. If the horse was more like an ox, not suited for riding, the war would have been drastically different. But no matter what the horses were put through, they soldiered on. Whether plodding through choking dust, struggling through mud, rushing up to a position at a gallop, or creeping backward in a fighting withdrawal, the horses always did what they had to do. They served their masters.”
THE McCLELLAN SADDLE
Captain George B. McClellan was in Europe to study the latest developments in European tactics, weaponry, and logistics many years before the first shot of the Civil War. Influenced by many books and manuals, McClellan constructed a final report of his studies. The majority of the information he wrote was adapted from Russian cavalry regulations which lead to the manual for American cavalry troops. Impressed by the Hungarian saddle, its influence is apparent in the design of McClellan’s cavalry saddle. This saddle was adopted by the U.S. War Department, in 1859. It was standard issue for the cavalry horse's remaining history.
SECOND BOER WAR
The Second Boer War also known as the South African War (outside South Africa), the Anglo-Boer War among most South Africans, was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902. Fought between Dutch–Afrikaner settlers, known as Boers, of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic (the Transvaal) and the Orange Free State and the British Empire; the British used shiploads of soldiers and horses that set sail from Australia for the Cape of Good Hope. Eventually, horses were pulled from around the world.
The number of horses killed in the war was unmatched at the time in modern warfare. Husbandry was not readily practiced during the Boer War, horses endured extreme hardship and died in unprecedented numbers. 60% of the horses died in combat or as the result of mistreatment as opposed to 3% of human combatants. As with all wars, the depletion of horses was not only due to combat fatalities but from unnecessary abuse. The reasons held true for the Boer War as well; overloading the horses with equipment, failure to rest and adapt horses after long sea voyages and later in the war, poor management by inexperienced mounted troops and distant control by unsympathetic staffs. Horses were on occasion slaughtered for their meat.
The BRITISH MOUNTS
Animals were an important part of the logistics for the Boer War, drawn from across the British Empire as well as Europe and the Americas. Of the more than 500,000 horses used by the British, almost 400,000 had to be shipped into South Africa including 50,000 from the United States and 35,000 from Australia. The sea voyage proved to be a terrible trauma and a horrific ordeal for the mounts of the British army. The horses suffered awfully and had undergone a loss of more than 13,000 during the journey.
The army had various breeds for their mounts, using everything from large English chargers and mongrel Argentines to the light wiry Australians and Burmese ponies, who although little, had great strength and endurance.
Argentine Horses
The Army only gave £16 ($25.00 US) on an average for the horses of cavalry type in Australia, while the English cavalry horse cost £40 per head ($63.00 US).
For the first time, mules were shipped from America to South Africa for military purposes. Mules played a vital part in the war despite suffering horrendous losses in their voyages to the area. Of the 150,000 mules purchased, some 50,000 perished before ever reaching the war region.
The weeks-long trip for the animals by sea was not over once they reached land. Many continued to travel to their destination by railroad, and the already weary creatures experienced continued losses. The average life expectancy of a British horse from the time of its arrival in South Africa was around six weeks.
British War Horse Hospital
(Illustration : Fortunino Matania)
Animals injured during battle were brought to Weston to recover from their wounds.
THE BOER MOUNTS
Boer mounts were hardy Cape Ponies who served loyally alongside their masters.
Cape Ponies
The HORSE MEMORIAL OF SOUTH AFRICA
Most of the horses brought to South Africa for the Boer war landed at Port Elizabeth. In 1901, an interest in the movement to establish a monument to the horses started. A ladies committee was formed with Mrs. Harriet Meyer as president. Those ladies with whom the idea of raising a monument to the horses originated raised enough money to have the monument erected in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The horse and the soldier are life size.
The horse and soldier are erected from a rock base. Carved from the base there sits a drinking trough for the wants of horses and of any thirsty traveler passing by.
Above the now shut off dripping water lion heads that once supplied the trough, an inscription reads:
The Greatness of a Nation
Consists not so much Upon the Number of its People
or the Extent of its Territory
as in the Extent and Justice of its Compassion
And below the trough reads:
Erected by Public Subscription
in Recognition of the Services of the Gallant Animals
Which Perished in the Anglo Boer War 1899-1902
With the trough that can still provide quenching pleasures and the depiction of the kneeling soldier offering the bucket for his horse, the observer can perhaps take away a lesson in kindness from the design of the monument.
It is not beneath ones’ self to attend the needs of an animal placed in their care.
Horses continued to be a vital part of other wars in the first half of the 1900s.
WORLD WAR I
1914–1918
1914–1918
All the major military participants of World War I began the conflict with cavalry forces.
However, as the war progressed and trench warfare predominated, new tactics and technical advancements changed the duties of the horse in combat. The use of cavalry underwent changes as barbed wire, machine guns, aircraft and tanks were introduced to the battlefield. The Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary stopped using cavalry on the Western Front not long after the war began but continued their deployment on the Eastern Front well into the war.
On the Allied side, the United Kingdom used mounted infantry and the cavalry throughout the war where as the United States used cavalry for only a short time. For the most part, the cavalry was not successful on the Western Front for the Allies but they did achieve accomplishments using the cavalry in the Middle Eastern theatre. Russia used cavalry forces on the Eastern Front, but with limited success. The Ottoman Empire used cavalry extensively during the war. Horses were used for logistical support throughout the war; horses were better than mechanized vehicles at traveling through deep mud and over rough terrain.
Horse trailers were first developed for use on the Western Front as equine ambulances.
When the war broke out in Western Europe in August 1914, both Britain and Germany had a cavalry force that numbered about 100,000 men each. Aside from this, the horse population in Britain was estimated between 20,000 and 25,000. These totals were not enough for Britain to sustain the large numbers needed to maintain a well supplied force. The U.S. helped provide Britain with remount efforts, even before it had formally entered the war. Between 1914 and 1918, the US sent almost one million horses overseas, and another 182,000 were taken overseas with American troops.
Horses were packed on to ships from around the world and sent overseas to fight in the war.
In the early days of the war, the German army mobilized 715,000 horses and the Austrians 600,000. Combining the Central Power nations, the ratio of horses to men in Central Powers nations was estimated at one to three.
Most accepted estimates put the number of horses that served in World War I at around six million; the majority of them died due to war-related causes.
Replacing horses became difficult as the war continued. In 1917, some troops were told that the loss of a horse was a greater tactical concern than the loss of a human soldier. Eventually, the Allied blockade was successful in preventing the Central Powers from importing horses to replace those lost. Even though the U.S. Army was well supplied, it too fell short of horses by the end of the war.
In October, 1917 the Australian mounted troops had characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry in the Great War. At the Battle of Beersheba in Palestine, the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade made the last successful cavalry charge in history.
One of the last attempts to use cavalry in an offensive on the Western Front occurred at Moreuil Woods in March of 1918 when a Canadian mounted unit attacked German infantry armed with machine guns. Only 4 of the 150 horses used in the charge survived.
The 6th Australian light-horse regiment camped outside Jerusalem. On Oct. 12th, 1918, they marched in Sheikh Jarrah, on the way to Mt. Scopus.
During the war, two and a half million horses were treated in veterinary hospitals with about two million being sufficiently cured that they could return to duty.
Over the course of the war, British Army Veterinary Corps hospitals treated 725,216 horses and successfully healing at least 529,064.
On the Western Front alone, over a million horses died.
Over one million U.S. horses served in the war and by the end of the war, only 200 returned to the US.
By the middle of 1917, Britain had procured 591,000 horses and over the course of the war, Britain lost over 484,000 horses, one horse for every two men. A small number of these, 210, were killed by poison gas.Soldiers used make shift gas mask for their horses because of Germany’s use of poison gas during World War 1.
Of those used by the British Army, approximately 60,000 are said to have been returned to Britain at the war's end.
Winston Churchill held an understanding for equine support after the Great War. Winston Churchill, aged 44 and Secretary of State for War for the United Kingdom took a personal interest to return the tens of thousands of the horses stranded in Europe after the First World War. The horses were at risk of disease, hunger and even death because unskilled officials couldn’t get them home when hostilities drew to a close.
Churchill reacted with fury when he was informed of their treatment and intervened to secure their safe return. Churchill sent angry memos within his own department and to the Ministry of Shipping. Rapidly extra vessels were sent off for repatriation; bringing the number of horses being returned to their homeland from approximately 3,000 a week to 9,000.Horseshoes for the War Horse
It is unknown who invented the first horseshoe, but probably from the very beginning when man first domesticated the horse he realized how susceptible the foot of the horse was to wear and tear and injury. The need to have these animals serviceable as much as possible was important. Man developed equipment to protect these sensitive areas and throughout time the “horseshoe” evolved. Read more on the Horseshoe….
Asians equipped their horses with booties made from hides and woven from plants. Basically these wraps were used for therapeutically purposes providing protection for sore hooves and helped guard against future injury.
Sometime after the first century, the roadways set down by ancient Romans proved detrimental to the horse’s feet. Inspired by the sandals strapped to their own feet, the Roman riders outfitted their horses with coverings made from leather and metal called "hipposandals" which fitted over horses' hooves and were fastened with leather straps. During the Crusades of the 12th century, England was casting coins as well as horseshoes from iron. Sometimes the value of the horseshoe exceeded that of the coin and horseshoes were accepted in lieu of money to pay taxes. With horseshoes circulating like currency, there was a supply available for mounts ridden during these holy wars.
U.S Army shoeing a Horse
(1909 - 1949 exact date unknown)
During the Industrial Revolution, horseshoe production reached new heights. The first machine to cast shoes on a large scale was introduced in 1800. During the Civil War, the Union forces had a horseshoe-forging machine that gave them a distinct advantage over the Confederate armies.
World War II
1939 - 1945
During the Second World War, the automobile replaced many of the duties the horse performed, however there were more horses used in World War II than in any other war in history.
The German and the Soviet armies used horses throughout the war for transportation of troops and supplies. Hitler’s armies reportedly used more horses and mules in WWII than the German armies used in WWI. The Germans had to use its automobile factories to produce tanks and aircraft for the war thus creating a shortage of motorized vehicles. The Nazi war machine also experienced frequent shortages of fossil fuels. Around 2.75 million horses filled this transportation deficiency in the war.
In Normandy, in 1944 one German infantry division had 5,000 horses.
The average number of German Army horses maintained during the entire war period was around 1,100,000.
The German military used the services of 37,000 farriers and 236 companies of veterinarians. Their hospitals treated over 100,000 horses a day, with the remarkable success rate of 70 to 75% of sick and injured horses being sent back into service.
The Soviets used 3.5 million horses.
In America, more than 6,000 horses were kept on post at Ft. Riley.
A well-known model of the horse used in World War II was during the 1939 invasion of the Nazi Germany armies marching into Poland. The under equipped Polish army used its horse cavalry to defend its country.
By the end of World War II, horses were seldom seen in battle, but they were still used extensively for the transport of troops and supplies.
Last American Charge
American had only one mounted tactical cavalry unit in combat during World War II. The 26th Cavalry (Philippine Scouts) was stationed at Ft Stotsenburg, Luzon. It fought both mounted and dismounted attacks against Japanese invasion troops in 1942. It was the last mounted charge in America’s annals, and proved the climax of the 26th Cavalry’s magnificent but doomed horseback campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army during the fall of the Philippines in 1941-42.
According to a Bataan survivor interviewed in the Washington Post (10 April 1977), starving US and Philippine troops ate all the regiment’s horses.
Horses at War Today
Although horses have little combat use today by modern armies, the military of many nations still maintain small numbers of mounted units for certain types of patrol and reconnaissance duties in extremely rugged terrain, including the current conflict in Afghanistan. Hungary, some Commonwealth countries, Balkan countries, and the former Soviet republics of Central Asia maintain cavalry units as part of light infantry and reconnaissance formations for use in mountainous terrain or areas where fuel supply may be difficult. In addition, mounted units are used for ceremonial, educational purposes and crowd control purposes. The only remaining fully horse-mounted regular regiment in the world is India’s 61st Cavalry.
Mules in War
Mules have been used in war for millenniums. They are patient, sure-footed and enduring. A horse of similar size shares the ground covering ability of a mule, but the mule is relatively stronger. Also, mules tend to require less food than a horse of similar size. These attributes are important for the role they have played and continue to carry out today in warfare. The job of carrying supplies, food, and weapons for the armies has allowed the mule to be a vital soldier.
Ancient Roman soldiers marched with one mule for every 10 men and during the French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte rode a mule across the Alps. He used them in his baggage trains as well. The Manual for Mountain Artillery, adopted by the U.S. Army in 1851, stated that the mountain howitzer was "generally transported by mules." This was a choice based on their fitness for the task.
As with all previous wars, the mule was commonly used in the Civil War to pull the supplies, food and guns. However, a document depicted of Confederate Brigadier General John D. Imboden’s account of the Battle of Port Republic in June 1862 is quite stunning on the danger of using mules in battle. Imboden was instructed by “Stonewall” Jackson to take his men and the mules, carrying the guns and ammunition, to a location he could fire upon the Union after the enemy retreated from their attack. Imboden found refuge in a shallow ravine about 100 yards behind Captain William Poague's Virginia battery, which was hotly engaged fighting Union soldiers. The sounds of Union artillery shells were screeching above the heads of the protected men and mules. Imboden recalls the following description of the action:
"The mules became frantic. They kicked, plunged and squealed. It was impossible to quiet them, and it took three or four men to hold one mule from breaking away. Each mule had about three hundred pounds weight on him, so securely fastened that the load could not be dislodged by any of his capers. Several of them lay down and tried to wallow their loads off. The men held these down and that suggested the idea of throwing them all to the ground and holding them there. The ravine sheltered us so we were in no danger from shot or shell which passed over us."
Even though mules were well-known for their defiance under fire, the superiority of their abilities to transport cargo in rough country offset this difficulty. Still today, mules are used as pack animals by U.S. Special forces and marines in rugged regions of Afghanistan.
In all the actions involving the American military from its inception up until the last charge in 1942 by the 26th Cavalry of Philipine Scouts against the Imperial Imperial Japanese Army, horses and mules have played a vital role to sustain soldiers. Although mules did immense work carrying necessities, the loyalty of a horse made it a better choice during critical events in battle, such as when the air was engulfed with the echo of weapons.
Throughout the history of mankind and his wars, a wide variety of animals have functioned and contributed their lives in combat, intelligence gathering, and other ways.
This list includes:
Bats
Bees
Camels
Cats
Dogs
Dolphins
Elephants
Microorganisms
Monkeys
Pigeons
Snakes
Squirrels
The Animals in War Memorial
On November 24, 2004 a magnificent 3.15 million dollar memorial to animals in war was unveiled by the Princess Royal. It is located on the eastern edge of Hyde Park in London, England.
Designed by leading English sculptor, David Backhouse, the memorial is dedicated to all the animals that served, suffered and died alongside British Commonwealth and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time. The memorial was inspired by Jilly Cooper's book, Animals in War, and was made possible by a specially set up fund of public donations.
This commanding and touching tribute puts on view a wall constructed from Portland stone; displaying engraved images of various struggling animals. Two heavily laden bronze mules are moving ahead towards the stairs of the monument, and a bronze horse and bronze dog are beyond the wall with the dog looking back while the horse boldly leads the group onward.
The main header of the memorial reads: "Animals in War”. There are two other separate inscriptions on the front, one directly beneath the header reads:
"This monument is dedicated to all the animals
that served and died alongside British and allied forces
in wars and campaigns throughout time"
Etched to the right of the first inscription the second, a smaller message simply reads:
"They had no choice"
Front of Monument
Back of Monument
Upon the rear of the memorial these words are inscribed:
"Many and various animals were employed to support British and Allied Forces in wars and campaigns over the centuries, and as a result millions died. From the pigeon to the elephant, they all played a vital role in every region of the world in the cause of human freedom."
"Their contribution must never be forgotten."
Go Green Tips:
- Plant leafy, deciduous trees blocking the summer sun around the barn. This will help shade it in summer, and in winter, when the leaves have dropped off, sunlight can stream through the branches bringing in the warmth. Try planting trees that can provide the horse with some edible benefits, but keep in mind that a grazing horse may have a natural desire to totally consume any plants it can access.
- We installed a protective fence around a Weeping Willow tree we planted. As the Willow matures, the lower branches will provide a good natural and healthy “munch” for the horses without fatal consequences for the tree.
Any Go Green Ideas?
Email us: info@agreenhorse.com
Why did this animal that had prospered so in the Colorado Desert leave his amiable homeland for Siberia?
There is no answer.
We know that when the horse negotiated the land bridge...
he found on the other end an opportunity for varied development that is one of the bright aspects of animal history.
He wandered into France and became the mighty Percheron,
and into Arabia, where he developed into a lovely poem of a horse,
and into Africa where he became the brilliant zebra,
and into Scotland, where he bred selectively to form the massive Clydesdale.
He would also journey into Spain, where his very name would become the designation for gentleman, a caballero, a man of the horse. There he would flourish mightily and serve the armies that would conquer much of the known world.
James Michener
