In the history of warfare there are many things that stand out. But one of the most prolific is the use of horses, from the swift Numidian Cavalry which would scout and assault supply lines and engage in skirmishes against the Romans during Hannibal’s campaign in Italy, to the Mongol hordes ravaging the far east whose horsemanship was renowned. Masters of horse and bow and their ability to travel up to 60-80 miles a day made them a formidable foe.
In The Middle Ages it was the heavy cavalry that took the field, Knights atop fiery Warhorses all in a formation of ironclad and lances. With the goal of charging the enemy in the hopes to break their line and cause a rout, then the cavalry could pick off the fleeing soldiers.
With the introduction of gunpowder the role of cavalry was altered, heavy cavalry was too slow and cumbersome to prove effective against a wall of musket fire.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that the role of cavalry would be changed forever. At the outbreak of the First World War, Britain had around 25,000 horses available for service. The British army realised the importance of horses for the war to function, this created an enormous task for the Army Remount Service to find horses.
Requisition was one of the main ways that they acquired horses, an estimated 120,000 horses were commandeered from British civilians, leaving many farmers without any draught horses to work the fields.
Even with the mass requisition of horses from Britain it was still not enough, so the Remount Service set out to purchase horses from abroad with the majority of the horses and mules being imported from North America. Just over a staggering 600.000 horses and mules were bought and shipped to Britain. The shipping of these animals was no easy task, the Germans wanted to starve Britain into submission, so they used their U-boat fleet to engage in unrestricted submarine warfare. Sadly, this meant that it was not just merchant vessels transporting food and supplies that were being sunk, but also vessels carrying hundreds of horses and mules. In June of 1915 a British transport ship named the SS Armenian was torpedoed by a German U-boat, tragically as the ship sunk it took the entirety of its cargo with it, which consisted of 1,400 horses and mules.
The selection of horses fit for action was very important and closely monitored. There were two main roles for horses in the First World War, the first being riding horses for the cavalry and the second being draught horses to pull carts, artillery, supplies and even ambulances. Once the animal had been selected it was put into training for the role they suit.
On the 23rd of August 1914 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) began their first engagement of the war, the battle of Mons. The single cavalry division that was part of the BEF sent to France played a vital role in reconnaissance of the German armies movements, allowing the BEF to prepare a hasty defence. A day later on the 24th of August, the 9th lancers led a futile cavalry charge against a German line. The Germans defended themselves against the cavalryman with a hail of rifle, machine gun fire, and shelling from artillery. The outcome of such action left many men and horses of the 9th Lancers casualties of war.
It was clear after the battle of Mons that the use of mass cavalry charges were no match for rifles and machine guns. Although the horses role in the war was still vitally needed, cavalry that would originally charge headfirst into the fray took up the role of a highly mobile infantry, using the speed of their horses to get them from A to B much faster than ordinary infantry. This meant they could be used in all forms of battle, from reconnaissance, exploiting breakthroughs to filling the gaps in a broken line of defence and using their speed to counter-attack an enemy advance.
As the war raged on the need for riding horses became less and less, but the need for draught horses was rising by the day. Draught horses were essential for hauling large artillery guns and carts filled with supplies for the frontlines. Due to the horrendous thick mud, trucks were not able to reach the front, so horses became main method of transport. Sadly, this meant the casualty rate for horses began to sky-rocket. Horses hauling artillery guns weighing around 2.825lb through miles of mud was an exhausting task. Many horses would fall victim to fatigue and disease, all the while at risk of weapons of war such as artillery, mortars, gas attacks and machine guns. The conditions these horses had to work in and the psychological stress was just horrific.
Although the conditions the horses were working in were deplorable, the care and love they got from the soldiers working alongside them were not. Soldiers formed strong bonds with the horses they were assigned to, finding great comfort and friendship in these gentle giants. If a horse assigned to a soldier was killed it could be a devastating loss for the soldier, as if losing a close friend or loved one. The care that went into keeping horses healthy, well looked after and fed was of huge importance. Horses were to be groomed daily to help stop the build up of mud and keep the animals coat in a healthy condition so that the tack and harness could sit comfortably. Grooming also allowed the handler to check the horses body condition for any wounds or skin infections which would require treatment.
As a result of the obliteration of the landscape due to shelling, there was hardly any grass or natural fodder for the horses to graze on, so there was a huge logistical process of getting feed and fodder to the front. Horse feed was the largest commodity shipped to the front, but just like soldiers, due to either bad harvests or sinking of supply ship’s horse feed would be rationed.
Veterinary hospitals were of great importance to treat any injury or disease such as lameness, exhaustion, malnutrition, and infections caused by open wounds or mud. Vets also provided care for horses suffering major distress from a war environment. Very similar to shell shock, it was an endless job for the vets and staff of these hospitals as each day hundreds of horses would arrive all in need of treatment.
Over the duration of the entire war, British vets were able to treat 2.5 million horses with 2 million of these treated animals returning to the front. By the end of the war a tragic 8 million horses and mules would lose their lives, the highest death toll of any animal to die in war. After the war the army went to great lengths to try and rehome as many horses as possible, its estimated that around 500,000 horses were sold to new homes, unfortunately horses that could not be rehomed such as sick or old horses were destroyed, even worse due to lack of food many young horses were sold to slaughter for meat. It is reported that only one gelding called ‘Sandy’ was ever to return to Australia out of the 136,000 horses that were shipped to various frontlines.
It is clear looking back through history that everything achieved could not have been done without the use of the horse. What’s more, this humble and noble animal and all the sacrifices they have made in wars that they had no choice of being in is often overlooked. The innocence of these animals is always a sad thought looking back on wars, but the importance of their use echoes through time. So, on days of remembrance for those who gave their lives in war, it’s always worth giving a significant thought to our four-legged friends.
Article by Louis Peel.
Thank you Louis for submitting your article for International War Animal Day.