Horses played a significant role in World War I, serving valiantly on both sides of the conflict. The international charity, The Brooke, dedicated to enhancing the lives of horses, donkeys, and mules, remembers them and the bravery they showed.
Why were horses used in the First World War?
Horses were indispensable to military operations during World War I, serving as the backbone of logistics and combat support. While motorised vehicles were emerging, they were still in their infancy and often unreliable.
In contrast, horses and mules provided a dependable, versatile means of transportation, crucial for moving troops, supplies, and artillery across challenging terrains. These noble animals proved essential to the survival of soldiers and the effectiveness of military campaigns, often making the difference between victory and defeat in the harsh conditions of trench warfare.
What were horses used for?
At the start of WW1, most horses performed cavalry roles. However, their vulnerability to modern machine gun fire meant that by the end of the war, their role was based much more around transporting troops, ammunition, timber and pulling ambulances.
At the start of the war, the British Army had 25,000 horses at their disposal. A further 115,000 were purchased under the Horse Mobilisation Scheme. Thousands of horses were used to pull field guns, and with six to 12 horses required to pull each gun, exhaustion became a major obstacle, meaning more were drafted.
When did the British Army start conscripting horses?
The British Army began conscripting horses in 1914. Heavy draft horses, like shire and Clydesdale, were favoured, as their size and strength made them ideal for hauling heavy supplies.
Lighter and more agile horses were also preferable, including breeds such as thoroughbreds and hunters. Other favoured characteristics included horses with a calm temperament who could withstand the sounds of gunfire and shelling and those in good physical health.
How many horses did the army conscript?
Between 1915-1918 in Britain alone, one million horses were taken from civilians for warfare. The British Army conscripted horses from farmers, estates, businesses, racing stables and private individuals.
In the early weeks of war, the government sent out officers across the country to obtain horses. In most instances, owners didn’t have a say and the government imposed compulsory requisition orders, such as the Horse Mobilisation Scheme.
Farmers could apply for exemption if their horses were deemed essential for agricultural work, as maintaining food production was critical to the war effort. Sometimes replacement animals, such as older and less fit horses, were offered as a replacement.
Who looked after the horses in WW1?
Responsibility fell primarily on soldiers from the cavalry, artillery and transport units to look after their horses’ health. Veterinary corps, farriers, drivers and grooms and animal welfare groups such as The Red and Blue Cross were also involved in supporting their welfare. Vets treated 2.5 million horses over the course of WW1, and two million of those were returned to the battlefield.
A typical horse hospital could treat 2,000 animals at any one time, and the task could be arduous – taking up to 12 hours to clean a horse and its harness. As well as treating the physically exhausted and injured horses, the vets would also often encounter horses with mental distress. They noticed that well-bred horses were more likely to suffer from shell shock and be affected by the sights and sounds of battle than their less refined cousins, who could be taught to lie down and take cover at the sound of artillery fire.
The conditions of war made it incredibly difficult to maintain the horses' health and well-being, leading to millions dying or struggling against severe hardship.
How many horses died in the First World War?
Approximately eight million horses died, mostly on the Western Front across France and Belgium. France lost over one million horses. Around 484,000 horses were killed in Britain – one for every two men – with 7,000 lost in a single day during the Battle of Verdun in 1916.
For some horse owners watching this carnage unfold from the UK, the threat to their beloved animals was too much to bear. Fearing their horses would face terrifying conditions at war, some of them put their animals down to let them have a good death with an owner that cared for them.
What happened to horses captured by the enemy?
They were typically put to use by the capturing army given the demand for horses on both sides. Since horses were such a vital resource for transportation, cavalry, and logistics, neither side could afford to waste them and they and were often incorporated into their new army’s operations.
While some captured horses received veterinary care and continued service, others faced overwork, harsh conditions, or euthanasia.
Did any horses return home from the battlefields of World War One?
Some horses belonging to officers or special units were shipped back to their home countries after the war. In Britain this was costly, so many were left behind or sold as surplus in Europe and Egypt, having been so overworked and abused they were practically skeletons. Many of these animals worked on farms, were slaughtered for meat, or euthanised.
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Was WW1 the last conflict that used horses?
Unfortunately, not. But, due to advances in mechanisation, there were far fewer horses used by the British Army in WW2 compared to WW1. There are still horse stories to be told here, though, from the plight of neglected horses that never made it back to the UK after WW1, to the concerns of horse owners as WW2 loomed, and the occasions when animals had advantage over vehicles.
The threat of WW2 meant horse owners kept hold of their old war horses as they were concerned their younger horses would be mobilised for the war effort and they would not be able to replace them.
How true is the film War Horse?
The film very accurately highlights the immense scale of horses used during the war, the conditions and particularly the strong emotional bonds between soldiers and their horses.
Joey the horse’s resilience and strength can be compared to real life stories of ‘super horses’, including a horse named Warrior who fought in WW1 dubbed ‘the horse the Germans couldn’t kill’. You can learn more about Warrior in the link above.
You can watch War Horse on Amazon Prime
About Brooke
Brooke’s work began with a woman called Dorothy Brooke, who when living in Egypt in the 1930s encountered abandoned and sick war horses. Dorothy was compelled to write a letter to The Morning Post (now The Daily Telegraph) to expose their plight, which received an overwhelming response from readers and floods of donations to help end these horses’ suffering. She founded the Old War Horse Memorial in Cairo to support working horses, donkeys and mules, which has now spread to Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean as The Brooke. Her Majesty, Queen Camilla has been Brooke's president since 2006.
