Canadian Horses in the War, Daily Racing Form, 1915-12-08

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CANADIAN HORSES IN THE WAR. Statistics furnished by the Remounts and Veterinary Branch of the Militia Depratment show that so fur only 1ft per cent, of the Canadian horses at the front have succumbed, and most of these were killed in battle. There are now approximately 15.-000 horses with the Canadian army corps iu France, each infantry division having 0.25ft horses. The horses of a division are taken care of by twelve veterinary officers and one mobile veterinary section of twenty-seven men. The mobile section takes care of the horses in the firing line. The slightly wounded or indisposed lieasts are cared for and returned to the front. If. however, the troops are on the move, all injured liorses are immediately collected and sent in groups hack to railhead, from where they go bv train to the nearest veterinary base hospital. When they become fit for duty they are sent to the regiment deiHit. where they are reissued for further use. liorses which in previous wars and in civilian life would be destroyed at once are taken in and treated so successfully that in due course they become fit for duty in the firing line. It is interesting to note that of six hundred and seven horses sent .-n one occasion to the field veterinary hospital only twelve died. Wounded horses are immediately given first aid. Any horse that can walk is rushed back to the mobile section or field hospital, his wounds are carefully treated and every care given him. When these liorses are being hurried away to the hospital fresh horses are being constantly brought to the front to replace them. During the second battle of Ypres. when the Canadians were pressed to their utmost, at no time was the supply of horses diminished at the firing line. As casualties occurred among the battery and transport liorses reinforcements were rushed through the storm of bursting shells to take their places. Although our guns were within three hundred yanls of the enemy, there never was a wagon or gun lost. Cases of horses with tea bullets in them have been known to reiiort complete recovery within a few weeks: in fact, some wounded horses have been back to the line within a week. It is interesting to note the war liorses* diet. They are fed three times a day. and get an allowance of eighteen pounds of hay. twelve pounds of oats, eight ixmnds of straw, or in lien of this four pounds of extra hay and two pounds of oats, or any other fodder procurable of equal food value, malt, sugar lieets. vegetables, etc. Tlie Canadian horses are reiiorted to be rolling in fat since they have gone to France. — Toronto Globe.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1915120801/drf1915120801_3_3
Local Identifier: drf1915120801_3_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800