Honoring the War Horses and Their Dedicated Caretakers

They fought, rested, ate and died together.

This is the time of the year that we remember those who have fallen in war, especially in the Great War. The 100th anniversary was last year. In order to learn more about my grandfather’s role in World War I decided to research the anniversary. Edwin Clark was his name and I was just four years old at the time of his death, so I knew very little about him. I found out that he was a war veteran in the Canadian Field Artillery. It was a pleasant surprise that he also had the dangerous position of ” Driver“, which involved riding and caring for the war horses.

I collected so much information, I decided to write about his personal war. During my research, I became so fascinated by the emotional bond between the men and their horses that the story became about the deprivations and heroics of the horses rather than the men.

They spent the majority of their waking time caring for them, often in almost impossible circumstances. The men fought, ate, and rested together. They often slept and died together. It is impossible to deny that the lives of these men were hard and cruel, yet the men who cared for them took great care in alleviating their suffering. They formed strong bonds with the victims.

The men were dedicated to their war horses.

The horses and mules were friends, confidants and pseudo-counsellors who helped the men to air their grievances and discuss their suffering, and alleviate their depression. The men’s physical and mental health would have been much worse without their companionship. This relationship is one of the most extreme examples of how man relies on animals to provide comfort.