The U.S. Army plans to significantly reduce its Military Working Equid program, offering 141 out of 236 military equines for adoption. These animals primarily participate in ceremonial activities such as parades and military funerals. Spokespeople emphasize their integral role in connecting the military to its heritage, contrasting with modern digital practices. The presence of these horses at ceremonies like military funerals is described as eloquent and symbolic, showcasing the importance of their historical contributions to military culture.
Those four-legged troopers are part of the Army family," Army spokesperson Steve Warren told reporters. "We're going to treat them with compassion."
The horses were never just horses," Captain Lydia Laga wrote in The Military Times. "They were part of a living, breathing connection to American military heritage."
There is something extraordinary and eloquent in seeing horses pull the caisson that bears the casket of a fallen soldier, under the folds of the stars and stripes.
The clop of the horse's hooves is a kind of muted drumroll. The horses, so beautifully trained, are elegant and stately.
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