File:The horse and the war. Illustrated from drawings by Lionel Edwards and from photographs. With a note by Sir Douglas Haig (1918) (14598164668).jpg

Identifier: horsewarillustra00galt (find matches)
Title: The horse and the war. Illustrated from drawings by Lionel Edwards and from photographs. With a note by Sir Douglas Haig
Year: 1918 (1910s)
Authors: Galtrey, Sidney
Subjects: Great Britain. Army Horses
Publisher: London Country life
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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able management; and it has been their duty ever since towatch those units employing horses and to give useful advice for the improve-ment of the necessarily hard lot of horses and mules on active service closebehind the Line. Really efficient and tactful horse-masters have, I am sure,done good, though the splendid condition of the animals in France to-dayhas been primarily due to the better and milder winter. Then, the Directorof the Veterinary Service in France has abundant^ aided the good work byinstituting at each of his hospitals a ten-day course of lectures and instructionfor artillery and infantry transport officers. In this wa\^ 50 officers and300 N.C.O.s have taken the course each month. There was a time in the early days of the war when the horse knowledgeof such officers was more imaginary than real. For instance, an able andgenial Assistant Director of the Veterinary Service, who was working in aparticularly unhealthy part of the long Line, told me a true story which amply
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c So THE HORSE AND THE WAR illustrates with a saving grace of humour the square peg in the round hole.In the course of his visits a young infantry transport officer—such an officermay have about fifty animals in his care—complained of the poor qualityof the oats. Whats the matter with the oats ? inquired the A.D.V.S. Well, sir, was the reply, they are so small; they get into the horsesteeth. Ah, well, thats bad, very bad. Perhaps youd better indent on Dados (a person who is known officially as the Deputy Assistant Directorof Ordnance Supply) for some toothpicks ! Of course, the zealous transportofficer meant well. But the best part of the story is that a day or two laterthe boy was ordered to replace a casualty in the hne, and the first time hewent over the top he won the Military Cross. Clearly it was a case of a squarepeg having been in the round hole. Then, again, this same A.D.V.S. was giving instruction to a class ofofficers who were concerned with horses in the field, and on

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