Training For War

In this page we explore the stateside training that both soldiers and animals received prior to being shipped to France. Early moving picture clips from the U.S. National Archives show that some things have changed in 100 years, but much remains the same in the world of horsemanship and stable management. We will also look at the work of the Army Remount Service during and after the war, and its widespread influence over horse breeding in the United States well into the twentieth century.  

Horsemanship instruction at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, October 1917.Many men came in contact with horses and mules while serving in the army.

It was not just those who rode, who might belong to the cavalry or simply be officers entitled to a riding horse for transport. Far more men found themselves behind or beside a horse or mule that was pulling a wagon, gun, ambulance, water cart, or field kitchen. Many had never been near a horse in their life.

It was these men the animals knew best, though they were usually not the ones who knew most about the animals, except for the knowledge they acquired as they served in the battlefield.

Old films taken at training camps in the U.S. show first lessons in everything from how to get on the horse, to driving cross country. Horse care such as clipping (using a hand cranked clipping machine) and shoeing are also included. 

Click to jump to Becoming a Cavalryman, Driving, Packing, & Shoeing, Training the Animals and The Remount Service, or just scroll down.