The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-12-09
WOUNDED HORSES
RECOVER QUICKLY
Get Back to the Firing Line
Quicke Than the
Men.


OTTAWA Canada Dec. 9!S-An In:
teresting official account OF how
horses fare In; war Is contained in a
report received here from the Chief
Remount Officer with the Canadian
troops in France. There are approx.
mately 1000 horses with the Canad-
ian Army Corps An France, and the re:
port points out that even in modern
warfare each infantry division OF Eli
900 zen requires 200 horses. 9
Continuing, the report reads: b
THE horses of "a division are taken
care of by twelve veterinary officers
and one mobile veterinary section of
jtwenty:seven men, which attends to
tho horses in the firing line.
There Is one Canadian field hos
spital in France! composed of three hun
idred and eighty-seven men and six
officers. 1t has a capacity Of i one
thousand cases, and the work which
lis done there is really remarkable.
Horses; which in previous wars aud
in civilian life, would be destroyed at
once, are treated SO successfully that
in due course they become fit. for mil
litary duty in the firing line. It Is in
teresting to note that. Of six hundred
and ten horses sent in on one occas;
ion, only twelve died. Five hundred
and ninety.five eventually became fit
for reissue, or to be sold as casts for
easy duty. "a AZ
1.-THE men work under the most try
ing conditions, aften exposed to the
fire of rifle and big gun. They are up
around the lines all the time gathering
in wounded horses; their horscman-
ship is remarkable. Wounded horses
are Immediately given first aid. Any
horse that can walk is rushed back
to the mobile section, or field hospi-
tai his wounds are carefully treated
and every care given him.
During the second battle at Ypres,
when tile Canadians were pressed to
their utmost, at no time was supply
of horses diminished at the firing line.
AS casualties occurred among battery
and transport horses, reinforcements
were rashed through the storm OF
bursting shells to take their places.
Although our guns were within three
hundred yards of the enemy, there
never was a wagon or a gun lost, N
what is known as one of the {tiercest
engagements that has taken place in
5tfiG war. q S. & II /.
"Horse's wounds heal much quicker
than a mans. CasesJo horses with ten
bullets in. them have been known to
report; complete recovery withinSaifew
weeks. In fact, some wounded horses
have been back sinfthe firing 'lineswith-
in a week. IL a, horse cannot walk,
however, he is usually considered d
hopeless case, and must be DESTROYED.
These horses and those killed outright,
are thrown aside, during the engage
ment. and buried after.
Sin the hospitals cases are divided
into contagious diseases and wounded.
The hospitals are modern In every
respect. Great care lis taken to avoid
putting the horses to undue pain. Ami.
mails are seldom operated on without
tchloroforE. no date only 10 peir cent.
of the Canadian horses at the front
have succumbed and very few of
these died from disease. MostSof them
arej+killed in battle. &
q morse Is no SiMplet1n mat.
ter. There are over four hundred di.
,seases to which a horse is subject. AZ
he cannot tell how he is feeling, tits
very difficult to diagnose his case. The
Canadian! veteriniarns show great skill
in this respect. They uGe active .princi.
pal drugs and they have also develop
ed Ito a high degree the use of serums.
at Is interesting to note the war
horses diet; they are fed three times
a day and get an allowance Of eighteen
pounds OF hay, twelve pounds of oats,
eight pounds OF straw. or in lieu ofi this
four extra pounds Of ahaysand two
pounds of oats, or any other fodder
Of equal food value; malt, sugar beet,
vegetables, etc. The Canadian horses
are rolling in fat since they have been
in France" q.