The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-03-21
WAR HORSE SUFFERS
FROM SHELL SHOCK
British Doctor Writes Home of
How Animals Are Cared For

home, writes:
am sure you would like the army
horses in Flanders. They are the most
beautiful things in the country,
especially the light and heavy draught
horses, for they have to recommend
them the fact that they do a job of work.
Saddle horses are lovely to look at, of
course, but they, like the cavalry, are
simply not in it in this war, and this
fact robs them of their charm just now,
when every one and everything is judg-
ed by his job of work. Unspoiled by
blinkers, they are not robbed of the
beauty of eye, and their winter coats
innocent often of clippers-only add to
their looks. That they keep so fit and
in such condition is due to the excellence
of their forage and the care of their
drivers. And the devotion of the men
is wonderful in many cases; they will
not leave their charges, and often are
transferred with them when they are
sent to other work and other units.
There is a great difference in the
horses as they go in and come out of
the line Full of fire and beans, con-
scious of excellent grooming and clean
wagons and polished harness, they seem
impatient to drag their guns from the
comfort of French billets to the I'm
known discomfort of the line. But
when they come out they are plastered
with mud and very tired, and show no
interest in the gun teams that pass them
on their way up. Very handsome are
they, with their small shapely heads and
intelligent eyes, as compared with the
heavy headed Persheron or the sleepy
Flemish horses.
Breed tells here. too, and the drivers
will tell you of the vast difference be-
tween Australian and English horses,
and the spirit with which they take up
guns or shells. and the Argentine and
Canadian horses that lie down and
founder IN any shell hole that gives
them excuse for rest. But these we'll
bred horses-like well bred or, shall |
say, highly organized men-suffer from
shell shock more than the low-bred
ones. And this is just what one would
imagine, though the same horse is in
fnitely more gallant than his low bred
companion.
A gunner told me an interesting story
of shell shock in his gun team-hoW
they were sheltering under a wall when
the shell exploded among them, but
miraculously all escaped unframed.
Never again would this gun team ap-
proach that wall without shaking and
quivering and falling down, or hear the
sound of near approaching shell with
out showing these same symptoms, as a
soldier might. These horses had to be
evacuated to veterinary hospital well
behind the lines and out of the range of
shell and bomb till time brought forget
fitness and they could be sent up again.
Never will horse forget any place
where previously he had been wounded.
When, for instance, he is taking am
munition up to battery he will SILVER
and tremble and hurry past at a gallop
any exposed spot or dangerous cross
roads where, perhaps months before, he
stopped bit of sharpnel. Very quick
are they to spot a near approaching
shell, and on an exposed road on their
way up they duck their heads and drop
on their knees, and even lie down, when
they see their drivers taking to cover
to avoid dangerously close one.
Time was when | used to think all
this Blue and Purple Cross work merely
an excess of sentimentality and an op-
portunity of spending money on worth
less objects. But now l am inclined to
think you cannot be too careful of a
good, trained war horse 1t pays, too,
for good horse is treasure and bad
one only fit to lose-as many horses
are ''lost" by their drivers so that fresh
ones may be drawn from ''remounts."
But still, for all that, the revolver is
the most commonly used veterinary
medicine, as it is the most efficient No
wounded horses with bone or Joint in
jury are preserved for a moment; but
all with flesh wounds are sent back to
veterinary hospitals to have their bits
of shell removed.
And when tell you that each Aus
tralian horse has cost 5000 to bring
from Australia and feed and care for
you will see where the economy comes
in. | suppose there is nothing quite so
good as some of these Australian
"walers," who landed in Egypt in the
early days, went ashore at the PENN
sula, were lucky enough to be brought
aboard at the evacuation, and now
seem to stand the cold and damp and
Smelling better than any others.
There is one wound, however, for
which horse is not evacuated, and
that is the common shell wound of the
face and jaw. Then it is that a good