Horse care charity remembers animals killed in battle

Thursday, 11 November 2010 17:34

A horse care charity has highlighted the sacrifices made in conflict by equines throughout the last century.

The Horse Trust, which is based in Speen, Buckinghamshire, devoted itself today - Armistice Day, designed to commemorate soldiers killed in battle - to honouring the memory of the thousands of four-legged friends that took part in the first and second world wars.

Brigadier Paul Jepson, the recently retired chief executive of the organisation and a current specialist policy consultant, laid a wreath at the Animals in War Memorial.

The charity, founded in 1886, provided the first motorised horse ambulance to transport wounded animals in France from the front line during the first world war.

Since then, it has been thoroughly engaged in providing veterinary treatment for beasts hurt or killed in war.

"It is thought that hundreds of thousands of horses and mules gave their lives for this country during World War One and World War Two - a sacrifice that deserves recognition," Mr Jepson said.

Posted by Elaine