The U.S. military is finally done horsing around. According to a report from Task and Purpose, the Department of Defense is significantly cutting back on funding for its Military Working Equid program, and it plans to put an end to almost all horse-related operations. Apparently, steeds are no longer fit for modern warfare in the eyes of some folks at the Pentagon.
Per the report, the Army will be redirecting $2 million that currently gets funneled into the Military Working Equid program to programs that focus on unspecified “readiness and warfighting priorities.” Soldiers who have worked with horses in the program will apparently be rerouted to other positions, as well. The funding drawdown will result in equine programs at several Army bases shuttering operations, including programs at Fort Irwin in California, Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and Fort Hood in Texas.
When all is said and done, the Army will be left with two horse teams, both of which will be used for ceremonial purposes only. One of those remaining teams will be the 3rd Infantry Regiment, otherwise known as the “the Old Guard,” at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, which temporarily shut down in 2022 following the death of two horses—likely the result of poor living conditions for the animals. The other stable that is staying is at Joint Base in San Antonio, Texas.
The Department of Defense currently owns 236 horses, mules, and donkeys, according to Task and Purpose. Caring for those creatures is a significant task, and one the Military does not seem equipped to handle at this point. Business Insider reported that 141 of those animals will be donated or sold to private owners on the grounds of “care and compassion.” The same report cited an Army veterinarian who said the military doesn’t have the veterinary resources needed to take care of the horses properly.
If the idea is to spend more money on warfighting programs, it probably makes sense to defund (and, crucially, re-home) the horses. The Army hasn’t used a cavalry charge since World War II, when the 26th Cavalry Regiment fought back against Japanese forces in the Philippines. The Army Special Forces did use horses during the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, but those were local horses rather than ones that the military trained on.
No word on whether Trojan horses will be exempted from the drawdown on horse-related warfare tactics.
The Army Is Giving Up on War Horses
