Army will end most of its ceremonial horse programs and adopt out the animals

WASHINGTON AP The U S Army s history is closely tied to its cavalry units those soldiers who rode into battle on horseback But the system broadcasted Tuesday that it s moving toward a future without the ceremonial horses and will put largest part of them up for adoption The Army however will keep operating the Old Guard ceremonial caisson units at Joint Base San Antonio and Arlington National Cemetery for burial honors Ceremonial cavalry units will be closed down at bases including Fort Cavazos in Texas whose horses were showcased during the military parade in Washington on June which was the Army s th anniversary and also President Donald Trump s birthday Army spokesperson Steve Warren announced other ceremonial units will close at Fort Carson in Colorado Fort Sill in Oklahoma Fort Irwin in California Fort Riley in Kansas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona The Army estimates that closing down the units will save about million a year and the changes are being made as part of its overall warfighting realignment Warren noted The Army is giving the affected bases months to shutter the units A total of horses will be adopted outside the military Warren mentioned Specific horses may be donated to organizations but none will be sold he explained The horses are part of the Army family we re going to treat them with compassion Warren revealed The Army has just in the past few days resumed caisson operations at Arlington National Cemetery after an scrutiny ascertained the horses in those units were mistreated left to graze in lots with little grass leading them to consume sand and gravel Two horses died in and caisson operations were suspended until earlier this year The Arlington National Cemetery horses are part of the caisson platoon of the rd Infantry Regiment known as the Old Guard which is best known for guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the cemetery located just across the river from Washington Source