CARE OF HORSES AT THE FRONT.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1307, 13 May 1915, Page 38

CARE OF HORSES AT THE FRONT.

ANIMALS IN SPLENDID CONDITION. (By the Earl of Lonsdale.) Having noticed in Mr Tennant’s admirable speech in the House of Commons the great and deserved tributes he paid to the medical service and the perfection of system of both sanitation and inoculation, I think it may be of value to those interested in animals to have • their attention drawn to the Army Veterinary- Corps, which comes under the quartermaster-General's department, and- under General- Pringle on this side of the -. Channel, and under General Moore, who represents it i n the English Expeditionary Force. It would be gratifying to some who have not a very flattering opinion as to the work of the Army Veterinary Corps and the Remount Department. All lovers of horses can rest assured that my remarks are rather those of cne who went to curse but returned to bless. I have heard much of the difficulties and suffering connected with the animals. but I have not the slightest hesitation in assuring the whole of the English horse-loving world that I do not believe in all the various departments ot the army there is any branch that deserves more credt, and shows more astonishing foresight in the alleviation

of suffering and general superintendence of -the animals, than do the Army Veterinary Corps and the Remount Department.

I have heard many criticisms about the treatment of horses, and I have heard reports of shortage of medicaments, of necessary instruments, and of the means of transport of the animals. To those my only answer is that I found no suchdifficulties.

I was enormously impressed by the health and vitality of all the horses that I saw. Many of the artillery horses looked exceedingly well; all the cavalry horses that I saw (of course with certain, exceptions) looked magnificent —which is a very strong word to use, but a true one!

I then went down to the various bases. At No. 1 I found hospital bases that had been built with stable shelters ■ far the horses constructed of iron. These had been specially erected, and were to my mind far preferable to the wooden ones I saw at other places. They are divided into sections and every hospital within h certain distance from the front is calculated and based on the thousandhorse system. The ground selected was, in my humble opinion, admirable. . I found that the veterinary surgeons, some of whom I knew, were most capable. The dressers were all that could be desired. The operating theatres were arranged as perfectly as could be done -in our own city of London. The

instruments, medicaments, and everything necessary for the respective hospitals were of the finest quality, and, to my great surprise up to strength for all requirements -and most fully equipped.

There are, of course, many cases of suffering—shrapnel wounds, sore backs, and the like,—but the principal injuries were to- the feet probably produced by nails causing quitter, and the difficulties with lice and mange, but in every case the individual horse was separated and looked after in accordance with its particular malady, ano not observe ■one single instance of neglect throughout the many thousands of horses that I saw.

That there are sufferings, that there are shortcomings, that there are little details which could be rectified, I do not for one minute dispute, and I should say that the want of horse-ambulances, coarseness of the shoes, the want of proper-sized nose-bags, the lack of head or neck collars in place of headstalls .(which are necessary in cases of catarrh, strangles, or pneumonia) is probably the greatest criticism that I could make. This is, however, a small 'detail which is being rectified. Should any of the public wish, to subscribe in the interests of the animals the kindest thing that could be done at the moment would be to contribute to funds that provide ambulances for the relief of horses going from the trains to the

hospitals, for it is obvious that there ,a re many cases of debility or of absolutely tired-out horses arriving at the stations nearest the hospitals which have not the strength to get into these hospitals. At Gournay, at Forges-les-Faux, at Dieppe, at Rouen, and at Harve motor lorries for the transport of horses would be of the greatest possible va ,ue.

.1 read the Duke of Portland’s appeal through the R.S.P.C.A., and I can assure all those who have subscribed and who are ready and willing to subscribe that no contribution could be of greater, benefit to the English horses at the front than this fund.

The society is not working as an independent one. but under the supervision and at the request of the War Office, and the advantages rendered by the society are marked to a degree; I saw medicaments requistioned by the Army Veterinary Corps and supplied by this society which became of the great-' est value.

It is for this reason that I earmark the fact that such an organisat on, working under the authorities and with the supervision of the Army Veterinary Corps, is most satisfactory.

Having said this. I think it is only due to all those in the Veterinary Department and the Remount Department to refer to the extraordinary energy, the love of the animal, the time, hard work and forethought displayed by all those connected with those two departments.