74 THE HORSE AND THE WAR 



minimum of labour, or on the roads in the vicinity of depots. You must 

 understand that the depots of which 1 am writing are not primarily intended 

 to get horses fit except those recovering from debility and exhaustion and 

 which are the output of convalescent horse depots. The}^ are for maintaining 

 the mobility of artillery, transport and cavalry ; the point being that the lit 

 horses must be exercised just as the unfit ones must be given lighter work 

 according to the discretion of the squadron leader. Exercise and grooming, 

 therefore, are essential to each day's work, almost as essential, indeed, as 

 watering and feeding. Needless to say, the latter are matters for the greatest 

 concern and vigilance. The remount officer at the base w^ho studies the 

 individual horse or groups his squadron for special purposes in feeding must 

 inevitably show the best results. They are details which crowd into the day's 

 work ; but when, apart from that, you have the big business of receiving 

 from the group of veterinary hospitals near by and the issuing of fit horses 

 to the front — these things being of daily occurrence — it will be understood 

 what a responsible link the base remount depots in France are in the whole 

 story of the war-horse. This " D " depot makes all its issues to the front by 

 road, and it is characteristic of the commandant's administration that he 

 personally sees every animal received and issued. Units with divisions at 

 the front send parties for the horses allotted to them, and so they are marched 

 away, probably reaching their destination after a two days' march. It also 

 feeds " C " base remount depot, an admirable unit also, which in turn does its 

 share in maintaining the tremendous establishment of horses immediately 

 behind the line and on the Lines of Communication. The figures relating to 

 the activities of " D " show that since 1914 over 150,000 animals have been 

 received and issued. " C " depot, which may be said to be nearer the northern 

 part of the line than any other, had, from June, 1915, to December, 1917, 

 received and issued nearly 100,000 animals. 



It is extremely difficult to compress into a single chapter all that happens 

 in the long day's work and goes to the credit of these base remount depots 

 in France. They are not carried on without a show of real ability, zeal and 

 keenness to overcome worries and minor troubles. The men are well off 

 because they have not to share the burdens and perils of those whose job 

 it is to hold the long line ; but it is because they are a long remove from the 

 necessary physical fitness. They may not all be up to the handling of horses 

 and mules, and there are not many of them, but depot commandants and their 

 officers pull through, the best evidence of their success being the excellent 

 results they show. 



Just a few more words about those remount rest farms, the success of 

 which the remount directorate in France is justifiably proud. They are 

 situated in the finest grass country in this part of France, a long way behind 

 the line, and yet not too far away from at least three of the base remount 

 depots. It was, in the old days of peace, a great country for cheese-making 

 and cattle, and therefore its ideal qualities for receiving weary, thin and 

 exhausted horses will be well imderstood. The Creator did not create horses 

 to stand in stables and be fed therein. He made them to live in the open, 

 in the wind, rain and sun, and to feed on the herbage of the fields. So the 



