CONVALESCENT HORSE DEPOTS. 33 



horses, and with the same provision of covered standings, water- 

 troughs, Decauville railway, etc. Both were built on sand, the 

 dunes on the French coast line being excellent for the purpose- 



The personnel and transport for a Convalescent Horse Depot 

 for 1200 animals consisted of : — 



Establishment. 

 Officers, E.A.V.C. 2 Lance Corporals 10 



(O.C. of the rank of Major) 

 Quartermaster 1 Farrier Sergeant 1 



Staff Sergeant 1 Shoeingsmith Corporals 2 



Sergeants 4 Shoeingsmiths 8 



Corporals 6 Privates 163 



Transport. Tip-carts 5, Water-cart 1, Horse Ambulance 1, 

 General Service Wagons 2, Motor Lorry 1. 



In the general working of these depots 400 animals were 

 under grooming, exercise and preparation for discharge to 

 Eemount Service, the remainder being at liberty in the corrals. 

 Endeavour was made to turn out 200 per week, but discharge 

 rarely reached that number and depended greatly on the state 

 of the animals on admission. The personnel was detailed in 

 accordance with this distribution, the grooming staff being 

 approximately at the rate of 1 man to 5 animals, and the corral 

 attendants at 1 to 12 animals. 



On admission hind shoes (sometimes fore shoes also) were 

 removed, and animals were placed in the corrals by classes, viz.. 

 Heavy Draught, Light Draught, Eiders, and Mules. Eiders 

 and draught horses do not get on well together at liberty. At 

 feeding times the lighter, vivacious riding horses clear the 

 heavier and more lethargic animals away from the feeding 

 troughs. Then again, grouping in all classes has to be made 

 according to individual cases — whether they are delicate feeders 

 or otherwise, and whether they are in poor or medium 

 condition. Inspection of teeth is necessary, indeed this resolved 

 itself into a routine procedure in Veterinary Hospitals and 

 Convalescent Horse Depots, as abnormalities of teeth were 

 found to be so very frequent and requiring remedy. One 

 Veterinary Hospital in France even had a dental room. 



Ordinarily Convalescent Horse Depots are the rendez-vous of 

 the flotsam and jetsam of war ; and castings of the chronically 



