114 ANIMALS USED IN WAR. 



the Bretons, Norfolk-Bretons, Anglo-Normands, Petit Percher- 

 ons, Ardennais, and Anglo-Arabians of France. 



The horses comprising the hght draught of the United 

 Kingdom are of so mixed a product in breeding that it is best 

 to classify them under the generic term of light draught. 

 Obviously, where crossing ranges from through-bred to heavy 

 draught the result is varied, and in selection for different 

 purposes " type " more than breed or race is followed. In our 

 Army at Home we have type L.D. 1. for Artillery, with the 

 sub-classifications of leaders, centres and wheelers, the latter 

 being sturdier and stouter than the two former ; and L.D. 2. for 

 Transport. 



■ Unquestionably, the pre-war " Gunner " type of draught 

 horse, whether bred in England or Ireland, proved the best 

 light draught horse which took part in the War. The sturdy, 

 blocky horses with stout round quarters, which our Bemount 

 Service at Home were accustomed to buy before the War, 

 have always been famous, and are quite typical of our Artillery. 

 They have no demerits, and cannot be beaten in any country 

 or army in the world. 



They are, however, run very close by the Australian horses 

 of our Horse and Field Artillery in India, in fact there are 

 many impartial judges in our Royal Artillery who would give 

 the palm to the Australian horse, particularly in the Horse 

 Artillery class, which is proverbially excellent in quality and 

 substance. I can call to mind a good many Horse Artillery 

 Leaders of Australian origin who would have given a good 

 account of themselves over a steeplechase course, and who 

 would have proved gold mines if they had not joined the Army. 

 I have already alluded to the serviceable character of 

 Australian horses with the Australian Corps in France. Others 

 served in the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Expeditionary 

 Forces, and their good record is undoubted. Australia is 

 particularly good in this class of horse, and I am certain that a 

 very strong reason for this is the annual steady demand which 

 India can give for its Army. A satisfactory feature also of 

 Australian horses is that they are essentially of English 

 extraction, Clydesdales and Thorough-bred strains chiefly 

 enter into their composition. The only drawback, as I have 



