The Return Of Horse-drawn Caissons To Arlington Nationwide Cemetery Is Delayed For At Least Months

WASHINGTON: The return of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery is being delayed for months and perhaps longer, the Military stated Friday, because it struggles to enhance the care of the horses, after two died in 2022 because of poor feed and dwelling circumstances.

Practically a 12 months after the Military suspended the usage of the grey and black horses for funerals, officers stated they’re making progress shopping for new horses, getting higher tools, and enhancing the coaching, services and turnout areas. However Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp, commander of the Army District of Washington, stated it’s been way more time consuming and tough than initially anticipated to get this system going once more. And it’ll take an prolonged time frame to get sufficient horses to satisfy the funeral wants.

“We now have each intention to renew operations. I can’t offer you per week or month or estimate, but it surely’s necessities primarily based,” Bredenkamp stated in a name with a small variety of reporters. He stated he doesn’t anticipate it would take years however “it’s going to take a while.” He stated he wouldn’t describe the delay as “indefinite” however repeatedly acknowledged the hindrances to restarting a sustainable program that protects the well being of the horses.

The horses are a part of the caisson platoon of the third Infantry Regiment, referred to as the Previous Guard, which is finest recognized for guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the cemetery, situated simply throughout the river from Washington.

Two of the Previous Guard platoon horses, Mickey and Tony, needed to be euthanized inside days of one another in February 2022. Each died from colon impaction.

The Military discovered that the horses had little or no grass of their turnout fields they usually consumed sand and gravel from the bottom whereas consuming the low-quality hay they have been fed. The fields have been plagued by building particles and manure and have been solely giant sufficient to help six or seven horses, nowhere close to the 64 that have been utilizing the fields when Mickey and Tony died, based on an Military investigation.

On the time, officers stated the circumstances have been from mismanagement, lack of sources and a poor understanding of the horses’ wants. In addition they stated troopers wanted higher coaching on how one can look after them.

On Friday, Bredenkamp stated the Military is struggling to search out sufficient horses to purchase and to search out close by areas giant sufficient for the horses to be stored and educated. The service can be getting lighter-weight caissons and conducting extra intensive coaching for the troopers to experience and maintain the horses.

Ray Alexander, superintendent of the cemetery, stated there are 27-30 funerals a day, Monday via Friday, at Arlington, and of these six to eight qualify for escort honors. With a view to meet that demand, with out surpassing an applicable workload for the horses, Bredenkamp stated they want six squads of horses.

At present, he stated, they’ve 42 horses which might be being cared for at knowledgeable facility in Virginia. Two years in the past, there have been 60 horses in this system, however many needed to be retired.

For the previous 12 months, the Military has used a funeral residence hearse or one other automobile rather than the caisson. And in ceremonies for Military and Marine Corps officers who have been colonels or above, there’s a riderless horse that walks behind the caisson.

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