Sgt Reckless - Korean War Horse Hero - www.SgtReckless.com
The story
of Sgt
Reckless, a horse so heroic during the Korean War she was promoted to
Staff Sergeant by the Commandant of the US Marine Corps, and is listed
alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa
and John Wayne as one of USA’s all-time heroes.
The Unsung Heroes Who Had No Choice: The War Horses of WWI
The
loyalty that developed between horse,
mule and man over the course of
the war has led to many stories, poems and pictures that demonstrate the true
affection between a soldier and his horse.
• J.M Breeton who
wrote ‘The Horse in War’ summed it up
well when we wrote: ‘the solider came to
regard his horse almost as an extension of his being.’

• A poem by Henry
Chappell titled a ‘Soldier’s Kiss’
went along with the picture and these were used together to raise awareness of
the plight of the war horses.
• 8 million
horses and countless donkeys and mules died on all sides fighting on the
Western front from exhaustion, starvation, drowning in mud and water, falling
in shell holes, being shot and blown up.
• Mules were shown to have incredible stamina in the cold and heat. They played a huge part in the war efforts in Burma, Eritrea and Tunisia. Often their vocal chords were cut to keep them quiet.
• While the better bred horses suffered more from shell shock, the less well bred horses often learned how to lie down and take cover at the sound of fire.
• After the war, some of the best horses were kept by the British Army. Sadly, the ‘standard’ horses were often sold to French butchers for horsemeat or left to a life of hard labour in a foreign land, a terrible fate after serving their country so valiantly.

NB: It was Winston Churchill who intervened to
secure the safe return of tens of thousands of war horses stranded in Europe
after the First World War.
War Horse

But
whereas this one equine hero's exploits are fictional those of Warrior who carried General Jack Seely of the Canadian Cavalry
throughout the horrors of WWI are all true. The bravery of the thoroughbred was
documented in a book written by General Jack Seely in 1934.
The film War Horse is about a horse called Joey who touches the hearts of many people during WWI.
The film War Horse is about a horse called Joey who touches the hearts of many people during WWI.
An Animal War Memorial opened in Hyde Park, England in 2004. Read about some of the amazing animals who were true heroes of the war.


On the outside of this wall a line of ghostly silhouettes is carved, representing the animals lost in the conflicts.
Sefton
Sefton joined the British Army in 1967 starting as
a riding school horse. By
1975 he had joined the Household Cavalry
Mounted Regiment.
During
his recovery he received huge quantities of cards and mints; and donations
reaching almost $1,000,000 were collected to construct a new surgical wing at Royal Veterinary College which was named the Sefton
Surgical Wing.
He recovered
sufficiently to return to active service and was subsequently awarded "Horse of the Year". Sefton
became one of the first horses to be placed in the British
Horse Society's Equestrian Hall of Fame, and
with an annual award named after him.
PDSA
Dickin Medal Horses - Roll of Honour
Only three horses have received
the PDSA Dickin
Medal. All three were Metropolitan Police horses on duty
in the city of London during World War II.
Olga -
Police Horse - Date of Award:
11 April 1947
“On duty when a flying bomb demolished
four houses in Tooting and a plate-glass window crashed immediately in front of
her. Olga, after bolting for 100 yards, returned to the scene of the incident
and remained on duty with her rider, controlling traffic and assisting rescue
organisations.”
Upstart -
Police Horse - Date of Award: 11 April 1947
“While on patrol duty in Bethnal Green a
flying bomb exploded within 75 yards, showering both horse and rider with
broken glass and debris. Upstart was completely unperturbed and remained
quietly on duty with his rider controlling traffic, until the incident
had been dealt with.”
Regal -
Police Horse - Date of Award: 11 April 1947
“Was twice in burning stables caused by
explosive incendiaries at Muswell Hill. Although receiving minor injuries,
being covered by debris and close to the flames, this horse showed no signs of
panic.”
The Dickin Medal is a large, bronze medallion bearing
the words “For Gallantry” and “We Also Serve” all within a laurel
wreath. The ribbon is striped green, dark brown and pale blue representing
water, earth and air to symbolise the naval, land and air forces.
During the Second World War (1939-45),
PDSA's founder Maria Dickin CBE was aware of incredible bravery displayed by
animals on active service and the Home Front. Inspired by the animals’ devotion to man and duty, she
introduced a special medal specifically for animals in war.
The PDSA Dickin Medal, recognised as the animals’ Victoria Cross, is awarded to
animals displaying conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving
or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units.
War Donkeys
Jimmy 'The Sergeant' was born in WWI trench at the
Battle of the Somme in 1916 and became a mascot for British Troops.
He was
wounded by shellfire three times during two years on the frontline. He was
taught to raise his hoof in salute by the soldiers who brought him up.
After the war
he raised thousands of pounds for the RSPCA through charity work in
Peterborough.
Jimmy was posthumously
awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery, the highest military honour for an
animal – and made an honorary sergeant with three stripes on his bridle. Source: www.neddi.org
The
epitome of sacrifice and courage in the Anzac spirit.
Heavy Horses Heroes & Legends 2009 - http://vimeo.com/7261030
This is a compilation of images captured on the day showing the hard work & devotion of a sight that is becoming rarer with time.
Each year these Heavy Horse events are harder to put on due not only to the drop in numbers of horses but the increased cost to get these beautiful animals to these events.
It’s only through the hard work and love of these animals by these people who own them that we get to see time's past in action today.
The Skyrian Horse
The small-bodied species of the Skyrian Horse is one of the rarest horse breeds
in the world. In 2009 there were 220 Skyrian horses in Greece, of which 152
live in Skyros. The Skyrian horse is a protected species.

Some scientists believe that the
Skyrian Horses are related to mountain, small-bodied horse races that migrated
from Alaska along the Siberian Plateau and reached Europe some 12,000
ago. It's thought that they were brought to the island of Skyros by
Athenian immigrants in the 5th Century BC.
The Skyrian Horse Society is a
nonprofit assoc founded in Jan 2006. Registered in Skyros, the aims of the
Society are to record genealogical data, upkeep the stud book and ensure a
pedigree is developed for the Skyrian Horse. This along with other measures
will help preserve, promote and develop the breed.
Terracotta Warriors and Horses
One
of the magnificent relics of the imperial era in China is the Terracotta
Warriors and Horses a total of approximately 22.000
square meters and is located in the city of Xi’an.
There
are about 8000 pieces shaped like the Terracotta Warriors and their Horses.
They also resemble the size warriors and horses were the size of the original.
The Terracotta
Warriors and Horses are estimated to be about 2,200 years ago, dating back to
the reign of the first emperor Qin Shi Huang.
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