The general was famed for his heroics at the battle at Moreuil Wood where he led the charge on the back of his trusted horse Warrior. General Seely said of his horse: “He had to endure everything most hateful to him – violent noise, the bursting of great shells and bright flashes at night, when the white light of bursting shells must have caused violent pain to such sensitive eyes as horses possess. Above all, the smell of blood, terrifying to every horse. “Many people do not realise how acute is his sense of smell, but most will have read his terror when he smells blood.” Poignant photos of horses with their masters bring home the horror endured by these most sensitive of creatures. What is undeniable is the close relationship between horse and man, probably made tighter by the appalling bloodshed all around. For despite their strength, the horses were no less vulnerable to dangers of the battlefield. “The sombre close of the Battle of the Somme was cruel to horses no less than men,” said General Seely. “The roads were so completely broken up by alternate frost, snow and rain, that the only way to get ammunition to the forward batteries was to carry it up in panniers slung on horses. Often these poor beasts would sink deep into the mud. “Sometimes, in spite of all their struggles, they could not extricate themselves, and died where they fell.” Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/untold-story-of-the-million-horses-sent-93663#ixzz2kOblgfN7 Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 02:50:22 +0000
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