Modern roles
QHow important are horses to the Army in the 21st century? What are their roles in the modern day and could there ever again be a need for them beyond ceremonial duties? Simon Evans, Cornwall
Paddy says...
Horses remain very important to the Army and also to the nation. Not perhaps as they once were, as working animals who transported our goods and our armies, but they remind us of our history. I believe that both the Household Cavalry and the King’s Troop form a golden thread in the fabric of our nation. They are what many people around the world think of when they are asked what symbolises the United Kingdom.
Non-ceremonial duties
The British Army does maintain the facility to train and deliver (if ever required) a packhorse capability, however. A horse called Sid who lives in Melton Mowbray is a case in point. The idea is to be able to support troops in isolated regions where horses, mules and ponies can access terrain that wheeled vehicles cannot. These lessons were learned in Burma during the Second World War and were used more recently by some of the fighting factions in Afghanistan.