Farewell to a Trooper

Sadly on Christmas Day this year our horse Jeb died. Jeb was a Trooper in the ACWS Cavalry and many of you will have known him. He had a "strangled gut" which meant he could not digest his food and it is both a fatal and very painful condition, which is not uncommon in older horses. He fell ill on Christmas Eve and the Vet was called on Christmas morning. He was referred to the Rossendale’s Veterinary Hospital in Newmarket (one of the best facilities in Europe) but sadly they were unable to save him and he was put to sleep shortly afterwards.

Jeb had lived a full life over his 18 years and we first met him after he was rescued by the RSPCA from a neglectful owner. He was found in a field with barbed wire around his legs and a head collar, which had been left on so long it, had to be cut off. Despite his terrible injuries he was nursed back to health by Janet and Ian Gammie and returned to full fitness, his only permanent injury was a white scar around his rear left leg and a tendency to rest that leg when standing still. Many of you may remember his unusual stance at events.

We took him home shortly after his predecessor Phoenix died in early 2003 and his first event was at Stanford Hall that year. He went on his own and we were all very pleased by his soundness under fire, very shortly afterwards he was leading a Company at Weston Park and gave an excellent account of himself. He was a keen re-enactor and loved the smell of powder. He was joined by Bounty the following year and the two of them worked well together over the last 5 years.

Jeb had many special qualities, he was fearless in battle but incredibly gentle with children giving many their first time on a horse, he met one little boy (aged 8) at an event who had never seen a horse before and introduced a number of ACWS members to their first ride. He was very patient and would spend hours being petted by children often hemmed in to very small spaces, he never complained though many horses would have.

Despite all that he was no push over, he could fly when the chance arose and he and Bounty would often buck and jump like two year olds, at Bloxham Steam Fair he surprised both the crowd and us by creating an instant rodeo! His other vice was to scratch his head against anyone or anything when his was hot or irritable - usually me! Often knocking me over to every body else’s amusement. He loved the fresh grazing that events offered and sometimes (in particular at Sewerby Hall) he could see no special reason to leave his comfortable new quarters just because there was an event on. On one occasion we only managed to catch him by bribing him with Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, which somebody kindly donated from their breakfast.

He was great fun to ride and a pleasure to own and he was a great Trooper!

Many people think that Cavalry Soldiers are Troopers; this was not the case in either the US Cavalry or in the British Cavalry. Soldiers are Privates just as in the Infantry.

Soldier’s "Troop Horses or Troopers" were the mounts of the enlisted men and Officers horses (Officers usually provided their own horses) were called "Chargers". The distinction being that a Troop Horse belonged to the Army and a Charger to its owner.

In 1929 the British Army sold all its horses and the Cavalry became armoured. The War Office announced that in recognition of the military service of horses for over a thousand years that all Cavalry Soldiers would be re-designated as Troopers in honour of all those horses who had served with great distinction and would never be forgotten.

The Cavalry horse was a special animal not just carrying the rider, all his equipment and the necessities of war, but also an integral part of the Army, drilling, training and providing a key component in most major battles.

Jeb was like me - a re-enactor and played his part at events with great skill and enthusiasm, but I believe in different times had he been called to duty he would have not been found wanting.

Roger Willison-Gray

The above article first appeared in the ACWS Newsletter, Winter 2009