Honouring the Ride: Remembrance Day and the Equestrian Community

Lest We Forget - Honouring the Horses of War

On November 11th each year, Canadians pause at the 11th hour to honour and remember. The day now known as Remembrance Day traces its origins to the end of the First World War: the armistice took effect on the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” in 1918.
It is a day to reflect and to honour those who served. It’s a time to remember those who gave their lives, and their legacy and contribution to our freedom.

As we pause on this Remembrance Day, we honour not only the men and
women who served, but also the equine companions whose silent service carried the weight of war.

The Unseen Partners
In the great conflicts of the early 20th century horses were indispensable. During the First World War alone, an estimated eight million horses, mules and donkeys were used across the combatant nations.

Their roles were many:

• Transporting guns, ammunition and supplies into the thick mud and shell‐scarred terrain.
• Hauling artillery and ambulances, evacuating wounded soldiers from where vehicles could not go.
• Holding still during bombardments, enduring the same horrors of trench warfare and chemical attack that humans did.
  One Canadian memorial notes:
  “Horses carried soldiers, and pulled gun carriages, supply wagons and ambulances. Many paid the ultimate price and their loss was mourned by those they
  served.”

The Cost of Their Service
Although their faces don’t often appear in textbooks, the sacrifices made by horses were immense. Many never returned. For instance, one account records that thanks to death from disease, gas, exhaustion and shell fire, only a fraction of those sent ever came home.

In muddy wastelands where vehicles stalled, horses pulled on. The purple poppy is a symbol which marks and honours the contributions of the animals who served in war.

Why It Resonates for Us
In our world of bridles, boots, and saddle pads, the core remains the same: reliable partnership between horse and human. On Remembrance Day, we remember that this partnership has deep roots in history; roots that run through fields of conflict, through lines of supply wagons and trenches of sacrifice.

•  We remember not just the human cost, but the equine cost: the animals who trusted and served.
• We reflect on our responsibility in the present: caring for every horse, acknowledging their service in war, labour or leisure.
• We remind ourselves that the barn, the tack room and the stall are part of a continuum of respect and care.

A Moment of Quiet Reflection
At 11 a.m. today, we pause to take a breath and remember. Here are
Saddlefit, we honour the immense contributions of those who came before us, both human and horse.

If you find yourself at the barn, take a quiet moment beside your horse. Rest a hand on their neck, offer a gentle pat or a word of thanks, and reflect on the partnership that has carried people through peace and through war.

Hang/ wear a purple poppy beside your red one as a small tribute to the
equine comrades who served with strength and loyalty.
And share their stories. Encourage younger riders and barn staff to learn
about the soldiers and their companions who stood in the mud and smoke of wartime, and whose courage and endurance helped shape history. Their service deserves to be remembered.

In honour of all who served, human and horse alike, we offer our deepest
respect, our lasting gratitude, and our promise to carry their legacy forward with care, understanding, and partnership.

Lest we forget.