Phil had a little time before he needed to check in at HQ, so he parked and walked inside the front entrance to the stables. A specialist in full dress uniform immediately acknowledged him.[1]

“Can I help you, Sir?” he said.

“I’m Captain Larimore,” he began.

The man snapped to attention and saluted.

“At ease. I’m Colonel McGarr’s new XO and wanted to look around.”

The soldier relaxed. “Well, Captain, Sir, welcome to the Caisson Stables. I have a few moments before we gear up for the next funeral. I’m happy to give you a quick tour.”

As they began walking, Phil asked, “How many men and horses does the platoon utilize?”

“Sir, it’s about fifty men, give or take, and about sixty horses—forty horses stabled here and twenty at Fort Belvoir. We’re divided into four squads or what we call ‘riding teams.’ Each squad has its own set of horses matched by coat color. We have the grays on two teams—but of course, the gray horses turn white with age. Then we have the black coats on the other two teams. At any given time, only two squads are riding.”

“Only black or gray horses?”

“Yes, Sir. That’s it. If a horse is born a bay,[2] it has to find another profession.”

“Eight horses per funeral?”

“Usually, seven. Eight only if we have the caparisoned horse, or what we call ‘the Cap.’ The lead horse is not harnessed and is ridden by the section chief alone, alongside the front left carriage horse to guide him.”

“How many funerals are you doing?”

“On average, six to eight full-honor funerals a day, split between two teams. All day, every day, sometimes up to thirty a day. We’re like the post office: we’re at our appointed rounds in rain, sleet, snow, or ice.”

“Who can be buried at Arlington?”

“Eligibility for in-ground burial at Arlington National Cemetery is the most stringent of all U.S. national cemeteries. The honor is reserved for officers, warrant officers, sergeant majors, or E-9s, the highest enlisted rank, and anyone killed in the line of duty. Priority is given to those killed in action.”

“You said there were four riding teams. But only two work each day?”

“Well, the two teams not active on a given day have a lot to do. Besides all the stable work, there’s constant training. It never stops. The training for both the horses and the guys is fairly intense because no words can be spoken during the ceremony.

“The men direct their horses with undetected foot or knee movements—what we call a ‘two-leg lead.’ These horses are trained to withstand all the different stimuli they are exposed to—trumpets, twenty-one-gun salutes, even cannons and low-flying airplanes.

“We look for the ones that don’t spook easily. And then we train, train, and train. We prefer riders with little or no riding experience because we use a riding style not taught anywhere else, what we call an ‘erect posture of solemn military attention.’”

“Do you tend to use any particular breeds?”

“Not really. The horses are chosen for their easygoing temperaments. But they must also be well-disciplined, often standing still for long periods.”

“I can see why you need highly trained horses. I’ve been around horses my whole life,” Phil observed. “They can be as different as night and day.”

“Yes, sir. We find that horses are a lot like people. Some are social; some are antisocial. Some like to be washed and groomed; some don’t. Some are nice and gentle; others can be mean as snakes.”[3]

(TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW)

~~~~~

[1] Larimore, At First Light, 306.

[2] A bay is a reddish-brown or brown hair coat color. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds.

[3] Larimore, At First Light, 306-307.

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December 24, 1945M