The United States military has utilized horses since the nation’s inception, but its equine era is finally ending. On July 2, the US Army announced plans to shutter its Military Working Equid (MWE) program, an organization within the Department of Defense (DoD) that oversees its remaining animals. The decision will save the government an estimated $2 million annually, allowing it to “align more resources with warfighting capability and readiness.”
According to Task & Purpose, the DoD currently owns 236 horses, donkeys, and mules. The MWE Task Force composed of equine veterinarian experts will spend the next year orchestrating their sale, transfer, or donation to “vetted owners,” citing federal law. Meanwhile, army bases in California, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas will sunset their MWE programs.
European colonial settlers relied on horses for centuries, but official US cavalry forces are traceable all the way back to the Revolutionary War. However, their adoption was borne out of defeat. At the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776, General George Washington’s soldiers were forced to retreat following an attack from a small contingent of British dragoons. Learning from the mistake, Washington later asked the Continental Congress to approve the creation of a light cavalry. By the end of 1776, Washington was expanding his forces to include 3,000 mounted soldiers.
A separate United States Cavalry was not formed until 1861, but it remained a distinct Army branch until World War II. The last actual horse-led charge took place on January 16, 1942, when the 26th Cavalry Regiment stormed Japanese forces at the Battle of Batann near the village of Morong in the Philippines.
The military’s use of horses, donkeys, and mules continued to decrease over the ensuing decades, with the equines primarily relegated to non-combat endeavors and ceremonial processions. Even so, the animals still occasionally returned to war zones. In 2001, Army Special Forces relied on horses provided by Northern Alliance partners during the early days of the Afghanistan invasion.
Despite the MWE’s end, the DoD will continue owning a handful of horses at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas and in the Military District of Washington in DC. In Texas, they’ll remain a part of the historic 3rd Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, while others will pull carriages as caisson units at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2023, officials suspended the memorial site tradition after a damning report revealed significant animal mistreatment, as well as the death of two horses. In June 2025, the caisson program restarted following an $18 million overhaul by the Army.
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