British Cavalry Soldiers switch to horses in Poland

25 July, 2023 British and Polish soldiers on horses. Photo credits: NATO eFP BG Poland. British soldiers from NATO eFP (enhanced Forward Presence Battle Groups) have taken to horseback as part of joint training in Poland.

The press service of the NATO eFP BG Poland reported this on Twitter. British Cavalry Soldiers from the Royal Lancers practiced mounted reconnaissance together with the 2nd Lublin Brigade. Training consisted of the basics of jumping over obstacles, off-road riding, and transporting equipment with the help of horses.

British soldier on horseback.

Photo credits: NATO eFP BG Poland.

The training consisted of two parts, theoretical and practical. Between 2019 and 2021, the 2nd Lublin Territorial Defence Brigade conducted an experiment using horses for patrolling, moving personnel, and transporting weapons. The military first used horses in the fall of 2021 during the crisis on the border with Belarus to protect the border areas as part of the Strong Support operation.

The experiment showed that unlike motorcycles and ATVs, horses have better passability in wooded areas with wet soil. Horse units are still widely used in many armies of the world. The UK has cavalry units of the King's Guard.

British and Polish soldiers on horses.

Photo credits: NATO eFP BG Poland.

In Germany, mountain infantry units use pack horses and mules. Kazakhstan has a horse-hunting battalion. In the Romanian army, the use of horses in some army units is intended to transport heavy group weapons, namely machine guns, recoilless guns, and ammunition, in high mountain areas.

According to Romanian experts, in many cases, no equipment can replace horses.