http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:28:09 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/comment-page-1/#comment-1067382 R NABORNEY Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:09:55 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/#comment-1067382 The US Army was not fully mechanized until 1943 when the 2nd Cavalry Division was deactivated. Britain got rid of its last horse soldiers in 1941. Only the US and Britain fought WWII with mechanized armies. The Germans and Russians used horses right through the war (The Red Army of Workers & Peasants finally decativated its last cav units in the late fifties)as cavalry mounts and as draught animals for both artilery and supply units. BTW, a certain Captain Eisenhower was part of the first US Army "coast to coast" motorized convoy in the early twenties...the roads were so bad and teh vehicles so unrelaible that a horsed unit could probably have beaten them. This experience helped persuade him that the US needed a national network of good highways for defense - hence his support of the "National Interstate & Defence (the roads and bridges can bear the weight of tanks) Highways Act" while president (Which is why it is now "The Eisenhower Interstate Higwhay System). Bottom line, the USMA was as backward as it seems to train officers in equitation in 1921. The US Army was not fully mechanized until 1943 when the 2nd Cavalry Division was deactivated. Britain got rid of its last horse soldiers in 1941. Only the US and Britain fought WWII with mechanized armies. The Germans and Russians used horses right through the war (The Red Army of Workers & Peasants finally decativated its last cav units in the late fifties)as cavalry mounts and as draught animals for both artilery and supply units. BTW, a certain Captain Eisenhower was part of the first US Army “coast to coast” motorized convoy in the early twenties…the roads were so bad and teh vehicles so unrelaible that a horsed unit could probably have beaten them. This experience helped persuade him that the US needed a national network of good highways for defense – hence his support of the “National Interstate & Defence (the roads and bridges can bear the weight of tanks) Highways Act” while president (Which is why it is now “The Eisenhower Interstate Higwhay System). Bottom line, the USMA was as backward as it seems to train officers in equitation in 1921.

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