winterbadger | (no subject)

read this a while back in the Might of Arms list (a listserv for a set of historical wargame rules I play). The author, Bob Bryant, posted:

This is off-topic, but does pertain to warfare. It was so interesting I just got to tell you. I was at Equine Affaire for the past three days, which is a very large horse exposition held once a year on the east and west coasts and in Ohio. I was talking to a woman who breeds Trekehners when I noticed a video she was playing on a small TV on her exhibit table. The Trekehner is a very fine all-purpose breed of horse that came from East Prussia. It used to be famous as a cavalry horse and now excels in dressage and jumping. I was especially interested in the video because I own a Trekehner mare.

Here is what I saw in the video: It was black and white, probably pre-WWII, and probably a staged exhibition. It involved an artillery
limber drawn by an 8-horse team, harnessed 2 abreast (Trakehners). The gun looked to be 19th century or WWI and the wheels were spoked. Picture an embankment consisting of a stone wall about 3 or 4 feet high. The ground is level at the top of the wall and the bottom is level. Here comes the first pair of horses at a gallop, who plunge over the embankment, followed immediately by the three other pairs. The horses are jumping down from the embankment, landing correctly, and galloping on. Right behind the last pair is the artillery limber, which sails over the embankment. Right behind the limber, the artillery piece tears THROUGH the embankment, which by this time has collapsed, stones and all. Impressive. I didn’t know they could do that. Needless to say, I wasn’t tempted to go home and try this with my mare.