War Diaries Talk

Horses - descriptions

  • LinsladeLad by LinsladeLad

    On a number of recent pages I've come across horses being described as "LD".

    Does anybody know what this means?

    Regards Peter

    Posted

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I think it means Light Draught. I've seen both that term and Heavy Draught. Presumably they were designated for heavier and lighter loads. But if I'm wrong, anybody who can correct me please jump in here.

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    I think you are correct Cynthia, there is also a link on Images for Horses ww1 Ref. Google https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1DSGL_enGB426GB426&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Horses+ww1+LD

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Light Draught sounds about right to me, especially given that the majority of horses at the front were pack animals, but hopefully somebody else can confirm.

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Some Images for Light and Heavy Draught Horses ww1 Link:

    https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1DSGL_enGB426GB426&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Light+and+Heavy+Draught+horses+ww1

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Thanks, Marie. A very nice selection of images there.

    I haven't checked for a while, but we must be amassing quite a collection of horses hashtags by now. A very useful resource for anybody wanting to look at the role of horses in more depth, I hope.

    Posted

  • LinsladeLad by LinsladeLad

    Thanks - that makes it all much simpler.

    Posted

  • David_Underdown by David_Underdown moderator

    It was a classification used in civilian life too, light draught horses would have worked with small horse drawn vans and the like, the heavier draught horses with ploughs and other farm work, brewery drays (as still occasionally seen) and so on

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    Ah yes, good point - not all the terms we're coming across are military in origin.

    Posted

  • Notes by Notes

    I've recently seen horses described as 'ZR', not certain of the meaning but if a soldier was Z he was demobilised but in reserve, i.e. fit to fight should he be required at short notice. Am guessing that the same applies to any horse that is considered to have completed it's duty - this was a 1919 diary so perhaps some horses were being returned home.

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    That's not a designation I've come across before. I'm at a bit of a loss, I'm afraid! Your interpretation certainly sounds plausible, given the period, although I'm not certain how many horses were actually returned home and how many were sold off locally.

    Posted

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I've seen entries in several diaries from 1919 where horses were classified into two or three categories. I've never seen an explanation of the categories, but I have guessed that they had something to do with sorting the horses into groups worth the trouble and expense of taking home to England and those that were to be sold locally or destroyed. It seems to me that the categories are usually named by letters from the end of the alphabet.

    Posted

  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Interesting article on following link regarding Horses WW1.

    http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/03/horses-world-war/

    Posted

  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    This page has a key to the classifications for horses after the end of the war: Image AWD00031xv According to this, Z horses were fit to be sold for work on the continent, although it doesn't say anything about ZR specifically.

    Posted

  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    That's really useful - thanks for letting us know.

    Posted