Horses at war

World War I, in addition to its millions of human casualties, also saw the death of hundreds of thousands of military horses. Steven Spielberg's latest film “War Horse” — the story of a young cavalry soldier and his beloved horse — has brought their exploits and plights to national attention. As a fascinating supplement, these photos (from Simon Butler’s “The War Horses”) are worth considering. Through their gritty beauty, they provide a powerful and at times terrifying sense of equine — and human — life during wartime, from parade ground to battlefield

A young horse stands over the body of the rider who, even in death, clutches the reins of his mount.

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