The British Army’s new secret weapon: Stealth horses

The British Army is testing a rather unusual new weapon — stealth horses.

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment has been exploring how horses and traditional cavalry skills could be used in modern military operations, including testing a specially made camouflage outfit for one of its animals.

The unusual trials took place during the regiment’s annual Summer Camp at Longmoor Training Area in Hampshire.

Soldiers were looking at how horses could potentially be used for reconnaissance, moving across difficult terrain and staying concealed in future operational environments.

One horse was fitted with a bespoke camouflage covering developed by Household Cavalry soldiers as part of experiments into concealment techniques.

Major General James Bowder OBE, General Officer Commanding London District, inspected the trials.

The exercise culminated in a 24-hour mounted navigation and reconnaissance challenge designed to test how effective horses could be in modern battlefield conditions.

And while it might look like something from another era, the Army says it has been looking at how lessons from countries that still use horses could be applied to future operations.

India uses horses for patrolling and border reconnaissance, while Chile uses them for scouting at high altitude.

Russia has also used horses for frontline logistics, while France, Estonia and Finland are among the countries examining their potential tactical uses.

The US military also maintains an expeditionary mounted and pack-horse capability for austere environments.

Horses were famously used by US special forces during operations in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, with troops relying on local and allied fighters who knew the difficult terrain.

The latest British Army trials come as militaries look at ways of operating in areas where conventional vehicles may struggle.

Horses can navigate steep, narrow or broken ground and carry both personnel and equipment — potentially giving troops another option in challenging terrain.

But bringing the animals into modern military operations would also come with plenty of complications, including logistics, specialist training and animal welfare.

For now, at least, the Household Cavalry’s camouflage-clad horse is being put through its paces as part of an experiment to see whether an old military skill could have a new role on tomorrow’s battlefield.

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