Changes coming after Arlington National Cemetery suspends use of horses due to health concerns

Arlington, Virginia — The horse-drawn caisson for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery is one of this nation’s most solemn and majestic rituals. 

But back at the stable, a 10-second video of a horse named George collapsing to the ground painted a different picture.

“When I touched George’s neck, he fell to his knees, which is a very abnormal response in any horse,” Maj. Beth Byles, a veterinarian for the horses, told CBS News. “And I’ve never encountered such a painful horse.”

Byles said he just buckled under the pain.

“He did, yeah, it was shocking,” Byles said.

CBS News obtained photos of other horses with scars from wearing ill-fitting harnesses and saddles while pulling a 2,600-pound caisson.

“They were all suffering from severe musculoskeletal injuries, neck pain,” Byles said.

The horses were supposed to work for two weeks and then take two weeks off. But some ended up working six weeks straight. Soldiers with limited training didn’t recognize the problem, and higher-ups didn’t listen.

“Educating the chain of command on how to take the appropriate steps was a challenge,” Byles said.

In February 2022, the deaths of two horses within 96 hours prompted an Army investigation that determined conditions were “unsafe.”

In May, the Army paused the use of horses leading caissons for 45 days. In June, it extended that suspension for a full year to give the horses time to recover.

At the time, 27 Arlington horses were sent to multiple rehabilitation facilities, the Army said, and the horses were replaced with hearses.

At rehab, the horses received therapies like cold water soaks for their aching limbs.

“There was a lot of work to be done,” said Monique Hovey, who was brought in as a new herd manager.

She said she started getting rid of saddles whose designs dated back to World War I.

“Not only can it cause pain along their spine because from how narrow it is, but there was a rub happening on this horse,” Hovey explained.

Now there are new saddles and some new horses. Back in June, the Army said it would test out caissons that are 20% lighter, which would reduce their weight down to 2,000 pounds.

Hovey calls the horses “soldiers without voices,” but George said it all in that 10-second video. A year later, he continues to get treatment at a rehabilitation center.  

“George is a case of a success story,” Hovey said.

George will never go back to pulling a caisson, but horse-drawn funerals are scheduled to resume next year.

“I do not ever want to bring the horses back if they can’t be taken care of appropriately,” Byles said. “I do fear that we might revert back to where we were.”

— Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.