Author: Jessica A. Bandel
Though the use of horses on the battlefield had declined steadily since the American Civil War, more than one million equines were deployed in cavalry forces during the course of the First World War. But gone were the days of the glamorized cavalry charges of past wars. The rise of more mechanized battlefield transportation along with the proliferation of trench warfare severely limited the ways in which the cavalry effectively operated. Mounted soldiers accepted a more behind-the-scenes role, conducting reconnaissance, covering retreats, and executing guerilla-style attacks.
The diminished role of the cavalry, however, did not make them any less of a threat. One of the most effective means to stunt cavalry movements was through the deployment of caltrops—large four- or eight-pronged, metal spikes that impaled the horses’ hooves. Caltrops were also used to puncture and deflate pneumatic tires on motorized vehicles, a relatively new addition to the battlefield.