Abstract
By the start of the First World War in 1914, debates about whether to use horse-powered or motor-powered technologies raged in both domestic agriculture and military service. Small light horses and heavy draft horses served as mounts for soldiers and hauled weapons, food, and other critical supplies. In histories of the First World War, horses are often overshadowed by their mechanized counterparts: tractors, trucks, automobiles, and tanks. These competing technologies were often used, when available, but within military operations they were nevertheless a complement to horses rather than a replacement for them. This article illuminates how horses remained valuable to the US Army during the First World War, even during this era of profound technological change. How the US engineered the warhorse demonstrates the interconnected nature of American agricultural, military, animal, and technological histories.