Hounds of war: Let`s see `em!

[Bob F.]

Custom II, tell Shep it could be worse, at least he wasn't displaced by a cat!

[barnetmill]

How times have changed

[barnetmill]

Horses of war. The dog is the oldest companion of man, but the horse was a more important element of war. The horses were domesticated originally in the steep regions of europe and asia. The ancestral Indo-Europeans were the greatest conquerors of all time spreading their Culture throughout Europe, The steep regions all the way to Mongolia and to India. No longer dominant in central Asia or mongolia, they still are in other regions. All of this was due to the horse. The Mongol empire did not really last a long time and their language is only spoken in Mongolia today.

The Russian Don Cossack horse was likely descended from the steep horses as where the mongolian horses of Ghengis Khan. Both horse breeds are noted for extreme endurance under harsh conditions. I could not find a good short video of Mongol horse stride which is a walk. But here are some of the Don Horses where one can see the stride. This in very important for covering long distances. The Russian Cossacks after the 15th century demise of the Golden Horde while in theory in the Service of the Czar pushed the boundaries of the Empire all the way to the Pacific ocean,

[barnetmill]

[Papa]

Looks to me like another horse of war!

[barnetmill]

Looks to me like another horse of war!

to me they also look like another horse, but to experts in the field they can see differences. The real difference in the way that they move.

Mongolian horses are almost impossible for a western rider to prepare for. They are short, stocky, and most have five gaits instead of four (the fifth being a running walk variously called tölt, single-footing, or racking).

It is this fifth gait that is essential to dominance of the type of horse in steppe warfare. In animal physiology locomotion is studied relative to energy expenditure. This type of gait in which the bones of the skeleton are used more to support the body while moving is more efficient relative to energy use. Humans while relatively slow also expend much less energy per mile when walking versus running. That is a full classroom lecture and one paragraph is not going to properly explain it.

The mongols traveled on campaigns from Mongolia to the Vistula River in Poland. Feed is a big issue with horses vs distances. The mongol horses were the best at conserving their energy. The Cossack Old Don horses were not as specialized for walking as the mongol horses, but I see them doing it in the film clip. When it comes to horses and other livestock, there is just so much to know. I only know that I have not even scratched surface of the topic. There were all sorts of war horses that were intended for different tasks. There were even specific breed types of mules produced by specific crosses such as some intended for riding.

I know a little about dogs, but it is just enough to select the breed that most interests me.

General Crook aboard his mule, White Mountain Apache Scout William Alchesay on the right, and an unknown Apache scout on the left. Taken in Apache Pass near Fort Bowie. Courtesy: wwwarmy.mil The United

[Delta-3]

Our newest additions...Blue Heelers (aka Australian cattle dogs)

[barnetmill]

Screenshot_2021-01-29 Facebook Groups.jpg

[Bob F.]

Dog-mounted SMG?

[barnetmill]

Dog-mounted SMG?

While I can not say what specific weapon that is, it is a tripod or vehicle mounted weapon. I strongly suspect That is a medium or light belt fed machine gun.
The barrel and receiver seem shorter than what is seen on most recoil operated weapons. All i know is that pup has what is intended as a mounted autogun. I also like the dog and its behavior. I just can not see my dogs lugging something around.

Was thinking something like a Madsen machine gun, but the receiver is wrong for that.