arrior
W
The Bay Thoroughbred
Warrior was the charger for Major-General Seely and was raised on Seely's farm in the Isle of Wight. His mother was a black, Irish-bred Thoroughbred known for her even temperament. When the war broke out, Seely took Warrior with him to France, and if Seely was not riding Warrior in battle, Sir John French or other officers rode the horse.
Warrior, it seemed, led a charmed life, which did not go unnoticed by the troops. Other men and horses were often shot and killed next to Warrior, but he remained unhurt.
Warrior was a very intelligent horse and learned to tell the difference between shell fire and rifle fire. He learned that conditions were safer under shell fire and would remain calm, yet machine-gun or rifle fire made him nervous. Seely noticed that, if Warrior was in the midst of shell fire, he would continue his charge without worry, but if he heard the ping of bullets, he would, on his own, swerve to avoid the stream of bullets.
On one occasion, Warrior was standing side-by-side with another horse when a shell exploded next to them. A groom was holding both horses and recounted that the horse next to Warrior was literally cut in two, but Warrior, covered in blood, was unhurt and perfectly calm. On another occasion, just as Warrior was taken out of a stable on a farm, a shell hit the stable right behind him. Again, Warrior remained calm.