Page 166 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
whereas older horses may be restricted to QLG and band duties. Perhaps most importantly, the horses live in reassuringly close contact with their colleagues in what is almost a herd environment. With the added bonus of at least three weeks annual leave at grass, it is no wonder they always look so well on parade.
The RAVC representatives in Knightsbridge have a large part to play in the maintenance of this equine wellbeing. Hopefully, their contribution will be the subject of a future article.”7
The New Girl ...
There is no better way of recording the depth of the relationship between the HCMR and the RAVC than to have a first-hand account and that was provided by Major Jo F Holmes RAVC, in the winter 2000/01 issue of Chiron Calling. Major Holmes, the Household Cavalry’s first female vet, poignantly wrote:
“I joined the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment as Regimental Veterinary Officer in July 1999 and it was a privilege to be appointed as their first female vet.
Having previously spent three years at Melton Mowbray, I knew most of the horses and was confident that I could cope with the clinical challenge; picking my way through the minefield of regimental custom was a far more daunting task. I had also completed a tour in Bosnia, so at least my tunics, if not my operational experiences, matched those of nearly all the other junior Officers.
Since I have a tendency to look scruffy no matter how hard I try, I spent several weeks wandering around in the wrong form of dress and irritating the Regimental Corporal Major (RCM). The RCM is more senior than he sounds: tradition has it that Queen Victoria refused to let her personal bodyguards be known as ‘Sergeant’ i.e., servant, hence most ranks are at odds with the usual structure.
The Regiment is divided into two sabre squadrons, the Life Guards and the Royal Horse Guards/Dragoons, also known as the ‘Blues and Royals’. My allegiance was directed to the latter and I adopted, second hand, a previous Commanding Officers’ service dress jacket much to his amusement. Most of the articles were obtained by frequent trips to civilian firms who struggled to fit the female form. The uniform is so intricate that there have been several occasions since when I only learned that I was missing something – a gold waistbelt, the correct length of sword sling etc – on the day of parade. Fortunately, Mess staff are used to raiding another Officer’s belongings in search of a spare.
I had six weeks in which to acclimatise to London life before we headed off to Norfolk for annual Regimental
7 Chiron Calling Issue 7 dated June 1991.
8 Chiron Calling Winter 2000/01.
Training. Once we arrived at ‘Summer Camp’, dress code changed and, comfortingly, green kit was back in. It also gave me the excuse to buy some new evening dresses: Officers are expected to dine in every night, whilst the rest of the Regiment runs riot throughout Norfolk. The only other essential clothing at camp was sports kit for the Officer’s ‘beer can’ team, required whilst entertaining the Seniors’ Mess.
Camp was great fun for (wo)man and beast – the horse thriving on fresh air and grass under foot, rather than the London fumes on concrete. It allowed me to get to know the fourteen Farriers, for whom I am responsible, a little better. The ‘local’ in Swaffham was an ideal setting in which to discuss therapeutic shoeing, new theories on four-point contact shoeing and...body piercing – one type of metal work I plan to steer clear of. However, the Farriers are proving to be a dedicated team, keen to learn more and improve their skills. We have worked hard to schedule-in regular continuation training for all HCMR farriers back at Melton Mowbray, so that no one stagnates within their career, whatever their ability.
Back in London, I am fortunate to have the use of a padded knock down box for minor operations, which doubles as a monitoring box for colic cases. We share X-ray and ultrasound facilities with The Kings’ Troop, and Sergeant Paul Tidy RAVC, the Regimental Veterinary Technician. He is working hard to build up the equipment list. He is also spending a lot of time teaching recruits and generally encouraging soldiers to improve their basic stable management skills. The horses seemed to appreciate this.
I have now completed State Visits for the President of China and the Queen of Norway without mishap. I was part of the action on the Major Generals Parade last May, where I wore uniform similar to the Colonel of the Blues and Royals, the Princess Royal. Millennium year was especially busy for the Regiment: besides annual commitment to the Queen’s Birthday Parade, State Opening of Parliament and Camp, we sent an escort to the Isle of Man for the opening of their parliament and took part in the Royal Military Tattoo at Whitehall, a spectacular show. This all made for a lot of kit cleaning for the soldiers.
Over the winter, I’ve been locating and inspecting retirement homes for some of the ‘old and bold’ horses that have served their time in Knightsbridge – four of them aged twenty-two years! Such rationalisation should keep the Household Cavalry horses ‘herd’ more fit for parade. Anyone interested in offering a retirement home for a horse should contact the RVO.”8
The final words – from the horse’s mouth!
“There are two hundred of us and three hundred and
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