Frank L. Saunders of Winnipeg, a former regimental sergeant major with the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, served from 1929 to ’65 and can recount military episodes going back a piece. He sends us this one about horses:

“Every summer we would spend seven weeks in Camp Hughes, Man., and five weeks in Camp Sarcee, Alta., training the militia. While in Sarcee we also purchased remounts – that is, unbroken horses to replace those being retired because of age.

“To break in these remounts, we’d hook up three regular horses and three new ones to an 18-pounder [field gun]. Hordes of gunners hung on to the remounts while three drivers got aboard them. At the order ‘Clear out!’ bedlam broke loose. When the dust had cleared from downed riders and horses, the first voice of authority was: ‘Are any of those horses hurt?’”