U.S. Army Certifies First Soldiers Under New 08H Equestrian Specialty
The U.S. Army established the 08H Army Equestrian military occupational specialty, certifying its first soldiers—Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland—after an 18-week horsemanship program at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The move follows a two-year suspension of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery after two horses died in 2022 from colon impactions due to substandard feed and conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight, and shifted training to structured pipelines.
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Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Military Occupational Specialty
The U.S. Army has established a new military occupational specialty (MOS) 08H, Army Equestrian, and certified its first soldiers after an 18-week horsemanship program. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland, assigned to the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, are among the first to qualify. The program includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course covering grooming, groundwork, and horse communication, followed by a six-week Advanced Horsemanship Course focusing on horse driving and postilion riding. This initiative follows the Army's decision to retain military working equid programs in Texas and Kansas and the resumption of limited horse-drawn caisson use at Arlington National Cemetery in mid-2025 after a two-year suspension due to horse welfare concerns. The Army has also upgraded equipment, including lighter custom leather saddles and reduced caisson weight by over 1,000 pounds, to improve horse care.
Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Specialty as Horse Care Revamped
The U.S. Army has established a new military occupational specialty (MOS), 08H Army Equestrian, and certified its first soldiers after an 18-week horsemanship program. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland, assigned to the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, are among the first to qualify. The program replaces the old 'military horseman' identifier and is open to infantry soldiers E5-E9. Training includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course covering grooming and groundwork, followed by a six-week Advanced Horsemanship Course focusing on horse driving and postilion riding. The move follows a two-year suspension of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery after two horses died in 2022 due to substandard feed and living conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight, and shifted to a structured training pipeline at private stables in Virginia and Florida.
Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Military Occupational Specialty
The U.S. Army has established a new military occupational specialty (MOS) 08H Army Equestrian, replacing the previous 'military horseman' identifier. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland of the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall are among the first soldiers to qualify after completing an 18-week horsemanship program. The program includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course covering grooming, groundwork, and horse communication, followed by a six-week Advanced Horsemanship Course focusing on horse driving and postilion riding. This change follows a two-year suspension of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery due to horse welfare concerns after two horses died in 2022 from colon impactions linked to substandard feed and living conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight, and implemented structured training. The 08H specialty is open to infantry soldiers E5-E9 and supports recruiting, public outreach, and military funeral honors.
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Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Military Occupational Specialty
The U.S. Army has established the 08H Army Equestrian military occupational specialty, certifying its first soldiers after an 18-week horsemanship program. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland of the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall are among the first to qualify. The program includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course and a 6-week Advanced Horsemanship Course covering grooming, groundwork, horse driving, and postilion riding. This initiative follows a two-year suspension of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery after two horses died in 2022 from colon impactions due to substandard feed and conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight by over 1,000 pounds, and shifted training to a structured pipeline. The 08H specialty replaces the 'military horseman' identifier and is open to infantry soldiers E5-E9, supporting recruiting, public outreach, and funeral honors.
Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Military Occupational Specialty
The U.S. Army has established a new military occupational specialty (08H Army Equestrian) and certified its first soldiers through an 18-week horsemanship program. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland, assigned to the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, are among the first to qualify. The program includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course covering grooming, groundwork, and horse communication, followed by a 6-week Advanced Horsemanship Course focusing on horse driving and postilion riding. This comes after the Army resumed limited use of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery in mid-2025 following a two-year suspension due to horse welfare concerns, including the deaths of two horses in 2022 from colon impactions linked to substandard feed and living conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight by over 1,000 pounds, and implemented structured training pipelines.
Army Certifies First Equestrians Under New 08H Specialty as Horse Care Revamped
The U.S. Army has established a new military occupational specialty, 08H Army Equestrian, and certified its first soldiers after an 18-week horsemanship program. Staff Sgt. Shawn Tabor and Sgt. Daimien Copeland of the Caisson Detachment at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall are among the first to qualify. The program includes a 12-week Basic Horsemanship Course and a 6-week Advanced Horsemanship Course. The new specialty replaces the 'military horseman' identifier and is open to infantry soldiers E5-E9. The move follows a two-year suspension of horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery after two horses died in 2022 due to substandard feed and living conditions. The Army has since upgraded equipment, reduced caisson weight, and shifted training to a structured pipeline. The Army also retained military working equid programs in Texas and Kansas.