What Army Horse Soldiers Go Through In Arlington Funeral Training

Mounted soldiers in the US Army Caisson Detachment support one of the military’s most sacred missions: transporting fallen service members to their final resting places inside Arlington National Cemetery. The casket is placed on a wagon, known as a caisson, and conveyed through the cemetery by three soldiers. Each soldier rides one horse and controls another with their right hand. Many of these soldiers start off with little to no experience with horses. After being selected based on their composure, discipline, and physical fitness, they must complete an 12-week basic horsemanship course, followed by six weeks of advanced instruction. The Caisson Detachment returned from a nearly two-year suspension in 2025 after an investigation revealed that the deaths of multiple horses were connected to unsanitary living conditions. The Army hired equestrian champion Chester Weber, an heir to the Campbell’s Soup fortune, to revamp the training. Weber assembled a team of world-class equestrian professionals and provided his Florida stud farm as a location for the advanced training program, which culminates with a validation test that all soldiers must pass before they can ride in funeral missions. Chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan went inside training to find out what it takes to be a mounted soldier in the US Army Caisson Detachment. Also read "Inside the Army's $30 million effort to revamp its funeral horse program after a series of horse deaths": https://bit.ly/4vbSXXA 00:00 - The Military's Most Sacred Mission 01:13 - Advanced Training in Ocala, Florida 02:07 - Meet Inga: the German Riding Instructor 02:42 - Soldier Qualifications 03:13 - The Squad's Only Woman 04:31 - From Motor Transport Operator to Horse Soldier 05:27 - Wagon Training with the Royal Family's Former Coachman 06:24 - The Postillion Riding Style 07:45 - The $256,000 Caisson Wagon 08:05 - The Suspension and Return of the Caisson Program 09:25 - Taking Care of the Horses 10:32 - The Percheron Breed 10:58 - Desensitizing the Horses 13:16 - The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Sentinel Joins Caisson 13:57 - The Section Worker's Dirty Job 14:30 - $160,000 Worth of Tack 14:48 - The Validation Test 16:27 - Test Results 18:10 - Funeral Mission 19:23 - Real-World Stakes 20:13 - Credits ------------------------------------------------------ #USarmy #CaissonDetachment #horses #bootcamp MORE BOOT CAMP VIDEOS: How The Air Force Trains For Crashes In Enemy Territory https://youtu.be/W8AzYWnrSmQ What It Takes To Be A Real US Marine | Boot Camp | Business Insider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yptrdzTTDSk The US Army Has A $1 Billion Recruiting Crisis. Can Influencers Help? | Boot Camp | Business Insider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxRd8rI9o20 Business Insider is a global newsroom covering business, technology, innovation, and the economy. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com/?utm_source=youtube Sign up for our newsletters: https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter?utm_source=youtube Find Business Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider ... on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/businessinsider ... on X: https://x.com/BusinessInsider ... on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessinsider