Horse-drawn caissons return to Arlington National Cemetery in June after a more than two-year absence needed for training and improving the equines’ living conditions.

They have been missed.

The U.S. Army controls Arlington as a military base and sidelined the horses when it was found many had physical ailments with two horses dying in 2022. Better training of personnel was also ordered.

The Army retired all of the previous horses and rebuilt the herd. Some 46 horses are in training with 33 ready for use. Arlington buries between 25 to 30 people on weekdays and 10 or so on Saturdays.

Now the horses will be used twice daily and up to 10 times per week. The goal is to double caissons to four daily and 20 weekly.Practice runs are already underway.

Those eligible for caissons as part of a funeral include killed in action, Purple Heart or Prisoner of War Medal recipients, senior noncommissioned officers, senior warrant officers and senior commissioned officers.

If seeing the caissons while visiting Arlington, please wait respectfully while they pass as to not startle the horses.