I’ve read that the German Army had 800,000 horses in World War II. To a large extent, what we think of as the first fully mechanized army in history was largely horse-drawn, at least where logistics were concerned.
“I’ve read that the German Army had 800,000 horses in World War II.”
Germany had trucks, but never enough for the huge logistics tails. Horse-drawn carts could carry a heavier load than most of the available German trucks, and were thought to be sufficient for the slow-moving Infantry units. Horses required fewer supplies than trucks did, and in a tough moment, could become food for the army, as well.
In the late war, as fuel supplies dwindled, they became much more important.