AtthebattleofWaterloo,BritishartilleryofficerCavalieMercerobservedatragicincident:"Wesawthemenofthegunnexttousunharnessoneofthehorsesandchaseitaway;yetthebeaststoodunmovedwithfirmness,goingfromonecarriagetotheother,whencehewasalwaysdrivenaway.
"SoonIfoundthehorsestandingwithinafewpacesofme,sidebysidewiththeleadersofoneofourammunitionwagons,againstwhichhepressedhissides.Acannonshothadcompletelycarriedawaythelowerpartoftheanimal'shead,immediatelybelowtheeyes.Stillhelived,andseemedtoimploreusnottochasehimfromhiscompanions.Iorderedthefarrier*toputhimoutofmisery,whichhedidbyrunninghissabreintotheanimal'sheart."
滑鐵盧戰役中，英國砲兵隊軍官卡瓦利耶．默瑟目睹一件慘事：「我們看見一旁那門大砲的將士解開一匹馬，驅牠離去，牠却堅決站着不動，走到一輛又一輛馬車之前，都被趕開。
「不久，我發覺那匹馬站在我幾步之內，和我們一輛載彈藥馬車的先導馬並排，馬身一側擠向馬車。這匹馬頭部雙眼以下已給一枚砲彈完全轟掉，但牠仍然活着，似乎哀求我們不要把牠驅離同伴。我命令馬醫幫牠解脫。馬醫用軍刀插進牠心臟，解除了牠的痛苦。」
*Farrier一般指「蹄鐵匠」，但軍隊中則指「馬醫」。