The courage of little texas
While under relentless sniper fire, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt shouted a command that would echo through history: “Charge the hill!”
Behind him, the men surged forward as the future President rode his horse, Little Texas, straight up the Heights. Bullets tore through the air, and soldiers fell around them, but the fearless horse carried his rider onward, climbing to within 40 feet of the crest before a second barbed-wire fence stopped their advance.
Roosevelt dismounted and began cutting through the wire when a bullet struck his left elbow. Wounded but unbroken, he fought the rest of the way on foot.
Little Texas survived the Spanish-American War and was retired to Roosevelt’s home at Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, New York. He died in 1903, while Roosevelt was the president. He was buried in the Roosevelt family pet cemetery.
As technology replaced horses in war, the era of cavalry charges eventually faded, with the last official U.S. horse
cavalry charge occurring in 1942 in the Philippines. Yet the bond between humans and horses still serves those who served.
Today, through the Humane Warriors program, Paws of War continues that legacy with a veteran and first responder equine therapy program and a horse rescue program, giving these remarkable animals a second chance while helping those who served find healing, connection, and purpose.
As our nation approaches America’s 250th anniversary, Paws of War is honoring the animals who have stood beside our service members throughout history. From the battlefields of San Juan Hill to the quiet barns where veterans find peace today, animals like Little Texas remind us that courage, loyalty, and sacrifice are not carried by humans alone.
