A new Army equestrian MOS, designated as 08H, is set to replace the military horseman identifier D2 as the service creates a specialized career path dedicated to the professional care of military working equines, the Army announced in a news release.

The new MOS, which goes into effect on March 3, is open to infantry NCOs from sergeant to sergeant major who will perform “all functions in support of the husbandry, training, transportation recruitment and disposition of military working equids,” according to the MOS description.

“Supplying trained personnel and animals allows us to maintain the program's high standards,” Col. James Fuhriman, assistant deputy for Army health affairs, said in the release. “It empowers the Fort Hood and Riley [Military Working Equid] programs, much like The Old Guard, to continue their legacy of excellence in preserving the Army's equine heritage.”

As the Army aligns its resources with warfighting capability and readiness, three of the service’s Military Working Equid programs are being discontinued by summer, while four of the programs will remain in force. The program includes horses, mules and donkeys owned by the War Department and housed on Army installations.

The Army announced last summer that all Military Working Equid programs, except Old Guard Caisson units in the Military District of Washington and at Joint Base San Antonio would be discontinued.

In December, the Army announced that it had partially reversed its decision, and the programs at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Riley, Kansas, will be retained.

“After careful consideration, the Army has determined that retaining these [Military Working Equid] programs is in the best interests of the force,” Fuhriman said in the release. “These programs provide unique capabilities and benefits that are difficult to replicate, and their continuation aligns with our broader commitment to readiness and community engagement.”

The Army will continue to sunset ownership, operation and materiel support of the programs at Fort Irwin, California, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, according to the release.