文章的研究对象是英帝国陆军在一战中的畜力使用，以及在此过程中形成的人马关系和军马意象。第一次世界大战达到了军事上利用畜力的顶峰，人类与马的关系也在战火中得到加深，军马成为士兵日常情感的投影之一。
围绕着以上主题，文章可以分为两个大部分。第一部分首先按时间顺序叙述了英帝国陆军在一战前后的畜力使用情况，为人马关系的形成背景做了全方面的介绍。这一部分是内容重点。第一章聚焦战前，探究了马匹在英帝国陆军中所扮演的角色以及其历史渊源，揭示了一战爆发前英帝国陆军对军马的应用现状。第二、三、四章研究了军马的动员工作、作为骑兵战马的表现和畜力对军事的作用三个方面。这一部分分析了马匹的巨大贡献和局限之处。
文章的第二部分为第五章，介绍了在大规模使用畜力的基础上，军马与人类之间的互动关系，以及军马在宣传和文学中的几个典型形象。在马匹参战前的人马关系，以人类对动员的态度为主；在战场上的人马关系，重点在英军士兵与军马之间。最后探讨军马在不同时期和不同人群的塑造中，扮演了何种角色。这些意象反映了作为文化符号的马传达了哪些思想，以及士兵们的真实感受。
从军事史的角度来看，军马是冲锋陷阵和后勤补给的重要力量；从环境史的角度，人与马的互动既受制于环境，二者本身也共同塑造了战场这一大环境；最后，士兵情感的变化和他们在战后对马的意象的书写，揭示了一战作为总体战的残酷。

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the British Imperial Army and livestock, with a focus on horses as representatives for in-depth analysis during World War I. The Great War reached the peak of military use of animal power, and the relationship between humans and horses was deepened during the war, which has became one of the daily emotional projections of soldiers.
Based on the aforementioned themes, the article can be divided into two main parts. The first part provides a chronological account of the use of animal power by the British Imperial Army before and after World War I, offering a comprehensive introduction to the background of the formation of the human-horse relationship. This part is the main focus of the content. Chapter One focuses on the pre-war period, exploring the role of horses in the British Imperial Army and their historical origins, revealing the application status of military horses in the British Imperial Army prior to the outbreak of World War I. Chapters Two, Three, and Four examine the mobilization of military horses, the performance of cavalry horses, and the role of animal power in the military, respectively. This part analyzes the significant contributions and limitations of horses.
The second part consists of Chapter Five, which introduces the interaction between military horses and humans based on the large-scale use of animal power, as well as several typical horse images in propaganda and literature. The human-horse relationship prior to horses' participation in combat primarily focuses on human attitudes towards mobilization, while the focus of the human-horse relationship on the battlefield lies between British soldiers and military horses. Finally, the article explores the role played by military horses in different periods and among different groups of people. These images reflect the ideas conveyed by horses as cultural symbols and the soldiers' true feelings.
From a military history perspective, military horses were an important force for charging into battle and logistical supply. From an environmental history perspective, the interaction between humans and horses was influenced by the environment, and both parties shaped the battlefield as a larger environment. Lastly, the changes in soldiers' emotions and their depiction of horse imagery in the post-war period reveal the brutality of World War I as a total war.