It's good you do it as a poem John! lol

I do sing this one and tells the heroic part that horses gave us in WW1

Many still sing this including Portsmouth Shanty men ~ I do have a changed set of words and one version changed the place of conflict to India I think

Lads or Lad may refer to the horse or the men being carried home after a long day in the summer sun ~ a great tune from "our Sarah" a true devotee to Folk song

Ray