Riderless horse adds poignancy to military burials

ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- Staff Sgt. Travis Nielsen had no idea when he joined the U.S. Army that his duty would include one of the most solemn and hallowed ceremonies in the military.

During funeral processions at Virginia's Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, Nielsen walks the so-called riderless horse -- a powerful military symbol that stands among the highest honors for the fallen.

Images of the so-called caparisoned horse -- often referred to as the "cap horse" -- remain emblazoned in the memories of millions of shocked Americans who watched televised images of President John F. Kennedy's funeral procession shortly after his 1963 assassination.

According to Army tradition, a ceremonial horse is led by a "cap walker" -- like Nielsen -- in a procession with boots set backward in the saddle's stirrups. In addition to high-ranking government officials such as the president, the cap horse honor is reserved for officers of the rank of colonel or above.

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