Possible Clues:

• Former military member
• Experienced person
• The old tree has been chopped up and put in the van
• Old-timer managed to appear after very short season in France
• Animal expert near injured warhorse
• Review managed without English master
• He's experienced enough to put an exotic tree in a truck!
• Nervate (anag.)
• Animal doctor near frisky warhorse
• Describing a pre-1905 car (or pre-1919 at a pinch?)