2/14th Light Horse over hurdles (Chermside Remount Depot), War horses: hoof prints in time, pg. 2

Australian Walers were used overseas as cavalry and artillery horses, and as carriage and sport horses for the British Army and the Raj in India. By 1867, the Waler had developed a reputation as one of the finest cavalry horses in the world.

The term ‘Waler’ was first used by the British in India referring to those horses that were bred in the colony of New South Wales. Walers became legendary with the Australian Light Horse for their feats of endurance and bravery on the battle field during WWI. The courageous charge at Beersheba on 31 October 1917 by the 4th and 12th Regiments earned international recognition. After marching all night and fighting all day with no water, ‘they galloped across a burning plain at the entrenched and heavily armed Turks, winning the day and the water wells of Beersheba.’ (Waler Horse Society of Australia Inc.)

Walers were originally bred to be stock horses that could withstand the extreme conditions of the Australian outback. They can go without water for prolonged periods. This is clearly illustrated in the book The Desert Mounted Corps, by English cavalry officer Lieutenant Colonel RMP Preston DSO. ‘One of the batteries of the Australian Mounted Division had only been able to water its horses three times in the last nine days – the actual intervals being 68, 72, and 76 hours respectively.’ (Cited in War Horses: hoof prints in time, pg. 40). In the blistering heat of the desert, it was not uncommon for soldiers to find some relief from the sun by resting in the shade of the shadows cast by their faithfull mounts.

A favourite charger with groom, Anzac Mounted Division, Australian War Memorial

Cavalry horses often tend to get much of the glory but the artillery horses, the pushers and pullers, are the unsung heroes of the battle ground. Daisy and Belle were a pair of Walers fondly referred to as the ‘two beauties’ and were reknowned for their ability to pull anything anywhere. They were ‘low, thickset stocky bays, each with a white star on the forehead. They were round-barrelled, short necked and had that calm dependable temperament’. The pair were trained to move on command and were experts at ‘hooking a carriage out of a rut, pulling a skewed vehicle straight.’

They carried ammunition in large canvas envelopes and delivered them to the front line. Their skills came in handy when their driver, a man named Banks, fell into a shell-hole and became stuck in the mud.  No one was around so Banks called out to his two trusty horses. ‘Here Daisy…here Belle…’ Then ‘Left Daisy…Back girl, back!’ Daisy came to the rescue by turning her rear towards her master until he could grab a hold of her tail.  Using all her strength, she gently pulled Banks free. (Forgotten heroes: the Australian Waler Horse, pp. 49-50).

The Great War significantly depleted Australia and New Zealand of horse stocks. Australia committed around 130,000 horses and New Zealand over 8,000.  Most of the horses that went to war died – from exhaustion, disease and battle wounds.  Many that survived were quarantined and prevented from coming home to stop the spread of disease. Only one Waler returned home after WWI. The horse, named Sandy, belonged to Major General William Bridges who was killed at Gallipoli.  After the war Sandy spent the rest of his days out to graze at the Central Remount Depot at Maribyrnong.

From War horses: hoof prints in time, pg. 36