Waler
**1. Origins and Characteristics of the Waler:**
– The Waler combined various breeds like Thoroughbred, Arab, Cape horse, Timor Pony, and possibly Clydesdale or Percheron.
– Initially considered a type, the Waler evolved in Australia into a hardy horse with great endurance.
– Used as a stockman’s horse and valued as a military remount.
– Preferred Walers for cavalry were 15 to 16 hands high.
– Walers carried various equipment including rations, a rifle, and ammunition.
**2. Historical Significance and Usage in Wars:**
– Australian horses were sent overseas from the 1830s, with a significant trade in Walers to the British Indian Army from the 1840s to 1940s.
– Walers were crucial in the Australian Light Horse mounted forces during the Boer War and WWI.
– Adapted well to the harsh climates of the Sinai Peninsula and Palestine.
– 16,314 horses were sent overseas during the Boer War.
– 121,324 Walers were sent overseas during WWI, with most serving in the Middle East.
– Lt Col RMP Preston DSO praised the endurance and performance of Australian Light Horses during WWI.
**3. Involvement in Specific Wars (Boer War and WWI):**
– Australia sent 16,314 horses overseas for use by the Australian Infantry Forces during the Boer War.
– 121,324 Walers were sent overseas to allied armies in Africa, Europe, India, and Palestine during WWI.
– 39,348 served with the First Australian Imperial Force in the Middle East.
– 81,976 were sent to India.
– Only one Waler, Sandy, the mount of Major-General W.T. Bridges, is known to have been returned to Australia.
**4. Post-War and Decline of the Waler Breed:**
– The demand for remounts declined in the 1940s, leading to a decline in the Waler trade.
– Alex Coppock and his wife bred Walers on Newhaven Station until it was converted into a wildlife sanctuary in 2000.
– The Australian Stock Horse Society accepted a majority of Waler horses into its studbook, causing controversy among breeders.
**5. Reestablishment and Threats to the Waler Breed:**
– Efforts to reestablish the Waler breed began in the 1980s using feral Walers descended from horses set loose in rural regions.
– Two breed associations, WHOBAA and WHSA, are dedicated to preserving the breed.
– Only horses with old bloodlines and no imported genetics since 1945 can be registered as Walers with WHOBAA.
– In May 2013, up to 10,000 Walers were culled at Tempe Downs Station due to concerns about water sustainability.