The Waler Horse

Historical Background

The name 'Waler' is derived from the term 'New South Waler', a horse bred in New South Wales, and Australia's first colony. It was coined as a term for colonial bred horses used both in Australia and as remounts for the British Army in India. Rajahs also bought Walers for military and recreational use such as polo.  Walers, through the flourishing remount trade, were sold to India from the 1840's to the 1940's and were supplied to the Australian Army for the Boer War and World War I, where their feats of endurance and courage became legendary.  Although again supplied to the Army in World War II, the horses were not sent overseas, mechanization having transcended their use.

In 1788, the First Fleet, of eleven ships brought out two stallions and four mares and foals from the Cape of Good Hope, English horses having perished on the perilous sea journey.  Subsequent ships also brought out Cape horses, such as the Britannia, which landed in 1795 with thirty-three horses.  English horses also began arriving safely, the influential thoroughbred stallion, Rockingham, was brought out in 1799.  About this time, the Governor of New South Wales asked for more heavy horses, specifying Scottish Clydesdales. Timor ponies were shipped over from northern Islands.

Increasing demand for saddle and workhorses led to the migration of the best of old English breeds, which combined with the Cape horses and the Timor pony, went into the melting pot that produced a unique Australian horse, the Waler.  The notable English breeds were Thoroughbred, Clydesdale, Suffolk Punch, Cleveland Bay, Lincolnshire Trotter, Norfolk Roadster, Yorkshire Coacher, Hackney, Arab and Percheron, which although a French breed, had its own English studbook, including Shire, and native British ponies.

An important progenitor of the Waler was the Timor Pony. Brought to Australia early and used with great success, due to its hardiness, stamina and agility, by explorers such as George Grey, in the 1830's, the later Governor of South Australia.  The Territorian gentlemen - outlaw 'Diamond' Jim Campbell broke in a hundred Timor ponies in 1908.  These ponies were from wild herds on the Coburg Peninsula, where they had been established in the early the nineteenth century, and to this day remnant herds still survive.  The Cape horse, another Waler ancestor, consisted largely of Basuto Pony, with influences of Java Pony Arab and Barb. 

Owners of large properties bred horses by the thousands for the lucrative remount trade, now and then releasing a Thoroughbred sire to maintain standards and because squatters were fond of bush racing.  However, the Waler was an established type, throwing true to type as standards of endurance, weight carrying capabilities, conformation and temperament were strictly monitored by breeders for the fastidious horses-buyers and out crossing was rarely necessary.  No studbook was ever formed although station records were carefully kept, so the Waler was originally known as a type rather than a breed.

Mounted on their strong robust Walers, the Australians established an enviable reputation for their horses and horsemanship, with their exploits in South Africa during the Boer War.  There it was realized that a horse with fast walk that went into an easy canter was the best type for the military, as equipment was not shaken off, and distances were covered more rapidly.  Waler horses were not prone to sore backs, whereas the English troops moved about at the trot and suffered from sore-backed horses.  The Waler is known for its long striding walk and for its wonderful jumping ability, proven over obstacles in South Africa and World War I.  World War I saw 121,324 horses sent overseas and the Light Horse again proved themselves with feats of endurance and bravery in the sands of the Middle East, establishing the Waler as perhaps the finest mount on the history of cavalry.  One of the most courageous charges was that of the 4th and 12th Regiments at Beersheba, where after a full night march and a day's fighting with no water, they galloped across a burning plain at the entrenched and heavily armed Turks, winning the day and the water of the wells of Beersheba.  Returned soldiers, who, due to quarantine and army economies, had to leave their horses behind, erected a monument in Sydney… "by members of the Desert Mounted Corps and friends, to the gallant horses who carried them over the Sinai Desert into Palestine, 1915 - 1919.  They suffered wounds, thirst, hunger and weariness almost beyond endurance, but they never failed.  They did not come home".

At home, Walers proved the ideal stockhorse, but with the phasing out of the remount trade in the 1940's, ceased to be commercially bred.  Many breeders destroyed their stock, however a few simply abandoned them to run wild in the great-unfenced backcountry.  Within a seemingly short space of time, by the 1960's and on, the Waler, incredibly, had virtually disappeared on the domestic scene.  Mechanization had led to the decline in use of horses on the land and there was a time when they were not sought for recreational purposes.  By the time horses regained popularity, riders wanted purebreds, such as the Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Quarter horses and so on, abandoning the old fashioned, heavy colonial bred with studbook papers.  The Waler, once lauded with praise, became an anachronism and had almost become extinct.

Walers running wild, those descendants of remounts became the chief source of retaining and re-establishing Australian horses, not as a type, but as a breed with over two hundred years of breeding.  The crusade to save them became the work of The Waler Horse Society of Australia Inc., which has since 1986, saved enough Walers to begin the Studbook.  This happened at a crucial time, for the eradication of all feral animals was well under way (Government decreed) and another five years would indeed have seen the extinction of the Waler as they have probably all gone from the bush.

The horse that opened up Australia with explorers, surveyors and settlers, carried our loads, worked our stock and bravely carried our ancestor into battle, now finally has a just and secure future, backed up by a Studbook.  They are not many in number, but have dedicated guardians who all know the worth and preciousness of "the great-hearted ones".

Solidiers playing ball games on horseback during WWI

Walers Today

The Waler was originally bred to be a working horse and today they still do stock and harness work but they are also being recognised as excellent performers in the equine sporting arena and proving to be a good horse for any horse enthusiast.

The versatility, speed and stamina of Walers make them very competitive in all forms of equine sport including Endurance, Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping, Cutting, Roping and Pony Club. There are Walers currently competing, and excelling, in Endurance, Dressage, Eventing and Barrel Racing.

Also, with their kind temperament and loyal nature, Walers are ideal for youngsters to participate on at Pony Club and a good horse for inexperienced horse owners.

Walers are also great for Trail Riding and Recreational/Pleasure riding due to their loyal nature and "go all day" stamina.

Today some Walers are still brought in from the wild or off outback stations, but there are several Waler Studs throughout Australia, increasing the number of horses with the Waler bloodline. The Waler is in high demand, worldwide, so if you wish to purchase a Waler, visit our Walers For Sale page or contact the Secretary or your State Co-ordinator.

As the revival of the Waler breed progresses, Walers are competing at an ever-increasing number of Agricultural and Horse shows and competitions. The Waler Events page lists up coming events and if there is one near you, do yourself a favour and come out and see Walers competing for yourself.

 

 

Defining the Waler

A fine, outstanding horse showing remarkable bone and robustness, the Waler has many excellent attributes.  Its jumping ability is well known and can be seen in the length of gaskin, splendid quarters and well-formed hocks.  His comfort as a riding horse shows in his long ground-covering walk coming from a good, well sloped shoulder, strong back, powerful legs, big clean joints and correctly sloped pasterns, at an angle corresponding to the shoulder.  His stamina and endurance are unsurpassed, his chest spaced for plenty of heart and lung room, his girth deep through and his ribs well sprung. His head is set low, giving a sweeping, refined appearance.  His head is alert, big between the eyes and kindly, well set onto a graceful but strong neck that gives a good length of rein.  As befitting a cavalry horse, some carry their heads high, to protect the rider.  He is like a heavy hunter, his make-up originates from a diverse mix of pony, draught, coach and riding horse. 

From his early breeding days on huge stations, and subsequent years in the wild, he has learned to survive, as few horses can, to live well and prosper on the basics and does not seek nor need the soft life.  Colours?  Basically bay, chestnut, black, brown and grey.  Some taffy colouring is often seen in the mane and tail, which is full to keep him warm in the cold night winds of a harsh environment. 

White leg and facial markings are not uncommon and he is not embarrassed at some fetlock or lower leg feather.  His feet are tough and open, the frog well defined, not flattened underneath, so he avoids stone bruising or sliding in sand and mud. Perhaps heavier than is fashionable, quiet temperament, the Waler is truly a horse for all seasons.

Walers today are categorised into one of four different types, Pony, Light, Medium and Heavy.

Even wild Walers were quietened virtually as soon as a hand was on them, quickly establishing rapport with humans.  Walers are often slow developers, not maturing until approximately 7 years of age. They are often considered as the ugly ducklings when young, however the awkward young Waler rewards his patient owner by blooming into a strong, graceful, handsome and eye-catching horse.

During World War 1, the Australians and their horses excelled themselves, setting legendary feats of endurance, bravery and hardiness.  Most people associate the Waler with its heroic part in the battles of the Middle East in World War 1.  After the horse trade came to a standstill in the 1940's, Walers ceased to be commercially bred and many were simply abandoned to run wild on outback stations, and breeding in other parts of Australia was scaled down.

Therefore, from the late 1940's no new blood, that is no other breeds, were crossed to existing Walers.  So all Walers today must be from bloodlines of 1940 or earlier.  Horses that are crossed with any other breeds after 1940 will be registered as Part bred Walers.  This has been done to ensure that the breed has an uncompromising future and so that the legend can live on.

Preserving the future of the Waler

The Waler Horse Society of Australia Inc. was founded in 1986, by Janet Lane (TAS), Reg Wilson (NT), Peter Fischer (VIC) and Kerry Jarvis (TAS) to establish a studbook for Waler Horses and maintain the breed, which has become integral part of the Australian History.  During the Northern Territory Government's "Tuberculosis Brucellosis Eradication Scheme', which aimed to eradicate all feral animals from the Territory, a large number of horses were being mustered, then trucked to meat works for pet food and overseas consumption or more radically being inhumanly shot from helicopters by methods seen most recently in the Guy Fawkes brumby cull in November 2000.  Soon after the society began, it was established by the WHSA foundation members that a number of the properties where horses were being culled from were actually old remount properties which had maintained the original breed lines of horses used in the various wars as remounts and had been turned out there in 1946 after the remount export trade ceased. 

During the initial years of the WHSA it was only through the tireless, dedicated and costly efforts from Janet, Reg, Peter and Kerry that several truckloads of Walers were saved from eradication and relocated to securer homes throughout Australia which has developed to form the basis of our breeding stock today. 

In subsequent years Members have joined from all States within Australia, becoming a small but devoted group of enthusiastic people committed to the wellbeing and breeding of Walers.  With the establishment of a Stud Book, this Australian horse faces a bright future with members actively involved in demonstrating its talent, versatility and beneficial contribution to the equine world. 

The aim of the society is to promote the breeding and preservation of this unique Australian horse.  By defining the Waler horse in the Standard of Excellence, an ideal is set for breeding programs.  A Studbook has been established. The Society has established the Waler as a breed (as distinct from a type). The Waler will rival, if not better, other Warm-blooded breeds, with the breeding based on established bloodlines.

The Waler is competing successfully in a wide range of equestrian activities and proven to be a fine, hardy horse with the ability and heart to take our riders to the top. The Waler is proving to be a superior saddle horse for non-competitive riders and an ideal light harness driving horse.

Since the Society was established in 1986 it has successfully researched, located and classified many Walers whilst documenting the history that led to their development as the breed today.  The WHSA aims to build awareness within the horse world and the wider public of the heritage of our own horses, their importance in Australian history and possibilities for the future.

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FOOTNOTE : All the images shown in this pack depict Waler Horses owned by members of the WHSA.  Photos may be used for school assignment or private use only.

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