Origins of the Australian Stock Horse
The Australian Stock Horse , possibly the world ’ s most versatile horse , evolved through selective breeding in response to the demands of the environment . The ancestors of the Australian Stock Horse arrived in Australia on the First Fleet in January 1788 .
The end of the 18th century saw horses imported into Botany Bay in small numbers , believed to be of Arabian and Barb blood . The Barb , developed on the Barbary Coast of North Africa , was a desert horse with great hardiness and stamina . Eventually more horses where imported , these were of English Thoroughbred and Spanish stock . Later importations included more Thoroughbreds , Arabs , Timor and Welsh Mountain Ponies .
All horses sent to the Colony needed strength and stamina - not only to survive the long sea journey , but also to work in the foreign , untamed environment that had become their home . After Blaxland , Wentworth and Lawson crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813 , settlers ventured inland and strong reliable horses became a necessity .
In the 1830s , knowledgeable horse breeders imported a steady stream of Thoroughbreds to improve the local horse strains . The settlers had a keen interest in horse racing , so Thoroughbreds became very popular at the beginning of the 19th century . The use of Thoroughbred stallions over the conditionhardened local mares produced the beautiful strain of tough but stylish animal exemplified by today ' s Australian Stock Horse .
Australian horses had been selectively bred for strength and stamina , reliability and versatility . The strongest were retained for breeding and despite their mixed origins they developed into a strong and handsome type . The horses that developed had a good temperament , were tough and reliable , able to work under saddle and in harness . They were used to clear timber , plough the land and herd sheep and cattle . From this base the breed was refined and developed , using the outstanding sires of the day . Thoroughbreds had a considerable influence , even though the breed carried bloodlines from other breeds .
Explorers , stockmen , settlers , bushrangers and troopers all relied on horses that could travel long distances , day after day . Weak horses were culled ; the stronger types were used to breed sturdy saddle horses that were essential for the Colony ’ s settlement . Exploits of the explorers and stockmen and their reliable horses in the Australian bush became Australian folklore , and stories such as The Man from Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow depict the character of these pioneers and their horses .
Many Australians refer to their horses as stock horses or station horses . When purchased by a cavalry exporter , the horse became known as a remount horse . Originally all Australian horses came from New South Wales ( thus the name ‘ Waler ’), but as the settlers spread throughout the continent , they took their horses with them . It was in the early 1840s that the term ‘ Waler ’ was coined . The hardiness of the Waler made him a natural mount for the cavalry . The Australian Army used the Waler in the First World War .
The origins of the Waler date back prior to 1840 , and during the Boer War and World War I the Australian Horse received worldwide recognition through the success of the Australian Light Horse regiments , a quite significant achievement for horses in Australia ’ s history . The Waler was considered to be the finest cavalry horse in the world , winning International acclaim for its endurance , reliability and hardiness during the Indian Mutiny , the Boer War and the First World War . In the Boer War , the Waler served in such regiments as the Lancers , Commonwealth Horse , Mounted Rifles and Bushmen ’ s Troop .
Around 160,000 Australian horses served in World War I and their performance was best summed up by the English cavalryman , Lt Col RMP Preston DSO , in his book , The Desert Mounted Corps .
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