Heritage Australian Stock A One of the aims of many of our Dilutes breeders is to refine, improve and produce a superior quality of within its breed type, and of a dilute coat colour. We believe that as dilute breeders, it is significantly important to stay conscious and aware of not sacrificing quality of conformation, movement and temperament in the pursuit of colour, that we ensure our breeding stock is proven and “fit for purpose”, R and that we refrain from breeding with poor quality stock “just because” they are a dilute or double dilute. By doing this, we will continue to lift the quality of dilutes within Australia, and with it, their desirability, performance and results in breed and open sport and showing classes, and therefore marketability of our T specialty interest horses. Heritage Registration Over the last 6 months, the Society has put in place a new specialty registration; I Heritage Stock Horse or HSH. All Heritage Stock Horses must have, at a minimum, recognised Horses of Significance in both sides of their pedigrees. This classification recognises the Waler lineage, and their significant contribution C and place in Australia’s history. By definition, these foundation stallions are required to be born in Australia, in 1945, or earlier. Once assessed and proven, accepted horses are entitled and encouraged to use the acronym HSH after L their stud name, to reflect their traditional lineage. There are currently 43 recognised and accepted stallions as Waler Horses of Significance. These 43 stallions and their offspring, were the predominant sires for the 150,000 horses used in Australia’s defence of E the Commonwealth during the Boer War, First and Second World Wars. The full list of 43 recognised stallions is published here - http://www.ashs.com.au/member_forms/Stud_Book_and_Registration/HSH/HSH_Waler_Horse_List.pdf The history behind Waler Horses is really interesting, and we wanted to share this with our Dilute members. Some of the below has been drawn from Wikipedia and the ASHS web site, and adapted … The Waler is an Australian breed of riding horses that developed from the horses that were brought to the Australian colonies in the 19th century. There is a misconception that the name comes from early breeding origins in but were bred right across Australia and were shipped to NSW depots for dispatch to other countries; they were originally known as New South Walers. The Waler combined a variety of breeds; particularly the , Arab, the Cape horse (from the Cape of Good Hope), Timor and perhaps a little Clydesdale or . It was originally considered only a “type” of horse and not a distinct breed. However, as a landrace* (see definition at the end of this piece) bred under the extreme climate and challenging working conditions of Australia, the Waler developed into a hardy horse with great endurance even when under extreme stress from lack of food and water. It was used as a ’s horse and prized as a military remount. Walers were also used by bushrangers, troopers and exploration expeditions that traversed inland Australia. The preferred Walers for duties were 15 to 16 hands high. Those over 16 hands were rejected for use in the South Australian Bushmen Corps. Unbroken horses, as well as those with grey and broken (spotted) coat colours were also rejected. The selected horses had to be of a good type that could carry sixteen or seventeen stone (101 to 108 kilograms) day after day. The Walers carried the rider, , saddle cloth, , head collar, lead rope, a horseshoe case with one front and one hind shoe, nails, rations for the horse and rider, a bedroll, change of clothing, a rifle and about 90 rounds of .303 rifle ammunition.

The gaits of the Waler were considered ideal for a cavalry mount; it could maintain a fast walk and could progress directly to a steady, level canter without resorting to a which was noisy, liable to dislodge gear and resulted in soreness in the horse’s back. We still see these qualities and characteristics reflected in the judging and requirements for today’s Australian Stock Horse, with the horse’s temperament, suitability as a ridden mount, quality of walk and quality of canter taking a significant proportion of the judging marks. There were two main types of Waler horse. The cavalry horse required docility, courage, speed, and athletic ability, as it carried the rider into battle. The infantryman’s horse was used as a means of transport from one point to another, for example, from camp to a battle ground, where the horses were kept back from the fighting. Heavier animals were selected and used for

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Most of the early Walers carried a fair percentage of Thoroughbred blood, with some recorded as race winners and a few being registered in the Australian Stud Book. While in warfare service in North Africa, some Walers proved successful in races against local Egyptian horses and assorted . In 1919 horses from the Anzac Mounted Division won five of the six race events at Heliopolis, near Cairo. Australian horses were sent overseas from the 1830s. Between the 1840s and 1940s, there was a steady trade in Walers to the British Indian Army. In Australia’s two wars of the early 20th century—the Second Boer War and —the Waler was the backbone of the mounted forces. It was especially suited to working in the harsh climate of the Sinai Peninsula and , where it proved superior to the as a means of transporting large bodies of troops. During the Boer War, Australia dispatched 16,314 horses overseas for use by the Australian Infantry Forces. In the First World War, 121,324 Walers were sent overseas to the allied armies in Africa, Europe, India and Palestine Of these, 39,348 served with the First Australian Imperial Force, mainly in the , while 81,976 were sent to India. Due to quarantine restrictions, only one Waler is known to have been returned to Australia; “Sandy”, the mount of Major- General W.T. Bridges, an officer who died at Gallipoli in May 1915 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waler_horse - cite_note- Barrie-1

During World War II, 360 Australian Walers were assigned to the Texas National Guard 112th Cavalry in New Caledonia. The horses were eventually deemed unfit for jungle warfare. They were sent to India where they served with the Chinese Army before being assigned to the unit known as Merrill’s Marauders. As demand for remounts declined in the 1940s, the Waler trade ended. When the Australian Stock Horse Society was formed in 1971, the majority of horses accepted into its studbook were Waler horses. The ASHS also accepted horses of other breeds, notably Quarter horses, which has always been controversial. While many stock horses do have Quarter horse genetics in their breeding, not all do, as there are still many breeders who only breed horses of the old heritage bloodlines. These Heritage Stock Horses have extensive pedigrees, often back to the 19th century, and are direct descendants of Walers. All Australian Stock Horse Members whose horses may meet the criteria for being eligible as a Heritage Stock Horse were recently invited to apply for assessment, on a case by case basis. Kaleidoscope (Vol 54 - Page 15) *landrace = A landrace is a local variety of a domesticated animal or plant species which has developed largely by natural processes, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. It differs from a formal breed which has been selectively bred deliberately to conform to a particular formal, pure breed standard of traits. Landraces are usually more genetically and physically diverse than formal breeds. Many formal breeds originated from attempts to make landraces more consistent, and sometimes a particular type has both landrace and formal breed populations.

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Goldsbrough – WH born 1870, Australian Thoroughbred pedigree found here:www.pedigreequery.com/goldsbrough Heroic 02 – WH born 1921, Australian Thoroughbred pedigree found here: www.pedigreequery.com/heroic

Panzer 02 – WH born 1945, Australian Thoroughbred (within pedigree found here:www.pedigreequery.com/panzer

Panthom02 – WH born 1932, Australian Thoroughbred, and also recognised as a Waler Horse of Significance.

Many thanks to Jenni Phillips for this article.

Clare Downs Performance Galloways www.cavalletti.com.au/claredowns

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