These bitterly fought, difficult campaigns would have been impossible but for the courage of our horses, subjected to constant danger and hardship, and they battled on as bravely as the men who rode them.

5th Light Horse Regiment “We loved our horses. We know they loved us”

Blazing deserts, never a sign of a bird except a vulture
Not a blade of grass, not a drop of water, not a tree, nothing but a blazing sky, burning sand and accursed flies
.
Extract “Horses in the Hunter” Judy White AM.
During the parliamentary session
Questions asked, NSW Legislative Assembly 30 August 2023 involving horses for Army and had to be answered by G.A. French Major General Commanding NSW Military Forces remounts.

“Is he aware that in the Maitland, Scone, Singleton, and Muswellbrook Districts a large number of suitable horses for military purposes are bred, will he take steps to have inquiries at places named, with a view to the establishment of periodical military horse fairs to stimulate the remount trade between the Colony and the British, African, Indian and Eastern Markets thus enabling horse breeders to submit their horses on a fixed date?
The value of the above document, the insertion of the question put to Maj. Gen. French high-lighted the input of the towns of the Hunter region.
This fact acknowledges that these were the major horse breeding towns in NSW, what was to become several months later, part of the Federation of Australia. 1901.

Extract SMH. October 1899.
We quote the following extracts from Mr Paterson’s despatch dated Kimberly, South Africa the 17th February, 1900.

Lieut-Gen. French left Belmont with the NSW Lancers and one ambulance Corps and marched to the Riet River east of Jacobsdal. The convoy was seven miles long 15,000 troops of all sorts. A magnificent sight. 7,500 mules and oxen, 16,000 horses’ guns, accoutrement, logistics. The whole contingent converging on the Riet River.
We had great trouble in getting the wagons over

One ambulance, drawn by Australian Horses (Walers) went over at a gallop; we left the Riet River 15,000 strong all cavalry and artillery, the Lancers on the extreme right of the column, next to the Scots Greys. The column advanced cantering and trotting, by forced marches as Kimberley was being blown to pieces by the Boers’ guns...

The heat was intense, horses and men suffered from thirst, the grass were on fire, no water was obtainable. Our horses were not much distressed, but the English horses were dropping out of the ranks all along the line of march. We shot them and left them.
Our ambulance was right in front all through,

We arrived at the Modder River after an exhausting march and found the enemy on the opposite bank we shelled them and they fled, leaving their tents, letters and guns. The cavalry were sent over, the enemy had left, but we were nearly cut off, returned and reported the position.

Our men were very steady under fire and gradually drove the Boers back, they retired towards Bloemfontein, Lieut. Gen French sent word that he was coming to relieve Kimberly.

We are now camped in Kimberly; our mounted infantry on the march had a considerable amount of fighting. We were ordered out the next day and had a running fight with the enemy. They retired and were driven back for miles.

I saw Mr. Rhodes today. The town must have surrendered but for him. This march was a most wonderful performance. We rode among the first into the city, the people had been eating horse flesh for days. We left the convoy and all provisions and pushed on; as if we had been defeated it would have meant annihilation.

Tribute to the Australian Light Horse Lieut. Col-Preston.DSO

November 16 1917. “The majority of the horses in the Corps were Walers, and there is no doubt that these hardy Australian horses make the finest Cavalry mounts in the world. Their records in this war place them far above, far above, the Cavalry horse of any other nation. The Australians never understood our choice for the half bred weight carrying Hunter cart horse.

Average weight of an Australian, 12 stone stripped, to this add 10 stone for saddle, ammunition sword, rifle , clothes and accoutrement, each horse carried a weight of 21 stone, all day, every day for 17 days, on less than half normal rations of forage, and one drink of water every 36 hours.

The weight carrying English Cavalry horse had to be nursed back to fitness after these operations, while the little Australian horses with good food, plenty of water were soon fit to go through another campaign as arduous as the last.

Statistics
War broke out between Great Britain and the Boer states 11th October, 1899 in total, Australia a Colony of six pre Federation States sent a total of 16,175 men, 16,314 horses to fight in various contingents in South Africa.
Casualties 518 dead, 100 POW’s
Six Australians received the Victoria Cross.

The first contingents sent to South Africa were known as the “Bushmen’s Contingents’. This was made up of volunteers, experienced horsemen who were able to shoot; they did not have to have any military training just a good aim!!!