Pastures Past: New Zealand’s ‘hardy’ war horses

New Zealand horses played a vital role in the war effort. Photo / Sam Cullin

Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

With Anzac Day fast approaching, my thoughts are with our fallen soldiers and their families, and also the animals that played such a pivotal part, with very few ever returning.

I have often written about the four war horses that returned from World War I, including Dolly, but what about the brave horses that left the shores of New Zealand, with no idea what lay ahead for them?

While horses seem to take centre stage, we also must remember the dogs, donkeys, pigeons, and other animals that also served our country.

We also must always remember, all the animals who are serving us now, such as police dogs, rescue dogs, dogs for the blind and even police horses.

Anzac Day is a time to remember.

New Zealand horses for the Imperial Army [Boer War]

The Marlborough Express, February 6, 1900

The horses supplied to the members of the first contingent appear to have met with high admiration by the Imperial officers in South Africa.

They are praised as being “hardy useful mounts, free from beefiness,” and standing the trying heat of the veldt far better than the English cavalry horses.

The horses of the second contingent were, in the opinion of good judges at Wellington, much superior to the first lot, so that New Zealand horses will continue to have an excellent reputation with Her Majesty’s commanders at the Cape.

The difficulty of procuring suitable remounts for the British cavalry in South Africa has been exercising the minds of the military authorities not a little.

Thousands of remounts are being despatched from the Old Country, and the strain upon the supply is beginning to tell.

At the present moment British agents are scouring the Continent in quest of a good hardy stamp of horse, and prices are going up rapidly.

The Marlbrough Express reports on the standard of NZ horses sent to Imperial officers in South Africa. Image / Papers Past

It is an open question whether there will soon be a strong Imperial demand for Australian and New Zealand remounts, and we are strongly of opinion that there will be soon a very good business to be done by horse breeders in these colonies.

The demand, of course, will slacken as soon as the war comes to an end, but that desirable consummation is as yet, we fear, in the dim and distant future.

Even when the war is over there will be still a big demand for remounts for India, for the Indian military authorities have recently been shipping horses in great numbers to the Cape and these will have to be replaced.

We are of opinion that it would pay the Imperial Government to establish permanent horse depots in Australia and New Zealand, and believe that in course of time such a step would prove greatly advantageous, both to the War Office and to New Zealand horse breeders.

For some years past, especially in the North Island, horse breeding has been greatly neglected.

There are thousands of spare horses it is true, but the great majority of them are useless weeds which pick up a scanty existence on the big runs, and are much more a source of annoyance than of profit.

Were there, however, any permanent demand for horses for military purposes, not only cavalry remounts, but the lighter kind of draught horses for field artillery, it would pay our breeders to give more attention to the stamp of the animal they breed.

We consider it the duty of the Defence Department to enquire very carefully into this question of army remounts, and to induce, if possible, the Imperial Authorities to make arrangements for the regular purchase of New Zealand horses for the use of the British cavalry.

The Department should lose no time in obtaining information from the War Office as to the number of remounts which would be required, say within the next 18 months, for the Cape and India, and as to the exact stamp of animal which is the most suitable, together with other particulars as to price, etcetera.

- Source: Papers Past