There were two types of mounted action that horses were used for in World War I; Infantry and Calvary. Infantry horses were used for traveling, and Calvary horses were used in battle. These battles resulted in many Equine Fatalities, with equivalent lost to diseases, starvation or exhaustion. More than 130 000 Walers arrived to be […]

There are particular breeds of horses that are bred to work, and Australia had horses put to work as soon as they were unloaded from the Lady Penrhyn. The stand out Heavy Working Horse breed being the Clydesdale. This breed originated in Scotland where it was used as a farm horse. Percheron and Shire are […]

The Performing Arts have been inspired by horses over the years too. In 1961, the Australian Ballet formed, and the first commissioned work it performed was ‘The Melbourne Cup’, choreographed by Rex Reid, music arranged by Harold Badger, and decor by Anne Church. This work was based on the first running of the race in […]

It’s finally time to go all the way back to the beginning of Horses in Australia, with a particular focus on their origin and purpose in wider Sydney Area. Richmond being one of the first towns established to the west of Sydney, saw the first stage cart service transporting goods and passengers between here and […]

Harness Racing has had it’s own culture following in this country since 1810, so quite early on in Australia’s colonial history. The main breed used for this horse sport is Thoroughbred, however other breeds can and are used. There are two types that fall under the big umbrella of “Harness Racing”: Pacer and Trotters. Pacing […]

Addition #10 and #11 are quite short and sweet, so I thought I would put both up this week! Campdrafting has been popular in particularly rural areas of Autralia since 1885. This discipline requires the art of a rider separating a single steer or heifer from a herd of cattle, getting this beast under control […]

Today let’s leap back to Australia in the 1800’s, and admire how much horses fuelled authors and writers of the time, to include them in their publications. The most frequent and eloquent publication being the Bulletin, which was founded in 1880 by JF Archibald (the namesake of the Archibald Prize), and John Haynes. This was […]

I felt that since in Horse History #6 Rodeo, George Wirth and his Famous Wirth Circus Family were briefly mentioned, it would be best to start the Series for the year with more history on Stage Shows and Circuses in Australia. These spectacular phenomenas have been in Australia since the mid 1800s, with the first […]