We were very excited to be contacted by John Ellis via our website with a photograph of his grandfather mounted on a horse. John asked if the horse could possibly be a Waler, based on what he had been looking at on the website.
On June 25 at our local Mount Larcom Show, Providence Archer, Faith and I all made our debut show appearance. In 33 years of horse ownership I never imagined I would take a horse to a show. I’m a bush rider, my horses are paddock ponies, both of us too rough for the ring. Or so I thought.
It’s not unusual for old photographs relating to WW1 to show a name for the person in the photo but not the horse.
We think the horses should also be acknowledged by name for their service.
I first met wild captured Waler stallion Dardanelle in Victoria in 1989.
Dardanelle led the 1990 Anzac Parade through Hobart with a brass band, the first time a horse had been in the parade since 1949. He marched with our last Light horseman, 94-year-old Ray Chatterton, who said to him ”I’ve travelled many a mile on you old son.’
Back from an exciting and very stimulating clinic with Boyd Exell held at the Greenvale Equestrian Park. We had only just managed to secure a lesson by someone dropping out, all positions were filled within 4 hours of the bookings going on-line.
Waler types were key to the mix of breeds used to create different horses for different purposes, in particular for military specifications. Due to lack of care in breeding programmes and limited market demand, the pony Waler is nearly completely lost to us now, as is the heavy type.
On Thursday the 14th of July, 2016 we said our heartfelt goodbyes to a truly remarkable man.
You wonder at the funny turns life offers to you, one day you are set on a definite path and the next onto a trajectory never considered before.
My introduction to Newhaven horses was one such trajectory, taking us on a fantastic mission and adventure.
The Timor is by far the most influential pony in the Waler’s make-up. The Timor Pony is a very pure breed.
This project was conducted by WHOBAA in conjunction with Dr E G Cothran of the Texas A&M University, Dept of Veterinary Science, USA.
