historical photo of Australian solider and light horse

The ANZAC Horses

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The ANZAC Horses

Image courtesy of the State Library of QLD

ANZAC Day is on Thursday, where hundreds of thousands of people will turn out and commemorate all the men and women who served in the first World War.  We would also like to take a minute to recognise the brave horses who carried the soldiers on to the battleground. Often going without food or water for many hours, carrying soldiers with a lot of equipment, these horses also gave their lives to serve.

About the Waler

The main breed of horse used by Australians overseas were known as Walers. They were called this as most came from New South Wales but were in fact mixed breeds from all over Australia.  A few of the main influences on the breed include Thoroughbreds, Timor pony, Arab and Cape horses. Despite their similarities to the Australian Brumby, it is unlikely the Waler breed had much of their bloodlines in their lineage, particularly in the later stages. The vast majority are bay in colour, and around 15-16hh. These horses were used for their hardiness and temperament and are still bred today. For more information on these horses, we have included a link to the Australian War Memorial site here.

An article by the ABC from 2014 on the Waler horse here gives more insight into this breed of horse, which did not officially have a registered association until 1986. The people who breed them today say they have particular qualities to pass on and are a good choice for many disciplines due to their quiet, calm temperament and stamina for work.

We hope you all had a fantastic Easter break, and stay tuned for our new winter stock and sales coming in the very near future! Why not give our Facebook page a like and then you’ll be notified of any great bargains we have coming up!

 

pony in the snow

Weight Scoring Your Horse

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Weight Scoring Your Horse

Maintaining a good weight on your horse can be a complicated matter. Some horses gain weight at the sniff of a blade of grass. Others need a wide variety of different feeds to keep them in good condition. Factors like paddock condition, exercise, breed and medical conditions can all affect your horse. Question is, do you know whether your horse is underweight, overweight or just right?

One of the ways you can tell is by checking your horse’s condition against a standardised body score chart, like the one posted above. This chart scores your horse’s body using the Henneke system, which has been around for a very long time. You can use this chart to get a rough idea on whether your horse might need that bit of extra care to gain or lose some weight. Of course, if you’re ever in doubt, consulting with a vet or equine nutritionist is always the safest option. If you want to work out your horse’s approximate weight, there are a few ways.

The first one is obviously using a scale, but not everyone has access to one. The second is using a weight tape, where you measure different areas of your horse’s body. The numbers on the tape gives you an estimated weight. The third way is using a regular tape measure around your horse’s girth, your horse’s height from ground to wither and their body length. You can input these measurements and it will calculate an approximate weight for your horse. In some ways, this can be more accurate than a weight tape, particularly if you are not 100% on how to use a weight tape properly. You can find an online calculator here.

Once you have an idea where your horse sits on the weight scale, you will be able to work out if you need to change what and how much they are eating.