AUSTRALIAN HORSES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 245, 7 June 1932, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN HORSES

RUGGED STAMINA FOUND MOST SUITABLE MOUNTS FOR INDIAN ARMY. GUARDING THE FRONTIER. When the A.I.F. erossed the world to astonish history, Australian bushbred horses played a splendid part in its eampaigns. To-day the same proud equine breed is still on active service — an Australian expeditonary force guarding the Empire's frontier in India. Take a map of India. Run a pencil line from the treacherous passes of the North-west Frontier Province through the Punjab to the rich plains of the United Provinees. South of that line live more than 320,000,000 people, writes John Williams in the Sydney Sunday "Sun." North, east and west of this 1000mile front are the restless enemy, spasmodically knocking at the gates in vicious raids. Yet the 320,000,000 people live in comparative peace and safety. They go about their living with a definite sense of security. For sprinkled along that 1000-mile front is an army which depends for its effectiveness on its Australian hilles — a foree 100,000 horses strong — strong. in heart and stamina. Nine out of ten "Australiarts do not know- that this 'unique force" exists. Yet, day in'and day* out, year after year, these sagacious Australian. horses carry the British Army in India on their broad, willing backs — cavalry, field and horse artillery, sup- ' 'porting, covering, mobile' and proteetion troops. Other hreeds of horses — English, Indian, and Arabian — were tested and found wanting in the gruelling conditions of Indian eampaigns. Then somebody thought of the Australian hreed— wild, strong-heart-ed, rough diamonds — offspring of the casual stock horse, true friend of all outdoor Australians. He is ridden all day, turned out at night, without brushing, cleaning or covering. You show him the water. He takes care of himself. In snow or rain, or aorong fierce mosquitoes — in anv s.eason of any climate — he works all dhy, and finds his own feed hy night. Consecutive days of hard galloping after stock. He may never be shod, nor have tasted oats or corn. Yet upon grass food he will work his 24 hours if you ask him. He will never let you down. He's a big-hearted eobber. Work Anywhere. The British Army says this of him in other words. They prefer him first, for his temperament. He'll work qnder any condition, on parade or under shell fire. Next comes his stamina and endurance, fully proved in Palestine. Third, his intelligence. The British or Indian bred horse will learn more quickly, but will forget just as quickly. The Australian learns more slowly, but never forgets. Driven from the outback stations, where they are bred, about 6000 of these Australian horses sail from various ports every year — wild young things, never handled by man. The steamers unload at British remount depots, principally at Bombay and Calcutta. Henceforth the horse is known as a "Waler," after N.S.W., which supplied the first horses for India 40 years ago. The army buyers put the "Walers" through strict veterinary examinations, and grade them for army requirements — horse artillery (cross between draught and heavy hack; must pull guns at gallop) ; field artillery (light draught; move at infantry speed); and cavalry (hunting hack; trained so that man can fight from the saddle with lance, sword, and pistql, at the full charge). All the rejected horses are snapped up by wealthy Indian Princes. The Nazim of Hyderabad, for example, has two regiments of cavalry, mounted entirely on Australian horses. Army regulations say a horse is not fully matured until he is five years old, so, until the horses reach that age they are left to acclimatise in the depots. They must adjust themselves to the change in seasons and to the food. Instead of the chaff and hran eaten on the transports, they turn up wild noses at the staple Indian tucker — barly, gram (a sort of pea), and native grass chopped up with boiled barly. There is no grazing. On their fifth birth day— still wild and full of the spirit of the Australian station life — they are transferred to the thirty or more horse regiments in India. In Australia horses are broken in when they are about 18 months old by riding them to a standstill — a heetic process, which brutally shows the horse that man is master. He is worked until he is about eight or nine, when he "goes in the legs,"_and is shot for dog tucker, unless he is luelcy enough to be a pet — a short and faithful service. Devoted to Animals. The Indian Army idea is the reverse. The horse is handled in a gradual course of affection and intelligence. It takes nine lomg, patient months to make him perfect for his first parade. The sawar or privates of the regiments are all Indians — Rajputs, Jats, and Kaimkhani, recruited from farms at the age of 18. They are aetually land-owners — Zemindars (men who work the land). They are devoted to animals, these yeomen youths. They come to love their Australian charges.. Affectionately they put the alert "Walers" or Ghora (Hindustan for horse) through riding tests and drill, just as a man qualifies in his training. If a horse is dull, he starts the course again, just like a man. The horse learns how to drill quietly m a crowd, to drill at all paces, in close order, to chargo flat out, without "blowing up" (hucking) at the finish. He is punished if he kicks or strikes. He must allow the rider to mount and dismount on.both sides. He becomes accustomed to flashing sword and lanc.es and pistols, without blinking an eyelid. He hecomes a soldier — "Theirs not to reason why . . Thereafter he drills three hours a day in barracks or for 6 to 8 hours on manoeuvres. Marching order eqttipments must not exceed 16 stone, in-

% ; ^ = cluding the rider. The army ■ ex- " pects him to serve.10 years— until he is 15. The average age is- 18 years. Wounded Five Times. An officer of the 16th Light Cavalry, the oldest regiment in the Indian Army, who is at present visiting Sydney, tells of a horse — Hindenburg — in his regiment. Hindenburg, who "volunteered" from the Queensland backblocks, was wounded five times during the World War while serving on the Frontier and in Mesopotamia. He became a regular war lord — hence his name. Shot and shell were music to his ears. Hindenburg still parades, still leads the younger "Walers," battle-scarred and proud! Thursday is the universal holiday in India. The regiments have weekly sports competitions of trick riding and jumping. Every horse is specially trained for the events. They are taught to jump through loops of flame, over isolated chairs, over the extended leg of a man, over a kneeling man, over a table with other horses \ posed at each end, and to carry riders unerringly close so that they can sabre the turbans from posed men — a brilliant William Tell act that is climax of animal intelligence. These amazing acts are not done by picked horses. Every horse does them. It is dramatic tribute to the rugged Australian hreed and to the men who train them. If Hollywood had one such horse, we'd be showered with puhlicity blah-blah of million-dollar hoofs. and super-horse productions. Thrill The Crowds. Once a year every regiment has a tamasha or gymkhana. Other regments are invited, and thousands of Hindus and Moslems roll up with their savings for bets. Led by the Risaldar Major (the senior Indian of the regiment) the riders and horses thrill the crowds with their daring. In the brilliant show of gay tuibans and pugris, dashing uniforms and well-groomed horses in amazing exhibitions on the vast parade grounds. Their reward is devotion hy the riders. Always there is a nibble of green lucerne, sugar, or apple for obedience and neat execution of an order. "Make much of your horse," is a standing order in the Army. If he jumps, well, "make much" of him. You lean forward in the saddle and give him a dash-dot-dot pat on the shoulder. The warmth of that bond of simple gratitude is the basis of the service, the gallant service of Australians who recruited from the pastures and freedom of their native wilds for duty in the name of the British Crown. Forever, it seems, India will depend on Australia for these noble horses. Experiments have been made to breed mounts in India from Ausstralian stock, but the offspring have not the stamina, endurance, or temperament that only the Australian climate and pastures can produce.