By Simon Draycott
Horse racing has been ingrained in Australian culture for well over a century. The magnificent gallopers that take to the track week in week out continue to give joy to millions each year and help employ thousands more in an ever expanding industry.
These are the same creatures who years ago aided those fighting for our freedom and the reason we can enjoy a Winx Cox Plate victory or a Melbourne Cup holiday, and why we should also celebrate them this Remembrance Day.
The role of horses in war has been a long and varied one, but always a critical component to the success of those in battle. In the early wars they were used on the main battlefront however, during World War 1 their role changed for good. With improvements in artillery, horses became susceptible to gun fire and were used in more logistical roles as opposed to roles on the battlefield.
Horses were often used to carry heavy loads comprising of the rider, saddle, equipment and supplies, which could at times exceed 120 kilograms.
The conditions were tough for the war horses, with many having to endure periods of up to 60 hours without rest, water and little food, and in most situations the heat was oppressive.
As a result of the long shifts, many horses died from fatigue, some passed from disease while others unfortunately got caught in the crossfire.
The strong bond between man and his horse was made even stronger by the conditions they endured in WWI.
Of the 136,000 horses sent overseas to assist the Australian Imperial Force in WWI, only one horse ever made it back to Australia. With quarantine issues preventing the horses from returning home, they were either sold to the British as remounts in India and Egypt or put down by their owners who couldn’t stand the thought of their horse being made to work in the tough foreign conditions.
The following poem by Major Oliver Hague aka Trooper Bluegum highlights the bond between man and his horse during the WWI period:
I don't think I could stand the thought of my old fancy hack
Just crawling round old Cairo with a 'Gyppo on his back.
Perhaps some English tourist out in Palestine may find
My broken-hearted Waler with a wooden plough behind.
No: I think I'd better shoot him and tell a little lie:--
"He floundered in a wombat hole and then lay down to die."
May be I'll get court-martialled; but I'm damned if I'm inclined
To go back to Australia and leave my horse behind.
The one horse that returned from battle was Sandy, the trusted companion of Major General Sir William Bridges. Major General Bridges was killed by sniper in Gallipoli, however it was his dying wish that Sandy was returned to Melbourne at the conclusion of the war.
Sandy returned to Australia and spent the remainder of his days in Maribyrnong at the Army Remount Depot and was finally laid to rest at the Randall Street address in 1923. There is now a memorial at Sandy’s burial site commemorating the legendary horse and the legacy of all the horses that were involved in conflict.
Everyone loves a champion on the racetrack and the affection shared between a horse and its rider is often there for all to see. But a champion or not, this is the very same bond the diggers felt for their horses and the reason many felt so strongly about leaving their companion behind. A bond, bred on the battlefield, which has extended over a century and remains to this very day.