History of the Waler

Much has been written about the background of the Waler. We suggest you refer to www.walerhorses.com for an accurate and well researched portrayal of this noble horse at war and at rest.

The Waler Today

A Waler is an Australian bred horse, whose bloodlines originate from stock bred in Australia before the end of the Second World War.

After the war, large-scale horse breeding worldwide became obsolete due to motorisation. Many remount breeders shot their surplus horses. Some stations retained their herds for stock horses, maintaining their herds in the semi-wild conditions that they were originally bred under. Some station horses were mustered and sent to knackeries. The NT/SA governments sent out shooters in helicopters to cull wild horses (plus buffalo, donkeys and Timor ponies,) as a part of the Brucellosis eradication programme. On some stations, selective culling, additions of quality sires, gelding, branding etc. are an annual occurrence. Other stations allowed their horses to become wild and these herds still exist in the areas where they were at one time bred. These horses are the direct descendants of those that became famous as Walers.

They have bred within a close genetic pool, since the cessation of remount breeding and are well on their way to becoming an established breed. In 1986 the Waler Horse Society of Australia (WHSA) was formed. A breed standard and Stud Book was established to govern and record the breeding of these horses. From this time the Waler has been an official breed.

In 2005, the Waler Horse Owners and Breeders Association Australia (WHOBAA) formed to provide Waler enthusiasts with an alternative community through which to promote the breed.

A Waler must be a serviceable horse – it is not selected for beauty; it is always a functional horse. It must have good conformation and a sensible temperament. It is now classified into four types:

Light – Officer’s Mount/Blood Horse

Medium – Trooper’s Mount/Warmblood type

Heavy – Artillery/Draught type/Harness

Pony – Under 14.2hh – Athletic games horses