Boot and Saddle by JG GilberdWorld War 1 (The Great War) - Introduction
Nearly 10,000 horses from New Zealand went overseas during this conflict. The main body as it became known consisted of 8,247 Officers and Men and 3,815 horses. This was the largest single body of men and animals to have left the Dominion. During the seven-week voyage the horses stood in their stalls all the way, except for coming ashore for a few days at Albany, Western Australia. The Troopers found that frequent rubbing and hosing with salt water helped prevent their legs from swelling. Shoes were removed for the voyage. When the animals came ashore at Alexandria they were in good condition. Sixty-five died on the voyage to Egypt. Some remounts were despatched from New Zealand early in the War. However, the British War Office established a remount pool on Salisbury Plain, drawing its animals from UK, Canada, Aouth America, South Africa and the USA. Some three million (horses and mules) passed through this pool during the time it operated. Especially fitted out horse-transport vessels operated out of the Port of Bristol and moved them across the channel to France. Jim Gilberd, 1989 |
