Early History
The Australian Stock Horse breed was born with the arrival of horses with the First Fleet to Australia in 1788. Originally, these were of English Thoroughbred and Spanish stock, then later, Arabs and Timor and Welsh Mountain ponies were imported. Horses for the colony needed strength and stamina to survive the long sea journey and to work in the untamed environment of their new home.Over time, weak horses were culled to breed sturdy saddle horses required by explorers, stockmen, settlers and troopers. Despite the mixed origins, these horses developed into a strong and handsome type called the Waler, after the colony of New South Wales.
Military Contribution
The hardiness of the Walers made them a natural and often preferred mount for the cavalry. Almost 400,000 horses were exported beginning in the 1850s to serve overseas troops. Initially they were used by British troops during the Indian Mutiny; in South Africa they served in the Boer War, and finally they were supplied in World War I.
Society Formation
After the First World War, despite the recognition Australian horses had won, and although the Waler was known as a distinctive type, there was no Stud Book or Registry. Mechanisation of primary industries reduced the need for working horses and it was not until the 1960s that an interest in horses was revived due to the increasing leisure time available to society.
Mr. Alex Braid, Wellington, NSW, invited Mr. John Kenneth Mackay, Dungog, NSW, to chair the Inaugural Meeting on 28th April 1971 at the Cole Dudgeon Hall, Sydney, NSW. Mr. Herbert Griffith, Scone, NSW, and Alex Braid had gathered together a group of enthusiasts to discuss the formation of the Society.
On 15th June 1971, a General Meeting was called at the Tamworth RSL Club, Tamworth, NSW, to launch the Australian Stock Horse Society. At last our homebred horses were given the recognition and formal organisation they deserved.
The Society was established in 1971 in Scone–the ‘Horse Capital of Australia.’ Today the Society is the largest of more than 70 individual horse breed associations in Australia. We enjoy a loyal and growing 8,000-strong Membership and have in excess of 200,000 Registered horses.
The Society has 60 Branches throughout Australia, plus one Branch in the US and one in New Zealand. The successful performance of the Australian Stock Horse has not only been recognised nationwide, but exports to the UK, US, Canada, Africa, Asia and New Zealand has given the breed worldwide recognition.
At the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Australian Stock Horse took centre stage and billions of TV viewers learned the remarkable history of this living icon. The Sydney Olympics fueled a dream to develop the sport potential for the Australian Stock Horse, so that horse lovers all over the world can enjoy The Breed for Every Need.
