topic Re: Warhorses in Community Spirit

Warhorses

rabbitearbandicoot — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 09:43:34 GMT

did anyone watch the show last night about the part played by horses in the WWI? - disappointing part was the last 5 minutes when they gave a summary of the horses' fates after the war was won.

Re: Warhorses

debra9275 — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 09:45:06 GMT

that was terribly sad

have you ever seen the movie "warhorse"?

Re: Warhorses

rabbitearbandicoot — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 09:52:01 GMT

@debra9275 wrote:
that was terribly sad

have you ever seen the movie "warhorse"?

Yes, I have.

From memory the horse was bought at auction by someone rich. Didn't he give it back to the one who wanted him?

It also said that the officers were allowed to take their horses home - is that true?

Have you read "Bill The 'Bathplug'"? He was mentioned last night too.

Re: Warhorses

rabbitearbandicoot — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 08:12:29 GMT

The movie War Horse is on tonight Channel 7 at 8:30.

Re: Warhorses

freshwater-2 — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 12:42:19 GMT

The fate of the horses was so very sad

But better they are put down humanely than be left there to a life of cruelty with the locals.

I can't understand why they could not be taken home to Oz.

The infrastructure was in place to take them overseas. Why not to take the survivors back home.

Especially as the death toll of the animals must have been horrendous.

Re: Warhorses

lyndal1838 — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:04:02 GMT

Unfortunately, even back then we had strict quarantine laws. Who knows what diseases could have been bought into the country if there had been mass returns of horses.

The horrible truth is that very few animals used in wartime were returned home.

It is comparatively recent that our animals have been bought home from overseas and even then they are subjected to full quarantine conditions.

Re: Warhorses

icyfroth — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 23:32:01 GMT

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:
The movie War Horse is on tonight Channel 7 at 8:30.

I'm not really keen on Stephen Spielberg movies, they're a bit light on fact and heavy on effect, but I might watch that tonight.

Re: Warhorses

this-one-time-at-bandcamp — Fri, 24 Apr 2015 23:43:02 GMT

I'm not really keen on Stephen Spielberg movies, they're a bit light on fact and heavy on effect, but I might watch that tonight.

That's amusing, since most of his movies are fiction, science and otherwise. You want fact, watch documentaries.......

Re: Warhorses

icyfroth — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 00:51:07 GMT

@this-one-time-at-bandcamp wrote:
I'm not really keen on Stephen Spielberg movies, they're a bit light on fact and heavy on effect, but I might watch that tonight.

That's amusing, since most of his movies are fiction, science and otherwise. You want fact, watch documentaries.......

Yeah, I know.

Which is mainly why I don't hold Stephen Spielberg movies in high regard unless it's sci-fi and fantasy.

But I'll watch Warhorse tonight knowing full well it's a bit of flim-flammery.

Re: Warhorses

debra9275 — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:07:18 GMT

Speilberg has given us some really big blockbuster movies like Raiders of the lost ark which in it's time was great

Warhorse is a good film, I had never thought about the horses until I did see that film though I don't know whether they really did take horses home.

Lincoln is a more recent film of his that I haven't seen but would like to

Re: Warhorses

***super_nova*** — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:09:48 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
Unfortunately, even back then we had strict quarantine laws. Who knows what diseases could have been bought into the country if there had been mass returns of horses.

The horrible truth is that very few animals used in wartime were returned home.

It is comparatively recent that our animals have been bought home from overseas and even then they are subjected to full quarantine conditions.

The reason why Australia was then and still is free of many of the nasty diseases is just simply the time needed to get here. Any diseased animal would have died or been put down long before getting here. It would have been unlikely that the horses would have brought something with them. I believe at least one horse belonging to an oficer was repatriated.

Re: Warhorses

***super_nova*** — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:10:59 GMT

I could not bring myself watch the program about the horses.

Re: Warhorses

lyndal1838 — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 01:37:13 GMT

Yes, one horse out of 136,000 was bought back to Australia.

"Sandy" belonged to Major General Bridges and was supposed to have been landed at Gallipoli. It was decided that there was not enough room for horses so they were sent back to Alexandria. Sandy was in the care of the Veterinary Officer and remained there after the General was killed.

Eventually the decision was made to bring Sandy back to live out his life at Duntroon, where his master is buried. He spent 3 months in quarantine in England before he was deemed free of disease and able to be brought to Australia. By the time he came out of quarantine in Australia he was in failing health and going blind so was put down so never got to join his master at Duntroon. His head and neck were mounted and on display in the Duntroon museum although it has now been removed due to deterioration.

Re: Warhorses

azureline** — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 10:40:56 GMT

Great movie, Warhorse. It was a movie adaption of a children's book.