Warhorses

[rabbitearbandicoot]

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.

[***super_nova***]

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@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.

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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. 

[***super_nova***]

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

[lyndal1838]

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.

[azureline**]

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