The Australian Stock Horse

With its versatility, the Australian Stock Horse has achieved outstanding success in a wide variety of sports including campdrafting, show jumping, dressage, eventing, pony club events, polo and polocrosse.

The Australian Stock Horse evolved through selective breeding in response to the demands of the environment.The history of the breed began with the arrival of the First Fleet which, brought the first horses to Australia in 1788. These were of English Thoroughbred and Spanish stock. Later importations included more Thoroughbreds, Arabs and Timor and Welsh Mountain ponies. All horses sent to the colony needed strength and stamina - not only to survive the long sea journey (which took between nine and twelve months), but also to work in the foreign, untamed environment that had become their home.

After the crossing of the Blue Mountains as settlers ventured inland, strong and reliable horses became a necessity. Explorers, stockmen, settlers, bushrangers and troopers all relied on horses that could travel long distances, day after day. Weak horses were culled but the stronger types were used to breed sturdy saddle horses which were essential for the colony's development. Despite the mixed origins of these horses, they developed into a strong and handsome type that was eventually called the Waler after the colony of New South Wales .

Exploits of the explorers and stockmen and their reliable horses in the Australian bush became folklore, and stories such as The Man from Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow depict the character of these pioneers and their horses.

Although many good breeding stock left Australia never to return, the huge shipments did not seem to affect the horse population at home. In 1906 Australia had 1,765,186 horses and in 1918 when the human census was 5,030,479 there were 2,527,149 horses.

» back to Equestrian Page

Stock Horse Links :
» Australian Stock Horse Society
» History and Origin