Horses
Horses feeding at Second Contingent camp in Newtown.
Members of the Seventh Contingent, and a lone horse, prepare to leave South Africa.
A member of the Rough Riders takes aim while in full flight.
All the New Zealand contingents apart from the Seventh took a full complement of horses with them to South Africa. In total, more than 8,000 New Zealand horses were sent during the conflict. Wastage was high: during April 1901, for example, two were killed in action, 95 had to be destroyed, and 45 died.
Sole survivor
'Major' was the only New Zealand horse to serve in South Africa and return home. Major belonged to Lieutenant Robert Collins of the Fourth Contingent, and after Collins was wounded passed through a number of hands before coming into the possession of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Porter. Major served in Rhodesia and all over South Africa and was twice wounded in action. Porter took him to London when he went as commander of the New Zealand Coronation Contingent in 1902, after which both returned to New Zealand.
Extracts realating to horses from the Troop Ship newspaper 'The Gymeric Times' April 1900
'Veterinary Surgeon Lieut Young is about the busiest man on board, he having a very large family to attend to. All the horses on board - over 400 - are in his charge and they require a lot of attention. He is to be seen at all hours of the day & night, regardless of the weather, running up and down the decks and holds attending to his multifarious duties. And notwithstanding his constant attention, the mortality amongst the horses has been heavy, 16 having already been consigned to the deep. This, however, is not surprising in view of the fact that many of the poor creatures have been suffering from pneumonia etc., as a consequence of the treatment they were subjected to before being shipped, and more particularly at Port Chalmers, where they were kept in the rain for about 24 hours, without food or cover, in most cases, the vessel not being ready to receive them at the hour appointed. Eight were thrown overboard in succession on one occasion - on the 5th day out after very severe weather, pneumonia being the primary cause of death.'
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'Eight horses were thrown overboard today, as a result of last night's storm. '
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'We have now lost seventeen horses, several having been shot to enhance their comfort & save others from infection.'
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'It is very gratifying to note the care with which many of troopers attend to their horses. For many of them pay infinitely more attention to their charges than to themselves, even under the very trying ordeal of seasickness. '
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'A horse fell on Trooper Armstrong (Wellington) with the result that he received a nasty cut on the head & and sprained wrist.'
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