At the end of the war the Australians in Egypt, Palestine and Syria had 9,751 horses of all types and their fate quickly became an important consideration in the AIF’s demobilisation. This was nearly 25% less than what a horse would usually be fed. However, as the war progressed, it became clear that horses were incredibly vulnerable to machine guns and artillery fire. Shipping most of those horses all the way back to the States would be expensive. The food ration for a horse was 20 lbs of grain a day. The horses were called Walers because, although they came from all parts of Australia, they were originally sold through New South Wales. Even those that weren’t ill weren’t necessarily in good shape when they finally landed in Britain after their journey across the pond. Here are some facts about how horses were used in WW1. On the Western […] Eight million horses, ... Well-bred horses were more likely to suffer from shell shock and be affected by the sights and sounds of battle than their less refined compatriots, who could be taught to lie down and take cover at the sound of artillery fire. But over a million horses were used by Great Britain alone during this war, and like their human counterparts, many of them didn’t return home. It was said that San Toy never missed a single day’s duty through both the Boer campaign and the Great War. Wiki User November 17, 2010 2:14PM. These horses were particularly susceptible to a type of pneumonia. San Toy (1890-1922) One of those was San Toy. Horses were involved in the war’s first military conflict involving Great Britain – a cavalry attack near Mons in August 1914. The days of the cavalry charge were over! They were sturdy, hardy horses, able to travel long distances in hot weather with little water. Horses were primarily to be used as a form of transport during the war. Top Answer. The rest, 29,348 horses, were shipped to the Middle East to “horse” the AIF or other parts of Britain’s imperial armies between 1914 and late 1916. These horses had to be strong as the average cavalryman's weight was twelve stone and his equipment, saddle, ammunition, etc. Horses pulling artillery When the war broke out in Western Europe in … Finding enough food for the horses and mules was a constant problem. The first problem encountered while shipping the horses was that so many horses crowded into tight spaces meant that disease ran rampant. The horses were called Walers because, although they came from all parts of Australia, they were originally sold through New South Wales. The Horses of World War I. Of the million horses sent overseas to help with the war effort, only 62,000 returned home. The first horses were acquired via purchasers who scoured Great Britain for some of the best draft horses. Their vulnerability to shelling and machine gun fire meant that most horses met a tragic fate and the losses were appallingly high. What happened to the horses at the end of World War 1? Horses usually need to drink about 30 litres of water a day. OVER 6 MILLION HORSES PLAYED A ROLE IN WW1 Over six million horses played a role in World War I, more than any other conflict in history. After serving bravely in the war, most of the horses were sold in Europe probably quite inexpensively. ... the end of WW1 was in 1918 and … Horses were heavily used in World War One. Men in the cavalry were instructed to take the weight off their horses as much as they could. They were sturdy, hardy horses, able to travel long distances in hot weather with little water. Horses usually need to drink about 30 litres of water a day. The British Army alone used 1,183,228 horses. usually weighed another nine stone. At the start of World War 1 horses were mainly used in cavalry units. War horse facts. The best horses were used by the cavalry.