Jessica Liston with a Waler.
© Jessica Liston
By Ellie Jolley
On a remote Northern Territory property, a herd of the iconic Australian Waler horses wait for the rain. They are believed to be the last known semi-wild population of the old military breed. A man-made bore is the only thing keeping them in one place, but once the drought breaks and the rains return, they will disappear into the outback once again.
Jessica Liston runs an Equine Assisted Coaching program based in Victoria in which she uses Waler horses. She is now on a mission to travel to the Northern Territory and rescue twenty of the Walers later this month.
Jessica said they have identified around 300 Walers on the outback NT property, but don’t know how long they will be there.
“There has been one horse from that herd already re-homed that had its DNA tested to confirm that it is a Waler,” Jessica said.
“An elderly gentleman is currently keeping them in the area by providing them with water during this tough drought period, however, once the rain breaks we fear the herd will quickly disperse and we will lose track of the animals forever,” Jessica said.
“Time is of the essence.”
The Waler breed is most widely known as being created in the 1800s for their critical role as Australia’s military mounts during the Boer War and the First World War. They were renowned for their stamina and hardiness, providing their riders with not only transportation across rugged terrain but companionship throughout the journey.
“They are incredible animals, extremely loyal, very tough and adaptable, and of course they have a long and significant history as part of the Australian war effort,’ Jessica said.
“These horses literally saved the lives of Aussie soldiers on the battlefield. I want to try and save them now,” she said.
Jessica has to plans to re-home the Walers to help safeguard the breed’s future as some of Australia’s living history and a reminder of the breed’s sacrifice. If you are interested in owning a Waler and have the facilities and skills to provide a great home and future for a currently wild Waler please get in contact with Jessica via jess@innerrhythm.com.au
If you would like to help Jessica and the Walers, you can donate to the Go-Fund-Me campaign: www.gofundme.com/save-the-waler
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