Horses: ABW – Nongqai Vol 17 No 6

A TRIBUTE TO THE WAR HORSES – THE UNSEEN HEROES OF THE ANGLO BOER WAR

JennyB

Horses played an integral and devastatingly costly role in the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902).

An estimated 500,000 horses were used by both sides. However, the conflict was notorious

for the staggering animal casualties, resulting in the deaths of over 400,000 horses due to

disease, exhaustion, and combat.

A FEW MEMORIALS

BETHULIE: Bethulie pays homage to the role the horse played in the history of South Africa. Sculpted by Laura Rautenbach, the memorial is found at the west entrance to the town of Bethulie.

GQEBERHA / Old PE: The Horse Memorial, located on the corner of Russell and Cape Roads, was erected and dedicated to the horses killed during the South African War (1899-1902). The statue was originally situated close to the junction of Park Drive and Rink Street, next to St George’s Park, but was moved to its present position in the 1950s as it was believed to be a traffic hindrance.

WESTON, KZN: The Weston Horse Memorial, located at the Weston Agricultural College in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, commemorates the estimated 30,000 horses and mules that died or were destroyed in the area. The region previously served as the British Army’s Number 7 Remount Depot during the Boer War.