Tony Hellard continues his research into the British Military horse with a look at the British Army's horses and their background and breeding.

Tony says "The British favoured the Irish bred hunter with element of thoroughbred for their military needs, either for cavalry, transport or artillery. Some old soldiers remember commandeered horses from 1914; hackney ponies, milk round veterans and even ladies hacks from riding schools are mentioned in the memoirs.

After the Boer war had been a disaster for the British military horse through lack of good horse management, horsemanship became a major principle for the trooper, driver and gunner by the start of the First World War. The manuals published at the time are still relevant today and are still used.

Even today Britain's military horses mainly come from Ireland although this has changed over the last 10 years and English and European bred horses have started to join the ranks.

The army has traditionally looked for the 15.2 hands good boned mount and he or she has served well if not always well rewarded when retirement beckons.

My own recollections of the Hairys as they were known were of hard uncompromising beasts who were honest characters who were quite child like when they wanted to be and I've yet to meet a ex mounted soldier who doesn't have a fund of stories about his four legged mate.

The British also used the Australian Waler in India and Africa found them to be similar in stature to their British counterparts but a lot hardier, especially used to short rations and hard work.

These horses have carried the history of the earlier part of the last century on their backs and to our shame have no memorial other than the ceremonial Regiments that still ride to duty around the world".