RARE BREEDS TRUST OF AUSTRALIA
powered by TidyHQOccasional web articles series
Occasional web articles series
From time to time, Board members write articles for the Trust website. You can link to them using the following articles index. The Trust also produces a
member only quarterly Newsletter - Paddocks and Perches - which contains a wide range of rare breeds relevant articles. The articles included below provide a taste of the content in Paddocks and Perches.
Index
Cattle
- Colour sided cattle pattern. Janet Lane
- Supporting cattle breed diversity in Australia. Catie Gressier
Horses
- The Waler and horse preservation in Australia: exploring a connection to the Manipuri Pony. Janet Lane
Pigs
- Pig care tips. Katy Brown
Sheep
- Dreamy, the accidental sheep. Sue Curliss
Succession Planning
- Have you thought about what happens to your livestock when you are no longer there to care for them. Katy Brown
Supporting Cattle Breed Diversity in Australia
By Catie Gressier*
Over the past century, the goal of animal husbandry has shifted to increasing performance for economic gain. Cattle have been divided into dairy or beef breeds and are selectively bred for milk volume, or rapid growth and muscling, respectively. Production increases have been extraordinary, yet have come at a considerable cost.
The livestock industry’s favouring of a diminishing number of these high-yielding commercial breeds has resulted in the extinction of at least 184 cattle breeds globally. That is at least 17% of cattle breeds we’ve already lost. In Australia, around 83% of the dairy herd are now Holstein–Friesians and approximately 70% of the national beef herd is Angus. Twelve cattle breeds are now extinct, with another 38 listed as under varying levels of threat by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia (RBTA).
This echoes a broader pattern of loss of our agricultural biodiversity, which poses a significant threat to food security. The shift to corporate ownership of certain seeds, breeds and bloodlines has resulted in the homogenisation of our diets globally. As Dan Saladino writes:
the source of much of the world’s food – seeds – is mostly in the control of just four corporations; half of all the world’s cheeses are produced with bacteria or enzymes manufactured by a single company; one in four beers drunk around the world is the product of one brewer; from the US to China, most global pork production is based around the genetics of a single breed of pig; and, perhaps most famously, although there are more than 1,500 different varieties of banana, global trade is dominated by just one, the Cavendish.
Alongside this loss of variety within our fruit and veg, crops and breeds, artificial insemination (AI) technology has resulted in a vast reduction of bloodlines within livestock breeds. This is evident in Holstein–Friesians, whose high milk yields have seen their popularity soar. In the US, over 90% of dairy cattle are Holsteins. In their research into male Holstein lines, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that almost all AI Holstein bulls worldwide traced their lineage to one of two bulls born in the 1880s. Their lineages extend to two AI bulls born in 1960, from whom 99.84 percent of North American Holstein bulls are today descended. In terms of genetic diversity, these nine million cows are thus estimated to be equivalent to a herd of fewer than a hundred animals
In Australia, with the cattle industry thriving, some might wonder whether this loss of breed and bloodline diversity matters. Given the speed of climatic and social change we currently face, I think allowing this loss of diversity constitutes an enormous gamble. Scientists have long understood that risk is mitigated by ensuring diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels. And with cattle, the cracks are already beginning to show. The global dissemination of lucrative bloodlines has resulted in the spread of genetic defects, such as the case of Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM) and Neuropathic Hydrocephaly (NH) in Angus cattle. Among Holsteins, the intensity of selection for milk volume has compromised other traits resulting in metabolic and structural problems, increased production disease prevalence, and reduced fertility and longevity in the breed. Moreover, Holsteins high milk outputs require high feed inputs, increasing negative ecological impacts. 
On a big picture level, there are serious disease risks posed by a lack of biodiversity, especially when compounded by intensive animal confinement, where zoonotic diseases have ripe grounds for catastrophic outbreaks. Rob Wallace, an evolutionary biologist emphasises the need for ‘immunological firebreaks’ against disease pandemics. Such firebreaks emerge from a diverse gene pool and are embodied in certain breeds for certain pests and diseases.
Conserving breed and bloodline diversity not only mitigates against disease risks, but also ensures the perpetuation of a wide array of traits to meet the needs of future populations. Consumer preferences are always changing, as seen in the fixation of recent decades on lean meat and milk, which is now beginning to wane. It’s difficult to predict what trends will emerge in future, so conserving breed diversity keeps our options open. And, of course, breeds form a valuable part of our cultural heritage, with many of the old breeds who are currently at risk being docile, hardy, beautiful animals that have unique qualities and quirks that make them a pleasure to have around.
When I learned back in 2017 about the extinction crisis unfolding on our farms, I was shocked that more people weren’t talking about it. I designed this project to examine these issues and, in 2020, was awarded Australian Research Council funding for myself and two PhD students to spend three years working with the rare and heritage breed farmers conserving breed diversity across Australia. We’re over halfway through now, and within this rather dystopian story of extinction and loss, there are also many heartening success story.
So how to keep a marginal breed thriving? Everyone has their opinions, and there’s plenty of valuable debates to be had, but here are my thoughts based on what I’ve learned so far. Contrary to much of the discourse we hear from agribusiness, the Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that approximately 80% of the world’s food is produced on family farms. Family farms tend to be more ecologically sustainable, and foster more vibrant rural communities, while being home to greater wildlife variety and agrobiodiversity. Accordingly, growing the number of small-holders, rather than pursuing the get-big-or-get-out approach to farming of recent decades, seems the best way forward.
For the health of the animals and the planet, ensuring high animal welfare and good land stewardship are, of course, essential. Consumers are quite rightly increasingly concerned about these issues, and sharing knowledge with them about sustainable farming, the unique qualities of particular breeds, and the value of breed diversity is time well spent.
Maintaining the quality of animals is also key. Protecting bloodline diversity—especially when there’s a relatively small gene pool—is important, as is breeding for a balance of traits given the dynamic and unpredictable consumer market, and the risks of a narrow productivity focus. Making the hard decisions and ensuring faults are not bred into the herd—including not only issues related to conformation, fertility and performance, but also temperament—is critical for the long-term health and reputation of the breed.
Finally, perhaps the least acknowledged aspect of supporting breed longevity is the social component. Encouraging and mentoring young people to get involved with the breed builds a future pipeline of skilled breeders and handlers. At the other end, making plans for succession with your herd ensures unique bloodlines aren’t lost. Being inclusive and tolerant of different views, sharing knowledge and opportunities, and being one of, or offering support to, the hard-working volunteers who run the societies and shows are perhaps among the greatest gifts you can give the breed.
*Dr Catie Gressier is a Research Fellow in the School of Agricultura and Environment at the University of Western Australia, and a former Director of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Have You Thought About What Happens to Your Livestock When You are No Longer There To Care For Them
By Katy Brown*
Updated from Katy's original 2021 article
People have often said to me that I was in the right place at the right time. They are referring to my Tamworth pig herd and how I became the successor of several studs as
they closed down their Tamworth breeding herds. These included Green Gables, Kings Flat, Spring Hill, Jurumbula and a few others. Had I not been there at that point in time these animals were often on their way to the abattoir and the end of a life’s work.
Whether it was luck or destiny I can never quite fathom. The thing was there was succession. I was a registered breeder with long term experience. However, over the last five years many have left the pig industry, many new rules have come in making it harder to farm pigs, JEV and other exotic diseases have become an issue. In general people are also moving away from Breed societies and registration deeming it irrelevant to their operation usually citing cost or the fact they only want to produce meat. This does not bode well for rare breeds particularly those that require niche marketing.
I saw the COVID crisis as a wake up call to get all our records and paperwork in order and articulate a plan. Due to the emergence of some previously considered exotic animal diseases, I also consider it important that identified custodians are also aware of what to do in the case of outbreaks, including early quarantine. Of course it is of utmost importance to have your own herd health plan, including vaccination, control of parasites, and environmental control of mosquitoes, to conserve your breed numbers. If your animals do need to be relocated then having healthy animals will help with the transition.
So back to the plan! It looks like this:
1. Identify all livestock on farm without delay using the relevant ID whether that is brands, ear notches, tags, microchips etc. and maintain a list identifying the number on the paperwork. Remember if an outsider came in they have to match them up (note this is normal practice but can fall behind).
2. Ensure that all recordings and registrations are up to date.
3. Ensure Society memberships are paid should someone have to transfer.
4. Let some common minded people know where treasures such as herd books, photos and records are stored. Digitise as many as possible and store on a secured memory stick.
5. Identify any last of line animals for utmost importance, for example a red tag, so without any other effort someone could see which were the most critical to preserve.
6. Increase replacement matings to ensure numbers of each line, cull less so more animals are available for distribution to other breeders. This is important and requires serious investment and commitment.
7. Archive the record with a relevant organisation (for example a registry or RBTA and require that it is not for public view) just in case the organisation has to step in to support rehoming of the livestock.
8. Nominate other breeders you would be happy to pass the animals onto, discuss this with them and make sure their breeding and conservation philosophy is sound.
9. Ideally via mentorship ensure a network of likeminded breeders that recognise the genetic value of the herd.
Useful resource : Informing EAD Responses AUSVET Plan https://animalhealthaustralia.com.au/
* Updated February 2026 from an originally written by Katy in 2021.
Katy is a former Secretary of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Photo - Katy with Highland Pony and Tamworth Pig. Photo credit Dale Webster. Used with permission Katy Brown.
Dreamy, the Accidental Sheep
By Sue Curliss*
This is Dreamy, and Dreamy is the progenitor of the Tukidale sheep. Yes, this one little ram is responsible for the whole Tukidale breed, and this is his story
Dreamy was born on November 26, 1966 on the Romney Stud of Malcom and Judy Coop in Tuki Tuki, New Zealand. Dreamy was an accident, possibly caused by the non-closure of a gate by the sawmill workers. He was born way out of season, on the river flats of the Tuki Tuki river and was discovered, along with four other lambs, by
Malcolm, whilst he was out riding. Surprised by his find, Malcolm picked the little lamb up and headed for home. If he had any doubts as to Judy’s thoughts about this unusual little lamb, they soon dissipated as he saw her face when he handed her his fluffy charge. In Judy’s own words…..
“…….he was a child’s vision of a dream lamb. Snow white, long, long locks of slightly curling wool. Pink nose and wide-eyed head - even sweet smelling. I cuddled him to me and kissed his then budding horns as I hurried homewards.”
Judy had never seen a lamb quite like Dreamy before. He was a complete character and an absolute individual, but as his horns developed so did his aggressive character and on more than one occasion, Judy had to rescue her young daughter from an apple tree while Dreamy paced below. A young friend was not so lucky and received a broken leg when caught unawares by Dreamy in the paddock. His favourite game was to bang and crash the wrought iron gates with his horns, knowing full well Judy would arrive with treats, a cake tin filled with maize and oats to entice him away. He knew Judy as the bringer of feed and yummy treats and never once tried to butt her. A lesser Shepherdess may have been a bit more concerned by the young ram’s behaviour, but Judy sensed this little guy was special.
As Dreamy grew, his fleece also grew but it was long and straight, unlike any of the other sheep. Malcolm and Judy were visited by the late Dr Dry, the famous New Zealand geneticist, who was responsible for isolating the N gene in the Drysdale sheep. On viewing Dreamy’s progeny, Dr Dry was very excited claiming;
“This fellow has a dominant gene of great value and it is much stronger than the N gene. You must use this sheep extensively.”
Further testing revealed a separate gene in Dreamy’s make-up, the T gene and thus, on the river flats on the banks of the Tuki Tuki river, the Tukidale was born. The T gene was found to be a very dominant gene, in that even a heterozygote sire would produce from any ewe, 50% of hairy progeny. The ability to consistently produce the hairy progeny made the Tukidale a one generation carpet wool sheep. This was a very important find in the days of a rapidly expanding carpet industry and it wasn’t long before a group from Australia imported some of Dreamy’s progeny and the Tukidale story in Australia began, but that is a whole other story.
Dreamy lived a bountiful life and passed in 1977. He was laid to rest under a Red Oak tree. His life is best described by Judy….
“Dreamy sleeps peacefully on in his especially fenced off area, surrounded by the paddocks he knew so well. A rogue, a mutant with a rare genetic difference – possessing almost a hybrid vigour. A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence that happened along our way. An unforgettable V.I.P.”
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It is the stories like this that make these rare creatures matter. For they, along with their people, their stories and their heritage are all of the utmost importance. Sadly, the Tukidale has just been declared extinct in New Zealand and we have the only remaining flock, here in Australia under the custodianship of Vee and Rene Pols.
And so, we will continue to work towards the survival of the Tukidales and all other rare breed livestock for they are all important and they too have their stories.
The information for this article, photos and excerpts from letters by Judy and Dr Dry are credited with thanks to Bob Eastoe:
The Tukidale Story by Bob Eastoe, published in 1987 by the Tukidale Society of Australia.
* Sue Curliss is a former Director of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Pig Care Tips
By Katy Brown*
Finally, we are coming into autumn and those first really cold nights can catch everyone by surprise, Autumn Abortion Syndrome which is part of the Summer Infertility Syndrome happens all over the world and is often more common in skinny or late-term sows.
One of the most practical things to do to help is to increase the sows energy intake, make sure they are warm either by adding bedding or increasing stocking density(remember to increase feed and watch for bullying), block up drafts – remember drafts and good ventilation are not the same thing, animals that are forced to lay in a drafty area will use more energy keeping warm, piglets will be more likely to huddle leading to more overlays/suffocation and there will be a higher incidence of respiratory disease and dirty pens.
Holes can easily be patched, face farrowing huts away from the wind and if necessary block the door while the sow is farrowing if it is really cold and windy – chilled piglets don’t absorb their colostrum as well and are more subject to overlay or simply not getting away from the back of the sow, very cold piglets also lose their suck reflex and will not suckle until warmed up- the quickest way to do this is submerging them in a warm bath and you can actually buy bubble wrap floaties. It can take 20 plus minutes to warm up a piglet. Piglets that are very cold will be hypoglycemic and require some Glucodin as well as rewarming.
Studies show that heat lamps save up to 2 piglets per litter and farrowing crates over a million piglets a year – when the climate isn’t perfect then husbandry makes all the difference. Whatever farrowing system you use sows needs and piglets needs are very different and as you can’t raise a dead pig one of the most valuable assets is a good farrowing attendant and all studies show that by being there both sow and piglet welfare is optimized.
Good luck and take care, regards Katy Brown
* Katy Brown is a former Secretary of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
The Waler Horse and Horse Preservation in Australia : Exploring a Connection to the Manipuri Pony
By Janet Lane*
Do Walers and Manipuri ponies have a circle of connection as wonderful as it is improbable? Like magic from the mists of time, this possibility has woven its spell down the years.
There were no horses in Australia at the time of colonisation. Walers were created in Australia from colonisation in 1788 to the end of the horse era, about the late 1940’s. Created from breeds brought in – largely British breeds. Into the mix went horses from the Cape, Chile horses of Spanish heritage, ponies from the East Indies and ponies from India.
Ships ran to and fro constantly as military people in India were transferred or moved to Australia - they were always sure of selling quality horses and ponies. Some imports from India were Arab ponies from the huge trade of Arab ponies from Basra to Bombay, others were Indian ponies.
In this way, from Indian ponies, Australian horses possibly gained a little Manipuri blood. Manipuri ponies were already famed, and it is well known they were traded to neighbouring Indian kingdoms constantly. The trade in ponies was described as “lively” as late as 1922 in Mittal’s Administration of North East India report of that year. Neighbouring Naga people depended on being carriers for a livelihood and had an ancient and constant trade from Manipur to Assam. From Assam, goods, including ponies, were taken to Calcutta. Some went via the Brahmatputra river, others on the Bengal-Assam railway, others overlanded. Regular traders to Calcutta were Australians. We bought many good ponies there.
Only four decades after colonisation Australia began madly exporting horses. We still brought the best in but were breeding enormous numbers by the 1840’s. Ironically we sold to some places whose stock we began with, particularly India and the East Indies. Pony sales were huge – pony racing was big in many countries, and of course – polo. Pony races in China, for example, drew the biggest crowds of anywhere in the world – up to 80,000 per race, in that era.
Chittagong, the nearest port to landlocked Manipur, featured pony races regularly. Australia sold thousands of ponies there, our newspapers relished reporting wins; and cashed up Australian horse traders bought the best local Indian ponies there, to bring home to breed more. Possibly some of these ponies would have been Manipuris, pure or partbred.
Only the best were sought for importing, by Australia, and once bred on, only the best were sent away. The few but notable exceptions howled down in the press. How dare anyone not send the best? Our horses and ponies had to be top class – we were a new population with all the shadow of colonial wrongdoing of invasion and dispossession, despite many of us being brought here by force; being largely from convict, military, and poor settler stock. We had the colonial cringe of feeling we were not good enough. The slightest criticism wounded dreadfully. So we aimed to show we could breed the world’s best horses and ponies. Just as we had a desperate need to win at sport to prove ourselves equal.
As Manipur was the home of polo and played so well, needless to say, this struck a note with competitive, horsey Australia who regarded reverence of sport and ponies as par for the course. In December 1889, Australian newspapers, re-printing Times of London articles, delighted in details such as people securing favour and promotion in Manipur for their excellence at polo.
Soon after, in 1891, whilst we noted the bloody battles there, there were longer articles describing the polo and how every boy practiced the game. They remarked on how agile the ponies were and super fast at turning.
By 1902 when Viceroy Lord Curzon visited Manipur, it was once again peaceful and welcoming. The great friendliness between HRH Rajah Churachand and the Viceroy was put down to the great fun they had on the polo field. No article on polo was complete without mentioning Manipur as its origin.
The country and its ponies gained sacred status in the Australian mind. Sport. Ponies. The best. Just as we yearned to be.
From the early 1860’s everyone in India wanted polo ponies. And which were the best? Manipuri ponies. Given the extraordinary trade routes existing within India, and those aided by railways and fast ships, the Manipuri pony spread far and wide.
“... There every man, from the Rajah to the ryot, indulges in the past-time, and to be chosen to play at the great annual gathering, where the four leading clans meet in friendly rivalry, is as much an ambition among them as it is be selected to row in the intercolonial eight, or to play in the colonial eleven in England among the youth of Australia. The ponies of the country-bred expressly with a view to the sport, are active, hardy, and carry considerable weight. These they prize very highly, and will not readily part with. Indeed, some 50 years ago one of their rajahs invaded Calhar with a considerable force to recover a pony which had been wrongly appropriated by the Rajah of that country. ...are ridden in snaffle-bits, they consider that a pony requiring anything more severe in his mouth will never become really perfect...”
Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser, 6th November 1886.
In December 1907, a fictional account of a polo pony race between British regiments – 28th Bengal Lancers v 48th Prince of Wales’ Own Carbineers - featured a speedy Manipuri Pony named Jingling Johnny as the centrepiece of the tale. The Guzerati’s Gift, by F. D’A. C. De L’Isle, was published in Australian newspapers for we loved nothing more than a good horse or pony tale. The story was set in far north-west India, in Balwal; a long way from Manipur! Thus, one sees how widespread these ponies became when polo hit its zenith. As Australia took shiploads of horses to India for 6 months of every year, for over a century, and as these ships almost always brought back with them the cream of Indian ponies available, it takes little imagination to see Manipuri blood would have made it to Australia.
Australia’s closest source of ponies was the East Indies, as Indonesia was then called. Timor and Sandalwood were our major sources of ponies – another probable source of small but significant amounts of Manipuri genes.
Horses and ponies were vital to our economy, our major export, soon joined by wool. Big horse shows kept standards sky high. Horse bazaars were huge – Kirks horse bazaar in Melbourne rivaled Cook’s in India and was a Mecca for horse buyers from around the world.
The demand for horses in British India was enormous – for military, merchants, and civilians, the many Maharajahs and the Nizam. For deliveries, carriages, trams and equestrian sport. Australia’s vast spaces were perfect for breeding large numbers. Horses became tough from the conditions they were raised in. Countless thousands of people made their living from raising horses and ponies.
And how did Manipuri genes enter the Australian gene pool from the East Indies? Little research has been done in this area. Yet if one looks at the old Tea Horse Roads and Silk Routes there’s a direct link. Sandalwood Island, like Timor, survived for centuries by trading their own excellent ponies. Like colonial Australia, they judiciously bought only the very best in and sold progeny out at top prices. One sees ponies coming along the trade route, both overland via Burma and Siam then a short hop across to Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the islands. Were some Manipuri Ponies? It seems likely. Tea was traded for ponies for centuries along these routes, hence being called the Tea Horse Road.
The Malacca straits heavily taxed trading ships and one payment was ponies. Indonesian kingdoms prior to Dutch colonisation, like Indian kingdoms prior to British colonisation, were exceedingly wealthy and bred great ponies to trade to China, India, and Arabia. The trade went both ways as ponies were regularly gifted back and forth among rulers and officials and often given as tribute. A new colour, an extra good pony were perfect gifts.
Manipur’s isolation and landlocked status meant protection for their ponies from much outside influence. Like Sandalwood and Timor, they could sell as many as they wanted, but unlike Manipur, these islands, by having a maritime trade, got more outside blood by default into their equine populations. And under colonials, they had no say in protecting their types. Colonisation is often fatal to breeds. The East Indies protected their breeds grimly, but with immense difficulty.
The Dutch used Walers extensively to ‘improve’ local types, usually, this was a failure. The climate and conditions suited the breeds developed there over centuries, which was not the case with the recent big arrivals. Prized over centuries of fame, horse loving cultures such Sandalwood, Timor and Manipur developed great wisdom in breeding and careful protection of their types.
Manipuri ponies went into Burma then on to Siam along established ancient trade routes. The trade was peaceful along the Tea Horse Road. Chinese bought excellent Manipuri ponies too, exchanged for tea. A good pony used to be worth 60 kilos of tea. China needed a lot of cavalry ponies as did Manipur itself, being often at war with Burma.
Burma captured huge numbers of coveted Manipuri ponies in a war of 1756 – enough to mount an army. The Cassay army of Burma was found to be exclusively mounted
on Manipuri Ponies when captured in turn, three years later in Siam. These highly prized ponies were kept by Siam as war booty. In this light, there is little doubt that blood from these too went down the trade route, as Siam traded regularly to the islands of the East Indies.
Image Cassay Horseman on Manipuri pony.
Cassay was a Burmese term for Manipur. They named their captured men and ponies the Cassay Cavalry.
Burma and Siam coveted Manipuri ponies because their military and civilian mounts were largely elephants. So they sought to bring in quality ponies from outside, rather than breed them. Siam did not breed ponies in numbers as they concentrated on elephants. To ward off Chinese attacks, something agiler than elephants were often required. Manipuri ponies, being superlative cavalry mounts, spread through South East Asia by such means of war as well.
For peacetime trading to the East Indies ponies were also taken by sea from the Bengal coast. One can see, like a delicate gold thread in a tapestry, Manipuri genes tracing down to Australia via Indonesia. We bought countless shiploads of ponies from the East Indies in colonial days.
The Manipuri Pony was exactly the type Australia wanted. A riding pony, game, fast, agile, loyal, tough, intelligent and good doers. If one looks at the ponies of Sandalwood Island, a tremendous horse trading island in those days, one can clearly see the similarity. Ships had gone from there to India for centuries.
When Australia was breeding and selling polo ponies the game was indeed played on ponies, as it always had been in Manipur. The market was massive as the Manipur game went global. Everyone wanted polo ponies. Taking the cue from the Manipuri Pony, there was an ‘official’ top height for polo ponies of 13.2hh, set by the Hurlington Polo Committee, formed in 1875 in England.
Polo came to Australia in 1874 with Lt. Col. Thomas St Quintin of the 10th Hussars. We took up polo energetically. Our fields were abysmal but the sporting instinct was superlative. We were too far away to have other countries to thrash at polo, so concentrated on having the best ponies.
Other places thought their polo ponies were good, but Australia had, of course, to prove ours were better. Soon we were topping prices in India and elsewhere for our polo ponies. In 1902 it was reported in The Register (Adelaide) that Australian Waler ponies invariably fetched 800 to 2,000 rupees in India, the highest priced polo ponies there and that traders made far more profit with polo ponies than remounts. In the 1930’s the Ashton Brothers of West Maitland sold a pony named Maitland to the Maharaja of Kashmir for 1,700 guineas. Another famous polo pony was Lady Jane, sold by Jim Robb to Prince Hanu Singh of Jodhpur for a thousand pounds. The Prince later refused double the price for her. Ashtons also sold several ponies for 2,000 pounds to America (then $US4,000). We were chuffed when various overseas teams on Australian ponies won a tournament. Articles such as below were proudly reproduced in Australian newspapers:
'... I have seen many studs of polo ponies, including those of the American International sides and the Argentine Polo Federation side, but I have never seen any to compare with that of the Jodhpur side. The ponies are all perfectly trained; they have pluck and handiness and speed, and most of them are the nearest approach to the perfect pony that any man could find. The majority of them are high-class Waler ponies, selected with great care on their arrival in India from Australia, and trained in the Maharajah's stables. A certain number are Indian country breds; there are a few English thoroughbreds and one or two Argentines....'
Lord Wodehouse, The Spectator, 1925.
And in a true sporting fashion, we give credit where it is due...
“Curiously enough, the best polo ponies are the redoubtable Manipuri ponies, bred in Manipur (India), where polo, from almost pre-historic times, flourishes as the great national pastime.”
Muswellbrook Chronicle, April 1926.
Manipuri Ponies were exported to neighbouring Assam. The British Administrative centre at Shillong meant a big British presence there in the days of the Raj. Military personnel and tea planters all played polo, the latter, especially in the tea planting regions like Jorhat, upstream on the banks of the Brahmaputra. Manipuri Ponies were in such demand restrictions had to be placed on the number of ponies leaving Manipur, for fear they would be depleted beyond saving.
As the British often took their polo ponies home and some migrated directly to Australia, more Manipuri Ponies possibly arrived in Australia in this manner. By the same token Walers were sent to India and many to Bengal. Some even found their way to Manipur! One was gifted to Maharaja Churachand of Manipur, the polo-loving monarch who once had to be persuaded to take an elephant for his polo pony by his covetous uncle, the Maharaja of the neighbouring kingdom of Tripura.
Although a few Walers found their way to Manipur, it was not enough to affect the genes of a far older breed - one in no need of outside blood to ‘improve’ it. A breed is strong indeed when it needs no outside blood, nor should it have any when there is no need – purity keeps the traits so long cherished and maintained. There are no shortcuts in creating good breeds – and those who try to use them always court disaster. The Dutch for example tried to improve the Batak Pony of Sumatra. The people there sensibly hid their ponies in the forest to save them. The few crossbreds that were produced proved an abysmal failure. The Dutch gave up, breeder Daniel van der Meulen, in his autobiography, saying it was “a well-intentioned mistake.” This happened in Manipur too – in the year 1900, the Australian press reported how Manipuri people carefully hid their stallions in the jungle when British officers sought to “improve” the breed.
One would expect Manipur is like Iceland which allows no equine breeds into their country. It behoves Manipur to respect their antecedents and continue to protect their unique breed.
In October of 1892 polo news columns in Australian newspapers read
“...they have made arrangements to bring a team here next March, consisting of six players, who will bring the Regimental Club's polo ponies. The players who have so far been decided upon are, in addition to Lieutenant Beresford, Captain Hanwell, R.A., Captain Le Gallais, 8th Hussars, and Lieutenant Crawley, of the 8th Hussars. The suggestion has been made that they should also bring over a team of Manipuri native players. As your readers have probably read, it is to this district of India that the world is indebted for the game, which is a most interesting one when played by experts, and the Manipuri players are computed among the best.”
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner’s Advocate, 3rd October 1892.
By 1899 the British raised the height for polo ponies to 14.2hh. As their rules were almost universally followed, polo ponies were sought at this bigger height. In 1919 the height restriction was removed altogether and polo players moved onto horses, as the bigger men liked bigger horses.
This sort of decision tolls the death knell for pony breeds. Pony racing was replaced by Thoroughbreds, polo ponies replaced by horses. The push through the door marked Extinction began. It was hastened by mechanisation replacing horse-power in all ways, even for sport. Ponies, once bred in their millions, quietly began to vanish. Within decades, gone.
Today, we have only one aged Waler pony stallion left in Australia, Gallant, in Queensland. No Waler pony mares. We hope to find some, but it’s been a long search. Domestic breeds are disappearing at an alarming rate as commercialism takes over. Europe for example has lost over half their domestic breeds in less than a century.
Image. Waler Pony Bellgree Gallant. Photos kindly supplied by owner Christie Goodlet, Queensland.
Australians found their way to India in the horse trade days. Curtis Skene managed Badulipar tea plantation in Assam from 1898 to 1925. He fell in love with polo there and learned to play well enough to be an 8 goal player. He had at least two shiploads of Walers sent over to Assam, to play polo on and to sell.
When he moved back home he continued to send ponies over to his brother, and his Australian polo team was called the Assamanders. His daughter Phyllis became an international player and by 1937 had made 7 trips to her beloved Assam selling polo ponies and playing there.
‘Waler’ is short for ‘New South Waler’, a horse from New South Wales, as Australian horses were first called in India. There are four types of Waler (Welsh ponies also have four types) – the Pony, Officers (slightly heavier than a Thoroughbred), Troopers (hunter type) and Artillery (like a half draught). It was hard finding them when we started looking, they were disappearing. We note that Manipur too looked around one day and thought, we still have some ponies, but not as many as we should - let’s do all we can to save them!
Biodiversity is important. Old breeds have many traits that have proven invaluable. Old tropical and arid lands breeds, for example, are excellent in extreme temperatures
created by climate change. Preserving old breeds is not about sentimentality, it is about keeping good useful breeds and genetic diversity, which is crucial. Old equine breeds are hardier. They thrive on low-quality feed, so it takes far fewer greenhouse gases to keep them fed. They have far more stamina so can do a hard day’s work, long journeys, or a sustained sporting activity. Their hooves are stronger, their legs stronger, they are less likely to break down. They have less congenital problems. Their coats and mane and tail give them adequate protection. Their temperament is far better – unlikely to shy - their intelligence makes them a safer animal to ride and to be around. A thinking horse is indeed a pleasure to ride, whether playing polo or after cattle. This type forms a real partnership with its human. A bond.
It was my ride along the old trade routes - in virtual reality - to see where the Timor and Sandalwood may have got some genes that brought me to beautiful Manipur and Assam – on the internet! That led to asking Dr. Gus Cothran of Texas A&M University in Houston, Texas, who had done the DNA profile for Walers, if he’d tested the ponies, to find a link. No, not yet, but he’s keen. Thence I got in touch with Somi Roy - who modestly disclaims the title Patron Saint of the Manipuri Pony - and another part of the Waler-Manipuri circle fell into place. Rare breed meets rare breed and the trade of old that went both ways, which ended up with our ponies happily playing polo together – Manipuri ponies and Waler ponies. If only they stayed so blissfully safe. The Rare Breeds Trust of Australia has Walers listed as Endangered. The breed is not out of danger. The Manipuri Pony too is a rare breed; this legendary pony is truly worthy of preservation.
Image: Bellgree Gallant.
Without the Manipuri Pony the Waler would not be the animal it is today, and without polo we wouldn’t have had so many wonderful sales for so many years, providing a living for many Australians. Thank you, from the Waler!
Note:
Janet Lane started the Waler Horse Society of Australia Inc. in 1986 and later, helped start the Waler Horse Owners and Breeders Association of Australia Inc. She researches and blogs about Walers and trained several polocrosse horses years ago. Polocrosse is an Australian game similar to polo, but using one horse per game only, with more horse-to-horse contact. Lane is a former Director with the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
References
- Narratives, Routes and Intersections in Pre-Modern Asia edited by Dr. Radhika Seshan, published 2016 by Routledge, Chapman and Hall.
- Report on the Administration of North East India, 1921-22. Mittal Publications, Delhi.
- The Guzerati’s Gift, short story by F. D’A. C. De L’Isle, The Leader (Melbourne) 2nd December 1907. Note, this article appeared in several Australian newspapers in 1905 and 1906 too.
- Breeds of Empire: The “Invention” of the horse in South East Asia and Southern Africa 1500-1950 Greg Bankoff and Sandra Swart, (with Peter Boomgard, William Clarence-Smith, Bernice de Jong Boers and Dhiravat na Pombejrh.) Copenhagen : Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press, 2007.
- Indian Horse Breeding, Richmond River Herald and North East Advertiser (NSW), 2nd November, 1900.
- Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nations, document “Biodiversity to nurture people.”
- The Complete Guide to Polo by Lauren Dibble, published 2015 by Trafalgar Square Books.
- History of Manipur, Cassay Horse Trails and Opening of the Eastern Gate by Puyam Nongdrei. E-Pao website.
- Somi Roy – correspondence about Walers and Manipuri Ponies helped enormously in this article, thank you.
- Australian Horse Trade, blog by Janet Lane on Blogger.
Etymology: Burma is now Myanmar. Siam is now Thailand. The East Indies is Indonesia. Sandalwood Island is Sumba Island.
Posted January 2018
* Janet Lane is a former Director of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Colour Sided Cattle Pattern
By Janet Lane*
2019
Some breeds are uniformly marked with the colour-side pattern. There are two distinct types of the colour-side pattern.
Lineback has clearly defined markings of solid colour, and white. Solid colour heads. Lineback pattern is beautifully demonstrated in Pinzgauer and Gloucester cattle.
Photo to the right is a Pinzgauer, Ivan Dunley's cow Lena.
Witrik has roaning, speckles, big spots that may be elliptical or round, and varying degrees of white. In this pattern, the ears, nose and ears are pigmented.
White is seen on the heads of witrik cattle; think of English Longhorns. The head white may be anything from a little roaning on colour, to pure white. There is white on the back.
There is a pattern called "white faced colour side" which covers Hereford and individual animals from other breeds such as Montbeliards that sometimes have a colour sided pattern - but also lack nose pigment. They retain the ear pigment and sometimes around the eyes, just like Herefords.
Some breeds are 100% of the colour-side pattern; with some, such as Riggit Galloways, the pattern varies considerably within the breed.
In other breeds of varied coat patterns , the colour-sided pattern appears randomly, proving genetic diversity allows patterns that may otherwise have been lost, to remain within a breed. It is quite dominant so can be kept in a line if wanted.
Lineback has solid colour; being red, through to dark brown, brindle, or black, and rarely, blue; with white tail switch, white rear end, white topline and white bellies with the white usually crossing the top of the legs in Pinzgauers. Head is solid colour. Legs solid colour.
The purpose of the ancient patterns are to break up an animal’s outline, so it was better camouflaged. It’s also found in yaks. Witrik is seen in several breeds. The speckles are called brockling or finching in different geograpical areas. 
Photo (right): Telemark cattle, Norway, from Nordgen website.
Some people do not use the terms 'line-back' or 'witrik' - but simply 'colour-sided'. It does save confusion! - as it would appear none of the terms have concrete definitions.
Herefords have white faces with the white topline incomplete; lower leg usually white; a witrik pattern. The white top line of Herefords is abbreviated, being white from head to over the shoulders and coloured from there on. The face and most of the head is white without roaning - almost always with lack of pigment of nose and eyes. A few breeders are keeping the eyes pigmented, this helps pevent pinkeye, sunburn and weak eyesight. Although some noses may be speckled or coloured, it has always been looked on as a fault in Herefords to have "a dirty nose" - fashion plays a part in these ideas too. Some Simmentals, Montbeliards and other breeds have the white head witrik pattern without roan or pigmentation of nose.
The witrik and lineback patterns occur in several breeds - including English Longhorn, Texas Longhorn, Ayrshire, Belgium Swiss, Shetland, Simmental, Maine Anjou, Lithuanian White Back, Black Sided Troender, Normande, Welsh Lineback, Telemark, Galloway, Meuse Rhine Yssel, Dutch Friesian and Irish Moiled, Lynch Lineback and Randall Lineback.
Photo (right) Richard Gunners English Longhorns
Witrick has been identified in three variations - White Witrick, Dark-Sided Witrick and Dark Speckled Witrick – in the latter the sides are not solid colour, but speckled, also called brockled and finched, including bigger elliptical or round spots
Nguni are a sanga breed from Africa. Colours vary but some have the witrik pattern. Of interest there is also a reverse of it, where the outline is coloured, and body is white with speckles. The crossing of Pinzgauer with Nguni and Nkone in Africa means the pattern may have been introduced via Bos taurus; this is but conjecture.
Dutch Friesians have the pattern in the breed. This line is sometimes called ‘the Witrik Dairy Breed.’ In fact it’s a colour line within the Friesian breed. In the Netherlands and America it’s bred for and who knows may be regarded as a separate breed at some stage.
A few Gyr seem to have a variation of the witrik pattern - darker accents to the top, tail and legs, speckled sides. Ears, nose and eyes are pigmented, in keeping with colour sided patterns. Some have a pattern with colour, not white, along the back, back end and legs. If the pattern can be tested for, they may be found not to have it at all. Not sure if tests are possible.
To my knowledge the colour side pattern is specific to some breeds - occurring in all animals of that breed - only in Bos taurus cattle being UK, Irish and European breeds. However it is seen, mostly as the witrik version (light face, roaning and speckles) but also lineback (solid colour face) in Bos taurus, Sanga, and Bos indicus (zebu) in individual animals. Historical photos, paintings and documents would be the best way to discover if the pattern was in certain breeds. I have found no zebu or sanga breed that is entirely colour sided (although there may be some, would would like to be enlightened).
Photo below : Texas Longhorn 'Concealed Weapon' from the Singing Coyote Ranch.
Photo right :Pustertaler Sprinzen, from Wiki, an Austrian breed
Several studies have been conducted into the DNA of these colour patterns.
The pattern is caused by DNA fragments moving from one chromosome to another in a circle. If two fragments go to the same chromosome, the animal will have a lot of white in its coat. These chromosomes have been identified (see reference).
In some breeds a few breeders have strived to keep animals of the colour sided pattern – it traditionally occurs in many breeds. Breeds such as the Galloway, the Dutch-Friesian, Belgium Swiss and the Meuse Rhine Yssel have dedicated breeders, although in a minority, maintaining the colour side pattern in their breed.
Riggit is the Galloway breed term for the colour side pattern. Of interest, there are photos online of Riggit Galloways showing the otherLineback pattern (witrik), with solid coloured heads, clean white backline and back end, with no roaning or spots.
Bottom right photo - Riggit Galloways, from the Riggit Galloway Cattle Society.
Reference for DNA mentions: New Genetic Phenomena discovered in Witrik Cattle. Waginen University, Netherlands, originally published in Nature magazine. Extract of article at below website. https://phys.org/news/2012-02-genetic-phenomenon-witrik-cattle.html
2019
*Janet Lane is a former Director of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
