New Zealand sent 100,444 men and 10,117 horses to the Middle East, Gallipoli and the Western Front during October 1914 to October 1916. Over half of these horses were ridden by mounted troops and officers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, whilst the rest were used for artillery and transport services. A further 121 horses were sent to Samoa. On the signing of the Armistice there were 498 horses still in the training camps and Remount Depot in NZ. A total of four horses arrived back home to NZ. (Source: Papers Past: Fielding Star "Our war horses", 14 Feb 1919, p.2) On 24 February 2018, the first Purple Poppy Day was held at the National Army Museum in Waiouru to commemorate the animals that have served during wartime and has become an annual event. Since then, purple poppies have also been worn and displayed for Anzac Day.

1. Acquiring horses

Stock inspectors from the Department of Agriculture assisted the Defence Department with the purchase of horses suitable for mounted infantry, transport and artillery. 

2. Military training for the horses

Remount Depot:

The horses were sent to a remount depot where they were classified as being suitable for troop work (riding), artillery (draught and heavy draught) or transport (pack). (Source:  NZHistory: Acquiring horses for war )

Military Training Camps:

After being assessed at the Remount Depot, the horses received training at the military camps, of which Featherston was the largest in NZ.  For further information, see: Tom Shoebridge (2011), Featherston Military Training Camp and the First World War, 1915-27 (Pdf) (Manatū Taonga/Ministry for Culture and Heritage) 

3. New Zealand Mounted Rifles BriGade

The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force which left New Zealand in 1914. The Brigade was formed from three regiments – the Auckland Mounted Rifles, the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and the Wellington Mounted Rifles. Unsuited for trench warfare, the horses were used in the Middle East during the Gallipoli Campaign, Sinai and Palestine Campaign, and Egyptian Revolution of 1917.  (See: NZHistory: Mounted Rifles unitsand  Wikipedia: New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade)

An Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment was also sent as a separate unit with the New Zealand Division to the Western Front in April 1916. Initially, it became part of I Anzac Corps which comprised the Australian 1st Division and 2nd Division and the newly formed New Zealand Division. Then in July 1916, it joined the II Anzac Corps which became part of a 2nd Anzac Mounted Regiment with Australian troops. The horses served at Messines (June 1917), Passchendaele (October 1917), against the German Spring Offensive (March–July 1917), and in the Advance to Victory (July–November 1918).  (See NZHistory: Mounted Rifles units)  

4. DEPARTURE FOR WAR: Oct 1914 - Oct 1916

Over 10,000 horses were sent overseas from 1914 until 1916 when transportation ceased due to a lack of shipping. For the remainder of the war the New Zealand Expeditionary Force drew on British imperial supplies. The main destination for the horses was Egypt, where they journeyed onto Anzac Cove, France, Sinai and Palestine.  A further 121 horses were sent to German Samoa.  (Source: NZHistory: New Zealand's First World War horses)  

5. Egypt (1914)

"Most of the New Zealand horses sent overseas had a quiet start to the war. Apart from those sent to Samoa, the horses spent their first years or months overseas resting or training in Egypt." (Source: NZHistory; Egypt amd Gallipoli) 

6. LANDing at ANZAC COVE, Gallipoli (April 1915)

"Some draught horses accompanied the divisional artillery and transport and supply units to Gallipoli in April 1915 to assist with their work.  But the conditions proved unsuitable for horses. Some of those landed remained, but many were not landed or were soon evacuated and returned to Egypt. When the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was sent to Gallipoli in May 1915, it was as infantry. Their riding horses remained in Egypt." (Source: NZHistory: Egypt and Gallipoli)  

7. Western Front - France (April 1916-1919)

"In April 1916, more than 3000 ‘animals’ – horses and mules – were sent from Egypt to France with the New Zealand Division. Several thousand of the New Zealand forces’ horses remained in the Middle East. These animals were assigned to the NZMR Brigade, which had been separated from the rest of the New Zealand forces to form part of a new Anzac Mounted Division which also contained Australian Light Horse brigades and Royal Horse Artillery batteries." (Source: NZHistory: Egypt and Gallipoli)   

8. Middle East: SINAI (1916) & PALESTINE (1917-18)

"Several thousand of the New Zealand forces’ horses remained in the Middle East when the New Zealand Division sailed to France in April 1916. They were  assigned to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles (NZMR) Brigade, which had  been separated from the rest of the New Zealand forces and transferred  into a new Anzac Mounted Division along with Australian Light Horse brigades and Royal Horse Artillery batteries." (Source: NZHistory: Sinai and Palestine) 

9. German Samoa (1914-19)

"A total of 141 New Zealand horses were transported to Samoa rather than Egypt. Of these, 25 were despatched with the Samoa Advance Party of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in August 1914. Most of the rest were sent in the second half of 1915 to support the Samoan Relief Force which had taken over from the Advance Party in March....Another 20 horses were despatched in November 1916."  (Source: NZHistory: German Samoa)  

10. Welfare of the horses

11. THE END OF THE WAR

Of those horses that survived the war, "an acute shortage of transport, and quarantine restrictions related to animal diseases prevalent overseas, prevented most from returning. Instead they were killed, sold or kept for use by the British army." (Source: NZHistory: NZ's First World War horses) 

12. Homewards bound to NZ: Four horses

The British Army repatriated nearly 400,000 horses in France to England in March 1919. Among them were four horses originally from NZ which had served with officers in the Middle East, Belgium and France:

• Bess (Captain Charles Powles)

• Dolly (Major-General Sir Andrew Russell)

• Beauty (Captain Richard Riddiford)

• Nigger (Lieutenant-Colonel George King). 

These horses had been included on the demobilisation list after Major-General Sir Andrew Russell had expressed the wish to return home "a few" New Zealand Division horses "owing to association over a long period of warfare".  After 12 months’ quarantine, the four horses arrived back in NZ at Wellington in July 1920 on the passenger freighter, the SS Westmeath. (See NZHistory: The end of the war and Knowledge Bank (23 April 2014), "War horses remembered")

13. Commemorations over the years

New Zealand War Animal Memorial Day / Purple Poppy Day, 24 February 2018

On 24 February 2018, the War Animal Memorial at the National Army Museum was unveiled. The memorial had been  gifted by the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation and American sculptor Susan Bahary. Thereafter, the National Army Museum has promoted 24 February as New Zealand War Animal Memorial Day, which is also known as "Purple Poppy Day". A purple poppy was worn as a symbol of remembrance of the animals who served, similar to the red poppy worn on Anzac Day. (See: National Army Museum: Purple Poppy Day). 

The concept of Purple Poppy Day had been developed in 2003 by Nigel Allsopp, President of the Australian War Animal Memorial Organization (AWAMO). "He championed support to wear it alongside the traditional Red poppy honoring service men and women, as a reminder that both humans and animals have made and continue to make, sacrifices as they serve in the name of freedom. In 2017, with the support from the Australian Federal Parliament, February 24 was established as Service Animals Day. The Purple Poppy® Initiative soon spread internationally to Great Britain, Canada, France, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States, all of which now recognize February 24th and the Purple Poppy, honoring service animals and celebrating the human-animal bond." (Source: National Service Animals Memorial: The Purple Poppy®)

Purple poppies began to be knitted and crocheted locally for "Purple Poppy Day" and for Anzac Day. See articles:

• Paula Hulburt (26 April 2018), "Purple poppy plan a purl-er", Stuff

• Alexander Roberston (25 April 2018), "Local Focus: Raining purple poppies for the animals of war", The New Zealand Herald. 

• The Sterling Kaiapoi: ANZAC Blanket Two Years in the Making Brings Residents Together (2025)

The Auckland War Memorial Museum also promotes Purple Poppy Day. People can lay a purple poppy or write a message on its Online Cenotaph to commemorate those war animals who served and supported NZ’s military personnel. They can also  add notes into individual records of those personnel who have served. See: Auckland War Memorial Museum: Online Cenotaph: Purple Poppy Day.

14. Further information

Websites & Books INCLUDE:

FILM, Video & Audiotape INCLUDE:

Photograph albums INCLUDE:

Photograph albums held by the National Army Museum have been digitised and individual photos can be viewed on DigitalNZ - a sampling is given here.

Also see DigitalNZ Story:

This DigitalNZ story "WWI - NZ's war horses" was updated in April 2025