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Horse Memorial

Horse Memorial is a provincial heritage site in Port Elizabeth, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. It was erected in memory of the horses that served and died during the Second Boer War, when Britain brought large numbers of horses to South Africa. The bronze, life-size commemorative sculpture shows a kneeling soldier offering a bucket of water to his service horse. A women’s committee led by Mrs Harriet Meyer raised the funds for the statue, which was originally installed near the intersection of Park Drive and Rink Street, close to St George’s Park. It was moved to the bottom of Cape Road in 1957, declared a national monument in 1983, and restored by Anton Momberg in 1993.

The Horse Memorial shows a saddled horse beside a kneeling soldier holding a bucket on a stone plinth with inscriptions.
The Horse Memorial in Port Elizabeth, featuring a horse and kneeling soldier atop an inscribed stone base.
January 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Horse Memorial sculpture showing a saddled horse beside a kneeling uniformed figure holding out a pail.
The Horse Memorial sculpture depicts a saddled horse beside a kneeling uniformed figure.
August 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Horse Memorial showing a kneeling uniformed figure offering a pail to a saddled horse on a stone pedestal.
The Horse Memorial in Port Elizabeth, with a kneeling figure and horse atop a granite base bearing inscriptions.
January 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Horse Memorial with a dark metal horse statue and kneeling soldier on a granite base
The Horse Memorial features a mounted horse sculpture and kneeling military figure on a granite pedestal.
February 2004 © · CC BY-SA 2.5
Close-up of the Horse Memorial showing a uniformed soldier in a pith helmet offering a bucket to a saddled horse.
A close-up view of the Horse Memorial depicts a soldier offering a bucket to a saddled horse.
January 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleHorse Memorial
Typememorial monument
Heritage statusProvincial heritage site

Historical context

Commemorated subjectThe horses that served and died in British service during the Second Boer War
Historical contextCreated in connection with the large number of horses brought by Britain to South Africa during the Second Boer War; most imported horses were landed in Port Elizabeth
Horse deathsMore than 300,000 horses died in British service in South Africa
Horse shipmentsHorses were shipped from around the world, including 50,000 from the United States and 35,000 from Australia
MovementStarted in 1901

Creator

DesignerJoseph Whitehead
MakersMessrs Whitehead and Sons, of Kennington and Westminster

Discovery and provenance

Fundraising committeeA ladies' committee chaired by Mrs Harriet Meyer
Funds raised£800
Commissioned forTo erect the statue

Physical characteristics

ScaleLife-sized

Materials

MaterialBronze

Appearance

Depicted figuresA kneeling soldier presenting a bucket of water to a service horse
Additional featuresA drinking trough for horses and cattle, and a fountain for thirsty travelers

Iconography and meaning

Design interpretationAn object lesson in kindness; intended to teach careless drivers to attend to the needs of animals under their charge

Location and ownership

Original locationNear the intersection of Park Drive and Rink Street, near St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Current locationCape Road, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa

History and restoration

RelocationMoved to Cape Road in 1957
National monument designationDeclared a national monument in 1983
Protective measureAn iron fence was added around the monument in 1994
RestorationRestored by Anton Momberg in 1993
Restoration of soldier statueThe soldier statue was restored by students from the Department of Arts at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and replaced beside the bronze horse
VandalismThe monument suffered repeated vandalism; on 6 April 2015 it was vandalized by a group of men associated with the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters
Vandalism contextVandalized after the Rhodes Must Fall campaign spread in March 2015, when colonial-era statues and memorials were targeted