NZ troops riding tall to help Afghans

By SCOTT MacLEOD

New Zealand troops will patrol the Afghan wilderness on horseback in a return to the old days of the cavalry.

The idea came from a reconnaissance unit that found daunting terrain in the vast Bamian province where 100 New Zealanders will be based from the end of this month.

It takes five days to cross Bamian by vehicle, and it is split by mountain ranges up to 3800m high.

Bamian township, where the New Zealanders will live in plywood huts, is 2500m above sea level.

Horses are familiar to the local Hazara people, who are descended from the great cavalry warrior Genghis Khan.

Major Lloyd Dobson, who was part of the reconnaissance unit, told Army News that the troops would mostly travel in hired Toyota Land Cruisers, but "some patrols would be on horseback".

Major Dobson visited in June and found that daytime temperatures could top 40C, but dropped to minus 20C in winter.

Major Murray Brown of the Army said horse-riding skills were "not a fundamental requirement" for the soldiers being sent to Afghanistan.

But some soldiers were good horse riders from their pre-Army days.

"This is just one of many 'jack of all trades' abilities we can take advantage of," Major Brown said.

American soldiers patrolling Afghan towns have found horses to be good in narrow alleys and terrain that is too uneven for trucks.

The reconstruction team will spend up to 12 months in Afghanistan to help the new Government take a grip on the Bamian area.

The team will visit remote villages to gather information about reconstruction needs. Although it is not a combat unit, all soldiers will be armed.

A platoon of the soldiers has started learning the Afghan language with the help of two Christchurch immigrants.

The New Zealanders will be fed by four of their own chefs with food supplied by United States forces.