The photograph shows a waler horse, a breed of riding horse originating from Austrialia that was especially popular among the British army from the 1840s to 1940s, with a native Malay servant pulling on its reins. Horse-drawn carriages were a common sight on the roads of Singapore throughout the 19th century up till the early part of the 20th century when they were replaced by automobiles and electric trams. They were mostly owned by wealthy European officials or businessmen, who then commissioned photographers to document their ownership of the horses, which were also seen as a form of status symbols, as with having local servants within the household. Such photographs were usually sent back to Europe to family or relatives.
