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Home of Authentic Australian Brumbies

McLeay Brumbies photo Gary Swanson

The History of the Brumbies in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park
 

Horses ran free in the McLeay and Apsley gorges since white man first settled the area in the 1830’s but usually they were mustered and broken in by the stockmen at East and West Kunderang. The renowned stock horse Radium a brilliant cattle worker, athletic, quiet and tractable, stood at East Kunderang for many years. So the horses of the McLeay Gorges were renowned for their good temperaments, sound structure and hardy constitution.

From 1939 onward a lot of men left for the Second World War the horses were neglected and the first truly wild herds established. Still they were not a problem. Stockmen mustering cattle in the gorges would occasionally catch the Brumbies; some were shot if they became a nuisance. The numbers were always low and because they were in direct competition for feed with cattle the reproductive rate was limited.

When the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) took over the majority of the McLeay gorges on the 1970’s the cattle were removed and the horses had free rein to reproduce, numbers were allowed to increase.

 The Guy Fawkes River Cull

                In 2000 the NPWS carried out a cull on the wild horses in the Guy Fawkes River National Park several hundred horses were slaughtered and one mare seriously injured but not killed outright was found by the RSPCA. The NPWS was prosecuted for this act of animal cruelty but it was the public outcry against the shooting of the horses, which led to setting up of a steering committee to decide the fate of the wild horses in the Guy Fawkes River National Park.

Brumbies running from a helecopter photo Gary Swanson

                Arleen Packer was the advisor to the Local Aboriginal Lands Council and traditional Aboriginal Elders Cecil and Eddie Briggs from the Gumbayngirr clan on this steering committee. It was here that the now famous meeting between Jan Carter from Save the Brumbies and Arleen occurred. Eighteen months of struggle followed with no positive end in sight. Arleen wrote a long explanation of how to catch and manage horses in the wild for the Committee with no obvious outcome.

Members of the steering committee in favour of shooting the horses were always in the majority up until the very last day those people on the committee who wanted the horses to live felt there was no hope. On that last fateful day those who wanted to save the horses were given permission to run a trial to see if the Brumbies could be trapped using passive methods and rehomed with interested horsemen. The most successful trial to remove and rehome horses from the National Park commenced and now ten years later the NPWS still uses methods developed over those first two years to trap and remove horses from New England National Parks.

Arleen and Jan both passionate women were not always in accord. Arleen thought Jan’s idea of housing the horses in a sanctuary was living in fantasy land, Jan considered Arleen’ s dream of registering the horses and having show events for the Brumbies was just too hard. They were both wrong, Jan now has her sanctuary thanks to the contributions of another friend Jill Pickering and Arleen has the register and the show events run with the help of another wonderful worker Sandy Radke.

Miracles sometimes do happen! 

Rocky came in from the gorge as a six year old stallion, badly beaten up by another stallion in the trap yards Jan had done an amazing job to settle him down and train him to be a hack.

Trapping the Horses

The method of passive trapping first proposed by Arleen Packer to the steering committee was further developed by the other mainstay of Oxley Heritage Horses Max Brennan and Gary Swanson who worked for a year refining the trapping methods with the NPWS. Since this time the NPWS has taken over the role of catching the horses and Max and Arleen have taken over the managing and re homing horses from the Apsley and McLeay gorges which are both parts of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.   

  To trap the horses, firstly Max and Gary would drive through the park throwing out hay every hundred yards or so. The next day they would return along the trial so see where horses had been eating the feed. Where hoof prints were clear more hay was left. Soon the feeding places were well established. Portable yards were left at the spot, feeding continued until the yards were constructed over several days. Eventually the horses would be regularly feeding within the yards. Then the trap was set. A rat trap attached to a fishing line running through the hay. The feed placed at the back of the yards so all the horses were inside before the trap went off. Hay eaten, fishing line pulled, gate shut, so simple.  Usually Max and Gary didn’t see the horses until they were trapped. A few days to humanize the Brumbies, soon they would move from yard to yard with no problems. A four wheel drive truck carried them to a waiting transport and then they were taken to the rehoming properties.

Newly trapped horses in the Guy Fawkes River National Park

Max has given over his property ‘Bora' at Enmore near Uralla and Armidale to rehome the Brumbies from the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. The Brumbies are kept in yards until they are settled enough to move into paddocks. Even in the paddocks they are still regularly fed to keep them quiet. All the horses are halter started and some are saddle broken. They are then rehomed with suitable people and move into the life of a domestic horse.

You are welcome to visit 'Bora' Phone 02 67782172 for appointment. 

 The Involvement of TAFE Armidale Horse

 Management Courses

Arleen in her role as a TAFE teacher began to involve the TAFE horse management students and teachers Jan and Bill Upjohn in handling and halter starting the Brumbies. Many students especially Aboriginal students have learn valuable skills over the past ten years working with untouched and unspoilt Brumbies fresh from the gorges.

 

Join TAFE classes for 2011 Phone Bill Upjohn 02 67784631

Certificate 111 Horse Industry Practice (Performance Horse.)

Brumbies from the Apsley Gorge

Apsley Tracker black and white stallion with blue roan pinto mare Apsley Sierra from the Apsley gorge.

Newly trapped coloured mares from the Apsley Gorge

Brumbies from Apsley Gorge , Mcleay Gorge and Guy Fawkes National Park

at Bellingen Show

  The first Brumbies to be removed from the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park came from the Apsley gorge. These are classic small stock horses ranging from 13-15 hh, all much the same type, with lovely movement, straight legs, good shoulders and a long stride. Mostly they are black, bay and brown with a few tobiano paints and blue roans.

Jan Upjohn breaking in Apsley Pollanna at ‘Bora’

See more Apsley and McLeay horses in our brumby Rehoming page

Mcleay Horses.

Jill Erby with Mcleay Silver Dollar  

In 2010 the first Brumbies from the McLeay arrived they appear to be steadier compared to the Apsley horses, taller types from 14-15.2 h.h.  more like a thoroughbred easy to halter start but not so light headed and tractable. So far the mares and stallions are all bays and browns with one chestnut foal a two grey foals but we know there are also palominos and buckskins in the McLeay gorge. There are no paint horses in this part of the gorge and no dilutes in the Apsley gorge although the rivers interconnect. 

 

 McLeay Southern Star a lovely 15.2 h.h. bay stallion from the McLeay gorge.