In Australia we call wild horses Brumbies. Americans call them Mustangs. This Thursday in the land and environment court in NSW a decision will be made on the fate of some 4000 beautiful wild horses. If the decision goes against these animals..Track,trap and destroy is the plan.

In 2018 there was a piece of legislation called the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Bill that was supposed to act as protection for the Brumbies. It doesn’t appear to be doing it’s job.

Now while I understand that the horse is an introduced species to the native landscape ...

and some argue that the presence of horses adjusts the environment, these animals and their lineage have lived in the snowy mountains for close on 200 years. Their forbears traversed this vast continent, connected people, fought in wars and drove Australia’s rural economy

Our literary culture from Banjo Patterson to Eileen Mitchell glorify the Brumby as a symbol of freedom.
A balance needs to be found here between the environments needs, commercial farming interests and the survival of these noble beasts and the cultural history they represent.

The callous destruction of
4000 of these animals is not the way forward.
Respect need be paid to the intention of the Kosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Bill and a broader, more detailed plan for now and the future needs to be formulated.

I love horses. I appreciate and have personal experience of the deep spiritual connection humans and horses can have. I’ve ridden horses for pleasure, for work, I own horses.
These brumbies are wild animals who live without restraint in complete freedom... and I love that too.