Brumbies: A SpaceForHorses network
The name 'Brumby', for an Australian feral horse, is thought to have been derived from a James Brumby, who was born in Scotton, Lincolnshire, and arrived in Australia 1791, as a soldier with the New South Wales Corps. He was also a farrier.
When he moved to Tasmania in 1804 it is thought that he left some horses in New South Wales. Locals asked who owned the horses, "they are Brumby's" was the reply.
The first horses were used for farm work, and contributed to the opening up of Australia’s pastoral land. Explorers used horses and bullocks for transport. Horses were later bred for the remount trade. Poor fencing and infrequent mustering meant that many horses escaped and horses were abandoned as machinery took over many of their tasks, so many horses became feral.
Brumbies are rarely of consistent size, conformation or color, given the mixed type of their origins.
NOW THEY ARE UNDER THREAT OF CULLING - FROM THE AIR - as many argue that the numbers (eg. 2000 in Koscisuszko National Park) are damaging wildlife habitats. See the article in THE LONDON TIMES Saturday 5th January 2008!
