Australia's Horse History

Australia has a rich and colourful horse history. As an ethical horse insurance company we realise that understanding the history of breeds is important for their future survival. The Australian stock horse is a versatile horse that evolved through selective breeding. The first horses were brought to Australia around 1778 and they were Spanish and English Thoroughbred stock. All horses that came to Australia had to be strong and hardy to survive the untamed wilderness.

As the country was being settled, horses were a vital necessity. Stockmen, explorers, settlers, and troopers needed horses that could travel long distances. They needed strong horses and developed a type of horse called a Waler.

The Waler became very popular for the Calvary and they were also exported to India. Australian horses served in WWI. The Waler had worldwide recognition for being a hardy strong horse. However, the Waler was a distinctive type but they had no Registry of Stud book.

In 1971 the Australian Stock Horse Society was born. The Waler and other Australian Stock horses were finally given the recognition they deserved. The organisation soon grew and there were chapters started all over the country, including South Australia, Queensland and The Northern Territory.

Australia's feral horses are known as the Brumby breed, and they are free roaming horses that can be found throughout the country. Most of these horses can be found in the Northern Territory and in Queensland. A herd of Brumbies is called a band or mob.

These feral horses are descendants of lost or escaped horses that can be traced back to the nation s beginnings. European settlers brought Capers from South Africa, British draught horses, and Timor Ponies from Indonesia. Their bloodline also includes Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses.

They are sometimes domesticated and used as working horses, show horses and Pony Club mounts. The Brumbies are part of a long standing controversy. Some people value them for being part of Australia s heritage. On the other hand, some think they are a threat to the ecosystem and are a nuisance. There are many charitable organisations in Australia that help to find captured Brumbies a new home.