Wild horses find sanctuary with member society
© Save the Brumbies Inc
Save the Brumbies Inc, a WSPA member society since 2006, seeks to protect wild horses from slaughter and bring about changes in their management. In October, they made a huge step for wild horse welfare by opening a 1,400 acre sanctuary for the Australian Heritage Brumby.
Under Australian legislation, all wild brumbies are classified as feral. They are regularly slaughtered from ground and air by both state and federal governments.
This culling method offers no guarantee that adult horses will die immediately, and leaves foals to starve.
Save the Brumbies Inc has been working for eight years to improve management practices relating to wild horses, alongside protection and adoption projects.
Safe pastures
The new sanctuary, located on the outskirts of Armidale in New South Wales, has provided peaceful paddocks for many horses relocated from national parks in the Northern Tablelands.
Here the brumbies can live without the threat of aerial or ground slaughter. To ensure the sanctuary can keep taking in horses, the organisation readies suitable animals for adoption with vetted owners.
Save the Brumbies also runs a sponsorship programme for those horses that will remain at the sanctuary. This helps to fund their work, which receives no government backing.
Meet the brumbies
© Save the Brumbies Inc
The opening of the sanctuary, on 26 October 2008, was conducted by the organisation’s patron, Andrew Stoner. He was assisted by Southern Cross Cassanova, a champion brumby stallion.
Crowds of people attended the event, many touring the sanctuary to see the wild horses and new foals.
Horse handling and riding displays demonstrated the quality and temperament of the horses and several were adopted.
Save the Brumbies Inc
www.savethebrumbies.org
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