‘Versatile and amazing’ brumbies show what they can do

On a bush property in south-east Queensland, dozens of brumbies have gathered, but these are no longer wild horses.

These brumbies have been tamed and trained, some as recently as two months ago.

Now they have returned to the place where they first learned to trust humans, to take part in a horse show just for brumbies.

“We wanted to really showcase not only our local Toolara brumbies, but brumbies from all over [Australia], to show how versatile and amazing they are,” show organiser and founder of The Brumby Project, Anna Uhrig, says.

“Whatever you put them to, they’ll nail it.”

Limitless potential

At the show, held last month, that means anything from being led or ridden through show-ring patterns, to performing liberty work, the ultimate display of the horse-human connection.

They navigate obstacle courses, try tricks with bareback riders, and even carry archers shooting arrows into hay bales.

They are bold, brave, and beautiful and demonstrate what Ms Uhrig has known all along: brumbies can do anything when given the chance.

“We’ve had horses go on to be campdrafters, pony club ponies, trail riding horses, pretty much anything,” she says.

“We’re seeing all over Australia that brumbies are needing homes, and they’re needing homes with people who can give them that training to make domestic life suitable for them.

“So that’s what we’re really aiming to do, to get them from wild and unhandled to somewhere where we can enjoy them and have a partnership.

“And you can clearly tell that they enjoy it too.”

Wild at heart

There are brumbies here from central Queensland and the New South Wales Mid North Coast, but most are locals, born in Toolara and Tuan state forests, between Rainbow Beach and K’gari (Fraser Island).

Booming herd numbers and the increasing danger of road collisions has led to a program to reduce the brumby population.

But unlike in some other parts of Australia, here there is no cull.

These brumbies are caught and rehomed with the help of The Brumby Project.

David Berman, an ecologist, has been tracking and trapping brumbies in the area for nearly 15 years.

“Without catching and rehoming, the alternative is shooting,” he says.

“Now possibly nothing would be done at all for a while until there are far too many and someone got killed on the roads.”

But he is grateful the cull does not have to happen because people are willing to take the wild horses on.

“Brumbies can be very special horses and they can do really special things,” he says.

“It’s wonderful to see horses that I’ve brought in from the wild being led around by these wonderful people who have trained them.

“And the partnership between the people and the horses is just wonderful. They’ve got a new family.”

‘I’ll never buy another horse’

Russell had never been handled by humans when Ellie Sales bought him for $500 straight out of Guy Fawkes National Park, on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, four years ago.

She and her partner picked him up as a COVID project.

“He was feral and flighty and terrified of people, so it did take a long time to gain his trust,” she says.

“Now he’s lovely, he’s quiet, he’s a pleasure to take anywhere pretty much all the time.

“We often get compliments about how well-behaved he is at a show, and we’ve started competing in challenges this year and putting him on cattle, and he’s showing some promise there too.

“He’s got the biggest personality out of any horse that I’ve had. He’s very cheeky, he’s very inquisitive, but he’s also very loving.

“He’s the first horse that comes up to you in the paddock, doesn’t matter if I’ve just ridden him for four hours the day before.

“As soon as I walk into that paddock the next day he comes right up to me like, ‘Hey, what are we doing today?'”

The pair drove six hours from Kyogle, in northern New South Wales, to be part of the show.

“I think that’s fantastic to showcase their versatility and what they can do,” she says.

“They’re awesome little horses; I will never buy another [kind of] horse.”

From wild horse to show horse

Each of the Toolara and Tuan brumbies started their journey alongside humans here at The Brumby Project, under the guidance of Ms Uhrig.

She and the team teach people — some who have never broken in a horse before — how to train horses fresh out of the wild.

“We’re aiming to bridge the gap between a wild horse that doesn’t want anything to do with you to a partner that can then enter a show like this,” she says.

“[It’s] really special to have that bond with a horse that’s from the wild. When they’re broken in, when they’re started, they’ll do anything for you.”

That’s a bond she would like to see more people develop, by giving brumbies a chance.

“Being able to see them in their new homes with their people, and just being so amazing … it’s a great feeling,” she says.

“And watching it all come to fruition on a day like today, it’s really special.”