Australian Brumby

Australian Brumby : The country of origin, of the Brumby horse breed, is Australia. Horses are not native to Australia, so they appeared for the first time in 1788 when were brought with Irish and British settlers. Only the best and the toughest could survive the harsh conditions of the trip, which means that Australia was land that gained healthy and strong stock horse.

The number of imported horses till 1800 was 200 that increased to 160,000 by 1850. There are several theories for the origin of the name, even it is not known for certain. It is thought that it comes from a pioneer horse breeder called James Brumby. He was a soldier and the story tells that he was responsible for some horses in Australia.

In the early 19th century he moved to Tasmania and release many horses in the wild. When people asked whose these horses are, it was told that they are Brumbies. Another theory applies the Aboriginal word Baroomby which means wild. Either way today this word stands for the wild horses of Australia which is its native land. Initially, they were used for farm work and transport. As the horse racing became a popular sport in Australia by 1810 there were many crosses with the England Thoroughbred.

As mechanizations grew and horses were replaced with machines people were often forced to set them free in the wild and became free-roaming horses. The first escape was reported in 1804 the justifying was that they run away because of the improperly installed fences, but it is also thought that maybe they were simply released in the wild.

That`s how they were left to fend for themselves and became feral. Brumbies are free roaming in Australia, which are found mostly in the Northern Territory, then Queensland, the best-known are in the Australian Alps and many are founded in National Parks.