Animal Care Australia bucks the trend for horses!
Horse keeping has a very long history in Australia, with our first horses arriving with the First Fleet. Our country was built on the backs of working horses in agriculture, transport and war, and it’s no surprise that horses hold a unique place in the hearts of most Australians, including Australia’s wild horses: brumbies.
Today, horses continue to work in trail riding centres, racing, rodeos, tourism, entertainment and many are still crucial to farming and rural activities.
The horse industry employs over 350,000 people in Australia, in addition to over 700,000 unpaid carers and volunteers. This is not just people who look after, train and ride horses, but those who provide feed, health care, training, breeding, agistment, tack and equipment.
But the ‘average horse’ is the recreational horse or pony, privately owned, and more companion than working animal. Horses and their owners are involved in pony clubs, competitions ranging from showing to carriage driving to polocrosse, and casual riding on local community bridleways and trails.
Hundreds of breed societies and competitive Clubs exist in Australia, yet horse keeping guidelines are derived from 19th century horse racing and pony club standards, and are long overdue for an overhaul to meet the changing needs of the horse industry, increasing numbers of recreational horse keeping, and to be brought up to the standards of our companion animals.
Horses and ponies are often the target of campaigns by animal rights activists to prevent them working in tourism, entertainment or living in the wild, which can have serious repercussions to our modern recreational horse owners, as we see horses anthropomorphised, and unsuitable conditions are proposed as alternatives to keeping horses.
With horse industry representation focused firmly on the racing industry, private horse owners have few places to turn to for knowledgeable advice and support regarding issues that affect them. Animal Care Australia aims to change this and we offer representation and a collective voice for the 170,000+ horse owners involved in the hundreds of breed societies and competitive clubs across Australia.
The last couple of years has seen a strong focus on the control of brumby populations. Generally, when a brumby is rehomed it becomes a part of Animal Care Australia’s purview. Prior to that, only animal welfare concerns are where Animal Care Australia would become involved. As a result of the ongoing aerial culling and mistreatment of brumbies Animal Care Australia has developed, and adopted a Wild Horse Ownership Policy and Position Statement. This statement sets out a position focused on achieving genuine animal welfare outcomes while recognising the heritage value of the brumbies, and the need to protect sensitive environments and native wildlife. The full statement can be found via the link above or our Advocacy Library.
Animal Care Australia invites all private horse owners as well as horse Clubs and Societies to join us and have your voice heard.
Education Articles
Animal Care Australia’s Horse & Livestock Representative: Karri Nadazdy
Karri is the inaugural and current Horse Representative. Karri has industry experience as a saddle fitter, equine rehabilitation therapist and horse trainer. She has competed successfully with her own horses in Showing, Carriage Driving and Horse Agility with breeds from heavy horses to miniatures.
