Brumbies have been in Australia since 1788, first brought in by British settlers for utility work, farming, recreation and racing. As time progress through popularity more where imported from England, Europe and Asia boosting numbers to 160,000 by 1850.

Brumbies otherwise known as "wild bush horses," have been a strong part of Australian history from mustering to world wars. These animals credited for keeping trails clear for bush walkers including tracks for national parks and emergency service vehicles.

Brumbies are also merited as hero’s for being soldiers of war, hard farm workers and survivors in our unforgiving outback. Current estimated population would be about 400,000 within Australia, known to have been as close to man in companionship, over the decades.

A Brumby gives birth to a new foal every 2 years on average in comparison to Mink whales that produce 1 per year after the age of 2, with an estimated population at around 1,000,000 2011.

In such times these horses were transported by sea, where a percentage would die through injuries and stress, making Australian stock practically strong and healthy in the process.

In current day cattlemen in the export market capture Brumbies via ground and helicopter shooting, mustering to trapping and placing in holding pens after capture.

Cattlemen wash them down with recovery time overnight before transport to large-scale factory slaughter houses (abattoirs), where they are stunned with a captive bolt gun and bled to death opposed in some countries.

This slaughter house transport today is commonly used with all animals’ generally conventional straight wall design that is traumatic, rather than recommended flared-wall transporters, that reduces this experience.

Our natives see Brumbies as free living horses ‘part of the land’, wishing to protect them from being slaughtered while conservationist groups, such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, favor the fact.

Australian horse meat production level was 24,000 tons by 2009, producing 500 kilos of meat per average horse. That’s 48,000 Brumbies slaughtered.

Cont..

A horse is a horse

Of course of course, but brumbies

Are feral vermin

Brett,
Been waiting 15 hours now for your continuation, so I can see what your point is and the reason for your article. Surely it is not just to inform us that we have an export horse meat market. That is common knowledge as is the pet food market.

A couple of things so far. Firstly Brumbies are only a percentage of the horse meat trade, horses generally old or unwanted make up the bulk of those slaughtered.

Some brumbies that are captured are sold are re-homed if they are suitable. Some have physical/conformation problems that render them unsuitable for private use. Inbreeding in the wild produces this problem. Remember "The man from Snowy River", his horse was 'three parts thoroughbred at least'! Just a 'touch of timor pony', so it was no Brumby.

Walers were the Australian breed of horses that served our armed forces and there were light and heavy breeds in them. They were specifically bred for this and they were not Brumbies.

Anyway it is good to see we get some commercial use for the old and unwanted animals. The Brumbies can be a problem when there numbers need culling. I see it as no different to the wild camel problem where efforts are being made to export them or their meat.

Brett:

Thanks for this thread. I looked up the "Save the Brumbies," website and your information as well as what's given on their website beggars belief. Why can't the Queensland government find alternative ways of dealing with this problem? Reports from the RSPCA state that it costs the Queensland tax payers in excess of $250,000 for helicopters, snipers and 20,000 rounds of bullets. The reports state that "it is not possible to kill animals humanely from a moving target such as helicopters. It takes an average of 4 bullets per horse, and the ages reign from foals, yearlings and adult horses. Why can't they find a better way of dealing with this continuing problem?

The horse is shot with a bolt gun then bled . How else do you slaughter an animal.

Brett, we live in "The Free Market Economy" where everything has a value. You do not place an economic value on 'Horse protein'; which many others do, that's all. I assume you do not wish to include the issues of the value 'this form of Protein' has in communities where such levels of proteins are not readily available?

Visualise, if you will, pictures of small, malnourished children: like the type used by "Aid Agencies' when they are asking for donation of money. In this light, even the Churches would line up against your Values or Ethics.

Perhaps you should go and talk with John Howard; He can probably explain it all for you.