Origin of feral herds


Horses were likely confined primarily to the Sydney region until the early 19th century, when settlers first crossed the Blue Mountains and opened expansion inland. Horses were required for travel, and for cattle and sheep droving as the pastoral industry grew. The first report of an escaped horse is in 1804, and by the 1840s some horses had escaped from settled regions of Australia. It is likely that some escaped because fences were not properly installed, when fences existed at all, but it is believed that most Australian horses became feral because they were released into the wild and left to fend for themselves. This may have been the result of pastoralists abandoning their settlements, and thus their horses, due to the arid conditions and unfamiliar land that combined to make farming in Australia especially difficult. After World War I, the demand for horses by defence forces declined with the growth in mechanization, which led to a growth in the number of unwanted animals that were often set free. Throughout the 20th century, the replacement of horses with machines in farming led to further falls in demand, and therefore may have also contributed to increases in feral populations.

Currently, Australia has at least 400,000 individuals estimated to be roaming the continent. It is also estimated that, during periods of non-drought, the feral horse population increases at a rate of 20% per year. Despite being so populous, feral horses are generally considered to be only a moderate pest.

Ummmm...belly...I did say approximately:)

BLUE

Baker goes postal

Cakes and pies everywhere

Hunter fires bullets

Stop nit picking, your information comes from media my information comes from Gov and export.

You’re a country driven from media ‘what you read is what you believe’ try actual research for a change.

As for horses these were imported to Australia first and then war ect.. not all horses are for war in the past they were for everything. As stated in article post p1 and p2.

They have served us well on many occasions and we thank them for that by letting them fun free.

What this comes down to is this question –

Do you want to risk all meat exportation, in exchange to make a few bucks not on horse meat?

The fact is that cattlemen can benefit by exporting other meat that is design naturally for eating more with a bigger return, horse meat is a short term thing that when bottoms out like kangaroos will destroy your meat exporting why?

Simple when these countries determine that horse meat is not the best choice for their people, you can forget any further exporting of other meat to those coutries.

Brett with respect I think it is time to leave the thread.
As a conservationist I think no non native animal should be set free.
And you not us,need to understand Ferrel animals threaten our meat exports,if disease comes it will be them that spreads it.
The view horses do not bring damage is untrue, like Camels they break fences foul water and are carriers of every thing from worms to what ever is going around.
Now not just here, but at least in America wild horses are being farmed, running free but added to and harvested , if that stops?
If we stopped it by law soon no Brumbys would run at all.

Here is some important info about the delicious good old horse.

http://tinyurl.com/45fbr2x

http://tinyurl.com/49wz5vt

In the late paleolithic (Magdalenian) wild horses formed an important source of food. In pre-Christian times, horse meat was eaten in northern Europe as part of Teutonic religious ceremonies, particularly those associated with the worship of Odin. According to legend, the French taste for horse meat dates from the Battle of Eylau in 1807, when the surgeon-in-chief of Napoleon's Grand Army, Baron Dominique-Jean Larry, advised the starving troops to eat the flesh of dead battlefield horses.

http://tinyurl.com/25za5n3

I just might gallop into my nearest Perth butcher shop:)

I think BrettH really loves horses myself.....Its just his way:)

BLUE