Any one come across feral horses in the alpine areas in there travels?

[Roverlord off road spares]

In read an article about feral horses about feral horses are increasing in the Alpine national parks and are a bigger problem now and culling happens now. The population has exploded since the days of the man from snowy river times.
I have never seen them myself in Vic high country or in the Snowy mountains of NSW.
A recent new article reported the the ACT and Victoria are actively culling them and NSW had a lot captured and penned then for the reason of nostalgia released them all back into the bush. Those horses mustn't step foot into the Vic high country nor into the ACT as the invisible force field keeps the there.

[PhilipA]

They are everywhere around Thredbo.
It's not called Dead Horse Gap for nothing.
haven't seen them down on the Murray, only bloody Deer.
i remember one night on the old Alpine Way near Major Clews hut where a mother could climb a bank but the young one couldn't. We waited about 30 minutes while the bloody thing ran around.

Regards PhilipA

[NavyDiver]

Seen quiet a few while back backing. They like everything introduced need management.

[rick130]

My next door neighbour is a driller and was working on sone of the new Snowy tunnels for ten weeks, he only returned home last week.
He said the size of the mobs are huge, they were constantly on high alert driving through and working in the National Park. One of the crew he was with totaled his work ute hitting one and the horse had to be destroyed.

[Roverlord off road spares]

My next door neighbour is a driller and was working on sone of the new Snowy tunnels for ten weeks, he only returned home last week.
He said the size of the mobs are huge, they were constantly on high alert driving through and working in the National Park. One of the crew he was with totaled his work ute hitting one and the horse had to be destroyed.
That bad now? crikey, it's a wonder NSW didn't cull them also.

[theelms66]

In read an article about feral horses about feral horses are increasing in the Alpine national parks and are a bigger problem now and culling happens now. The population has exploded since the days of the man from snowy river times.
I have never seen them myself in Vic high country or in the Snowy mountains of NSW.
A recent new article reported the the ACT and Victoria are actively culling them and NSW had a lot captured and penned then for the reason of nostalgia released them all back into the bush. Those horses mustn't step foot into the Vic high country nor into the ACT as the invisible force field keeps the there.Old bloke by the name of Sess lived up the back of Anglers rest in this old bus and made his living trapping brumbies , He had pens all over the place with trip wires if you like,that would shut the gate once the brumbies were in. He would go down to the Blue Duck (pub) have a belly full,slouch over his horse and it would take him home to his bus.
Passed on about 10 years or so now. Pristine area by the river with his bus and holding pens , public got wife of it now so "say no more". Photos taken November 2020https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210408/f451ce76101f5193bc40691adef99a9f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210408/c68f60d0b456ba4dd191112fde23f128.jpg

[rick130]

That bad now? crikey, it's a wonder NSW didn't cull them also.I thought NSW were, I was surprised to hear how big the numbers are atm.

[AlM]

Plenty around the Bogong High Plains, despite regular trapping.

[Roverlord off road spares]

I thought NSW were, I was surprised to hear how big the numbers are atm.
i cant find the news article now, they did release some they caught it said.

[Vern]

Seen a heap around Styx River and a few around Yuraygir state park.

[Tote]

Lots up around Long Plain, have seen mobs of 30 or so up round Coberras and Native Dog Campground.

Regards,
Tote

[ramblingboy42]

destroy the lot, put a bounty on them , cull them for pet food.

do the same for every feral animal in Australia

[Roverlord off road spares]

destroy the lot, put a bounty on them , cull them for pet food.

do the same for every feral animal in Australia
Horse meat can be for human consumption, export it to Europe or Japan. I saw it on offer in Japan, and europeans make salami from it. same as camels and buffalos. Market it properly and some $ out of them.

[Don 130]

We were at Ware's yards and Currango homestead last weekend. one mob we saw amounted to about 100 head. There sure are plenty to be seen.
Don.

[Old Farang]

Horse meat can be for human consumption, export it to Europe or Japan. I saw it on offer in Japan, and europeans make salami from it. same as camels and buffalos. Market it properly and some $ out of them.

I sailed a new pearling mother ship from Japan to Darwin when I was young and adventurous. The first thing the Customs in Darwin asked was: "do you have any horsemeat?"

As it turned out the Japanese deck hands did have some tins of it, which the Customs promptly confiscated. Not sure if the concern was about the horses, or if it may have been on quarantine grounds. Whatever the case, it was a banned import.

[Tins]

destroy the lot, put a bounty on them , cull them for pet food.

do the same for every feral animal in Australia

That would include people.

[rick130]

Horse meat can be for human consumption, export it to Europe or Japan. I saw it on offer in Japan, and europeans make salami from it. same as camels and buffalos. Market it properly and some $ out of them.The French seem quite partial to it, but it turns my stomach.
It's a really sweet smell when butchered, I can't handle it, I think because I've been around horses for so much of my life.

[Arapiles]

That bad now? crikey, it's a wonder NSW didn't cull them also.

It's pure politics in NSW parliament.

[V8Ian]

The French seem quite partial to it, but it turns my stomach.
It's a really sweet smell when butchered, I can't handle it, I think because I've been around horses for so much of my life.
I've met a few mares. [bigwhistle]

[rick130]

I've met a few mares. [bigwhistle]Does that make you the Ipswich Stallion??[emoji848][emoji848]

[emoji12]

[Don 130]

There is a horse abatttoir in Peterborough
Don.

[speleomike]

Hi all

I go caving at Cooleman Plains. on the trip I did before COVID (new meaning to years BC) I could see the huge damage to the ground and the native vegetation that they had done and were doing. We could see groups of a dozen or so on the hills. They kept their distance except at night. They came into the camping ground and knocked stuff around. They were not cute nice little horses but large snorting males. Scary when you are in a tent. I can see the potential also for injury to small kids or naive adults.

The need to all be gone.

Mike

[BathurstTom]

Hi all

I go caving at Cooleman Plains. on the trip I did before COVID (new meaning to years BC) I could see the huge damage to the ground and the native vegetation that they had done and were doing. We could see groups of a dozen or so on the hills. They kept their distance except at night. They came into the camping ground and knocked stuff around. They were not cute nice little horses but large snorting males. Scary when you are in a tent. I can see the potential also for injury to small kids or naive adults.

The need to all be gone.

Mike
Very true, there are plenty (or were 30 years ago) running around the Barrington Tops. They do a lot of damage.

[rick130]

Very true, there are plenty (or were 30 years ago) running around the Barrington Tops. They do a lot of damage.
Hi all

I go caving at Cooleman Plains. on the trip I did before COVID (new meaning to years BC) I could see the huge damage to the ground and the native vegetation that they had done and were doing. We could see groups of a dozen or so on the hills. They kept their distance except at night. They came into the camping ground and knocked stuff around. They were not cute nice little horses but large snorting males. Scary when you are in a tent. I can see the potential also for injury to small kids or naive adults.

The need to all be gone.

MikeAgree.
Any hard hoofed animal is pretty much incompatible with Australia's soils/bush/pastures. They have no place in Nat Parks.

[Roverlord off road spares]

The French seem quite partial to it, but it turns my stomach.
It's a really sweet smell when butchered, I can't handle it, I think because I've been around horses for so much of my life.
Apparently being German born, I have eaten it as a kid, but also had frog legs on the ship coming over.

[Epic_Dragon]

The way they are "culled" is absolutely awful, they die slow and painfully with foals often starving to death next to dying or dead mothers!
I actually have no idea how they survive out there though as horses are such Princesses haha.
There's a,lot of places that do round them up, train them and thry make amazing horses for people and go on to be wonderful mounts.
I think whilst their numbers are definitely too high out there, rubbish folks leave behind in the bush is a bigger issue damage wise [emoji3166]

[Slunnie]

I'm sure that as a kid hiking in the blue mountains there were Brumbys around the Blue gum Forest out from Govetts Leap.

[Roverlord off road spares]

The way they are "culled" is absolutely awful, they die slow and painfully with foals often starving to death next to dying or dead mothers!
I actually have no idea how they survive out there though as horses are such Princesses haha.
There's a,lot of places that do round them up, train them and thry make amazing horses for people and go on to be wonderful mounts.
I think whilst their numbers are definitely too high out there, rubbish folks leave behind in the bush is a bigger issue damage wise [emoji3166]
hey Epic, my neighbour had adopted ex racehorses over the years and given them a home and paying for agistment paddocks. Sadly she had to put Dancer down a couple of days ago, its hard when they start getting old.

[Roverlord off road spares]

I got on a saddle of stock horse once and couldn't drive it as it was a manual version without power steering. The bloody thing kept walking along a barb wire fence line using my leg as a buffer.

I also feel sorry for horses when I see fat people mounting them.

[PhilipA]

Any hard hoofed animal is pretty much incompatible with Australia's soils/bush/pastures. They have no place in Nat Parks.

I agree that horses should not be in National parks but my thoughts changed on hoofed animals when I went to Southern Africa.

There are millions of hard hoofed animals in Africa and the land does not seem any more degraded than here.

The most destructive animals are elephants who can knock over forests in a day. I have driven the Voortrek in Kruger and for many miles every tree is broken off.

One thing that Africa does NOT have and perhaps we should import something that will eat it is what we call Spinefix but is actually Triodia. There would be fewer exhaust fires.


Confusingly, the word "spinifex" is also used as a common name referring to grasses in the related genus Triodia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triodia_(plant)). Triodia however is native to inland Australia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia) and refers to a group of spiny-leaved, tussock (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tussock_grass)-forming grasses.

Regards PhilipA

[Old Farang]

Culling horses is always going to be an emotive issue, no matter how it is done. The following article has some mis-informed issues. The shooting of ANY pest from the air is strictly controlled by Government regulation, even for mongrel feral pigs! There has also been controlled culling of donkeys in WA, buffalo in the NT, and I am sure that there are farmers having their sheep decimated by wild dogs that would welcome aerial culling if it was economical viable! What about culling of feral cats? It is a major national problem that is not getting enough resources directed at it.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........................


"It's hard country to be able to see the animals from the air. [Aerial shooters] can't make it in a single shot," she said.
At a guess I would say that this bimbo has never been in a helicopter during an authorised cull.

Feral horse plan advocates shooting brumbies to save Victoria's 'vulnerable' alpine region - ABC News (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-09/brumbies-feral-horse-plan-advocates-shooting-to-save-alpine-vic/100052330)

Feral horse plan advocates shooting brumbies to save Victoria's 'vulnerable' alpine regionParks Victoria is advocating aerial shooting to control feral horse populations, when ground shooting is not feasible, to help protect the state's fragile alpine region, a draft management plan for feral horses has revealed.


Feral horse numbers double in five years

[Old Farang]

This type of damage is widespread in Alpine areas:


170242

Feral horse damage outside of Exclusion plots, Cowombat Flat, Alpine National Park, Victoria. The creek line, as I understand it, used to be full of sphagnum bogs, sedges and fens. The Exclusion plots were established ten years ago and are allowing native plants, animals and frogs to re-establish without the impacts of feral horses upon them.

[Old Farang]

This report is a year old, but shows another point of view:

FEBRUARY 25 2020 - 10:43AM

4000 brumbies to be removed from Kosciuszko National Park
4000 brumbies to be removed from Kosciuszko National Park | Bega District News | Bega, NSW (https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/6647714/4000-brumbies-to-be-removed-from-kosciuszko-national-park/)

The NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean announced last week that about 4000 brumbies would be removed from three areas in the Kosciuszko National Park.

According to Andrew Cox of the Invasive Species Council, Mr Kean supported by John Barilaro has backed a plan developed by the community panel and the scientific panel to put in place immediate measures to clear feral horses from some of the most sensitive areas of the park.

"The park's feral horse population, estimated to be about 20,000 in early 2019, appears relatively unscathed from the fires," Mr Cox said.

However, Peter Cochran, operator of Cochran Horse Treks, told 2GB's Micheal McLaren that the minister was being fed misinformation.

"Matt Kean proposes to take 4000 horses out of the three areas, but they are simply not there," he said.

[Old Farang]

Brumbies are destroying Kosciuszko National Park and must be removed
Brumbies are destroying Kosciuszko National Park and must be removed (smh.com.au) (https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/brumbies-are-destroying-kosciuszko-national-park-and-must-be-removed-20210113-p56tv5.html)

January 13, 2021 — 5.39pm

The battle over the place of wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park has run for two decades but some important new evidence this week strengthens the case for reducing their numbers quickly.

Environmentalists say the huge feral animals are breeding to plague proportions and destroying sensitive soils in the high country. They threaten rare species, such as the northern corroboree frog, stocky galaxias fish and alpine she-oak skink, and also damage the Snowy River catchment.

Horse lovers, however, want the brumbies to roam free because they keep alive the pioneering tradition that goes back to the Man From Snowy River and the ANZAC Light Horse.

Trying to find a compromise, the NSW government in 2016 said it would gradually reduce the number of brumbies from an estimated 6000 to 600 by 2036.

[Old Farang]

This was published 10 months agoAll the pretty horses and all the damage done
All the pretty horses and all the damage done (smh.com.au) (https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/all-the-pretty-horses-and-all-the-damage-done-20200511-p54rte.html)


Victoria and NSW are now sharply divided about what should be done to control wild horse numbers in alpine regions.

When the Federal Court last week dismissed an attempt to stop Parks Victoria from culling feral horses in the Alpine National Park, it put the spotlight back on a long and bitter fight in the high country between brumby lovers and environmental scientists.

The fight is far from over. The biggest herds of wild horses are across the border in NSW’s Kosciuszko National Park. And thanks to NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro, wild horses enjoy heritage protection in the state.

But the horses in the Australian Alps - an astonishing 25,000 of them at last count - respect no border and continually drift into Victoria.

Shortly before bushfires swept the mountain country over summer, photographer Joe Armao and I visited the high border country to try to understand the dispute.

[Epic_Dragon]

It is so very sad when its time to say final goodbyes to them, I am sending your neighbour a big hug and condolences. It is so hard at the end, my ex racehorse had to be pts sleep at only 15, then my other one suddenly at 27, id had him 20 years. my boy now ive had since a foal, hes 9 and if he doesnt make it to 30, its going to destroy me. if i lose him at any time though will just break me. hes my best friend and gives me such a freedom i dont otherwise have.
the overweight folks on horses is a big thing too, lots of venues have rules, cant be 20% or more of hroses weight or something along those lines.Its also the tall men and the heavy western saddles on smaller horses.




hey Epic, my neighbour had adopted ex racehorses over the years and given them a home and paying for agistment paddocks. Sadly she had to put Dancer down a couple of days ago, its hard when they start getting old.

[scarry]

This type of damage is widespread in Alpine areas:


170242

Feral horse damage outside of Exclusion plots, Cowombat Flat, Alpine National Park, Victoria. The creek line, as I understand it, used to be full of sphagnum bogs, sedges and fens. The Exclusion plots were established ten years ago and are allowing native plants, animals and frogs to re-establish without the impacts of feral horses upon them.




Its not just the Alpine areas, we used to shoot(wild pigs, not horses) on a huge property just out of Coen on the Cape.The damage done by the wild horses was a lot worse than the wild pigs.The property owners used contractors to cull the wild horses.
The majority of the horses and wild pigs came from the NP which was next door.
Until the Govt starts cleaning up its act with our NP's,they will always be a haven for vermin.
Carnarvon gorge is also another NP full of feral pigs.

[350RRC]

Been doing freshwater fish surveys over the last 15 odd years for a couple of companies and have surveyed thousands of sites.

In every case where horses or cattle have access to a stream the banks are trashed and the instream veg decimated compared with adjoining properties, where there is exclusion fencing.

It's not common to see horses having this access compared with cattle, but I can remember some notable ones.

DL

[ramblingboy42]

That would include people.

what a stupid bloody response.....seriously