Australian Horses - Brumbies & ASH

In 1788, 9 horses arrived in Australia with the First Fleet of convicts. They were imported to be transport and working farm horses. By 1800 an estimated 200 horses reached Australia. Recreational riding and horse racing began to gain popularity around 1810. It caused an influx of thoroughbreds (best bred) mostly from England. By 1820, 3,500 horses were in Australia. By 1850 this number had grown to 160,000. It was largely due to natural increase. Only the strongest horses survived the arduous sea journey from England, Europe and Asia to Australia. This made for a healthy and strong Australian stock. It aided in their ability to flourish.

In Australia a Brumby is a wild horse. Brumbies are descendants of escaped or lost horses. They date back to those belonging to the nation's early European settlers. These horses included the Capers that arrived from South Africa, Timor Ponies from Indonesia, British pony breeds and draught horses, thoroughbreds and Arabians.

Wild horses are in many areas around Australia. The best-known brumbies are in the Australian Alps of south-eastern Australia. The majority are in the Northern Territory. The second largest population is in Queensland.

They live in many places including National Parks. Occasionally they're mustered and domesticated for use as camp drafters and as working stock horses on farms or stations. They're used as trail horses, show horses, pleasure horses and pony club mounts.

Pony clubs are almost exclusively a feminine pursuit. Why? Maybe there's a sexual connotation. Women are caregivers. A horse provides girls with an outlet for their maternal instincts. A horse also makes girls feel taller, stronger and more confident. Maybe?

The Australian Station Horse (ASH) is renown for its toughness and endurance. In the First World War the Australian Army used them. About 122,000 Australian horses served in the Great War with generals and cavalrymen from 20 nations.

The horses of the Australian Light Horse were Australian stock horses. In the Middle East during the First World War, British Generals called for Australian Light Horse regiments with their stock horses. Australian stock horses were more reliable and had greater endurance than other breeds.

The charge by the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba in October 1917 was the world's last great mounted charge to achieve a significant result. It was hastily organized and included the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. It was somewhat an act of reckless heroism. But a result had to be swiftly accomplished in light of a dwindling water supply. Some 40,000 horsemen participated. The charge thundered over 6 kilometres. They overran and captured the last remaining Turkish trenches and water wells at Beersheba. Casualties were light. They obtained sufficient water for about 50% of the horses.

The horses were classified by age and condition. Most of them were sold to the British Army, the Indian Army and other governments. The minority not fit for further service was shot. This was sadly and greatly felt for the Australian Light horsemen were so proud of their horses. Only one Australian stock horse returned.

Many good breeding stock left Australia never to return. But the huge shipments did not affect the horse population. In 1906 Australia had 1,765,186 horses. In 1918, the human population was 5,030,479 and 2,527,149 horses.

After the First World War machines on farms reduced the need for working horses. However, most cattle mustering is still done on horseback. Helicopters and motorbikes used to round up cattle is unnatural. The cattle become upset and disorientated and their meat deteriorates due to psychological stress. Horses are vital to the operation of a modern cattle station. Despite our high technology, traditional horsemanship skills are still essential.

Exploits of explorers and stockmen with their reliable horses in the Australian bush became folklore. Stories such as "The Man from Snowy River" and "Clancy of the Overflow" depict the character of these pioneers and their horses. "The Man from Snowy River" is considered to be the most exciting poetry in the entire English language.

In the horse and buggy era, horse theft was a serious crime and many a horse thief saw the one-way trip to the hanging tree. To steal someone's horse meant you were taking away their livelihood. A man can no longer plough his paddock and he has no means of transport. Horse thieves were no good, dirty, rotten scoundrels. They were the lowest of the low, the equivalent to today's paedophiles.

The bushranger, Ned Kelly (1855-80), was an Australian, murderer, robber, cattle and horse thief. He was captured by the police and hanged in 1880. Because of his daring, to some people he's a folk hero.

During the Great Depression the Australian racehorse Phar Lap galloped into history by winning the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Australia badly needed an inspirational hero. In 1932 Phar Lap was taken to America. He won North America's richest race, the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico. A fortnight later he was struck by a mysterious illness. Phar Lap's brilliant racing career was cut short when he died on April 5, 1932, at Menlo Park, California, USA in suspicious circumstances. It's suspected American gangsters killed him. In October 2006 scientific tests confirmed the legendary racehorse died of arsenic poisoning.

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's premier horse race. It's been held since 1861. It's billed as the race that stops a nation. It's for 3 year olds and over, over a distance of 3,200 meters. It's held at around 2 pm (daylight saving) on the 1st Tuesday in November. It's the most prestigious turf race in the world but not the richest.

The Perth Cup in Perth, West Australia is held on New Years Day each year. For the past 40 years it's had more prize money than the Melbourne Cup. It attracts Australia's best horses. Despite that it has not burnt itself into the Australian psyche, as has the Melbourne Cup.

Some common sayings originating from the horse racing industry are: - Dark horse. A dark horse is a racehorse that is not known to gamblers so is difficult to place betting odds on. It's a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence.
Home and hosed. The race has been run, the horse has been hosed down and put away in it's stable. Home and hosed means it's all over, it's finished.
Here's mud in your eye. The leading horse kicks mud at the following horses. Here's mud in your eye has evolved into something you say to wish success or happiness to someone.

Do not look a gift horse in the mouth. A horse's age is often estimated by the state of its teeth. The saying warns against questioning the quality or use of a lucky chance or gift.

It was not until the 1960s that an interest in horses was revived. The Australian Stock Horse was recognized as a distinct breed in 1971 with the formation of the Australian Stock Horse Society. Australian wild horses are subject to some controversy. They're sometimes regarded as a pest and a threat to native ecosystems. But others value them as part of Australia's heritage. Their supporters work to maintain humane treatment or extermination. Several voluntary organizations work to re-home captured Brumbies.

Horse racing is an important spectator sport in Australia. Gambling on horseraces is a popular pastime with about A$12.5 billion wagered annually with the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) and bookmakers. The two forms of horse racing are flat racing and hurdle races in Victoria and South Australia. Horse racing is Australia's third most attended spectator sport. That's behind Australian Rules football and rugby league. There were almost 2 million admissions to the 330 racecourses throughout Australia in 2007-2008.

Everybody in the TAB (Betting Shop) is a mug punter. The professional punter is an extremely rare and unique individual. They're mostly elderly men who are more intuitive and insightful than average. There were horses in their backgrounds.

"I grew up on a farm. When I was a boy I ploughed the paddock by horse."
"Our family had the local bakery. Dad baked the bread and I got up at 5 every morning. I hitched the horse and delivered the bread before I went to school."
"My dad delivered milk by horse and cart. I helped him hitch the horse."
"I used to ride a horse to school. I remember the clip-clop of horses hooves along our street."

Horse racing is all consuming. A professional punter follows it intensely for decades until he develops a 6th sense. He psyches in. The motivation comes from a love of the horse. If he makes any money then that's a bonus. He's studied the industry and can rattle off his head details of any racetrack in Australia. He bets intuitively sharpened by an in-depth knowledge. They are getting fewer because fewer men can narrate such stories.

Winning at the TAB has become more difficult because: -
(1) The racing industry has become too big with too many races. It's too difficult to follow.
(2) Handicapping is more refined so winners are harder to pick.
(3) Punters are more serious so there's less flippant money about.

That's despite the computer age and instant information available at the push of a button. Gone are the days of odds of 300 to 1, 400 to 1. You could afford a streak of 300 losers then break even.

Betting Systems: Betting according to a strict set of rules and little or no judgement is required. They do not work; if they did it'd be the end of the racing industry. Even systems requiring a computer download and costing thousands of dollars do not work.

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