Alpine Brumbies Bushwalk – Saturday the 30th November

Alpine Brumbies Bushwalk – Saturday the 30^th November

As mentioned before in this blog, Glenn and Kelly are planning to do a bushwalk in the high country south of Falls Creek with the aim of finding some brumbies.

If you’d like to join us, that would be great.

Brumbies have been in the news lately and from a horse lover’s perspective, not for the right reasons.  I think they are a feral animal; but then so are humans.  Managing wild horses in environments that have not evolved to maintain a sustainable number is the responsibility of the human land carer or land manager.  And rather than get in to the debate about what should be done and who should do it, all I would like to say is that seeing wild horses, up close, is a very special experience.

In fact it was the opportunity to go and ride with the Alpine brumbies that got me out of the jinker and into the saddle.  The sight of a wild horse in the distance on an extensive, unfenced alpine plain was captivating.  And I was hooked on both riding and observing these free equines.

Since that first sighting and annual subsequent trips to their habitat we have learned a little more about these horses; where they live; how to approach them and just what beautiful creatures they are.

The most important thing is not be on horseback when approaching them.  A ranger told us that bushwalkers have a much better chance of getting up close and personal with the brumbies than people riding horses.  Something to do with some cowboys deciding that ‘running the wild horses’ is their version of fun.  So understandably the brumbies are wary of people on horses.

Over the past few visits to the Pretty Valley, Mt Jim area we have dismounted and either left the horses secured well away from the wild herds or led them closer.

On foot, a circling approach to the herds has worked and allowed us to get 30 metres or so from them.  And one encounter was a stallion who saw us approach about one kilometre away (we then dismounted) and trotted and cantered across a rocky plain to check us out.  He would have been amongst our horses (all geldings) had I not stepped out from behind MacGregor and quietly said “whoa”.  There is only one word to describe that horse: stunning!  There is one word to describe that whole encounter with that horse: awesome!

And when he realised that we and our horses were of no real interest or threat to him, he trotted back to his herd.  That was a WOW moment for me.

Our plan on the 30^th of November is to rendezvous in Mt Beauty at about 9 am and convoy up to the Bogong High Plains road behind Falls Creek.  From there it is a ridge walk (fairly easy going) out towards Mt Jim, a usual haunt of the herds that live in this area.  Distance will be around 12 – 15 km.  All the usual high country bushwalking gear should be carried along with food and cameras.

If you’d like to join in this mini brumby expedition, let us know by emailing waterfallcreek@westnet.com.au or by phoning after dark 02 6071 0210.

Of course this plan is very weather dependent.