Overview
Wild horse populations are extensive over West Australian range lands, mostly comprising pastoral leases and unallocated Crown Land. Particularly large numbers occur in the Kimberly, Pilbara and the Goldfields.
In some areas, local populations that have been isolated for many years have maintained historical bloodlines from the time that they were imported to Australia and bred for agricultural use such as draft animals or livestock management. Member Group, the Outback Heritage Horse Association of WA has rescued, rehomed and/or has maintained watching briefs on heritage horse groups from a number of areas, including the Mt Welcome, Mt Weld, Earaheedy and Prenti Downs stations as well as the Lake Muir area, the Pangare Brumbies near Eneabba and the Merryvale ponies in the Esperance region.
The group Wild Horses of the Kimberly has focused on brumbies of and Arab bloodline in the Lake Gregory area which have been under threat of culling for several years.
Today the main conflict of overabundant horse populations is with commercial livestock grazing and the concerns about degradation to grazing land and interference with livestock station management.
A major challenge to wild horse management is the widespread population over extensive and remote areas.
References
Dawson, M J, et.al.,Proceeding of the National Feral Horse Management Workshop, Canberra, August 2006, Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
Outback Heritage Horse Association website (see below)
Wild Horses of the Kimberly website (see below)
