The wild horses living near Broome on the Yawuru Conservation Area known as Waterbank. Photos by Erick Kennedy.
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Some photos today of our wild herd from Theda station. Cleverly alternating their diet with green grass and dry grass.
Diego has been adopted by our good friends Will and Vicki!After a three-day trip up from Perth, Luna is reunited with her family In January last year we heard of the plight of wild horses at Bililuna in the East Kimberley. Some were stuck in mud and were shot by Ag.Dept. Others were starving.
We notified the ABC and got photos sent from Balgo. There had been no rain and there was no feed on the land. Our fundraiser, Ricki was able to get a Go Fund Me going and we were able to buy hay to send out. A truckload was sent and our member on the ground, Mark, took the hay on to Bililuna, just as rain came and Sturt Creek began to flow. Once there was water in Lake Gregory the grasses appeared and most of the horses survived. Our hay enabled many to make it through. This year there has been plenty of rain and conditions are good again. But we are pressing for the Aboriginal Lands Trust to Fund more water bores and wells to ensure the horses will be safe in future. Oberon is son of Rosa who is one of our family of wild horses living near Broome. His father is a wild Waterbank stallion we call Big Bill. Both have bloodlines from the Arabian horses bred by the Pallotine missionaries. Oberon is only six months old but almost as tall as his tall mother. We opened up the gates of a small property and, on Sunday, we put hay out and made yards with new panels. Our Theda herd came in later and we separated Whimsy, Louisa and Sage into the new panelled yard. Amazing.
Our vet, came out Monday. Our trainer worked with Whimsy to enable the vet to sedate him and do the deed. (Gelding). On Tuesday, Louisa (Sage's mother) was put out of the yard. We then treated an infection on Sage’s shoulder. I was busy carting hay and filling water bowls. On Wednesday, all went well and after monitoring for another day we let Whimsy and Sage out with the rest of the herd who, for the entire time had been milling about next to the yards to protect the two babies of the herd and munch on hay. Finally on Friday, we opened the big gate and the herd enjoyed a bit more time in our garden, then crept out overnight. What a week.! We didn’t really want to geld Whimsy. He’s such a beauty. But it was necessary for him to stay with his family in the Conservation Area. Lots of rain here, tracks are impassable, but lots of fresh feed and dams are full. |
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