They Shoot Horses Don't They? The Treatment of Horses in Australia

By Jane Duckworth

The Treatment of Horses in Australia

The well-being of Australia’s horses, particularly those associated with the racing industry or horse sport and recreational associations is under public scrutiny like never before.

As the Australian Horse Industry Council states on their webpage, “Often people think of horse welfare as concerning only what is commonly described as a ‘welfare case’ – a horse which has very poor body condition or treated very badly. There is in fact, much more to welfare than extreme cases of neglect.”
A horse welfare issue can be defined as a public dispute over the treatment of animals in a particular context.

Australia has reached a point in time where organizations are expected to promote horse welfare while the horses are being prepared for or participating in a horse sport or recreational activity. Organizers and administrators are also increasingly thinking about the welfare of horses after the primary career is over, particularly the racing industry that is trying to lift its public image. This means helping to re-educate, re-home or supplying information about those who offer the appropriate services. Guidance and information about caring for aged horses who are no longer participating is also becoming more available.

A significant increase in public awareness of the treatment of horses and other species of animals in general is in part the result of activist and welfare groups campaigning for change and also the rise of social media. Animal welfare issues are now more visible. Subsequently the community is questioning our use of animals by challenging aspects of both traditional and more modern approaches to the treatment of animals. Public opinion is shifting towards a more sympathetic position.

People are commonly better educated, have access to the internet, so tend to be more knowledgeable and involved in animal welfare issues.
Social media gives organizations and individuals platforms for change through campaigning by influencing people, raising funds, setting up petitions and getting more members. Conservative media forces and industry administrations can no longer censor what animal rights and welfare groups wish to bring to our attention.
Animal welfare science is another reason why the treatment of animals in general is more regularly being considered. Although a very young discipline it is an opportunity for change. In the case of horses, equitation science is starting to provide hard evidence through research to improve raising, handling, training and riding approaches that enhance the well-being of horses.

Courtesy of the Federal Government’s Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (started 2005) we now have the detailed and ground-breaking Horse Welfare Protocol published in 2011. The Pocket Guide for Horse Organizations and Clubs - Horse Welfare was developed from the Protocol at the same time. The Horse Welfare and Well-being Toolkit was then launched in November 2013 by the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) in Melbourne to assist horse event organizers. These are especially positive developments to improve the treatment of Australia’s horses.

In 2002 They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? The Treatment of Horses in Australia was originally published in paperback format. There was a reprint in 2009. This eBook version was created in September 2015. The body of the work remains unchanged. The majority of the horse welfare issues still prevail, needing to be highlighted and acted upon by the horse industry and in some cases, governments.

But there is much to celebrate as progress on some issues has been notable and horse welfare news is now regularly found in the mainstream media. Apparently animal activism is no longer considered the preserve of troublemakers. I think that many people believe that animals can suffer, so deserve some consideration at a bare minimum.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jane Duckworth
• Release date: Oct 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310831980

Jane Duckworth

Jane Duckworth has taken a strong interest in animal welfare for most of her life, eventually writing the books They Shoot Horses, Don’t They: The Treatment of Horses in Australia (2002) and Not Every Dog Has His Day: The Treatment of Dogs in Australia (2009).Jane is an active member of Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria. By converting They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? into eBook format she anticipates reaching an even wider reading audience who wish to increase their understanding of the treatment of horses in Australia.Already a professional secondary school teacher-librarian, Jane has extended her interest in literature and information to fulfill an ambition to become a freelance writer. She completed a Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing and Editing) in 1998. Her articles have been published in Australia's most popular equestrian magazine, Horses and People magazine, the Herald Sun, genealogy journals and various other magazines. Snow Rescue, a children’s book, was published by Macmillan New Zealand in July 2001.The Story of Agroforestry, co-written with Lisa Robins was released by the Kondinin Group. This title was short-listed for the Australian Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing in 2004.

Book preview

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

The Treatment of Horses in Australia

Jane Duckworth

‘I have for six years been confined to the house and to my sofa, and have from time to time, as I was able, been writing what I think will turn out to be a little book, its special aim being to induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment of horses.’

— Found written on a scrap of paper among Anna Sewell’s possessions after her death. Black Beauty, the most influential anti-cruelty novel of all time, was published on 24 November 1877. This book is dedicated to Anna Sewell, and to all those who care for horses.

© 2002 Jane Duckworth

This work is copyright. All rights reserved. Except for the purposes of education and fair dealing, no portion of this document should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, for any purposes, including general exhibition, lending, resale and hire, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? The Treatment of Horses in Australia

First Published by Axiom Creative Enterprises 2002, Reprint 2009, eBook published by Jane Duckworth at Smashwords 2015

Design by The Telltale Art, eBook design by Ardellan Web & Graphic Design

Printed in Australia by On-Demand Pty Ltd

ISBN 9781310831980

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Addendum 2015

The well-being of Australia’s horses, particularly those associated with the racing industry or horse sport and recreational associations is under public scrutiny like never before.

As the Australian Horse Industry Council states on their webpage, Often people think of horse welfare as concerning only what is commonly described as a ‘welfare case’ – a horse which has very poor body condition or treated very badly. There is in fact, much more to welfare than extreme cases of neglect.

A horse welfare issue can be defined as a public dispute over the treatment of animals in a particular context.

Australia has reached a point in time where organizations are expected to promote horse welfare while the horses are being prepared for or participating in a horse sport or recreational activity. Organizers and administrators are also increasingly thinking about the welfare of horses after the primary career is over, particularly the racing industry that is trying to lift its public image. This means helping to re-educate, re-home or supplying information about those who offer the appropriate services. Guidance and information about caring for aged horses who are no longer participating is also becoming more available.

A significant increase in public awareness of the treatment of horses and other species of animals in general is in part the result of activist and welfare groups campaigning for change and also the rise of social media. Animal welfare issues are now more visible. Subsequently the community is questioning our use of animals by challenging aspects of both traditional and more modern approaches to the treatment of animals. Public opinion is shifting towards a more sympathetic position.

People are commonly better educated, have access to the internet, so tend to be more knowledgeable and involved in animal welfare issues.

Social media gives organizations and individuals platforms for change through campaigning by influencing people, raising funds, setting up petitions and getting more members. Conservative media forces and industry administrations can no longer censor what animal rights and welfare groups wish to bring to our attention.

Animal welfare science is another reason why the treatment of animals in general is more regularly being considered. Although a very young discipline it is an opportunity for change. In the case of horses, equitation science is starting to provide hard evidence through research to improve raising, handling, training and riding approaches that enhance the well-being of horses.

Courtesy of the Federal Government’s Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (started 2005) we now have the detailed and ground-breaking Horse Welfare Protocol published in 2011. The Pocket Guide for Horse Organizations and Clubs - Horse Welfare was developed from the Protocol at the same time. The Horse Welfare and Well-being Toolkit was then launched in November 2013 by the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) in Melbourne to assist horse event organizers. These are especially positive developments to improve the treatment of Australia’s horses.

In 2002 They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? The Treatment of Horses in Australia was originally published in paperback format. There was a reprint in 2009. This eBook version was created in September 2015. The body of the work remains unchanged. The majority of the horse welfare issues still prevail, needing to be highlighted and acted upon by the horse industry and in some cases, governments.

But there is much to celebrate as progress on some issues has been notable and horse welfare news is now regularly found in the mainstream media. Apparently animal activism is no longer considered the preserve of troublemakers. I think that many people believe that animals can suffer, so deserve some consideration at a bare minimum.

The websites listing ‘Useful Organisations’ at the end of each chapter have been updated and are worth a visit to obtain further information. Many listed in the original edition have changed address or have become defunct. It is encouraging that there are now so many more horse welfare and protection organizations and individuals advocating for horses. Apologies to the many groups not included.

The footnotes had to be removed from the eBook version due to formatting concerns. As the author, I welcome any correspondence if any of the sources of documentation, statistics or quotes are required.

(J.D. September 2015)

Original Disclaimer

The statistics and measurements in this document were reproduced from the best and most recent available authorities. These are listed in the reference sections after each chapter. In 2001 the author made every effort to find accurate and up-to-date information. Unfortunately, statistics vary from one source to another, and in some cases, decisions were made to include the better authority’s data.

(J.D. 2002)

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

Australia, land of the horsemen: the horse in Australian culture

1.1 Australia, the greatest horse-loving nation?

1.2 Australia: a nation of horses and horsemen

1.3 The horse as an integral part of Australia’s cultural mythology

1.4 The role of the farm horse in early Australia

1.4.1 The colonial bushman and his horse

1.5 The Australian horse at war, securing the myth

1.6 Phar Lap, legendary racehorse who cemented the Australian public’s fascination with horses

1.7 Present-day equine idols

1.8 The horse in Australian literature and art

1.9 Australia: Largest horse population in the world on a per capita basis?

1.10 The treatment of horses in Australia

1.10.1 Overview

1.10.2 Pioneering Australia

1.10.3 War horses betrayed

1.10.4 Treatment of Australia’s horse in modern times

References

Useful organisations

CHAPTER TWO

Horses as companion animals: caring for our horses

2.1 Overview

2.2 Historical perspective

2.3 The fantasy of owning a horse

2.3.1 Is suffering caused intentionally?

2.3.2 Being a responsible horse owner

2.3.3 Estimating a horse’s health

2.3.4 Summary of basic horse care

2.4 Basic horse care

2.4.1 Food supplies

2.4.2 Water

2.4.3 General health care

2.4.4 Minimising stress caused by stabling

2.5 The horse’s equipment

2.6 Tack

2.6.1 Saddles

2.6.2 Bridles

2.6.3 Bits

2.6.4 ‘Corrective’ tack

2.7 Deliberate cruelty

2.8 Animal welfare groups that handle complaints of horse cruelty

2.9 Caring for horses today

2.10 How much does it cost to keep a horse?

2.11 The last responsibility: euthanasia

2.11.1 Choosing a suitable location

2.11.2 Selecting an appropriate method

2.11.3 Identifying a skilled person

2.11.4 Arrangements for disposal

2.12 Welfare legislation as it relates to Australian companion horses

2.13 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER THREE

The nature of horsemanship: Training and riding Australian horses

3.1 History of riding styles in Australia

3.1.1 European/Olympic style riding — based on dressage (classical and military roots)

3.1.2 English style riding (fox hunting roots)

3.1.3 Western style riding

3.1.4 Western style competitions with a focus on rodeos

3.1.5 Australian stockman style riding

3.1.6 The sport of endurance riding

3.2 Horse welfare in traditional Australian events

3.2.1 Horse welfare in rodeos

3.2.2 Horse welfare in endurance riding

3.3 Welfare issues for Australia’s working and competition horses

3.3.1 The treatment of horses in eventing

3.3.2 Drugs used for competition horses

3.3.3 Trail riding establishments, riding schools and riding centres

3.3.4 Drugs in the competitive world of showing/hacking

3.3.5 Welfare issues for film and television horses

3.3.6 Welfare issues for circus horses

3.4 Australian horsemanship

3.4.1 The meaning of true horsemanship

3.4.2 How do we recognise humane horse riding and training?

3.4.3 Current Australian training methods

3.4.4 The evolution of horse handling and training in Australia

3.4.5 The true nature of horses

3.4.6 New approaches to horsemanship

3.5 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER FOUR

The ‘sport of kings’? The Australian thoroughbred racing industry

4.1 Thoroughbred racing in Australia

4.1.1 History of Australian horse racing

4.2 Racehorse welfare

4.2.1 Use of the whip

4.2.2 Racing of immature horses

4.2.3 Firing (or ‘thermocautery’)

4.2.4 Why are severely injured horses almost always shot?

4.3 The use of prohibited substances in the racing industry

4.3.1 Arguments for the use of substances

4.3.2 Nobbling

4.3.3 Exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH)

4.4 Provincial racing

4.5 Racehorses that leave the world of racing

4.5.1 Horse sales

4.5.2 Retrained ex-racehorses

4.5.3 Ex-racehorses to the slaughterhouses

4.5.4 ‘Retired’ or unwanted thoroughbreds

4.5.5 Overbreeding

4.5.6 Wastage

4.6 Conclusion

4.7 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER FIVE

Horses for other courses: jumps racing, point-to-points, picnic, mountain, and harness racing

5.1 Jumps racing

5.1.1 Welfare of horses competing in jumps races

5.1.2 The case for

5.1.3 Opposition to jumps racing

5.1.4 Jumps races not popular with punters

5.1.5 Injuries and fatalities in jumps races

5.1.6 Jumps racing takes a heavy toll on horses

5.1.7 International scene

5.2 Point-to-points

5.2.1 Racing conditions for hunters and racehorses competing in point-to-points

5.3 Unofficial bush meets

5.3.1 Mountain racing

5.3.2 The past lack of horse welfare guidelines for bush race meets

5.3.3 Problem solved

5.4 Harness racing

5.4.1 Welfare issues related to harness racing

5.4.2 What happens to ex-harness racehorses?

5.4.3 Special qualities of standardbreds

5.5 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER SIX

Brumby’s mob: Australia’s feral horses

6.1 ‘Wild’ horses of the world

6.2 Australia’s feral horses

6.2.1 Australia’s feral animals

6.2.2 The introduction of Australia’s feral horses

6.3 Population and distribution of Australia’s feral horses

6.4 Breeding background

6.4.1 The name and the legend

6.4.2 The Australian Waler Horse

6.4.3 The Coffin Bay Pony

6.5 Attitudes to Australia’s feral horses

6.5.1 Feral horses as pests

6.5.2 Many views of the brumby

6.5.3 Feral horses as attractive animals with rights and in need of conservation

6.5.4 American attitudes to their feral horses

6.6 Management of Australia’s feral horse population

6.6.1 Colonial methods of feral horse population control

6.6.2 Contemporary approaches to feral horse management

6.6.3 Guy Fawkes National Park brumby massacre, October 2000

6.6.4 Ipswich brumby dilemma, November 2000

6.6.5 Managing the ‘pests’: current Federal Government management strategy

6.6.6 Minimising the suffering of feral horses

6.6.7 The Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Feral Livestock Animals, 1998

6.7 Alternative approaches to feral horse management

6.7.1 Fertility control

6.7.2 Adoption programs

6.7.3 Transportation of captured feral horses

6.7.4 Code of Practice for Welfare of Farm Animals during Transportation, 1985 — reprinted August 1997

6.7.5 Improving the welfare of horses being transported over long distances

6.8 The future of brumby population management

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER SEVEN

Food animal or friend? Saleyards, slaughterhouses and the horsemeat industry

7.1 Food animal or friend?

7.2 Australian saleyards

7.2.1 Why are horses sold through saleyards?

7.3 The conditions at saleyards

7.3.1 Who purchases saleyard horses?

7.3.2 Transportation of horses from saleyards

7.4 Slaughterhouses

7.4.1 Where do the horses come from to supply the abattoirs and knackeries?

7.4.2 The conditions at abattoirs and knackeries

7.5 Horsemeat production as a primary industry

7.5.1 Draft ANZFA Food Standards Code

7.5.2 Overseas markets for Australian horsemeat produced for human consumption

7.5.3 Horsemeat as pet meat

7.5.4 Hippophagy: the eating of horsemeat

7.5.5 Welfare issues for domestic horses prepared for human consumption

7.6 Australia as an exporter of horsemeat

7.6.1 Will Australian horses be intensively farmed for meat?

7.6.2 Hides, hair and by-products of slaughtered horses

7.6.3 Pregnant Mares’ Urine (PMU) farms provide foals for meat industry

7.7 Methods used when handling and killing Australian horses at the slaughterhouses

7.7.1 Why can the process of slaughter be so stressful and terrifying for a horse?

7.7.2 How much do horses suffer in the process of slaugher?

7.8 Regulations and conditions at Australian slaughterhouses

7.8.1 Actual conditions at an individual knackery

7.8.2 Actual conditions at an export abattoir

7.8.3 International horse slaughter industry

7.8.4 Protecting horses from being slaughtered: International solutions

7.9 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

CHAPTER EIGHT

Using our horse sense: protecting the well-being of Australia’s horses

8.1 A background of religious and cultural belief systems in Australian attitudes towards animals

8.2 Animal welfarism

8.2.1 The concepts of animal rights and animal welfare

8.2.2 The development of animal welfarism

8.2.3 Development of Australia’s animal welfare and protection groups

8.2.4 The evolution of the animal rights movement in the twentieth century

8.2.5 The relationship between animal welfare and animal intelligence

8.3 Australian legal controls for the welfare of animals

8.3.1 Development of Codes of Practice

8.3.2 Enforcement of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Acts (POCTAs)

8.3.3 Community lines to government for animal welfare

8.4 International horse welfare

8.5 Australia’s horse welfare situation

8.5.1 Difficulties involved in getting Australians to support the ‘horse welfare movement’

8.5.2 The dangers of fighting animal cruelty

8.5.3 Focus on Victoria’s horse welfare situation

8.5.4 Australian animal welfare and protection groups concerned with horse welfare

8.5.5 Historical development of Australia’s horse welfare movement

8.5.6 Official progress towards improving the welfare of Australia’s horses

8.5.7 Push to improve enforcement of Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act

8.5.8 Australian visit of the Director of International League for the Protection of Horses, United Kingdom

8.5.9 Project Hope Horse Rescue sees the way forward

8.6 Horses saved by Australian welfare groups

8.7 Australia: A land of horses and horsemen

8.8 What you can do

References

Further Reading

Useful organisations

Glossary

Preface

The idea for this book didn’t come as a quick flash of inspiration; it was more like a slow burning fuse, lit when I was a teenager. I had witnessed a starving mare with a foal at her side, eating the wooden lining of a loosebox to stay alive. Unfazed, the owner continued to ride the skeletal horse, the foal cantering along the road to keep up. I was amazed and appalled that this woman seemed not to recognise that her horses were suffering.

But cruelty to horses is nothing new.

What horse lover can forget the novel Black Beauty, which traced the gradual decline of the beautiful black thoroughbred — from pampered and loved riding horse to aged and ailing carriage horse? Who could forget the appalling cruelties and rare kindnesses the horse experienced? Reading Black Beauty as a young girl, I was moved by the portrayal of a horse that could think and feel — a horse that was aware of what was being done to him. Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty specifically to highlight the plight of many horses in Victorian England, but it is now time to become aware of the treatment of horses in this country today.

Since my youth, I have spent many years attending pony clubs and adult riding clubs, as both a rider and spectator; I have enjoyed pleasure riding, attended riding schools and trail riding establishments; participated in gymkhanas, shows and horse sales. Sadly, I have observed the mistreatment and neglect of horses in many forms — but also the satisfying relationships and joyous bonds that Australians can have with their equine companions.

I am constantly aware of reports on the latest brumby massacre; the article on yet another paddock full of starving horses that died before due process could catch up with the neglectful owners; the small item covering some promising three-year-old racehorse who had broken down and been destroyed. I remember watching, appalled, as the Melbourne Cup participant Three Crowns tried to gallop on, with his broken leg swinging beneath him, in 1998.

The treatment of horses in contemporary Australia is not all that it could be.

I am sure that Australians generally still consider ourselves to be a nation of horse lovers. We certainly used to think we were, as in the days when Banjo Paterson wrote about the bushmen and their faithful mounts, and when patriots left our shores to fight for king and country, their courageous Waler horses accompanying them. I believe that Australians still do have a special place for horses in the national consciousness, but a good understanding of horses and horsemanship is not being informally handed down the generations as it once was — most of us are urban dwellers without much contact with horses.

Australian folklore paints a picture of the horse as indispensable helpmate and companion, and indeed horses have made priceless and lasting contributions to Australia as a nation. But how have we treated our equine mates, both past and present? Unfortunately, thousands of Australian horses are now making the same journey that Black Beauty did — from loved and cared-for companion or pampered racehorse, to neglected and abused ‘creature’, fit only for use as a saleyard food animal. The horse’s place in our society has shifted — from being an integral part of everyday life, to fading into the background during the 1920s as mechanisation took over, to the recent resurgence of interest in horses. Nowadays they are mainly used for leisure and sport, rather than work. Many are simply discarded, like an old boot, when they wear out or are no longer useful.

But do modern-day Australians really see horses as mere consumer items? This is only one of the issues addressed in this book. I also hope to bring to light the general public’s lack of awareness and understanding regarding the nature of horses, including the physical and psychological requirements of their welfare, and the true situation of the extent of cruelty, abuse and neglect to which many horses are subjected in contemporary Australia. I hope that this book will, in some way, provide welfare benefits to horses, both now and in the future.

Conditions for horse management and horsemanship vary between Australia, America, the UK and Europe, and so far, most texts have dealt with foreign conditions. Fortunately, Australian experts are beginning to produce appropriate texts, the best of which are listed in the sections on Recommended Reading. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is the first book to focus on the welfare of Australian horses living under our unique conditions. It covers topics relating to the most common welfare aspects of the horse, including care and training, and suggests positive steps to alleviate many problems. There is currently no other book that provides as great a range of horse welfare information in one volume, gathered from hundreds of sources, including the Internet. Facts and figures are included that are bound to surprise even the most knowledgeable horseperson, and historical and archival material is examined in Chapter 1 to determine what the horse has meant to Australians throughout history.

Chapter 2 considers the way that many horses are purchased by people with romantic notions of horse ownership, who give more consideration to the pleasures they expect to get than the realities and responsibilities of owning a horse. This means that horses may not be looked after for several reasons: lack of time and money, ignorance of the horse’s needs and problems, simple neglect — or just lack of interest.

Australia, along with the Western world in general, is currently undergoing major changes in attitudes and techniques used in training horses. The nature of horsemanship in Australia is discussed in Chapter 3, including the introduction and development of different riding styles and techniques, in the context of horse welfare.

The Australian thoroughbred racing industry is covered in Chapter 4, with an emphasis on welfare issues affecting racehorses, such as overbreeding, the use of immature horses, ‘firing’, the use of the whip, substance abuse and the fate of the majority of horses that never race or fail as racehorses.

Chapter 5 focuses on the other forms of racing: jumps racing, point-to-points, bush meets, and picnic, mountain and harness racing. It explains some of the reasons why horses competing in jumps races have such a high rate of injuries and fatalities. The origins of these various forms of racing, and the current state of these sports are considered in the context of horse welfare.

Australia’s much admired — and much maligned — ‘wild’ horses, the brumbies, have been slaughtered in their thousands. Chapter 6 looks at government policies and public attitudes to feral horse management, highlighting the place of the free-roaming brumby in the Australian psyche. The major welfare issue of transportation of both feral and unwanted domestic horses is also outlined.

Saleyards, slaughterhouses and the horsemeat industry are considered in Chapter 7. The reasons that horses are sold through saleyards are identified, and the general conditions for horses at saleyards, knackeries and abattoirs are discussed. The chapter also explores the implications of horsemeat production becoming a major Australian primary industry. Hippophagy — the eating of horsemeat — runs counter to the Australian culture, but why is this the case?

In the final chapter, the history of the Australian horse welfare and protection movement is outlined, including a discussion of its international counterparts. Evolving Australian law relating to horse welfare and its implications are explained, including details of current and proposed Codes of Practice for dealing with horses.

Horses that are well cared for and well understood are bound to be more fulfilling to their owners, and responsible horse ownership leads to more enjoyment of life — not only for the horse, but for their owners. Hopefully, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? will help all horse enthusiasts become more aware of the state of horse care and management in Australia today, and assist them in the proper care and treatment of these magnificent animals.

J.D. (2002)

CHAPTER ONE

Australia, land of the horsemen: the horse in Australian culture

There was a