Horses

Australia is one of the few ‘Western Countries’ in the world, so horses are a large contribution to the farmer’s daily work. In the past Horses were used to muster sheep and cattle. Nowadays, Stock Horses roles have declined with motorbikes and aircraft becoming the main source of use.  But Stock Horses are still irreplaceable, especially in rocky and hilly countryside. Whist motorbikes and aircraft group the animals, men and women on horseback settle the animals and take them into the yards. Riders on horseback also gather the younger animals (calves/lambs) so that they are easier to muster in later years.
Large farms usually breed their own horses from the horses they already own. This saves money and insures that the young foal will be sure footed in the environment that their parents. Horses that work in large sheep or cattle farms work from the early hours in the morning to late at night, very rarely without a rider on them. Horses that work in Rocky environments usually have to be shot to prevent Stone Bruising.
Farmers usually have a ‘String of Horses’ that are suitable for working on the farm. These horses rotate from day to day so that no one horse has two or more days of work in a row. This prevents a horse from getting to tired and can prevent injuries.
Horses live with the cattle out in the open, this keeps them healthy and with plenty of fresh air. They eat the native grass but some farms provide each horse with a nose bag filled with grain to help keep the hoses healthy and energised.