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Abu Dhabi: A senior vet at the Seih Assalam Endurance Stables belonging to Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, feels the 'Brumbies' from the Australian wild would emerge as 'good completion horses', in endurance rides.
Dr. Alan Post, who acquired and brought the wild horses to Shaikh Hamdan's stables in Seih Assalam, said: "Though it is very early, by the look of it these brumbies could go on to become good completion horses. They are very sound and so far they have adapted well since arriving here a month ago."
"Once they were caught we moved them to New South Wales where all but two of the 13 were broken. Initial reports on their behaviour have been that they are sensible horses.
"Some of them were very nervous and aggressive and took time, patience and a gentle approach to gain their confidence," he said.
"To minimise stress on their flight to the UAE, the horses were travelled loose and three to a box, feeling secure with the close presence of their herd mates.
"Since they have arrived here they have settled in well and seem unperturbed by the hot Dubai summer.
"In the wild these horses have endured harsh conditions. Their resting heart-rates are very low and we hope this is an indication of large heart size which may translate to good heart rate recoveries during endurance competition.
"Most of them are between 4 and 6 years old while two are eight. We also have a six month colt-foal 'Marjii'. The other stallions have all been gelded," revealed Post.
Light exercise
"Right now we are just giving them light exercise, walking them for about an hour daily. Towards the end of summer we will increase their exercise, aiming to have them fit enough to complete a couple of 80 km Qualifier rides during this coming season.
"We hope the two eight year olds may be able to take part in a 120 km ride, as we consider they should be well 'legged up' from the long distances they've travelled in the Australian desert.
"In UAE the endurance competition level is very high and some of the fastest times have been recorded here.
"The Brumbies may become consistent performers with good completion rates. From there we'll have to see how they stand up to the speed it takes to run competitively here" Post added.
"It is indeed a great move by Shaikh Hamdan and such part-bred Arab and Anglo-Arab horses will also prove to be good for further cross-breeding in pursuit of a better endurance horse."
History
Australia has the most wild horses
A Brumby is a free-roaming feral horse in Australia. Although they are found in many areas around the country, the most well-known brumbies are found in the Australian Alps region in south-eastern Australia.
Today, the majority of them live in the Northern Territory, with the second largest population in Queensland. There are more horses in the wild in Australia than any other country, outnumbering even the American Mustang.
Brumbies are the descendants of escaped or lost horses, dating back, in some cases, to those belonging to the nation's early European settlers. Today they live in many places, including some National Parks.
Occasionally they are mustered and domesticated for use as working stock horses on farms or stations, but also as trail horses, show horses, Pony Club mounts and pleasure horses.
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