The Horse in Australia - second hand

From settlement to the present day, the horse has played an indispensable part in Australian life, work and recreation.  To the settlers and explorers the horse was a means of transport and a companion in the task of opening the new country.  For the bushmen who followed, the horse was required to accomplish great distances in daily work and be a willing partner in routine feats of courage and prowess.

In those early days a man was judged by his horsemanship and some of the great riders became folk heroes whose names are remembered today.  Their's was often a rough, instinctive style of riding, spurned by the purists but still recognisable and successful as modern Australian equestrians have vied for world honours.