Wildhorses of Western Australia

Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun with horses?

The OHHAWA has had it’s 2009 AGM now, plus a Special Meeting to amend and update our Constitution, plus a General Committee meeting. All held at Sheila Greenwell’s property in Margaret River. With around 100 members plus new Committee members Robyn, Kylie, Sandy, Elizabeth and Wendy our former VP, we are looking proactively towards the future. Ian Lockyer has stepped down as President and long standing OHHAWA member Elizabeth Denniss has stepped in to the breach. We thank Ian fondly for his contributions and wish Elizabeth all the best!

Some of the gang going for a walk to look at the rescued horses currently at Sheila’s…(from left) Fran, our website manager, new VP Robyn H, Albert with Sheila, and Megan H, member.

Among the many things discussed at the meetings, Sheila recently went on a self-funded trip up north and confirmed several locations with heritage brumbies which – although still to be researched – may need OHHAWA help in future.  A place known as Lake Wells, plus an area off the Gunbarrel Highway both appear to contain a number of possibly at risk old bloodline horses.

Carnegie Station – home to some old bloodlines – is well managed with healthy wild horses now, which is great. Wongawol Station is another place of interest. We are also keeping an eye on the pangare gene brumbies, running south of Geraldton on the coast. They are a rare, well settled group causing little damage to their environment but may be at risk in future from their minimal interactions with man. (See current projects for the full scoop.)

Sheila’s place currently hosts a few rescued stock…

	The Merrivale girls – probably related, these two young heritage brumby mares were rescued from the Esperance area some months ago and are now almost back up to condition and are being tamed.
	Here’s Fran with Poppy (left), one of Gunnadorrah Tom Thumb’s foals, and Poddy (right), a young Clayton Station mare who is growing fast and looking fantastic.
	Earaheedy Lilly, Sophie’s half sister, is also currently being agisted at Sheila’s by her owner. Lilly is under saddle now and looking just gorgeous.

So we head into another season…winter is finally easing which means foals due and also the start of rescue season, if there are to be any rescues prior to Christmas. As mentioned research is still being carried out in several areas but our best information still comes from friends, members and contacts throughout WA. Station folk who keep an eye on things in the outback for us are a blessing and we thank them for their efforts. More anon!

Katherine General Wild Horse Info