Our Families roots began in these very
areas in the 1820's. Ever since then our families have grazed cattle and
sheep, raised families and ventured on horseback. The legacy of hundreds
of mystical wild horses are still to be seen and yet we have been
prohibited to ride among them. We believe we know these mountains
intimately, we know their moods and have seen and are living the life
cycle of the bush. This is all we know - the mountains, the horses and the
bush. We have been caretakers for more than 160 years. We loved and lived
in these areas up until the Park system.
We have conceded many times that the
higher alpine areas maybe sensitive under some conditions so we don't go
there. But we are adamant that there has never been any scientific
research, monitoring or evaluation to demonstrate that horse riding has or
could be damaging to the environment.
The only studies that have ever been
distantly related ( in regard to hard hoofed animals) were taken in the
very high altitude. cattle grazed alpine snow lease country at a time when
over grazing was rife and during drought. Thousands of cattle concentrated
in a small sensitive area above the treeline. Even the most narrow minded
can see the vast difference compared to a handful of horseriders
periodically riding throughout hundreds of thousands of acres of the lower
hardier areas.
