National Day of the Horse on December 13th encourages people to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of their country.
The domesticated horse we know today, also known as Equus caballus, was introduced into Australia by British explorers. Some horses escaped or were released, forming feral populations that adapted to the Australian environment. The name "Brumby" is said to have originated from horses abandoned by a settler named james Nrumby in 1804.
Interestingly, there is a debate about the origin of E. caballus. Recent mitochondrial studies of an ancient horse called Equus lamei suggest that it is equivalent to the modern, domesticated horse. E. lamei once populated North America and died out more than 11,000 years ago. This could mean that E. caballus is technically a native species, and its evolutionary origin is North America.
Please come along and help celebrate this very important day on the National Day calendar.
Enjoy Cafe Bakery, 112 The Parade, Norwood
08:30 to 09:15