http://www.wahorsecouncil.com.au/

WA Horse Council, Perth (2025)

12/07/2025

🐴🌏 WORLD HORSE DAY – 11 JULY 2025 🌏🐴
Honouring a Timeless Partner in Human History

From ploughing fields to Olympic arenas, few animals have contributed more to human progress than the horse. Today, WA Horse Council joins the global community in celebrating the first official United Nations World Horse Day — recognising the enduring partnership between horses and people.

For over 5,500 years, horses have:

Carried explorers across continents

Pulled carts, wagons, and ploughs

Won wars and secured peace

Brought joy through sport, recreation, and therapy

Even now, horses continue to:

Support organic farming and low-impact land management

Provide livelihoods for 600 million people globally through work, tourism, and breeding

Inspire through equestrian sports, trail riding, and cultural events

Here in Western Australia, horses helped build this region:

Pulling carts filled with grapes and produce

Ploughing the fields long before tractors

Supporting rural livelihoods and community life

Horses have been integral to:

Developing farming and pastoral industries

Establishing transport routes before motor vehicles

Building community through clubs, shows, and competitions

💚 How You Can Mark World Horse Day:

Visit a local riding school, therapy centre, or rescue organisation

Support a trail ride, equestrian event, or horse tourism business

Share a horse fact or memory online to spread awareness

Donate pre-loved tack, towels, or supplies to support horse welfare

👉 Horses carried us through history — from the early Swan River Colony to today’s Olympic and Paralympic achievements. Now it’s our turn to honour and protect them as climate challenges grow.

WA Horse Council stands proud to represent WA’s equestrian community today and into the future.

📸 Featured: A historic Swan Valley moment — Nikola Yukich, whose family helped shape the valley’s wine industry, standing beside the very vines once cleared and worked with horses. A reminder of how deeply horses are woven into WA’s rural story.

12/07/2025

📢 NEW REPORTS RELEASED: Equine Welfare & Euthanasia Accessibility — An Issue for All in Australia

The American Horse Council and United Horse Coalition have just published two important reports highlighting issues just as real here in Australia — especially here in Western Australia, the second biggest state in the world.

🔹 Euthanasia & Disposal Accessibility
🔹 Welfare Initiatives in Breed & Discipline Associations

One issue WA cannot ignore:
⚠️ Changes to WA gun legislation now directly impact horse owners, veterinarians, and livestock producers in remote and regional areas.
Access to humane euthanasia via firearm is more restricted, affecting timely end-of-life care where veterinary services may not be available.
This makes planning, education, and community access to appropriate disposal services even more essential.

Key takeaways:
✔️ Affordable and accessible end-of-life options must be part of responsible horse ownership.
✔️ Industry collaboration and funding are essential to ensure dignity and care for every horse.
✔️ Breed and discipline organisations have a leadership role in driving welfare initiatives.

Full reports and a U.S. nationwide disposal directory:
🔗 https://unitedhorsecoalition.org/american-horse-council-uhc-welfare-initiatives-erd-euthanasia-accessibility-project-reports/

WA Horse Council encourages all equestrian groups, veterinarians, local governments, and animal welfare bodies to engage with this issue locally.

12/07/2025

💚 EXCITING NEWS: PASS WIDE & SLOW WA AWARENESS RIDE 💚

Thanks to a generous donation from a long-term Swan Valley resident, the WA Horse Council is proud to announce:

🎁 100 FREE HI-VIS VESTS — custom-branded with our Pass Wide & Slow WA logo and message — will be given away at the event!

📸 The vests pictured are from our friends at Pass Wide & Slow New Zealand — created by EVE. marketing strategist (brand creator and strategist for PW&S NZ). Our WA vests will feature local branding and messaging.

A big thank you to Julia McLean (NZ), Diane Ford (UK), and EVE. marketing for their support as we grow the Pass Wide & Slow movement in Australia.

🗓️ Date: Saturday, 14th September 2025
📍 Location: State Equestrian Centre, Brigadoon WA

✅ Registrations open early August via our website.
A signed waiver will be required before registering online.

Let’s get WA on the Pass Wide & Slow worldwide map and show our commitment to horse and rider safety across Australia.

12/07/2025

💚 TIME TO GET ON THE MAP, AUSTRALIA 💚

Pass Wide & Slow Awareness Rides 2025 are filling the global map — UK, New Zealand, USA, South Africa... but right now, there are ZERO rides registered in Australia.

We know how important horse and rider road safety is here. Let’s change that:

✅ View the worldwide map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=54.4220419132298%2C-5.228077000976552&z=6&mid=1yw45gzKNIraEx8e0DIBCDPbgiE1kgc8

👉 To register your ride, contact Pass Wide & Slow UK:
https://www.facebook.com/passwideandslow/

Once registered:

Your ride will appear on the map.

You’ll receive branded artwork and resources.

You’ll help promote safer roads for all equestrians.

WA Horse Council is here to support any WA and Australian rides — message us if you’d like help organising. Let’s make sure Australia is on the map for 2025.

12/07/2025

📢 Planning Ahead for Brisbane 2032: Equine Event Incident Management Matters

As emphasized recently by Jim Green (BARTA UK) and David King (AEIMN AUS/NZ) during the Equine Event Incident Management Seminar at Melbourne Veterinary School, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are approaching quickly.

Australia’s status as one of the most equine disease-free countries globally means pre-planning for biosecurity, quarantine, and equine incident response is critical.

At the Paris Olympics, Jim Green worked alongside over 60 veterinary professionals, fire brigades, and equine ambulance teams. Their preparedness—even for rare incidents—demonstrated how thorough planning protects both horses and public trust in equestrian sports.

For Brisbane 2032, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is already coordinating planning across multiple agencies. The Horse Industry Consultative Committee (HICC) is reviewing everything from import quarantine to equine disease testing and emergency response strategies.

You can read the official meeting minutes here:
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gn8Wc_u7

The WA Horse Council continues its role alongside AEIMN and other partners to promote best practice large animal incident management through education, equipment advocacy, and inter-agency collaboration here in Western Australia.

Preparedness isn’t optional—it’s essential. We encourage everyone involved in equine sport, transport, and welfare to stay informed and engaged as planning progresses.

For more information about our work with AEIMN and large animal rescue in WA, visit:
🔗 www.wahorsecouncil.com.au

03/07/2025

NZ vs AUS — the classic rivalry! But when it comes to Pass Wide & Slow Awareness Rides, we’ve got to admit… New Zealand is winning hands down! Their riders have jumped on board in huge numbers again for 2025 — just like they did last year. Tino pai, team!

🐴 Let’s change that for Australia! Imagine clubs, groups and riders across the country taking part on September 14th, spreading the message to PASS WIDE & SLOW and help keep our roads safer for horses, riders, and all vulnerable road users.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a club, an informal riding group, or just a few friends — every ride counts. You even get your own custom artwork to promote your ride to your local community, the media, and fellow riders.

💡 Keen to see how it's done? Contact Pass Wide and Slow UK to register for international ride. https://www.facebook.com/groups/186405991707556 (the registration info below photo is for NZ only)

And here is the global map to follow rides around the world https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1yw45gzKNIraEx8e0DIBCDPbgiE1kgc8&hl=en_GB&ll=-3.81666561775622e-14%2C-119.5164425700849&z=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawLTPDFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFxcXhhM3hWakl0ajZiNUVQAR688D8-OWIQRT2nlZh9z-2enSJnCCr5iD-VQ59L_dW_eLOAx_RXvyKZgDDOLQ_aem_AQBmjUtoG0iLxeIWGfgpxg

Aussie riders — let's show them we can do this too! 🐎

03/07/2025

🌹 Vale Eileen Bond

The WA equestrian community extends its condolences to the Bond family following the passing of Eileen Bond, aged 87.

While many will remember the Bond name for the success of Australia II and the America's Cup, those within the equestrian world will never forget the family's significant contribution to our sport and infrastructure here in Western Australia.

Alongside Laurie Connell, Alan Bond played an instrumental role in the development and financing of the State Equestrian Centre and other key equestrian facilities in the Brigadoon area during the 1980s — a legacy that continues to benefit our community to this day.

Eileen Bond was a constant presence throughout those years — supporting her family, including daughter Susanne, a successful national-level show jumper. It was an exciting era for show jumping in WA, with a strong competition circuit that attracted many of the country's top riders, made possible through the support of families like the Bonds.

We are grateful for the enduring legacy the Bond family has left our equestrian community, and our thoughts are with them at this time.

01/07/2025

📢 Bridle Trail Update – Grading & Access Gates 🐎

Thanks to the ongoing work of Lis Casey, Swan Valley Horse Trail Revival and WA Horse Council Tracks & Trails Portfolio Leader, we’re pleased to share the latest update following recent discussions and an on-site meeting with the City of Swan.

✅ Key Points:

The City has reviewed trail grading schedules and will adjust the frequency to better support all trail users.

Sections of the trail in Brigadoon have been added to the program for recycled asphalt stabilisation, improving safety and durability.

New access gate specifications are being considered and will be introduced as existing infrastructure is renewed.

Lis has also followed up to ask:
🔹 When the revised grading schedule will be rolled out
🔹 When updated access gate designs are expected to be finalised

Safe, reliable access remains a top priority — particularly where trails intersect with fast-moving roads. We’ll continue to share updates as they come through.

📩 If you’ve experienced access or safety issues on the trails, please comment below or reach out — your feedback helps shape these improvements.

A huge thank you to Lis for her persistence and advocacy on this issue.

28/06/2025

🌿 Thank You Lis Casey – Champion for our Trails! 🌿

A huge thank you to Lis Casey, founder of Swan Valley Horse Trails Revival and Tracks & Trails Portfolio lead for the WA Horse Council, for all her hard work ensuring horse riders’ voices are heard!

Following your feedback, Lis has been working with the City of Swan to improve access and safety across our local bridle trail network.

✅ Planned Improvements:

Trailhead signage at all bridle trail entrances

Minimum 1.5m wide horse-friendly access points beside gates or bollards

Audit to identify locations for optional mounting blocks

These upgrades will be rolled out as gates and signage are replaced, with high-use areas prioritised.

🚫 Step-Overs:
The City does not currently support step-over barriers due to cost, space, and accessibility legislation — but may consider a simple one-rail trial if needed.

📣 Your feedback is vital!
Do you support these changes?
Have you had problems with trail access or mounting?
Suggestions to improve?

👉 Please comment below, message the WA Horse Council, or get in touch with Lis via the Swan Valley Horse Trails Revival page.

Together, let’s make our trails safer and more accessible for everyone! 🐴🌿

28/06/2025

From our friends at Pass Wide and Slow New Zealand — Show us your hi-vis! 🚨🐴 We love seeing riders making themselves visible and staying safe.

Exciting news for our own Pass Wide and Slow Awareness Ride, departing from the State Equestrian Centre on September 14th, 2025…
There will be a hi-vis giveaway on the day! 🌟

Registration details and forms will be available soon via our website. Let’s work together to make sure riders and horses are seen and safe on our roads.

14/06/2025

🌪️🐴 A huge thank you to the Animal Emergency Incident Management Network (AEIMN) for hosting Jim Green from BARTA (British Animal Rescue & Trauma Care Association) at the AEIMN 2025 Conference at Massey University.

Jim shared invaluable insights into large animal rescue, multi-agency response, and the critical role of trained personnel and planning in protecting animal welfare during emergencies.

📄 Download the conference summary here:
👉 https://www.aeimanz.org/conference2025

💡 Interested in joining AEIMN and being part of the network advancing animal emergency preparedness across Australia and New Zealand?
👉 https://www.aeimanz.org/join

Help shape a safer, stronger future for WA’s equine community.
👉 Join us today: https://www.wahorsecouncil.com.au

12/06/2025

A shout-out from the WA Horse Council to our friends across the ditch! 🇳🇿🐴

Thank you, Eyrewell Forest Motor Company, for your sensational road safety messaging toward horse riders—captured unscripted while out filming, simply because you saw your neighbour on her horse.

That makes you, Andrew Farrow, a good sort in our world. 👏 Thank you for setting the bar on kindness and awareness.

Let’s keep the momentum going across both our nations.

Wide and Slow New Zealand
Sports NZ
Zealand Pony Clubs
Zealand Parliament
Racing New Zealand
Hapori Hōiho - The National Māori Horse Association Aotearoa Trust
Zealand Police

Foster MP
Wide and Slow - PWAS Northern Ireland
Road Safety Awareness
Horse Council
Mounts Equine Rehab Unit
Zealand Equine Health Association
Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

WA Horse Council

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