A little way south of Tumbarumba on the Tooma road, where the western walls of the Snowy Mountains rise up in all there might and myth, there’s a place among the rolling foothills where horses come and go like clockwork. But unlike the mountain brumbies being ruthlessly culled by gunmen in choppers, these horses get the Ultimate care
“There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around that the colt from old Regret had got away and had joined the wild bush horses – he was worth a thousand pound …”
Whether you’re into horses or not, there’s no denying those opening lines from Banjo Paterson’s iconic ‘The Man From Snowy River’ have stirred the souls and struck the senses of generations of Australians since the verse was first published way back in 1890.
On the other hand, if you’re among the multitude hooked on horses in one way or another, Paterson’s poem possesses far more than just the fabled tale of a rollicking ride into folklore and legend.
It can, and invariably does, evoke something almost reverential; a spirited tribute to the character and courage of rider and horse, stoking the desire and firing the passion of being in partnership with a bold and powerful creature.
It becomes part of you, and you of it, drawing from deep in human history where no animal – other than dogs, perhaps – has had more influence or connection in the mind of mankind than the horse, whether it’s in art or adventure, warfare or work, business, sport or simple pleasure.
In all their shapes and sizes, functions and forms, there’s nothing quite like a horse to stir the blood or spur the spirit.
Again though, that’s only if you’re really, truly into horses. And no doubt about it, Katrina O’Brien and partner Jack Holstein are well and truly into horses.
Together they run a business called Ultimate Horse Transport from a property called ‘Greenwood’, a 65-hectare (160-acre) holding in the folded foothills on the western side of the Snowy Mountains, 12 kilometres or so south of the historic timber town of Tumbarumba.
Sure, their devotion to horse welfare both on and off a truck is the absolute priority, yet it’s equally evident that while their roles are nowadays distinct and their outlooks mildly mixed, the goals they share are inseparably set.
In Jack’s case, with several decades as a master farrier burned into his hide, he has a pragmatic view of working with horseflesh but that said, the calm demeanour, the thoughtful hands and soft tone that lead each and every animal on and off a truck define a man of deep patience and long experience.
As for driving a truck with 10 or so horses on board, the way Jack sees it, it all boils down to one word: “Smooth!” he says simply. “Rough doesn’t work. Not in this business.” He pauses for a second or two. “And definitely not in our business.”
To read the full story in the next issue of ROADBOSS Magazine, out next month, sign up for a complementary subscription here.
