University of Queensland Brumby Research Unit

The Australian Brumby Research Unit
	Opening Statement- March, 2008. Welcome to the public information web site of the University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science's, Australian Brumby Research Unit.

The ABR Unit is attached to the Australian Equine Laminitis Research Unit and headed by world renowned equine foot researcher, Professor Chris Pollitt BVSc PhD and coordinated by his PhD student Brian Hampson.

The Unit was established with the aim of investigating, from 2008 to 2012, the feral horse and applying this research to improve the foot health of the domestic horse.

The research team has established this site to keep interested people informed of this exciting research during these 4 years .

Although at completion of each stage of the research it will be presented at academic conferences and published in journals, this web site's will function to communicate the information to anyone in the general community who is interested and who easily doesn't usually access the academic conferences and journals.

If your are keen on "Wild horse research" then visit our updates periodicially to see what is new; or

Better still:-

Like to make contact with other people interested in this field of research?

Then visit our networking database; or

If you feel you have something to contribute you may like to:-

List on the networking database to be part of the networking system; or

Why not

Take a pictorial journey, compliments of the Team, of the environment in which the research takes place.

Also feel free to contact either Professor Pollitt or Brian Hampson at the University of Queensland, if you have questions or suggestions.

	SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
	The aim of the project is to improve the foot health of the domestic horse. This will be achieved by the detailed study of the feral horse foot and comparisons to the form and function of the domestic horse foot. Each individual study will be revealed in time but a basic plan of attack follows: We are studying 50 feral horses from each of 5 remote locations in Australia and New Zealand. The study includes but is not confined to:
	GPS tracking. Hoof Analysis DNA Analysis. Paddock Design Brumby Country Analysis.
	The ability of the research to attract sponsorship, particularly from private individuals and syndicates will impact greatly on the quantity of research performed and in turn the impact on the equine industry.

The research is supported by:-

SUPPORT our RESEARCH

Sponsors

Cavelloboots
Footloose

Hoofs

DVD

Posters

CONCLUDING STATEMENT

We endeavour to update the site as work is completed and new information is discovered.

We hope that individuals will feel free to prompt us by email if they think we are remiss in neglecting to offer available information.Please understand that the Australian Brumby Research Unit is a group of scientists with the sole purpose of improving the well being of the horse. We certainly have no vested interest in any commercial application of the work and are approaching the research from a neutral position and accodingly we do not intend to enter into the argument of bare foot trimming versus shoeing or one trimming method as apposed to another.

We will describe objectively what we find and use well structured scientific analysis to draw conclusions from our research.

We look forward to sharing our work with the community over the next few years and publish monthly newsletters. We hope that people will offer constructive feedback to assist the direction of the research, and look for your support to ensure our ongoing research.

Regards, Australian Brumby Research Team

Last Update- 20July 2010