06/08/2026
Weâre often asked if we will retain all current and future brumbies on our property, how we decide which brumbies may be suitable to offer to other homes, and how we make sure every brumby remains protected throughout its life?
We thought weâd share a little about our approach.
Umbango South is an NPWS-approved wild brumby rehomer. That means weâve gone through a rigorous approval process to receive trapped brumbies from Kosciuszko National Park. When we have capacity to receive more brumbies, we notify NPWS of the number and categories we can accommodateâfor example mares, mares with foals, colts, fillies, stallions or family groups. Beyond that, the selection is entirely theirs. We donât choose where the brumbies come from, we canât choose individual brumbies, and we canât choose based on colour or any other characteristic. We usually donât know which brumbies are coming until the day we collect them.
Our first preference will always be to see healthy wild brumbies safely retained in Kosciuszko National Park wherever that can be achieved. But while wild brumbies continue to face lethal management in the Park, we believe we have a responsibility to keep as many as possible safeâeither here at sanctuary or, where itâs right for an individual brumby, in a carefully selected lifelong home.
For us, rehoming isnât about finding someone who wants a brumby. Itâs about finding the right home for each individual brumby.
Most brumbies who come into our care will remain at Umbango South for the rest of their lives as sanctuary horses. Thatâs always been our intention. Only a relatively small number will ever be considered for rehoming, and only where we genuinely believe an individual brumby will thrive in a carefully selected new home.
Because we place only a small number of brumbies, our assessment process is intentionally thorough. Anyone interested in providing a home first completes a detailed Expression of Interest so we can learn about their experience, property, facilities, support network and the kind of lifelong home they can offer. References are checked, properties are assessed and, where appropriate, inspections are carried out before someone is approved as a potential future home. This isnât about making the process difficultâitâs about making sure we get it right for every brumby.
People also ask how we determine the rehoming fee.
A rehoming fee doesnât come close to covering the cost of collecting, transporting, feeding, fencing, caring for and, where necessary, providing veterinary treatment before a brumby is ever offered for rehoming. Umbango South has made a conscious decision never to fundraise, never to seek donations, and never to ask others to carry the financial responsibility for the work weâve chosen to undertake. This work is privately funded and joyfully so.
The purpose of a rehoming fee is something different. We believe these brumbies have value, and we believe they should continue to be valued after they leave us. The fee reflects that. It encourages thoughtful, lifelong commitment while helping to discourage impulsive purchases or inappropriate outcomes. We will never enter into a bidding war. The right home is never the one prepared to pay the most; itâs the one best able to provide the right home for that particular brumby.
And care doesnât end when a brumby leaves Umbango South.
Before any brumby is rehomed, it is permanently identified by microchip, brand and DNA profile. This provides lifelong traceability and enables owners to register their brumby with the Snowy Mountains Brumby Registry or another recognised registry if they wish.
Every rehomed brumby is also protected by our lifelong Boomerang Policy. If circumstances change, there is always a pathway back to us. Before any future transfer, we must be satisfied that the next home is suitable and that the lifelong protections accompanying that brumby will continue. Once an Umbango South brumby, always an Umbango South brumby.
If youâd like to be considered as a potential future home for one of our wild brumbies, weâd love to hear from you. Simply send us a message requesting an Expression of Interest form or email us at [email protected].
Every application is read by a real person, because every brumby is an individual, every life matters, and every placement is a promise we intend to keep.
