Brumbies in Need

STB Digger

Welcome to STB Digger whose beautiful eye is shown.

Digger is a new, probably permanent resident here at Brumbies run who we are looking for sponsors to help with.

Diggers Story

STB Digger is a seven year old Buckskin Brumby from the Guy Fawkes National
Park in Northern NSW. Digger was caught from the wild ass a three year old colt and gentled and rehomed by Save the Brumbies in NSW. Unfortunately one of the things that you have no control over when you're rehoming any animal
is peoples circumstances changing.
 
Digger entered our lives in January this year when a lady who had bought him only eight months previously called us. She desperately wanted to do the right thing by Digger but by the time he had made his way to her, he was an older, traumatised Brumby with some pretty big fear issues. His new owner made the decision that the best thing for Digger would be to come to people who understood Brumbies and could help him overcome his traumas.
 
When we went to pick Digger up, the first thing I noticed was his kind eye. The second was his very deep fear. We managed to free load him onto the float as he couldn't cope with being touched at all. Digger travelled really well home and we unloaded him into a yard where we could handle him further.
 
The next few days were a real eye opener for me. I have never handled a horse of any breed quite like poor Digger. An animal that nature has made to flee or fight, when Digger can't flee, he weaves and rocks in the saddest way, but never ever tried to hurt me.

In times of severe stress, Digger also turned on himself, biting his own chest in panic. After a week, Digger learnt that I would walk away as soon as he stopped weaving. He even turned his head to look at me, which was a real breakthrough.

I found our training sessions deeply upsetting - Digger seems to ooze sadness and fear.
 
After his first week here, I turned Digger out in the paddock to relax and learn about life here at Brumby's Run. He is living in our main paddock, babysitting a mob of Brumby yearlings and walks happily up to me, but never close enough to be touched.

Digger will come back into the yards soon for some more intensive handling, which we will continue to break up by long spells in the paddock.
 
Our future plans for Digger? I want Digger to learn that people mean no harm and to relax and trust again. That isn't going to happen overnight and it is highly unlikely that Digger will ever be rehomed.

We had a need for a sensible gelding to look after our Brumby youngsters as they acclimatised to domestic life, so Digger will be useful as well as safe.
 
Digger has joined Dash in our sponsorship program. This program enables us to keep Brumbies that are unsuitable for rehoming for a variety of reasons.

We are looking for sponsors now to help us to care for Digger and his
ongoing costs.

Sponsors can come up and meet their sponsored Brumbies. In Diggers case at the moment, he can't be handled by sponsors, but we know that with your help, that day will come.

In the meantime, Diggers sponsors are more than welcome to visit him and see his progress and be involved with our other Brumbies also.

If you think you can help, please contact Colleen..