Culture Corner: In the wild

inflammation turmeric

pain yarrow

stress chamomile

MAIN: Grace hopes to encourage Mumma to get up so she can have a drink. All images by awardwinning photographer Carol Hancock (see facing page).

CULTURE CORNER

In the wild

With a longstanding fascination for the wild horses of the Snowy Mountains, Carol Hancock has turned her attraction to them into stunning works of art, writes MARISA KUHLEWEIN.

Few people have the opportunity to see a domesticated mare give birth, and fewer still would even dream of seeing a wild horse give birth. But for awardwinning Brumby photographer Carol Hancock, special moments like this are a regular occurrence.

With her trusty pair of binoculars, she heads to the hills of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park almost daily to photograph the Brumbies roaming the area.

“The feeling is a huge sense of awe and admiration for these creatures. They have this strong sense of self awareness

and charisma. The way they puff themselves up and the way they carry themselves is just incredible,” Carol says.

“Brumbies are conditioned to live in their own environment, they’re not conditioned to live in ours. Domestic horses ask us questions every day, and normally we have the answers for them. Whereas Brumbies ask each other the questions and they have the answers themselves. They know who they are – that’s the big difference.”

In her early days of photographing Brumbies, Carol would spend hours following every piece of wet manure or hoof print she found, hoping for a sighting. But things are different now. “After eight years of consistently spending time in the mountains, I’ve become familiar with their patterns, so it’s much easier for me to spot a mob nowadays,” she explains.

Carol’s passion for Brumbies began as a child on a school horse riding camp in the Snowy Mountains. It was there that she first laid eyes on these wild horses, but it wasn’t until many years later that she began photographing them. After studying photography in Queensland and spending some time living and working there, she returned to her roots in Adaminaby, a small town near the

Paleface stamps his seal of authority over the little stallion known as Pocket Rocket in Kosciuszko National Park. BELOW: A glorious Brumby stallion standing tall and strong in Bago Forest.

Snowy Mountains, and that’s when her interest in Brumbies was rekindled.

Carol’s gift lies in revealing the personalities of the Brumbies she photographs and capturing the vast and beautiful landscape of Kosciuszko National Park. From the intense gaze of the stallions to the subtler wisdom of the mares, each photograph invites the viewer into intimate moments, to commune with these magnificent creatures. In their eyes we are reminded of the fragility of life, and the strength needed to overcome adversity. “Having the joy of seeing and sharing their daily lives is an amazing feeling,” Carol says. And there have been so many special moments over the years, including witnessing the birth of Snowy Mountain Brumbies, an experience that will stay with Carol forever.

One particularly memorable moment occurred one year after winter had set in. The mountain face was covered by a heavy, white blanket, and pale fog swirled above, chilling Carol to the bone. The sky had none of the light that noontime should usually have, so thick was the fog. Knowing she would only get lost if she tried navigating her way through the storm, she decided to wait it out.

Carol had been following a pregnant mare, Mrs Yan, since she had begun bagging up and was checking on her twice daily as she knew the birth could happen at any time. As the fog gradually lifted, Carol caught a glimpse of some movement in the trees. It was the silhouette of a Brumby mob in the distance, and there was Mrs Yan, sheltering in the trees slightly away from the others. The trees stood ghostlike, silent observers of the miracle

P r o u d S u p p o r t e r o f t h e

D E L I V E R I N G D R E A M S S C H O L A R S H I P