A photographer says a chance encounter of a fiery clash between two wild horses in the NSW Snowy Mountains was the most “amazing thing to witness”.

Michelle Brown is a Cooma-based photographer who has been taking images of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park for the past decade.

Although she has seen the creatures fight before, the most recent exchange between two stallions near Kiandra was unexpected.

“This particular bay stallion decided to get a little bit close to the black one’s mob, and the black one pretty much put him in his place,” she said.

“He said, ‘Enough’s enough. This is my area, and you need to move away.”

Stallion’s having ‘a gentleman’s chat’

Ms Brown was hiking in the area with her husband, Ian, last weekend when she hid behind a tree from a distance, filming while Mr Brown was taking photos.

She uploaded the video to social media, which has since amassed thousands of views.

Ms Brown said it was fascinating to watch because it was a prime example of a pair of wild horses marking their territory.

“It’s all got to do with territory, but the stallions are telling each other, ‘These are my mares,'” she said.

Ms Brown previously won a People’s Choice Award at the Australian Photography Awards in 2019 for an image of two wild horses brawling.

Ms Brown said although she had captured thousands of images of wild horses in the park over the past 10 years, the latest encounter reminded her how special it was to see it in person.

“It’s just the most amazing thing to witness and to watch them do their thing,” she said.

“We just managed to capture that wow moment.”

Horse management continues

The award-winning photographer cannot deny that the current plan of management somewhat conflicts with the joy of capturing an amazing moment in the wild. 

Wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park are subject to a management plan led by the NSW government.

It aims to reduce the population to 3,000 by June 2027 in a bid to protect the fragile alpine environment and native species within it while also acknowledging the heritage value of the brumby.

The latest peer-reviewed survey of horses in the park estimates more than 17,432 remain. 

Aerial shooting was reintroduced to the park in 2023 as an additional control method to get numbers down, alongside tranquillising, passive trapping, ground shooting and rehoming efforts. 

The decision came after a Senate committee recommended the practice return. 

A NSW Upper House inquiry is currently considering the use of aerial shooting of brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park, with another hearing scheduled next month. 

Meanwhile, an independent group of pro-brumby advocates has raised $75,000 to conduct their own survey of the feral horse population in Kosciuszko National Park, disagreeing with the NSW government’s figures. 

Ms Brown describes herself as a pro-Brumby advocate, believes the official count of wild horses is flawed and does not support the use of aerial shooting.

But she does agree their numbers need to be managed “humanely”. 

“We know the park, we know the mobs, we know how many horses are up there,” she said.

“We just love to go up the mountain and take photos and show the world just how magnificent these animals are.”