The idea that we as Australians have a special and significant relationship with the horse has been around for a long time. From ‘Banjo’ Paterson’s ‘Man from Snowy River’, to the exploits of the Light Horse during WWI, to the figure of the stockman in the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the horse features strongly in constructions of Australian national identity. But do these notions actually reflect Australia today? And where do such ideas originate?
Isa Menzies’ blog is a place to discuss some of these issues.