Equestrianism in Australia?

BroadfordQueen

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Me and my OH have recently come into an extremely fortunate position in that he has been left a rather large sum of money in inheritance. This will effectively change his life, and mine too!
We can essentially afford to buy our first property together, and are seriously considering a life abroad. OH wants to be a sheep farmer, so obviously somewhere like Australia would be suitable. I don't want to give up horses, and would preferably still like to compete as regularly as possible (but open to changing disciplines!). OH is from SA but neither of us want to move there (for obvious reasons!).
Neither of us have jobs/ties in the UK as we are both graduating this year. We have been together for 3 years and living together for 2 (renting).
My main worry is horses- obviously Aus is bloody huge, is it possible to event/sj/dressage on a regular basis? Or is it a case of travelling for a day to get anywhere?! Where is the best place in Aus to go for equestrianism?
Also we have a dog- how long would she have to be in isolation for? She would adapt well with the heat so that's not an issue! Would sell my horses before moving. We are both independent so not worried about being away from family.
Thoughts would be massively helpful!
 

LCobby

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Some sheep farming areas are very remote. My nrother does 'Flying Angels' to collect outback farming families for visits to hospitals - too far to drive.
Have you though of taking time after graduating to visit various parts, and perhaps even New Zealand too?
Also have a look into the entry Visa .right to work requirements - for buying an existing business. Check our the drought and bushfire risks too.
 
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stencilface

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For sheep and horses in a reasonable climate I would consider NZ. Aus was just too hot for me to enjoy it, although I was in WA so that's probably why!! Tbh with all the droughtsand bushfires,being a sheep farmer in aus wouldn't be my first choice if I came into a load of money! :)

(I'm quite obviously not an Aussie though, just someone who lived in small town aus for 18months.)
 

Festive_Felicitations

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I think you would probably end up looking at Victoria or the Eastern 1/2 of NSW. They are the most intensively horsey states that are also sheep farming friendly.

I can't speak for WA, the NT is just too hot, underpopulated, and cattle country.
Costal Qld is too hot for sheep or doing anything much with horses unless you are both really heat & humidity lovers. No good for sheep due to the heat.

I don't know Vic particularly well so can't really comment but it is a smaller state so things are generally closer together (by Aus standards) and they have quite a few hunts if you are interested in that.

In NSW 90% of ODEs are based around Sydney/Canberra. There are local DR clubs in most areas and the level of competion depends on where you are. Ditto SJ, all the Ag Shows have SJing competitions and they form the main SJing circuit. Local riding clubs will also have SJ days. Endurances are spread all over the state but can involve a fair amount of travel to get to venues unless you just do your local ones (again not as many as in the UK). Very little 'Driving'.

Outside the FEI sports the biggest equestrian sport here is 'Campdrafting' and Team Penning which invloves herding a cow/cows round a course in the quickest time either on your own or as part of a team.
There is also a fair bit of Polocross. Both are played in the more rural areas.

It is standard to travel 2hrs to a competition, most of this will be highway/freeway driving (100-110 kph). Some people will do 4 hrs with out blinking.

But coming back to the sheep farming aspect - I would look and reasearch very long and hard into this before you make the leap. In areas that are fairly horsey land is not cheap, and stocking rates are much lower meaning you need more land. Making a profit from sheep is as hard here as it is in the UK. Drought is a constant threat. As this summer has shown bushfires are also a major risk, and random flooding.

If you wanted to be in sheep country but not compromise on the horsey aspect in NSW you would be looking at the Southern Highlands/ Canberra / Yass region or out to Wagga.

Any more questions feel free to ask ;)
 

NaeNae87

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Over here on the West Coast of Aus, the larger sheep properties are 2-3 hours from the city. Kojonup is a major sheep area, as is Katanning. There is a Pony Club and Adult riders in Katanning, but as for most shows everyone is in the same boat... We all have to travel. :) There is a WA based horse forum too. I will PM you the link. My name is the same on it as it is here. Some of them live away from the city and may be able to help.

Here is some info on bringing cats and dogs into Australia. http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs it has information on Quarantine protocol. There is a Quarantine station in WA too, so your dog wouldn't have to travel to the east coast and then back to WA again.
 

DonskiWA

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Wow, lucky position to be in good for you guys.

I live in Perth hills. Great for loads of competitions and good mix of rural/urban. Bloody hot in summer,, but winters are divine.

If I was moving anywhere though it would be northern NSW. Best climate. Area around Tamworth is very horsey - almost horse capital of Oz.

The big shows of course are Melbourne and Sydney. There are some properties about an hour out of those cities that might fulfil both your needs.
 
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