Fast Facts

Working - 20 Australian Stock Horses for working cattle

Breakers - 20 for horse breeding student training

Broodmares - 22 Australian Stock Horse mares for breeding replacements

Stallions - 2 Australian Stock Horse

Foals - 20

Yearlings - 20

30^th June 2020 horse numbers

For more images taken on the Tocal farms go to our Tocal Farms Flickr album https://www.flickr.com/photos/tocalcollege/albums/72157664513318258

For videos about the Tocal farms go to our YouTube channel (NSW SPI Schools Program) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCw_zxSFv4qdluVIhRWpM6R39KFqro5BA

Details

Size of the farm

Horses are run on approximately 300 hectares of the Beef section.

Herd size and composition

Australian Stock Horses are bred at Tocal for student training and stock work. Over twenty broodmares are joined each year to the two Tocal resident sires and well performing outside sires to provide top quality stock for use in student training and on the farm. At any one stage Tocal will have over one hundred horses on the property from young foals, yearlings, breakers, work plant horses and broodmares.

The Australian Stock Horses breed was chosen for their versatility and there is also some Quarter horse in the bloodline. Our priority is to breed horses for good temperament and trainability. The Tocal horses are sold at 3 years old so they need to be early maturing horse and the inclusion of Quarter horse has helped in this area. They are registered Australian Stock Horses.

Herd management

The horses are run in several mobs:

• Mares and foals – run as main part of the herd, smaller groups are kept close to the skills arena during breeding.
• Sale horses – 18-20 horses per year that are ridden and prepared for sale by students in the year after they are part of the breaker mob. Fed on rye grass and hand feeding twice a day in lead up to sale.
• Breakers – foals born on Tocal are used for student training in breaking a horse.

Foals are born on Tocal to Tocal sires and some outside semen (six mares). They are weaned as yearlings to become the breakers for the horse course students the Tocal property and farms (2021 update) 78 following year. The following year, at three years old, students train and prepare the horses for sale that year.

Student involvement in the horse enterprise

Horse course students undertake a 12-month course during which they are involved in all areas of the horse operation. They learn to ride and train a horse, wean a foal and trim hooves. In third term, if they have satisfied the requirements so far, they are given a horse to break in for the rest of the year. They are also involved in foaling mares and helping with breeding (both AI and working with Tocal stallions). Students prepare horses for sale in November each year. They are also responsible for cleaning yards and making up feeds, care for equipment and undertaking skills training including tractor work, quads, fencing and cattle handling amongst others.

Horses are also prepared for the annual Tocal stock horse sale by the students.

Each year the students from the Horse Breeding certificate compete in our Stock Horse Challenge where students demonstrate the results achieved with their young horses which they break-in in July and train throughout the year.

Market

On-site sales of Australian Stock Horses are held on the first Sunday in November each year at Tocal College.

Average price last year/animal?

The 2019 Annual Australian Stock Horse Sale at Tocal College resulted in strong competition for the thirteen horses offered. The horses were sold for above average Tocal property and farms (2021 update) 79 prices based on Tocal’s sales over the past 12 years. This was a strong endorsement of the sale, as drought conditions persisted across NSW.

The sale resulted in a gross value of $92,500. The average price paid was $7,115, above the average for all sales since 2007. The mare ‘Tocal Quality Time’ brought the top price of $14,500 and gelding “Tocal Quinton’ came in a close second selling for $14,000. Horses were purchased by buyers from Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

The Tocal Australian Stock Horse sale is an Annual event at Tocal and will remain the most important event in the Horse Course calendar. The sale is an opportunity for students to experience preparing horses for a big event and is an experience that they will certainly call on in the future.

Overall the 115 Australian Stock Horses at Tocal have now developed a reputation that is well respected in the horse industry and this contributes to the overall standing of the Horse Course. The goal is to have students complete the one year training program equipped with abroad range of skills and ready for work. The horse enterprise has provided the platform for this program.

Supplementary feed

Oaten hay is provided along with pellets and mineral supplements, particularly to brood mares.