Silver Brumby facts for kids

The Silver Brumby series is a collection of exciting adventure books by Australian author Elyne Mitchell. These stories are all about the life of Thowra, a magnificent pale brumby (Australian wild horse) stallion, and his family. The books are set in the beautiful Snowy Mountains region of Australia.

Meet the Wild Horses: Main Characters

Thowra: He is the famous Silver Brumby, also known as the Ghost Stallion. His creamy coat and silvery mane and tail make him special, but also mean he is hunted by humans throughout his life.

Bel Bel: Thowra's wise mother. She is also cream-colored, just like Thowra. She taught him everything about living in the high country and how to stay safe from people.

Yarraman: Thowra's strong father. He was a handsome chestnut stallion and the king of the Cascade Brumbies.

The Brolga: A powerful grey stallion and Thowra's main rival. He defeated Yarraman, but later Thowra defeated him to become the new king of the Cascade Brumbies.

Boon Boon: The Brolga's daughter. She joined Thowra's herd and became his mate.

Golden: A beautiful palomino mare who was raised by humans. Thowra was very interested in her and showed her how to escape. She lived with Thowra in the wild and had his foal, Kunama.

Arrow: Thowra’s older half-brother, also sired by Yarraman. He is a chestnut horse.

Storm: Thowra’s bay half-brother, also sired by Yarraman.

Mirri: Storm’s mother and a good friend to Bel Bel. She is a bay mare.

Kunama: The first daughter of Thowra and Golden. Her name means "snow."

The Story of The Silver Brumby

Bel Bel: The Wise Mother

Bel Bel is a very smart, creamy mare. She is Thowra's mother and a close friend of Mirri. Bel Bel runs with the stallion Yarraman and often helps guide his herd. Like Thowra, she is afraid of people because her unusual color made her a target for hunters. She taught Thowra everything she knew about surviving in the wild, and Thowra passed this wisdom on to his own family. Bel Bel is often described as a "lone wolf" and eventually dies alone after one last chase.

Bel Bel had several foals, including:

• Thowra
• Other unnamed foals

Thowra: The Ghost Stallion

Thowra is a creamy-silver stallion, born to Yarraman and Bel Bel. He was born during a big storm, so his mother named him "Thowra," which is an Aboriginal word for "wind." She hoped he would be as fast as the wind to stay free from humans. Most wild horses in Australia are dark colors like black or bay, so Thowra's cream color made him stand out. Other stallions often didn't like him, and mountain men became obsessed with catching him because he was so rare. To survive, Thowra had to be smarter and more cunning than anyone.

Thowra is the main character in the first book, The Silver Brumby. In this story, he wins Golden as his mate, defeats the powerful Brolga, and becomes King of the Cascade Brumbies. But humans are always a threat, and Thowra has to use a dangerous trick to stay free. In other books in the series, Thowra is an ancestor to many of the main characters and often helps them on their adventures.

Thowra's Special Color

Many people wonder about Thowra's exact color because he is called "silver" but also "cream." He is most likely a very pale palomino horse, sometimes called "isabella." Palominos have a golden or cream coat with a white or flaxen mane and tail. In winter, Thowra's coat becomes even paler, looking almost silver, which helps him blend into the snowy mountains. This is why he is known as "The Silver Brumby."

His father, Yarraman, was a chestnut, and his mother, Bel Bel, was creamy (palomino). This combination is perfect for having palomino foals. Other "creamies" in the books, like his daughter Kunama and son Lightning, are also palominos.

Thowra's Herd

Thowra had a large herd of mares, including:

• Boon Boon (his mate)
• Golden
• Koora
• Cirrus
• Yuri
• Wingilla
• Jillamatong
• Wanga
• Dilkara

Kunama: The Silver Brumby's Daughter

Kunama is the free-spirited and beautiful daughter of Thowra and Golden. Her name means "snow." When she was two years old, she showed a deep understanding of the wild. Mares often need great wisdom to stay free, especially with foals. Kunama was taught by both Thowra and Boon Boon to be careful of men.

However, Kunama became interested in a young black stallion named Tambo. She ran with him in the mountains for too long, even returning to the Cascades in summer, which was a dangerous time for a silver filly. Eventually, a boy and his father caught her. They wanted to train her as a stock horse, but Kunama missed her freedom so much that she became a difficult horse. The boy felt sorry for her and let her go. Kunama returned to the Hidden Valley and stayed there with Tambo.

Kunama is the full sister to Lightning. She is the mother of Baringa.

Adventures in the South

Baringa: The Silver Stallion of Quambat Flat

Baringa is the nephew of Lightning and the son of Kunama. He is a true silver horse, strong, fast, and smart, just like his grandfather Thowra. Thowra took Baringa to the southern lands when he was young. When Baringa added the beautiful mare Dawn to his herd, life became even more dangerous. But Baringa found a secret canyon to keep his herd safe and learned to fight like Thowra. He eventually became known as the Silver Stallion of Quambat Flat.

Baringa's name means "dawn" or "light" in an Aboriginal language. His story is told in the books "Silver Brumbies of the South" and "Silver Brumby Kingdom." Baringa is known for having the most beautiful herd in the south.

Baringa's Herd

• Dawn: A "white and silver" filly.
• Moon: A "white and silver" filly, Dawn's half-sister.
• Yarolala: A flaxen chestnut filly.
• Kalina: Baringa's first son, born to Dawn during a big flood.
• An unnamed snow-white filly foal by Moon.
• A blue roan filly.
• A "Pert White Mare" who was lazy but fun.

Dawn: The First Mare

Dawn was the first mare to join Baringa's herd. Lightning and Baringa first saw her dancing in a silver mist. Lightning tried to win her, but she chose Baringa. In Silver Brumby Kingdom, Dawn was separated from the herd by a flood, and Baringa searched for her. He found her on an island with their new foal, Kalina. It's clear that Dawn is the mare Baringa loves most.

Moon: The Hidden One

Moon was the second mare to join Baringa's herd. She was called the "hidden one" and looked just like her half-sister, Dawn. Her first foal was a snowy white filly.

Kalina: Son of Dawn and Baringa

Kalina was born when Dawn was stuck on an island during a flood. Baringa wanted to name him after the flood, but Dawn suggested "Kalina," meaning "the marvelous beauty of the frost on snow."

Lightning: Thowra's Son

Lightning is the son of Thowra and Golden, and the full brother of Kunama. He is one of only three silver foals Thowra had. After being hidden for two years, Thowra took him south with Baringa. Lightning is beautiful but a bit arrogant. Thowra said he was almost as hard to train as Golden. He was very interested in Dawn, but it seems he loved Goonda the most. When another stallion tried to steal Goonda, Lightning realized how much she meant to him. Lightning finally accepted that he shouldn't chase Baringa's mares after Baringa defeated the black stallion.

Lightning's Herd

• Goonda: A red roan filly, his main mate.
• An unnamed colt born to Goonda.
• Two unnamed grey mares.
• Two blue roan mares (given to him by Baringa).
• Yarolala: A chestnut flaxen filly (who later joined Baringa's herd).

Goonda: Lightning's Love

Goonda is a beautiful red roan mare and the first mare to join Lightning's herd. She is the daughter of Whiteface. Lightning won her after his first real fight. Her name means "fire." She grew into a lovely mare, and the black stallion was amazed by her beauty. She loved Lightning very much, especially when he fought for her.

Yarolala: The Chestnut Filly

Yarolala is a chestnut flaxen filly, whose color reminds people of Yarraman. She is the daughter of Son of Storm. She joined Lightning's herd but often looked for Baringa, whom she thought was "the most beautiful horse in the mountains."

Other Books in the Series

Moon Filly (1968)

This book tells the story of Wurring, a colt who is devoted to a beautiful orphan filly named Ilinga. As Ilinga grows, other stallions challenge Wurring for her, including a mean iron-grey stallion. The story explores if the pair can stay together.

Ilinga: The Mysterious Mare

Ilinga is one of the main characters in Moon Filly. She is a strangely beautiful mare who tries to find Wurring, despite an evil grey stallion trying to keep them apart. Her coat is described as very dark brown, but later, as she gets older, she has silver hairs running through it, like "moonlight running across her back." This makes her color quite mysterious and special.

The Silver Brumby Books, in Order

• The Silver Brumby (1958)
• Silver Brumby's Daughter (1960)
• Silver Brumbies of the South (1965)
• Silver Brumby Kingdom (1966)
• Moon Filly (1968)
• Silver Brumby Whirlwind (1973)
• Son of the Whirlwind (1979)
• Silver Brumby, Silver Dingo (1993)
• Dancing Brumby (1995)
• Brumbies of the Night (1996)
• Dancing Brumby's Rainbow (1998)
• The Thousandth Brumby (1999)
• Brumby Stories (1999) (a collection of stories)

Movies and TV Shows

In 1993, the first book, The Silver Brumby, was made into a film. The movie starred famous actors like Russell Crowe and Caroline Goodall. In some countries, it was called The Silver Stallion: King of the Wild.

The series also became a children's cartoon TV series in 1994. It had 39 episodes and used some character names, but it was a very loose adaptation of the books, meaning it changed a lot of the original story.