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'It takes as its focus one of the
most recent textualisations of the brumby: In Search of a Wild Brumby by
Michael Keenan. This non-fiction/autobiographical work was marketed in
2002 as a 'Recommended Read' for the 'Year of the Outback'. Although
widely publicised on ABC Radio National, the book staked no claim for
serious literary status. On the contrary, the text was firmly aimed at the
general public, linked to various websites about brumbies and
enthusiastically received in the regional press. It has prompted no critical
articles to date in the cultural studies journals. Far from discouraging rigorous
scrutiny, I would argue that this is exactly why the present analysis is
warranted. Of all the stories that could get told about horses in Australia,
Keenan's is the kind of story that does get told: and this is the forum it gets
told in. The significance of the text lies as much in its pre-eminence and
uncritical acceptance in an empty field as in its own conclusions.' (From author's introduction)
