After leaving the packhorses behind at their camp at their camp at Wild Horse Creek, the group canters across Hollands Knob, enjoying a rare burst of freedom

At the Baird’s farm, at Tawonga on the Kiewa River, VIC, the horses are released for an afternoon run.

More than 50 horses are stabled at the property and are tended to by a team of locals and WWOOFers – international volunteers with the Worldwide Opportunities On Organic Farms organisation.

Well-worn oilskins provide riders with protection from the elements.

Most of the Baird’s horses are born and raised on the property. However, some, such as Blue Boy – pictured at left – are sent to the farm to be trained.

Clay, the youngest son of Kath and Steve Baird, helps to load the horses before they embark on a seven-day trek. The animals will carry everything the riders need for a week – including food, packs and swags.

The Baird’s use a system of ‘pressure and release’ to train their horses, whereby ‘force’ – often as gentle as adopting a dominant stance and moving into the horse’s personal space – is applied to motivate the animal to behave in a certain way, such as turning in a circle.

The packhorses may carry up to 100kg and so the group moves at a leisurely pace during much of the trek – any faster and the loads can become loose and lost in the bush.

Each night an electric fence is erected to keep the horses out of camp. Pictured here at a bush camp near Bogong Creek, they eat their tucker from nosebags.

 A bluetongue lizard is discovered at camp.

Lin cooks dinner over the campfire. Leading a week-long horse trek is a taxing job – he is the chef and guide, and is responsible for the safety of the horses and riders

Dash receives a rub down before the day’s ride.

Young horses, or those newly introduced to the Bogong mob, such as Dash, learn by being around the herd.

Ghostly snow gums burnt by wildfire cloak the high plains.

With the summit of Mt Bogong behind him, Lin pauses to assess the way forward.

After many trips into the High Plains, the horses become familiar with the terrain. Inexperienced riders are saddled to the most experienced animals.

Midway through the trek, the group arrives at Mittagundi, a working farm and sport-and-rec camp for kids. At the annual Bush Festival, visitors are given the chance to practice traditional skills, such as working on a pedal lathe.

As the group set off to climb Mt Bogong, it was discovered one of Dash’s shoes had fallen off, which meant Lin had to attach a new one.

All of the gear, such as this shoeing equipment, is packed onto the horses in such a way that it can be easily reached when needed.

At camp in the Cleave Cole yards, just below the summit of Mt Bogong, the horses are brushed before they’re saddled. The morning pack-up follows the same process each day – the horses get a rub down and then the saddles and packs are loaded on.

The group pushes through the bush on their way up Long Spur, on Mt Bogong’s southern flank.

Lin traverses Rocking Stone Saddle, on Mt Bogong – the highest point in Australia that you can take a horse. The mountain was named by local Aboriginal people (the title comes from ‘Bugung’, the Ngarigo word for moth), who came from far and wide to feast on the Bogong moths that migrate here in spring.