Tumbarumba, NSW
Chunky 3-rail hardwood fencing, purpose-built for horse yards and river crossings in the scenic NSW High Country
In the NSW highlands, near the small town of Tumbarumba and at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, there’s a beautiful horse-riding trail. The location is stunning and popular with riders, but it had a problem.
Trail riders would ride in, set up camp for the night and tie their horses the best way they could. Then night would fall, and the wild brumbies would come. Wild, unpredictable and moving in numbers, they’d spook the tethered horses badly enough that riders would wake to find them gone, bolted into the bush with the herd.
Forestry Corporation of NSW came to Strukta with a brief that was about more than just fencing. They needed to give riders peace of mind and somewhere their horses would be safe overnight.
We built extra-heavy-duty hardwood post and rail yards, strong enough to hold a frightened horse and keep the brumbies out, with our Fitzroy gates built into each one so riders could get in and out without a fuss. Three-rail crossings went in over the rivers, guiding riders along a path that kept hooves off the fragile banks. Finally, single-rail exclusion fencing marked the boundaries, keeping vehicles out of the sensitive high-country landscape without cutting it off from camp.
Then came the installation, and a Snowy Mountain winter.
Snow, freezing winds and ground frozen 100mm deep in places made for a tough install. By the time Vincent headed out to help finish the job, back when Strukta still had boots on the ground, the river below the yards had frozen solid. The team worked around the weather, the terrain and forestry requirements to get it done. Today, the timber fencing has weathered into the hillside, becoming part of the landscape it was built for.
In 2025, the project won Innovation and Excellence in Stockyards & Arenas at the Fencing and Gate Industry Awards Australia and remains one of Strukta’s most memorable projects.
Installed across multiple sites around Tumbarumba and Tumut, NSW, the completed yards are not only practical but also well-suited to the rugged, natural environment.
Pictured in Summer 2025
Pictured in Winter 2026
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