Cattle rustlers on horseback steal 200 cows in outback Queensland

Cattle rustlers on horseback have stolen hundreds of cows being prepared for sale in outback Queensland.

The cows, which were branded and earmarked were last seen on Friday at their home property in Surat, a small town on the Balonne River in south-west Queensland.

Police say tracks suggest the offenders were on horseback when they rounded up the cattle and moved them to a nearby stock route.