The Kaimanawa Wild Horses

  Text published Heritage Matters Magazine Issue 24 - Spring 2010. 
    Additional photos added.

   Kaimawa round up Manawatu Standard. 

   

    In 1844, horses began to arrive in the Central North Island.  The first were presented and traded to local Maori.  Many were used as military mounts and were owned by travellers, explorers and settlers.

    In 1876, the first wild horses were recorded in the Kaimanawa mountains. Also, in the late 1870s, Sir Donald McLean released a stallion and some mares, known as the “Comet” breed, on the Kaingaroa plains. These were animals of Welsh pony and Exmoor pony descent, crossed with Hawkes Bay stock. In 1941, Waiouru’s mounted rifle cavalry horses were also released when the strangles epidemic threatened.  There have also been reports that an Arab stallion and a Palomino-coloured stallion contributed to the bloodlines. Unwanted animals and escaped horses continued to appear on the Kaimanawa ranges and were captured at random.

    The Kaimanawa horses are the closest thing to wild horses that New Zealand has and have occupied the country almost as long as Europeans. They have a strong instinct and can recognise their own kind when in a paddock of other Kaimanawa and domestic horses. They are a robust, strong and inquisitive animal and can be very calm when broken with many of the bands having the characteristics of the Comet breed. The Kaimanawa horse is also similar to many other wild breeds throughout the world.

Clara Tombleson on her Kaimanawa pony.  Fagan. Tombleson collection.    

                                      

       Mares and stallions sometimes establish life long relationships and related mares have been known to share the responsibilities of rearing and nursing their foals.  Their fertility rates vary with age. The young mares do not always breed successfully in consecutive years. Mares are most fertile between six to nine years and are usually able to breed in consecutive years. They will be pregnant and can have a foal and a yearling at heel. There are sometimes stallions who will share their band of mares with subordinate males. The band sizes are usually from five to eight horses.

    Genetic researchers have reported that a minimum population of 300 horses will maintain the genetic variability of the herd.  Genetic studies also reveal that the Kaimanawa horses have a high genetic similarity to Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred crossbreeds. While the Kaimanawa horse is not considered a true wild breed, many people think they are important to preserve for historical, aesthetic and sentimental reasons. The Department of Conservation is responsible for the management of the horses.

    Since 1993, for a cull, the bands of horses are rounded up annually. The muster is performed in May or early June.  This helps keep the herd to a manageable size. It minimises irreversible destruction to fragile habitats and the elimination of particular features from the environment. Thus the horses pug the soil with their hooves to a smaller extent and do less damage to vegetation and wildlife.

Clara entertaining Kaimanawa pony, Tuss . Fagan, Tombleson collection.

   
    Three small helicopters, pilots and experienced volunteers help to muster them. It usually takes the best part of a day to get the bands of horses into yards.  Then a veterinarian working for DOC supervises much of the operation and performs health inspections. As a result, the stallions and old and unhealthy animals are sent to the abattoir.  Most of the adult horses have the equine herpes virus, but this does not seem to be detrimental to their health. Roundworm makes up the largest proportion of endoparasites and faecal egg counts are very high. Apart from having low zinc levels, the horses are mostly in a good state of health.

   Helicoptor rounding up the herd. Manawatu Standard.

                                    

    
    After the roundup the yearlings and weanlings are found new homes as soon as possible.  It is often difficult to find suitable homes for all of the horses.  Because their diet has mostly been tussock, at first they are unable to be fed rich, green grass but are given hay or other suitable mild feed.

    Since 2003 there has been a Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust to supervise the wellbeing of the horses’ future. The horses now compete in the show ring in the Kaimanawa Horse section as well as in open horse sections.

James Fagan
Palmerston North
New Zealand