Kaimanawa horse facts for kids
Wild horses at Spirits Bay
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| Distinguishing features | Feral horses, wide range of body types and colours |
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| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Breed standards | |
| Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust | Breed standards |
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
Kaimanawa horses are wild horses living in New Zealand. They are descendants of domestic horses that were set free in the 1800s and 1900s. These horses are known for being very tough and having a calm nature.
The New Zealand government carefully controls the number of Kaimanawa horses. This is done to protect the special places where they live. These areas are home to many endangered plants. Because the horses come from many different breeds, they have a wide range of sizes, patterns, and colours. They are usually strong, sure-footed, and hardy.
Horses were first seen in the Kaimanawa Range in 1876. However, the very first horses arrived in New Zealand in 1814. The wild herds grew as horses escaped or were released from farms and army bases. Some horses were caught by local people to be ridden or used for their meat and hides. The number of horses went down as large farms and forests took over their land. By 1979, there were only about 174 horses left.
In 1981, the New Zealand government started protecting the Kaimanawa horses. By 1994, their numbers had grown to 1,576. Since 1993, annual roundups have been held to manage the herd size. About 2,800 horses have been removed in total. All suitable horses are offered new homes after these roundups. The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization considers Kaimanawa horses to have special genetic value. Many studies have looked at how these herds live and behave.
There is also a small group of wild horses on the Aupouri Peninsula at the top of the North Island. These horses are not managed by the government.
Most Kaimanawa horses are small but very strong and sure-footed. They are popular for Pony Club activities and showjumping. They are also used as stock horses on farms in the high country.
Contents
History of Kaimanawa Horses
How Kaimanawa Horses Came to Be
The first horses arrived in New Zealand in December 1814. They were brought by a missionary named Reverend Samuel Marsden. Wild horses were first reported in the Kaimanawa Range in 1876. The Kaimanawa breed came from domestic horses that were released into these ranges in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Between 1858 and 1875, a man named Major George Gwavas Carlyon brought Exmoor ponies to Hawkes Bay. These ponies were later bred with local horses to create the Carlyon Pony. Later, two Welsh Pony stallions were brought in and bred with the Carlyon Ponies. This created a breed known as the Comet Horse. In the 1870s, a Comet stallion and several mares were released onto the Kaingaroa Plains. Their bloodline mixed with the wild Kaimanawa horses.
Other breeds joined the Kaimanawa herds when riding horses escaped or were released from local sheep farms. Also, cavalry units at Waiouru released horses when they faced a disease outbreak. It's also thought that in the 1960s, an Arabian stallion was released into the Argo Valley. This added Arabian genes to the Kaimanawa herds.
Changes Over Time
Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, people caught horses from the Kaimanawa herds. They used them as riding and stock horses. They also used them for their meat, hair, and hides. Originally, many herds roamed the land. But many disappeared as large farms and forestry operations were built. Farm machinery also reduced the need for stock horses. Today, Kaimanawa horses are most genetically similar to Thoroughbred horses and Thoroughbred cross breeds.
Land development and more people living in the area reduced the number of Kaimanawa horses. It also reduced the space they had to roam. By 1979, only about 174 horses remained. In 1981, the Kaimanawa horse population began to be officially counted and tracked. A protected area was created in the Waiouru Army Camp for the Kaimanawa herds. Protecting these horses became similar to protecting native species like the kiwi bird. After protection, the herd size grew quickly. By 1994, 1,576 horses lived in the area.
There is also a small group of wild horses on the Aupouri Peninsula. These horses live on land owned by local Māori and are mostly not managed by the New Zealand government.
Kaimanawa Horses in Books
The Wilson Sisters from Whangarei, New Zealand, helped make Kaimanawa horses famous. After the 2016 muster (roundup), enough homes were found for all suitable horses. Kelly Wilson has written seven popular books about Kaimanawa Horses.
- For the Love of Horses is about their childhood and taming wild Kaimanawas for the first time.
- Stallion Challenges tells about taming two wild Kaimanawa stallions for a competition.
- Mustang Ride is about the sisters taming wild Mustangs in America.
- Saving the Snowy Brumbies is about taming wild Brumby Horses from Australia.
- Ranger the Kaimanawa Stallion is told from the viewpoint of a Kaimanawa stallion.
- The Showtym Adventures series is a junior fiction series about their favorite ponies.
Other books have also been written about the wild Kaimanawa horses.
- In 2008, Dianne Haworth wrote Kaimanawa Princess. This novel was inspired by a 13-year-old girl and her pony who campaigned to save the horses in 1996. The book is about a girl who rehomes a wild Kaimanawa horse and its foal. She tames them while fighting to stop the government from culling the wild horses.
- In 2018, Marion Day published Blue Cloud. This novel tells the story of a wild horse and a girl who dreams of having her own horse, and how their paths cross.
Kaimanawa Horse Characteristics
Many features of the Comet Horses can be seen in Kaimanawa horses today. However, the mix of different genes means there's a wide range of sizes, colours, and body types. Kaimanawa horses vary greatly in how they look. Their height can range from about 12.2 to 15 hands tall. Any coat colour or pattern is acceptable.
Their wild lifestyle has made them very adaptable. They can live on very little and are usually sure-footed and tough. They have a medium-sized head that fits their body well. The shape of their head can vary due to their different ancestors. Kaimanawa horses have a short, deep neck with a thick throat area. They have straight shoulders, a deep chest, and a short to medium back. Their hindquarters can be sloping or well-rounded. Their legs are long and strong, with tough hooves. The back hooves are usually smaller than the front hooves. In the Southern Hemisphere, including New Zealand, all horses are considered to age a year on August 1st. This is true no matter their actual birth date.
Managing the Kaimanawa Population
Why Control the Population?
After the horses were protected, their population grew a lot. So, in 1989 and 1990, the Department of Conservation made a plan to manage the Kaimanawa herd. A draft plan was shared with the public in 1991. The public strongly disagreed with reducing the herd by shooting horses from helicopters. They preferred that horses remain alive after being removed. However, some animal welfare groups felt shooting was the most humane choice. Trial roundups were done in 1993, 1994, and 1995. These were successful, but expensive, and there was limited demand for the captured horses.
In 1994, a group was formed to manage the Kaimanawa herd. Their goals included deciding who would manage the horses long-term. They also wanted to ensure humane treatment of the horses. Another goal was to protect the best qualities of the herds. They also aimed to stop the horses from harming other important conservation efforts. This included making sure the horses did not negatively affect endangered plants. They also wanted to prevent the herd from spreading into the Kaimanawa Forest Park and the Tongariro National Park.
Annual Roundups and Rehoming
Since 1993, the Department of Conservation has carried out annual roundups of Kaimanawa horses. This is to keep the herd population around a target of 500 horses. This target was lowered to 300 horses starting in 2009. Horses removed from the wild are either taken for slaughter or placed at holding farms. From there, they can be adopted by private homes.
A main reason for strict population control is to protect the habitat where they live. This habitat has 16 plant species that are endangered. The Kaimanawa horses could further endanger these plants by trampling them or eating too much. These plants include rare grasses, sedges, flowers, and mistletoes. For example, Deschampsia caespitosa is a very rare tussock grass. Peraxilla tetrapetala is a vulnerable mistletoe.
The public cares a lot about the conservation of these horses. Between 1990 and 2003, the New Zealand Minister for Conservation received more public comments on Kaimanawa horses than on any other topic. Public interest was highest in 1996 and 1997. This was because a plan to reduce the population by shooting was scheduled for 1996. Due to public opposition, the shooting was cancelled. A large-scale roundup and adoption program began in 1997. In 1997, about 1,069 horses were removed and adopted. This reduced the main herd to about 500 horses. Their roaming area also shrank from 70,000 ha to about 25,000 ha. Since 1993, about 2,800 horses have been removed from the range. Only one horse is known to have died from an injury during these operations.
Research and Special Value
The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization lists Kaimanawa horses as having special genetic value. They can be compared to other wild horse groups like New Forest ponies, Assateague ponies, and wild Mustangs. They are also compared to free-living zebras. Kaimanawas are special because they have very little interaction with humans. This lack of interaction means the herd may have more wild traits and fewer domestic characteristics. This is very interesting to researchers.
Between 1994 and 1997, students from Massey University studied about 400 Kaimanawa horses. They wanted to learn about their habits and how their herds work. A study in 2000 found that even if a Kaimanawa horse herd has more than two stallions, only the two highest-ranking stallions mate with the mares. This is different from some other wild horse herds. Some herds have only one stallion that mates, while others have several stallions that father foals.
