Over 300 Kaimanawa horses are in need of a new home.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) has announced it’ll muster 300 next month to protect the fragile ecosystems around the Desert Road and maintain the health of the heritage horses.
The muster is held every two years by DoC to manage the herd within the Waiouru Military Training area.
In 2016, 100 horses were mustered – and in 2018, it’ll be the biggest muster in more than two decades.
Kaimanawa Heritage Horses (KHH), a not-for-profit group which finds willing New Zealanders and prepares them to take on a wild animal, says it’s had applications to adopt just 57 horses to date.
WHAT ARE THE KAIMANAWA HORSES?
Kaimanawa horses are a population of wild horses that live on the Kaimanawa Range in New Zealand.
They are known for their hardiness and quiet temperament. The New Zealand government strictly controls the population to protect the habitat in which they live, which includes several endangered species of plants. The horses are usually well-muscled, sure-footed and tough.
Horses were first reported in the Kaimanawa Range in 1876. The herds grew as horses escaped and were released from sheep stations and cavalry bases. Members of the herd were recaptured by locals for use as riding horses, as well as being caught for their meat, hair and hides. The herd declined in the 70’s and only around 174 horses were known to exist by 1979.
The Kaimanawa herd was protected by the New Zealand government in 1981, and there were 1,576 horses in the herd by 1994.
Roundups have been carried out annually since 1993 to manage the size of the herd, removing around 2,800 horses altogether. The Kaimanawa population is listed as a herd of special genetic value by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization, and several studies have been conducted on the herd dynamics and habits of the breed.
38 Responses
how much are they???
This is so sad i hope they get a home.And no one kills them
this is so sad i hope they get a home.And no one kills them.I really want a brown horse only if i lived on a farm.
I WANNA GET ONE!!!
They are cool I will have one
those horses are sooooo cute
I am soo depressed to hear this. It is really sad even after all the work DOC and other people have done. 🙁
i love horses
I really do hope that more people offer to look after a horse and protect this species. Its really cool that the DoC are taking part in protecting the Kaimanawa horses. But we could do more.
I need one. I love horses!
cool
awesome
Aww I so wish I could buy one I would love to own a kimanawa there is lots of room on the farm but we can’t afford to buy one witch is sad so I hope other people buy some and that they all go to good homes
i have a kaimanawa and they are a nice bread
My sisters met the Wilson sisters who helped get these dudes a home
I hope they do get a home
As long as your calm but firm,they can be trained
Bye
wow that is so cool i love horses i ride them.
that’s so sad they should just let them roam free instead of killing them 🙁 people are just so cruel these days and i’m a horse lover :(:(:(:(:( i hope they find a good home.
Awww Cute I Would Love One Of These Horses
so sad i have 2 pony one is that breed hope they all get adopet
i really want a horse : ]
I wish I had a farm
I Have a two kaimanawa their names are nga huia and te aroha The are reall y calm and great to ride
i wish i had a horse
Hopefully they find a good home!
i hope there all right i love horese
That is so sad i feel sad so much please get them a home safely there
I have a horse it’s cool it’s. Name is camron
I started to cry ;(
Weird ???????
I really want a horse
That’s sad that these beautiful horses need a new home.
They have lost everything in there old home
that sad these beautiful horses have lost everything at there old home
“I love horses its so sad i’m crying”
I love horses, the wilson sisters are my cousins they are my mums cousins!!
I want one!!!
I want to adopt one
the kaimanawa horses are cool
I WANNA GET ONE TOO BUT MY PEARANTS WONT LET ME:< andI have a book about what happened to da horses
I wish I had a horse I really hope those horses get good homes where they are looked after well. HORSES ARE AWESOME