Racing to save wild horses from slaughter
Truckloads of wild Kaimanawa horses will be slaughtered next month, unless people come forward to rescue them. Volunteers are scrambling to raise awareness of the horses’ plight, and have less than two weeks to save more than 200 of the animals.
It will be the largest muster in two decades, with 300 horses needing homes. So far, only 66 horses have been allotted. Applications for horses close on April 1. Kaimanawa Heritage Horses muster co-ordinator Simone Frewin said it would be heartbreaking if they failed their target.
‘‘It’s absolutely devastating, we put a lot of hours in, leading up to the months of the muster, trying to find as many good homes as we possibly can. Sending truckloads of horses rolling out to the abattoir, its quite devastating and it really messes with your head.
‘‘With (less than) two weeks left until applications close, there’s not a lot of time for interested parties to deliberate. It’s a real concern that some people may simply run out of time, resulting in potentially homed horses being trucked to the abattoir.’’
The muster is held every two years by the Department of Conservation to manage the herd at a sustainable level of 300 horses, in the Kaimanawa Ranges, near Waiouru. This number allows for horses in the herd to maintain a healthy condition and protects fragile ecosystems unique to the Moawhango ecological zone.
Frewin said there were misconceptions that were possibly preventing people from applying for a horse.
‘‘There are misconceptions that they are dangerous to handle and that they potentially have a lot of health problems. The breeding rates are indicative of the fact that there are very few health issues.
‘‘People watch TV programmes of mature stallions being handled and a lot of pressure is being put on them... the average person isn’t taking on a mature stallion, they are taking on a younger horse. If there’s any aggression, then there is too much pressure on the horse - as long as people take their time and have patience they shouldn’t experience any aggression issues at all.’’
Frewin said the horses were a fantastic breed and were becoming highly sought after in the competitive arena, because they were able to match the skills of purpose-bred ponies, worth $25,000 or more.
‘‘Once people have a Kaimanawa or two, they become absolutely besotted with the breed and want to keep getting more.’’
The organisation is also calling out for people who have stockyards that can be loaned out to people who wish to adopt a Kaimanawa, but do not have stockyards of their own, in a bid to drive more adoptions - and people can also donate, or sponsor a horse. For more information go to kaimanawaheritagehorses.org