Time is running out for the Kaimanawa horses

Volunteers are desperately searching for people to adopt 100 Kaimanawa horses after only receiving one application ahead of the biennial cull.

Chairman of the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses charity, Elder Jenks, said that the Department of Conservation (DoC) were late in informing them that the muster has been brought forward to the end of April and were now hurrying to find suitable adoptees.

“Due to a miscommunication between us and the DoC, we were only told about the changes two days ago and finding out that we’ve lost a month of preparation has really put us on the back foot,” Mr Jenks said.

In previous years the charity had seen a steady rise in applicants with all but 15 of the 139 mustered horses saved in 2014 and are now hoping for a last minute surge in applicants in 2016.

“The timings of the musters has always been based around ensuring that the foals are old enough to be weaned from their mothers, but bringing the muster forward a month could impact our ability to find them suitable homes.” Mr Jenks said.

“However, the DoC has assured us that they will try to avoid bringing in foals wherever they could.”

The Kaimanawa horse musters are held every two years since 1997 to control herd sizes and reduce damage to the environment where they graze.

DoC central plateau operations manager, Dave Lumley, said that the date change was due to the unpredictability of the weather.

“The move is to prevent weather postponements, which occurred during the last muster pushing the muster into the winter weather conditions experienced in the Waiouru military training grounds,” Mr Lumley said.

Volunteer and Kaimanawa horse owner, Marilyn Jenks, is pro-adoption and praised the horses for their quiet nature.

“Our ponies have taught three families of children to ride and have since gone on to take them to pony club and compete on them at shows,” Mrs Jenks said.

The Kaimanawa breed became known for their jumping ability after Tegan Newman and her pony Watch Me Move won Pony of the Year in 2012.

“The Kaimanawas are well known for their gentle nature … they’re very sensitive and very intelligent and I absolutely adore them,” Mrs Jenks said.

Adoption applications for this year’s muster close on April 1.

For more information on the Kaimanawa horses and how to apply, visit the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses website.