Wild Horses in Central New Zealand

Tweet

The central plateau of New Zealand is quite a barren place, in the volcanic region of the North Island. The highway known as the Desert Road passes by three major mountains, Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro. To the east of this road, toward more fertile land, roam the wild horses known as Kaimanawa horses. Horses were introduced into New Zealand in 1814 and the first wild horses in the Kaimanawa region were first reported in 1876. These horses had either escaped from their remote farms or had been released into the wild for one reason or another. Today the Kaimanawa wild horses have developed into their own breed and their population has to be controlled, to protect the numerous native endangered plants in the area. The horses are culled every year and many find new homes as farm or domestic pets, once they have been broken in and tamed. I cross the Desert Road once or twice every year, but only once have I glimpsed any wild horses roaming in the area. They tend to stay quite removed from the main highway, where the vegetation provides a better habitat for them.