01 April 2019

Due to the efforts of the two horse rehoming groups, the Department of Conservation has made the decision to go ahead with the planned muster of up to 80 Kaimanawa horses.

Another 20 – 30 homes are still required to meet this year’s desired target. With progress to date, the re-homing groups are confident that all places for horses required will be filled.

All mustered horses that are fit for travel on a truck will be re-homed, but any horses deemed medically unfit by a vet, will be euthanised under vet supervision.

The Department of Conservation would like to acknowledge the continued commitment and effort of the two re-homing groups Kaimanawa Heritage Horses and Kaimanawa Wild Horse Preservation Society in finding suitable homes for these horses.

The muster is now held on an annual basis. This allows DOC to manage the herd at the sustainable level of 300 horses within the Waiouru Military Training Area, as recommended by the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Advisory Group (KWHAG).

This number allows for the horses in the herd to maintain best condition and protects the fragile ecosystems, unique to the Moawhango Ecological Zone.

The unique tussock grassland where the horses roam contains threatened plants, including at least 16 species in the New Zealand Threat Classification System, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Many of these plants occur in habitats that can sustain very little disturbance from horses.

For horse re-homing enquiries contact:

Kaimanawa Heritage Horses
www.kaimanawaheritagehorses.org/2019-muster/

Kaimanawa Wild Horse Preservation Society (KWHPS)

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