Kaimanawa Horse
Name
Kaimanawa Horse
Lifespan
20-30+ years
Height
12.2 h.h.-15 h.h.
Weight
661 pounds
Apperance
Well-muscled. Sure-footed and tough. Medium-sized head in good proportion to their body, with wide variation in shape. They have a short, deep neck with a thick throat area, straight shoulders, a deep girth, and a short to medium back. The hindquarters vary from sloping to well-rounded. The legs are long and well-muscled, with strong hooves, and hind hooves that are generally smaller than the front ones
Colors
All colors
Markings
Yes
Aptitude
Wild,Riding,Work,Meat
Temperament
Hardness and quiet
Health
No known breed-specific health issues
How Many Are There Worldwide
300+
Origin
New Zealand
History
In 1814 the first horses arrived in New Zealand. In the following decades these ancestors were crossed with several other horse breeds. Between 1858 and 1875 the horses were crossed with Exmoor Ponies which were brought to New Zealand by George Gwavas Carylon. The result was the so named Carylon Pony which was a small and really robust pony.
In the following years two Welsh stallions were crossed with the Carylon Pony. Due to the name of one of the stallions (“Comet”) all horses which resulted from this crossing were named “Comet” breed. In 1870 one Comet stallion and several Comet mares were released into the Kaimanawa range by Sir Donald Mc Lean. This was the birth of the wild horses in New Zealand and from that time on they could reproduce naturally. From time to time horses from other farms were set free or escaped out of the stables and influenced the breed. Due to this also Arabian horses were crossed with the wild horses. The result of all these crossings is the Kaimanawa Wild Horse of today. It is much higher and stronger than the former Comet breed.
Facts
Kaimanawa horse is a rare breed of New Zealand Origin.
At the time of the 1997 muster, the horse population was estimated at about 1,700. This number of horses took a heavy toll on the environment through grazing and trampling. Fragile and unique wetlands and tussocklands and many special plants were under threat.
In 1979 it was found that about 174 wild horses remained in the southern Kaimanawa area and in 1981 a protected area for "horses known as the Kaimanawa Wild Horses" was established in response to a public concern that the horses would be lost from the area.
Super Fact
The first horses arrived in New Zealand in 1814, and mobs of feral horses were reported as early as the 1870's. The principal (and only remaining) herds became established in the North Island's Central Plateau where they became known in general as the “Kaimanawa Wild Horses”.
Price
$75-$400+
Kaimanawa Horse
Lifespan
20-30+ years
Height
12.2 h.h.-15 h.h.
Weight
661 pounds
Apperance
Well-muscled. Sure-footed and tough. Medium-sized head in good proportion to their body, with wide variation in shape. They have a short, deep neck with a thick throat area, straight shoulders, a deep girth, and a short to medium back. The hindquarters vary from sloping to well-rounded. The legs are long and well-muscled, with strong hooves, and hind hooves that are generally smaller than the front ones
Colors
All colors
Markings
Yes
Aptitude
Wild,Riding,Work,Meat
Temperament
Hardness and quiet
Health
No known breed-specific health issues
How Many Are There Worldwide
300+
Origin
New Zealand
History
In 1814 the first horses arrived in New Zealand. In the following decades these ancestors were crossed with several other horse breeds. Between 1858 and 1875 the horses were crossed with Exmoor Ponies which were brought to New Zealand by George Gwavas Carylon. The result was the so named Carylon Pony which was a small and really robust pony.
In the following years two Welsh stallions were crossed with the Carylon Pony. Due to the name of one of the stallions (“Comet”) all horses which resulted from this crossing were named “Comet” breed. In 1870 one Comet stallion and several Comet mares were released into the Kaimanawa range by Sir Donald Mc Lean. This was the birth of the wild horses in New Zealand and from that time on they could reproduce naturally. From time to time horses from other farms were set free or escaped out of the stables and influenced the breed. Due to this also Arabian horses were crossed with the wild horses. The result of all these crossings is the Kaimanawa Wild Horse of today. It is much higher and stronger than the former Comet breed.
Facts
Kaimanawa horse is a rare breed of New Zealand Origin.
At the time of the 1997 muster, the horse population was estimated at about 1,700. This number of horses took a heavy toll on the environment through grazing and trampling. Fragile and unique wetlands and tussocklands and many special plants were under threat.
In 1979 it was found that about 174 wild horses remained in the southern Kaimanawa area and in 1981 a protected area for "horses known as the Kaimanawa Wild Horses" was established in response to a public concern that the horses would be lost from the area.
Super Fact
The first horses arrived in New Zealand in 1814, and mobs of feral horses were reported as early as the 1870's. The principal (and only remaining) herds became established in the North Island's Central Plateau where they became known in general as the “Kaimanawa Wild Horses”.
Price
$75-$400+