Culled wild horses to be offered to public

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 685, 6 May 1997, Page 3

Culled wild horses to be offered to public

People who want to save Kaimanawa wild horses from the abattoir will soon have the opportunity to put their money where their mouths are. The government has approved a plan for the future management of the Kaimanawa wild horses that will see 1 200 horsesculled, mostly from the northern part of their range, in autumn. These horses will be offered for sale to buyers who meet certain criteria. Advertisements have been placed in daily papers offering horses for sale. The Department of Conservation says it seeks to strike a balance between conservation of the horses and the environment in which they currently roam. The plan is to retain a herd of at least 500 horses in as wild a state as possible in the southern area, with no horses in the more fragile northern area. DoC promises to keep horse welfare paramount throughout the muster. Independent observers will include representatives of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA) and the New Zealand Veterinary Association. The musterers will use light helicopters to herd the horses, with entire bands mustered to reduce the risk of behavioural trauma. Three temporary pens will be used to reduce the distance horses need to be mustered, supplementingtheexisting Argo Basin yards used in previous years. The horses will be herded slowly to reduce the risk of injury in rugged areas. Where mustering is likely to cause a high risk of injury to the horses, then other

options may need to be considered. RNZSPCA and NZVA advise that injured, diseased and deformed horses should be humanely slaughtered in situ if injuries or illness are sufficiently serious, otherwise sent directly to an abattoir to reduce stress. The remaining horses will be transferred to a farm property to be prepared for sale. Unsold horses will be sent to an abattoir. No horses north Even a few horses in the north would cause damage to the fragile tussocklands and wetlands. The remaining horses could form the nucleus of a new herd and could create another management issue in years to come. This area must be managed free of horses to protect the special and threatened plants and unique landscape. Horses will be sold in a series of auctions, the first likely to be held in late July in the Taihape area. People interested in buying a horse need to register with the department. A reserve price of $100 per horse will be set. All future owners will be checked to ensure they can adequately care for the horses. Two referees will be required to establish knowledge and ability in looking after horses and the RNZSPCA will arrange a visit within the first six months after the sale. Proceeds from the sale will be held for the future management of the horses once RNZSPCA inspection costs have been met. The above is extracted from a DoC Wanganui publication, April 1997. Guidelines on buying a Kaimanawa horse are also available from the Wanganui Conservancy.