Wild Kaimanawa horses live in the central North Island high country, focused in the Waiouru Military Training Area along the Desert Road, and were first recorded in the area in 1876, the Department of Conservation says. Photo: Kaimanawa Heritage Horses
The cost of living could see fewer people take home horses from the Kaimanawa Horse Muster this year, an advocate says.
Each year the wild horses are rounded up from the ranges in the central North Island to control the population. This year the Department of Conservation aims to remove 230 horses.
Marilyn Jenks is a spokesperson for the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses charity, which helps people adopt the animals.
She said because last year's muster was cancelled due to Cyclone Gabrielle there are a lot more horses to rehome this time around.
And so far, only a handful of applications for horses have come through for the 2024 muster, which takes place on 25 April.
"The cost of living is a huge worry. The way people's finances are it's going to be a harder job rehoming the horses than it normally is, especially on the East Coast where people are still recovering from last year's storms.
"I think even non-Kaimanawa horses aren't particularly selling very fast at the moment because everyone's feeling the pinch, it's affecting everyone," she said.
Kaimawana horses being rounded up during a previous muster. Photo: Kaimanawa Heritage Horses
Jenks said in order to take on one of the wild horses people have to be well set up.
"It's a bit of an up-front cost: transporting the horse, having an appropriate place to house it, and then feed as well."
But she said the horses were worth it and worth the work to tame them.
"Once they're tamed, they're amazing horses.
"One good thing is that there's a lot of Kaimanawa horses out there now and they've got a good reputation. There was a couple competing at the recent Horse of the Year contest."
Jenks said anyone who wants to adopt one of the horses can apply on the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses website before 11 April.