Off the Farm - Kaimanawa Wild Horses



Last year in my role as editor of the local community paper I had the privilege of going out to a local farm to visit a band of wild Kaimanawa Horses that had only just arrived the day before from the central North Island. The Department of Conservation holds an annual round up of the Kaimanawa Horses deeming them a threat to our native plants and habitat. Naturally a lot of people have been outraged about the culling that has been going on. People consider the horses as part of our heritage. Too many times the media has reported terrible cases of where the horses were sent off to holding farms and left to starve to death. Better for those that can't be found homes to be put down humanely. Some end up being slaughtered for export meat and that alone has angered people. In the US Horse slaughter was recently banned - but it has resulted in many unwanted animals ending up with a worse fate than being put down. I'm a realist when it comes to things like the welfare of animals and what is really best for them. My oldest horse here is 28 years old and still not showing signs of slowing down just yet. I hope he just passes away quietly in his sleep, but if the decision had to be made for him to be put down that would be the right thing to do. The horses in the photo were full of worms and thin from lack of grazing in their home range. They've since all put on weight, and have ended up being great horses for their owners.

Comments

  1. That's great they found homes for the horses, don't tell my daughter!

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  2. No I won't. The four mares ended up all foaling colts. Last I heard they were in foal again. Well looked after where they are which is really great.

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  3. Thats good news, they are beautiful! Nice pics! I wish the "state" of horses were different at the moment. It makes me so sad...

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  4. They're lovely horses. I know what you're getting at Rae - it is sad.

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  5. beautifully , really You and (also we with You) have respectively we have does wherewith loft congratulations in nicely post

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. i left a message earlier but its not showing up??????hmmmmm google is aggrivating me once again! I said I'd like to bring them all home, all the lost, given up on, and starving horses, but then I'd be starving, guess that just isnt the answer

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  8. Hello Steven nice to hear from you again. I'm going over to read your great writing very shortly. Thanks for your comment

    Rae - I'm just looking here there's a comment that was deleted by the author. Not me as you know I don't delete comments unless they are spam and I've only ever hada couple of those ones. Google has been playing up again. I had trouble on another blog leaving a comment mutter. No we can't save them all. The oldest horse I have was going to get a bullet in his head if I didn't get to where he was by 10 am on a Saturday morning. I'll have to put up a post about the old man. I just love him. So he is one that did get saved.

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  9. Yes do tell the story! I love good stories!!!!! Especially when an animal is saved, and one so great as a horse makes it even better!

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  10. And here's me writing editorial opinions on my blog for goodness sake. Rae you should read the article Jill Singer wrote. She has some stuff to say about Obama and the US elections as well.

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  11. Will do! Did you read my post today yet? I think you'll like it!

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  12. Good question. I'll check again. I commented on one of your posts this morning. Will take a look right now.

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  13. Look at the one below the update on Norm, I did two post today

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  14. Just have. Awesome post. I have left a comment for you there. It eill probably notify you that one comment has been left form the mad lady in nz. You are sooo lucky!!!!

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  15. Got it! We'll go arrow head hunting when you come, may not find a thing, but it'll be fun anyway! Hope Inaya's knee is okay, when do you go to the dr...lucky you with the health care, I think everywhere else in the world healthcare is given, NOT HERE nope, just another thing to get stuck in the A$* with! Insurance companies stick it to you, raise the cost of everything, tell you how long you can stay in the hospital, and doctors, well heck they are so high on their pedistals its pathetic! Umm arent you supposed to be working? LOL

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  16. Working??Oh yeah that. Supposed to be but playing on the computer is a bad bug to have. Damn the kids have just come home too!!!. I'll get them over tomorrow to the Doctors and see how Inaya's knee is. Just a little concerned there's more there than meets the eye. I'll let you know what the story is once we've been. Better go up the road and pay some bills then post some letters. I'll play with the computer again after I have moved all the animals and had dinner.

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  17. So how was the doctor visit...waiting to hear!

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  18. We won't go until later this morning. It's 5.21am here in NZ and still dark. Sunrise very soon. Doctors yesterday was booked out bummer.

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  19. 5:21 is too early to get up! See ya later, going to the stockyards with a bunch of open cows!

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  20. I got woken up by a possum being caught in my trap. Another hole to dig and a tree to plant. Are the empties going to the works ro the sales?

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  21. They went to the sale, some fool will think they are nice looking young heifers and buy them.....we dont buy cowsat all from the stock yards, we may if we need some calves and if from someone we know...they are there for a reason! LOL

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  22. Exactly - uneconomic means off the farm. Someone will buy them and think wonderful thoughts until they don't take that is. No loss.

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