A Northland charity attempting to rein in a band of wild horses putting homes and motorists at risk has been granted $3,000 by Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board.
Megan Denize from the Helping Paws Charitable Trust told the board that the horses near State Highway 12 west of Kaikohe are breaking into private properties and running on the road in their search for food.
Helping Paws has managed to bring seven horses in for rehabilitation but needs financial help to continue its work.
“These are not domesticated horses,” said Ms Denize. “They have never been touched or worn a halter, so removing them, rehabilitating them and eventually rehoming them is a process that only people who are very experienced can deal with for the safety of both the local community, the rescuers and the horses themselves.”
There are thought to be up to 17 wild horses in the area between Kaikohe and Tāheke, believed to have evolved from a group abandoned by their owner about 20 years ago. Ms Denize says it can take rescuers about 10 hours on horseback to round up two to five horses at a time.
“This is a significant effort which we are committed to seeing through for the safety of the local community. The funding from the community board will enable us to keep the horses fed while we work through their rehabilitation,” she said.
The community board also agreed to grant $3,000 to the Hokianga Community Education Trust to go towards the costs of publishing a book about the area by local author, Susy Pointon. Some of the author’s royalties return to the trust to support other local organisations and events such as film, book, and science festivals.
