During the time when the Government threat to the wild horses was at it's peak, a number of small interest groups formed with a common objective of saving these horses from slaughter & securing the right for the horses to remain in their chosen habitat. Many well established animal welfare groups also took up this fight.
However, all of these groups worked independently from each other. This caused confusion among public supporters & ultimately diluted the ability of all supporters of the horses to really make a difference in the debate over the horses' future.
After the proposed slaughter of the horses was averted & the Government agreed to auction 1700 horses in 1997, most of the smaller support groups disbanded leaving only a few larger groups & organisations who understood the necessity of remaining directly involved in the welfare of the horses for the future.
As public interest in the horses' future wained & media attention disappeared we knew, in order to have any influence on future Government decisions, all remaining groups would need to work together to be heard as one voice, delivering a clear & consistent message to the New Zealand Government.
The Kaimanawa Consortium was instigated by Elder Jenks of the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Welfare Trust Inc.in recognition of the value that ALL supporters of these horses have provided to the cause & can continue to provide for the future of the herd. Auckland SPCA, Wellington SPCA, RNZSPCA, International League for the Protection of Horses (NZ), Save Animals from Exploitation (SAFE), Friends of the Kaimanawa Wild Horses, Franz Weber Trust, Mike Richardson & the local Iwi (native Maori tribe of the area) all joined forces to communicate our support for the horses to the New Zealand Government.
By combining the different strengths & diverse experience that each of these organisations has, we are now able to offer a secure & credible platform from which to campaign for the welfare & ongoing management of Kaimanawa Wild Horses.
During the height of the controversy over Kaimanawa Wild Horses & their proposed removal by shooting from the ecologically sensitive Kaimanawa Ranges, a small group of seven people got together to object strongly to this course of action. They managed to secure an area in which they could permanently rehome a small number of horses & care for them out of their collective pockets.
They took 6 mares at the 1997 auction, then 2 more later on in the year and one mare had a filly. So they ended up with 9 horses altogether. The property is 2000 acres and the horses run free. These magnificent seven are truly "Friends of Kaimanawa Wild Horses!"
