Introducing the plight of Abaco

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Introducing the plight of Abaco's Wild Horses.

In 1992 Milanne Rehor spent three months in the Abacos and brought to public attention the fact that Abaco's Wild Horses, nearly exterminated in the 60's, were making a slow comeback.

In 1992 there were about 30 horses living in the pine forests on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas. Overcoming a harsh environment and warding off continued wild dog attacks which destroy several foals a year, the herd appeared to be no longer in danger of extinction. A second trip in 1994 confirmed these findings and suggested continued research.

A third research trip was done (Dec. 1996 to July 1997). Grim statistics resulted: the herd was down to 20 horses. By the time Rehor got back in January, 1998, the herd was down to 17. Fortunately, by September of '98, four fillies had been born and survive so far. In March , '99 the stallion Acrux had to be put down due to an infection. A few weeks later a six year old stallion, Vega, died from unknown causes. The herd is down to 19; l0 mares, 9 stallions.

Goals of the Abaco Wild Horses Fund -

Goal: to publicize the existence and rarity of these horses; initial DNA testing indicates that the4 horses "most closely resemble Paso Fino" and thus may be of Spanish origin. They have been isolated for so long that they may have become a new, indigenous breed. Their genes are unique.

Goal: to provide the herd with a forest preserve surrounding the citrus farm where they have taken refuge, with limited and controlled human access to the preserve.

Goal: to provide medical care and support for both natural injuries and those resulting from inappropriate human intervention.

Goal: to complete DNA testing as soon as possible to officially establish the horses' genealogy and to provide the basis for a stud book

Goal: to open up the genetic bottleneck with careful breeding to minimize potential ‘bad’ genes and encourage preservation of the unique genetic line..

Goal: to inoculate the entire herd against tetanus.

Overall Goal: to provide these rare and beautiful horses with a safe and secure future, whatever their origins, by educating the public about the inappropriate human intervention that has prevented them from once again reaching viable numbers.

RECENT NEWS -

Emergency Hoof Care Team Coming in June

In early June a team of seven volunteering professionals will arrive in Abaco to provide desperately needed hoof care and health checks for the 17 remaining wild horses.

The group is headed by Keith (KC) La Pierre founder of The Institute of Equine Podiatry and developer of the Suspension Theory of Hoof Dynamics. Assisting La Pierre with the hoof work will be Anthony Madaia, who is experienced both in hoof care and natural horsemanship. Mari Monda Zdunic, owner of Shine A Bit Farms in Michigan an accomplished dressage horse trainer who holds a degree in zoology, will be coming, along with partner, Ray Moses. Moses is an expert horseman who has a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife, including graduate studies in Wildlife Biology. Both Zdunic and Moses specialize in handling horses with patience, care and deep understanding. This is especially important in dealing with our wild horses who have never had much but traumatic experience at the hands of humans.
Professional still and video photographer Don Elliott, who work has aired on the Discovery Channel, will be along to record the entire project. Two veterinarians, still to be chosen, will round out the team.

La Pierre heard of the plight of the Abaco horses through the Internet. He and Milanne Rehor, founder of Arkwild, Inc. which is spearheading the efforts to save the genetically rare horses (three sets of DNA tests indicate the horses are Spanish, and because of their isolation are
about as pure as will be found on the planet) talked via the net and phone and a plan of action was developed.

Former host of the radio talk show “Horse Talk,” La Pierre launched fund raising efforts for the trip by hosting a one hour program on Radio Station WXBH out of Cobbleskill, New York. Rehor called in from the Bahamas to provide additional information, and the show was broadcast over the internet via live streaming. The following week La Pierre had an information table on site at the Cobbleskill Maple Fest.

Transportation alone will cost over $2000.00. One company has offered stocks and many other individuals and groups are donating funds directly to Arkwild or are working on fund raising events. La Pierre has also used his extensive contacts to start rounding up donations of needed supplies, everything from tools and hoof stands to tranquilizers and antibiotics.

In the Bahamas, Rehor is working on housing, transportation and other logistics. Much guidance is being provided by the Office of the Department of Agriculture in Marsh Harbour.

We are tremendously excited about this project. It means that the horses, driven by hurricane and human encroachments out of their natural rocky forest habitat, will get the care they need for hooves which are growing too long on the soft soil of the farm where they are sheltering. La Pierre looks forward to providing the care three or four times a year until the horses can return to the forest in their own preserve. It looks as though progress is being made on obtaining a preserve for the horses, to be located within a Boy and Girl Scout Conservation area.

La Pierre notes, and Rehor concurs, that the notion of a genetic basis for the deterioration of domestic horses’ hooves just doesn't hold. In the case of the Abaco Horses, these totally feral animals, driven out of the wild, have developed the same hoof problems that plague domestic horses. One of the wild mares died a horrible death recently due to infected hooves. The level of medical care she needed just wasn't available. Now that its been ascertained that improper environment and lack of movement can cause severe hoof problems, trimming the hooves accordingly should help alleviate the problems until the horses can live naturally once again.

Remember, Extinction is Forever

http://www.arkwild.org