Fiji Horse Care NZ

I am raising funds to return to Fiji in May 2019 so that I can continue travelling from village to village educating the Fijians in proper horse care and how to train their horses in a more humane manner.

While in Fiji recently on a christian based mission, I discovered that the horses are in very poor condition. I found abandoned horses with serious untreated injuries like a broken leg, septic infections and malnutrition. But the horses are also suffering mentally and emotionally from a lack of understanding their prey animal nature and how to train them. At around 1-2 years old the horses are prepared for riding by being tied to a tree for a week with no food or water to make them weak and submissive. They are then usually taken into deep water to get on them for the first time because it is difficult for a horse to run or buck while in deep water.

It was immediately evident to me that the horses are quite afraid of the people and they are very reluctant to connect with a person. Horses in Fiji are not for pets, hobbies or sports, they are used for transporting people, crops, luggage, groceries and tourist rides for example. The most common injuries are to their mouths because rope, chain and wire is often used as a substitute for a bit and they have very bad back rub because they are skinny and there are no saddles. There is also hardly any fencing in Fiji so horses spend almost all their life tied up on 20ft of rope which results in alot if rope burn, accidental strangulation and when the rope breaks or they slip their noose they get hit by vehicles. Fresh water is scarce and many horses only get water to drink once every 24 hours.

So what can you do to help these poor horses? By donating to this cause you can save horses lives by them receiving veterinary treatment that will be paid for from your donation. Your generosity will also be used to educate the Fijian and Indian families who have horses by teaching them how to care for a horse, basic first aid and practical horsemanship skills that will enable them to have a more friendly relationship with their horses and that through education they can prevent alot of the accidents and injuries that their horses receive.

If you have any questions about this mission to Fiji for the horses or if you can help with any contacts in the rental car or shipping industry, please message me because we want to get equipment to Fiji and a vehicle to travel to the villages would be just so great. Thanks so much for reading. I'm sorry that the facts and the photos are unpleasant. I've loved horses all my life and it's hard to see them like this ... let's bring education to Fiji and get these beautiful horses a better life on a beautiful island. Thanks again, Kim Woods