Horses – by Gary

The French admiral Dupetit-Thouars is reputed responsible for the introduction of the horse to the islands of the Marquesas in 1842. He was responsible for a number of significant changes in these parts – being the bloke who, in 1841 after a brief scuffle with the Tahitian queen and the British consul, snatched possession of the Marquesas, Tuamotus and the Society Islands as French protectorate.  But back to those horses - I’m sure they were quickly attractive to the locals – the additional mobility and load carrying ability offered would have undoubtedly made life easier. And I’m guessing the steepness of the terrain and the narrow, muddy, slippery tracks favoured horses of small stature and strength.

Evidently the environment proved very favourable to the animals as well because at least one island now supports numbers of wild horses – with inevitable environmental repercussions – though I’d reckon it’s still modest when compared to the damage caused by feral goats and sheep.

In the current era horse ownership remains surprisingly high, even while practically every Marquesan family owns at least one flash, new four-wheel drive.  Horses are everywhere.

Any grassy patch around town is a good place to tether a horse – and they are pretty efficient lawn mowers.

Partaking a brisk, joyful gallop in the coolness of the late afternoon.  The horses are small, compact and strong.

I reckoned this gentleman walking his horses through town to be particularly photogenic.

I have seen this woman astride her donkey on several early mornings.  I am guessing she is on her way out of town to tend her garden patch.

The impetus for such a high level of horse ownership remains a bit unclear, but I’m guessing for many it’s simply about the pleasure.

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