Meet the mystical wild horses of Kleinmond and hear their unusual story

If you see them you’re one of the lucky ones. But they are there, nevertheless, just as they have been for more than half a century. For the most part, the wild horses that roam the Rooisand Nature Reserve near Kleinmond in the Overberg region of the Western Cape remain undisturbed, unlike the well-documented Camargue horses of southern France and the Namib desert horses of Namibia.

During lockdown the wild horses have been able to roam the beaches where visitors normally inhabit, and are frequently seen frolicking in the water just as the sun comes up.

“We are hoping that when tourism opens up again that people will understand that these are horses are never touched by humans and that their space needs to be respected,” says Bruce Boyd, one-time Cape Town fashion photographer.

The wild horses in their natural habitat

He is one of the few people to have observed the wild horses in their chosen habitat and believes that theirs is a heritage that needs to be celebrated and preserved at all costs.

“They are a unique national treasure. Most visitors to this area are totally unaware of them,” he says, “yet their presence is a reminder that animals can survive enormous hardships and establish a hierarchy and cohesiveness in the harshest of environments.”

In all, he says, 20 wild horses are roaming free on about 500 hectares of wetlands near the mouth of the Botriver and another 15 in Fisherhaven on the other side of the lagoon.

“It is a surreal experience to watch as they graze in the shallow marshy land or canter across the dunes, following their leader who is the biggest, strongest stallion. They often fight and are covered in scars, appearing sometimes heroic and sometimes battle weary. But that’s what life in the wild is about. It’s tough and unforgiving and it is something one has to respect and admire.”

During lockdown, keeping a vigilant eye on their movements, hasn’t always been easy, he admits.

“But there are dedicated people in this part of the world who understand their worth and will do everything possible to ensure their wellbeing.”

People and the wild horses

Among those dedicated observers is Leanne Dryburgh author and photographer who has been researching the bloodline of the Kleinmond wild horses for more than five years in an effort to record and preserve their legacy for the next generation.

“Historically the Kleinmond horses traverse eight kilometres of beach,” explains Dryburgh, “and normally don’t go close to the public beaches but due to the lack of people, so we will be watching the situation carefully in the next few months.”

Dryburgh is currently putting together a book on the wild horses, covering 50 years of their existence.

There is still much conjecture about these majestic animals.

The origin of the horses

There are plenty of local stories about the horses’ origin. Some say they are descendants of horses hidden in the vlei during the Anglo Boer war. One of the more trusted theories is that the horses were brought to this area of the western Cape by early Dutch settlers and survived a massive cull when the role of horses on farms became redundant. The breed was almost wiped out with only a few “survivors”.

There are also rumours that they are descendants of the eight cavalry horses that swam ashore when the ship The Birkenhead sunk off the coast, near Gansbaai in 1852.

Professor Frans Van Der Merwe who studied the horses for nearly 40 years, adds strength to that theory tracing them back to a prestigious equine line, bred for warfare. It is known that some locally bred farm horses were let loose with the introduction of mechanisation, which probably helped with the breeding. What is fact is that they had adapted to life in the wild and are now fully self-sufficient.

Boyd’s wild horse journey has enabled him to get close enough to the horses to record their habits and physiology. During the winter months, he says the horses grow a thicker fur that shields them against the frigid breeze and icy rain. Their hooves are saucer-shaped and manage the soft, wet underfoot conditions surprisingly well.

“On one occasion, I was able to get close enough with my telephoto lens to record an exhausted mare and wobbly foal the day after she gave birth. While I was clicking away the foal got to its feet and started to walk towards me. It walked right up to me and we touched noses. I was definitely the first human it had ever seen. It was very special. The only problem was that it happened so fast that I didn’t have time to change my lens!”

Observers like Boyd say their remarkable good physical condition is thought to be due to their grazing habits.

They are sometimes seen grazing in the shallow water, pushing the muzzle down under the surface to ingest mouthfuls of water grass. They also eat the buffalo grass the edible shrubs on the sides and in the reed beds.

Environmentalists will tell you that they play an important role in nature, keeping the clogged waterways open with the paths they have made over the years.

The wild horse supporters believe that raising awareness about their existence could be a very valuable part of ecotourism and should be treated as a valuable resource. They also argue for the highest form of protection available in our conservation laws.

Watching them wild and free, you realise that this is a cause that must not be lost.