FIRST HORSES (HōIHo) in NZ 

The first horses to arrive in NZ are thought to have been a stallion and two mares brought by Reverend Samuel Marsden on his ship the 'Active'. The horses were transported from New South Wales to the Bay of Islands and arrived ashore at Rangihoua Bay on 22 December 1814.  As more horses were shipped from New South Wales by Marsden, the herds grew over the decades. Missionary settlers and Ngāpuhi increasingly used the horses as transport, for ploughing fields, and for the sport of racing. Ngāpuhi also began gifting horses to other iwi. 

The horses arrived with Samuel Marsden, Dec 1814

Reverend Samuel Marsden had been appointed the Chaplain of the British colony of New South Wales in 1800. Four years later he also took up the post of local agent in the Pacific for the London-based 'The Society for Missions for Africa and the East'.  In 1814, Marsden was invited by Ngāpuhi Chief Ruatara to form NZ's first missionary settlement in the Oihi valley at the base of his Rangihoua Pā in the Bay of Islands. The Oihi Mission was to provide local Māori with trade and agricultural skills for engaging with European society, as well as a knowledge of Christianity.   

DISEMBARKING THE HORSES AT OIHI, 22 DEC 1814 

The Active set sail from Port Jackson (Sydney) and anchored off Oihi in the Rangihoua Bay on Thursday, 22 December 1814. Those aboard were greeted by local Māori in their waka. Marsden, Hongi Hika and Korokoro went ashore, while Ruatara remained on board to help oversee the horses, cattle and other stock being taken out of the ship's hold and placed in boats. 

Amazed reactions from local Māori

The initial reactions of the locals on seeing the horses and cattle were described by Marsden’s friend, John Liddiard Nicholas, who had accompanied him on the round-trip to NZ and back to Port Jackson: 

"On the arrival of the boats with the cattle, they appeared perfectly bewildered with amazement, not knowing what to conclude respecting such extraordinary looking animals. Cows or horses they had never seen before and, diverted now from everything else, they regarded them as stupendous prodigies...

...Mr Marsden, mounting the horse, rode up and down the beach, exciting their wonder in a tenfold degree. To see a man seated on the back of such an animal, they thought the strangest thing in nature; and following him with staring eyes, they believed at the moment that he was more than mortal.”  

Nicholas believed the settlers would benefit greatly from “so serviceable and necessary an animal as the horse”.

Source:  John Liddiard Nicholas, Narrative of a voyage to New Zealand: Performed in the years 1814 and 1815 in company with the Reverend Samuel Marsden,  (London, 1817), p. 171 - 2

ORIGIN OF THE HORSES 

There are two schools of thought as to the origin of the stallion and two mares - either one of the mares was a gift or the three horses were purchased especially for transporting to New Zealand for the new mission station:

Purpose of the horses

After Marsden's arrival in Port Jackson (Sydney) as Assistant Chaplain to the British colony of New South Wales in 1794, he was granted 100 acres of land near Parramatta on which he grew wheat. Two years later, after purchasing additional land, Marsden's farm had expanded to 650 acres, of which 103 acres were used for cultivating wheat. He also had ten horses, twenty-six cattle, thirty pigs and ten goats, in addition to a herd of sheep.  By 1812 Marsden had 4,000 sheep on 4,800 acres and exported wool to England.     

Source: M. L. Ryder, "Samuel Marsden: Australian pioneer". Don Armitage - Aotea.

In 1800, Marsden had been appointed as the Chaplain of New South Wales. Four years later, he also took up the post of local agent in the Pacific for the London-based 'The Society for Missions for Africa and the East' which was later renamed "Church Missionary Society" (CMS) in 1812.  Marsden befriended many Māori sailors and visitors to Port Jackson and invited them to stay on his farm at Parramatta. He provided accommodation and the opportunity to learn agricultural practices and trade skills to use when back home in NZ. He also taught some Māori to read and write English.  Some stayed for several months whilst others did for up to three years. 

Source:  G. S. Parsonson. 'Marsden, Samuel', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated May, 2013. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1m16/marsden-samuel   

In 1806, Marsden began lobbying the Society for Missions to establish a mission station in New Zealand. In a letter (7 April 1808) to the Society's Secretary Reverend Pratt, Marsden wrote that he saw the purpose of establishing the mission as introducing European practices − including agricultural methods − that would help to ‘civilise’ Māori and prepare them for conversion to Christianity. The intent was to provide Māori with skills for engaging with Pākehā society, as well as a knowledge of Protestant Christianity.   

 Marsden recommended to the London Society for Missions that three 'Mechanics' (tradesmen) be appointed:  

"Since nothing, in my opinion, can pave the way for the Introduction of the Gospel, but Civilization, and that can only be accomplished amongst the Heathens by the Arts, I should for this Reason, recommend that three Mechanics be appointed to make the first attempt, should the Society come to a determination to form an Establishment on New Zealand.  One of these Missionaries should be a Carpenter; another a Smith; and a third, a Twine Spinner. The Carpenter would teach them to make a Wheelbarrow, build a Hut, Boat, &c.— The Smith would teach them  to make all their edge Tools, Nails, &c.— and the Twine Spinner would teach them how to spin their Flax or Hemp of which their Clothing, fishing Lines, and Nets are made. These Trades would apply to their immediate wants, and tend to conciliate their minds, and gain their Confidence."

Also, that the trades and religion should be taught hand-in-hand:

"Tho’ the Missionaries might employ a certain portion of their Time, according to local Circumstances, in manual Labour, this neither would nor ought to prevent them from constantly endeavouring to instruct the Natives in the great Doctrines of the Gospel, and fully discharge the Duties of Catechists— The Arts and Religion should go together.  The attention of the Heathens, can only be gained and their vagrant Habits corrected, by the Arts. Till their attention is gained, and moral and industrious Habits are induced, little or no progress can be made in teaching them the Gospel...  To preach the Gospel without the aid of the Arts will never succeed amongst the Heathens for any time." 

The CMS agreed to Marden's request to appoint three 'lay' settlers. However, as CMS also wanted to develop mission schools, including in NSW and New Zealand, one of the three 'lay' settlers was a schoolmaster.  If the establishing of a small Christian community was successful, the CMS intended to send out a clergyman to join them.

other Animals on board the 'Active'

Samuel Marsden kept a journal of his voyage which he sent to England for the Church Missionary Society (CMS) to publish.  He wrote (p.79),

"We had also on board one entire horse, two mares, one bull, and two cows, with a few sheep and poultry of different kinds intended for the island. The cows and bull had been presented by Governor Macquarie from His Majesty's herd."  

Source:  Early New Zealand Books:  Elder, J. (Ed.) The Letters and Journals of Samuel Marsden, 1932, p.79. http://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=1060&page=1&action=null 

Welfare of the horses at oihi mission station

Marsden to organise more horses to be sent, 1819

After two horses had been killed by local Māori after wandering onto their property and eating the sweet potato crops (kūmara), Marsden informed Rev Pratt (8 June 1819), that he intended to organise more horses being sent to the Mission. This time round, he proposed the horses to be cared for by those Māori who'd worked with him learning agricultural practices and were upset at the deaths of the horses: 

"The natives with me are much distressed at this Circumstance, as they are very fond of Horses— Since they have been with me, they have learned their value in all Agriculturial [sic] Purposes— I have promised to send them some more—  and to give them into their own Charge and then I shall be sure they will take Care of them." 

 The response (5 April 1820) from Rev Pratt and Rev Bickersteth stated:

"The neglect of the Settlers to take proper precautions to secure the Horses, is much to be lamented; not only on account of the loss of the Animals, but of the risk of irritating the Natives, and of alienating their minds. To supply the island with Horses and Oxen for purposes of Agriculture, is so immediately connected with the civilization of the Inhabitants, that the utmost exertion of the Settlers should be employed to preserve and propagate them. The use of Oxen as an article of food, will contribute to the same end. "

Benefits from Horses & agricultural practices in Northland

On 8 December 1823, Marsden wrote a letter to the Editor of the Sydney Gazette which included the following:

"I may further observe, since the Mission has been  established, and tools of agriculture introduced by the Church Missionary Society amongst them, the cultivation of their lands has increased twenty-fold, as far as the benefits derived from the íntroduction of hoes, spades, axes, &c. have extended. Ships can now, in my opinion, with perfect safety, enter the harbours of Whangarooa, the Bay of Islands, and the River Thames, and procure such supplies of fish, pork, potatoes, and other vegetables, and sometimes poultry, as they may require,  unless the crews should commit some act of  violence upon the inhabitants."

Source: Northland history: Backroads: blogpost (4 Feb 2014) https://northlandhistory.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-letter-from-samuel-marsden-to-editor.html

Beginnings of the Kaimanawa horses

Over the years, as more horses were sent by Marsden, the number of horses owned and bred by Ngāpuhi and settlers increased. In 1842, Ngāpuhi gifted Ngāti Tūwharetoa their first horse. Te Waaka, the son of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Paramount Chief Mananui Te Heuheu, had been staying with Tāmati Wāka Nene in the Hokianga for two years. Nene was the younger brother of Ngāpuhi Chief Patuone and it was customary practice for iwi to send young men with leadership potential to become acquainted with chiefs of other iwi. The horse was a parting gift by Nene to Te Waaka which was sent by boat to Tauranga and then taken overland by a Ngāpuhi party to Lake Taupō. The horses acquired and bred by Ngāti Tūwharetoa, lead to the beginnings of the Kaimanawa horses in the central North Island.

Source: Invasive and Introduced Plants and Animals. Ed by Ian D. Rotherham, Robert A. Lambert. London, Routlege, 2011, pp. 312-16    

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