Photos

Rooisands wild horses:

There are many different stories regarding the origin of these wild horses. But whether truth or myth, these horses now roam free in the wetlands between Kleinmond and Botriver lagoon.

Mostly found in the Rooisands Nature Reserve, they remain illusive and mystical. To catch sight of them as they graze in the shallow waters or see them canter across the dunes, will lift the spirit of even the most hardened skeptic.
They are legends in the region with many speculations as to how they got there.
The most plausible version is that these horses descend from the very first horses brought from Europe by the Dutch and Flemish settlers. Industrialisation made horses redundant for farmers and after the Anglo-Boere war this breed was almost wipped out. For decades now however, Rooisands wild horses are protected and roam freely in the Overberg. They are unique to this area, and also South Africa’s only herd of wild horses to be found in a wetland habitat.