Dutch koniks start their adventure in Danish dunes

Last week, fourteen konik horses owned by FREE Nature have moved to a newly formed Danish nature reserve. The harem group, consisting of a stallion with mares and their foals, came from the Oranjezon nature reserve in Zeeland, The Netherlands and were joined by a group of unrelated young stallions from Noordwaard, The Netherlands. Their new habitat consists of a large dune landscape in northern Denmark, which will be gradually enlarged over the next few years to an eventual grazable area of 5,000 hectares.

The horses' impact on the dune nature will be significant. They graze away coarse grasses such as dune reed (Calamagrostis epigejos), giving other plants a chance to grow. They also create walkways and sand baths, which benefit numerous insects. The choice of koniks whom are used to grazing in a dune landscape was a deliberate one, as they are already used to a relatively poor diet. The koniks will share their new habitat with red deer. Hopefully in the nearby future, wild bovines and European bison will join them.

Well prepared

Together with the Danish nature conservationists, herd managers from FREE Nature were present to catch the horses in Zeeland and release them in Denmark. The animals were welcomed with great enthusiasm. Everything has been thought of: a brand new wooden corral has been built with a treatment box, which will eventually be used for any annual check-ups and possible veterinary checks or treatments.

Our herd manager photographed the arrival of the koniks. The koniks immediately went exploring and, after a night's stroll, are starting to feel at home. The food supply in the area is very high at the moment: a big job awaits the horses!

Supportive partner

FREE Nature is your supportive partner in projects where nature can develop freely with the help of large grazers. We have the right knowledge and (field) experience in every step of the process. Whether you just have a piece of land available or already have grazers under management, you can always contact us without obligation.

Hiring FREE Nature for an advisory report does not necessarily mean using our own grazers. For us, a good result means that the client has clear advice and knows the steps needed to achieve their nature objectives.

Photos: Esther Linnartz