Galloping Into the Future, Garrett Nicholas Cole

Kapiolani Park Race Track

In ancient Hawai`i, long before skyscrapers enveloped the skyline and highways were lined with personal vehicles, the islands were vast landscapes where one would traverse the expansive terrain on foot or via the majestic ocean. Canoes were the preferred mode of transportation since many of the communities were along the coastlines, but there were vast networks through inner island trails which also brought people together. Unlike today, with endless means of connecting through technology, back then personal interactions and trade were conducted face to face.

Time passed and more visitors introduced various Western progressions to the islands. The people of Hawai`i began to see new conveniences they had never witnessed before. Cattle arrived in 1793. John Morgan, current president and sixth-generation owner of Kualoa Ranch, stated that with the introduction of cattle came innovation and technological advances for Hawai`i.

As time passed, horses began to populate and became an integral part of the culture and economics in Hawai`i especially when it came to the cattle industry.

“Moving cattle has always been something that is it was done on horseback and Hawaiians took to horses very quickly and readily,” said Morgan. “They had an affinity towards it and then ever since then the paniolo tradition has been a huge part of Hawaiian history and culture.”

As the population of horses continued to grow, what started as a luxury eventually developed into a staple. Horses became a valuable and more common mode of transportation which added to the advancement of Hawai`i as a whole.

“The introduction of horses made their lives so much better,” said Morgan. “Now people could go from one side of the island to the other much easier and faster as opposed to when they went by foot.”

“When cattle were first brought here the king was intrigued and allowed to flourish on the Big Island,” said Morgan. “After the population grew, they had to figure out how to manage them. So they brought in the vaqueros were in that call themselves Espanol, which translated to the word paniolo. Their (paniolos) understanding is basically what enabled the livestock industry as we know it and their tradition also evolved ranching cattle.”

The problem they faced was the difficulty of herding cattle on foot. A resolution came on June 21, 1803, onboard the Lelia Bird , a ship from California. Captain William Shaler and Richard Cleveland arrived bearing gifts for the monarchy. Among his gifts were three horses-two mares and a stallion-which had never been seen before in the kingdom. Two were gifted to King Kamehameha and one was left to his advisor John Young.

As time passed, horses began to populate and became an integral part of the culture and economics in Hawai`i especially when it came to the cattle industry.

As time passed, horses began to populate and became an integral part of the culture and economics in Hawai`i especially when it came to the cattle industry.

As the population of horses continued to grow, what started as a luxury eventually developed into a staple. Horses became a valuable and more common mode of transportation which added to the advancement of Hawai`i as a whole.

“The introduction of horses made their lives so much better,” said Morgan. “Now people could go from one side of the island to the other much easier and faster as opposed to when they went by foot.”

As horses continued to further society in Hawai`i, they also played a vital role in a variety of recreational activities. This eventually led to new forms of entertainment.

“Horseback riding became very popular with the Hawaiians and they were good at it,” said Morgan. “Racing also became popular up until the mid-1900s. We even had a racetrack in Kapiolani Park. Then there was polo, which was always seen as the sport of royalty. People still play polo on Oahu today.”

Even though horseback riding isn’t the main form of transportation on the island, it is now widely used for enjoyment and as an art form. According to trainer Judy Cook, at Malu`olu Ranch in Waimanalo, people still come from all over to take joy in the experience. Cook has been an experienced horseback rider and trainer for the past 30 years.

“We get calls from all over to come here and ride horses,” said Cook. “We have tremendous interest from places like Europe, Japan, and the mainland. We’re open seven days a week and we stay very busy.”

This ranch offers lessons in various horseback riding art styles including English pleasure, dressage, hunter/jumper, western, trail, and reining. Aside from the recreation aspect, some take up horseback riding as a form of therapy.

“Sometimes a lot of people who prefer to be around the company of horses,” said Cook. “They tell me that it’s a whole lot cheaper to come out here and ride than it is to sit in someone’s office and tell them their problems.”

Therapeutic Horsemanship of Hawaii uses horses as a way to help riders with physical disabilities to build strength and confidence. According to the THH Executive Director, Dana Vennen, the bond between her riders and horses supports in both a physical and cognitive way.

“The connection between humans and horses go back a long way,” said Vennen. “We try to build a positive place for those who feel ‘outside the norm.’ Here, they build strength physically and mentally. It’s amazing to see what happens to a child when he begins to bond with a 1000 lb animal.”

But even with the growing interest in horses, there are still challenges to be faced.

“The problem isn’t that people don’t want to do this, it’s that we are running out of places to do it,” said Cook. “As people start to progress and move here, these large plots of land start to diminish. But we’re going to keep riding as long as there’s land to ride on.”

With more technological gains, the necessity for horses as modes of transportation has all but diminished. There are still equestrian societies, polo, rodeos, and breeding in Hawaii today, though, to remind us of a way of life that used to be quite prominent. Driving around the island in our vehicles today, we can imagine how the islands used to look in the age of ranching and paniolo. We can reminisce over the history and importance that horses once played in shaping Hawai`i and the rest of the world.

Originally published at https://garrettnicholascole.com on October 5, 2021.