Hi, my husband & I are looking at houses in Bonaire. Was wondering if anyone has any information and owning horses there. We know there are at least 3 barns/stables and horses can be rented. Was wondering about shipping, feed, vets etc. Looking for horse property but boarding is an option if anyone offers it. Thanks, Kyle in New England. USA.

Welcome to BT Kyle!
I know there is a place to go horseback riding on Bonaire, but this is something we have never done. It is very dry on the island,and although donkeys seem to fair "pretty" well, I'm not sure if there is enough grassland (any) to graze horses.

We know someone who has horses on Bonaire and their hay has to be imported from the US.

I figured the hay is imported. Knowing how ya'll don't what more cars there, horses would be a great way to get around. Figured there'd be more. Brian, any chance of getting prices from the person you know? Hay, grain, vet. services etc. Cost of shipping a horse to the island? Any laws to prohibit riding in certain areas etc. How about the possibly of boarding if we can't find property resembling a farm?

Most of the island is undeveloped. You should not have trouble finding kunuku property. Some Antilleans have weekend houses there, and I know an American couple and a Dutch couple who have built their homes there. You would need to generate your own power and drill a well. The kunuku is beautiful. My next door neighbors kindly drove me around for several hours recently. I even saw cattle there, and, of course, horses and some crops. You would find plenty of dirt roads for riding.

Thanks Tish, but what is "Kunuku"?

Kyle,

A Kunuku is the basic Papiamentu term for "farm". It would be best to contact one of the local real estate agencies to see what is available.

Liz

Kunuku means both a rural area (the country) and the fields and farms in that area.
On Bonaire, some people live there, and some just plant crops and keep animals there. Much of the island's interior is kunuku, with dirt roads threading through it.
Since the island looks something like the southwestern US, you might prefer to think of the occupied kunukus as ranches.

Hi Kyle,

My dad has had horses on Bonaire for the last 15 years. You can email him: bonaire@blackdurgon.com with any of your questions.

He has been through it all...hay, vets, transporting,etc. His name is Al and he would be glad to answer your questions.

Rona

From what I understood talking to a friend with horses in Bonaire, hay is pretty much a luxury, and very expensive for a quality that my horses up here (also New England) would look at and walk away from. Not mildewy but very dry and coarse.

Her horses mostly are fed a complete feed grain, with a bit of hay when available, as well as palm fronds for something else to chew on. I don't think you're going to see many chubby horses in Bonaire.

Thanks all!
Rona, Did e-mail yer Dad! Susan, my horses are used to our cows hay so they'll eat anything. LOL

I asked my friend Marion, who runs the Kanuku Warahama on Bonaire about bringing horses from the states. She said that it would be a cruel thing to bring them from home because of the change in climate and conditions. She said one would be better off getting one from the island or nearby South America where the horses are aclimated to things in the caribean already. She said it would bring too much stress to them and would not advise it.

Thanks Lorraine, that's probably very true with lots of warmbloods but Quarter horses are very hardy & adaptable. I've raised my horses from babies and couldn't leave them behind with just anybody. Bad enough to sell most of them first , then have to pick out which one (or 2) to bring.

Marion has been running Kanuku Warahama for over 20yrs. She is a very knowledgeable horse women and cares for her horses with all her heart.
Maybe the next time you come to Bonaire you can make arrangements for her to show you around the ranch and maybe get some insite to owning horses on Bonaire 1st hand You can find her #'s under horseback ridding.