Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 3, 1 Malaki 1990 — Naturally Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Naturally Hawaiian

By Patrick Ching artist/environmentalist

The wonderful Hawaiian horse

Few sights are as breathtakingly beautiful as that of a proud horse, coat aglow with the morning sun, grazing in an open pasture on the slopes of a Hawaiian hillside. Most of us who've lived in Hawai'i for any

amount of time have grown to associate horses with the rural island lifestyle. Horsesare not native to the Hawaiian Islands; however, since the early 1800s, they have become an integral part of island living for many of Hawaii's people. Horses were first brought to Hawai'i from California in 1803 by Capt. Richard J. Cleveland aboard the H.M.S. Lelia Byrd. These horses were called "mustangs," a name taken from the Spanish word "mesteno" meaning wild livestock. The Hawaiians called the horse "lio" whieh was either derived from the word li'o, whieh means fiery-eyed and restless, or from the word 'ilio, meaning dog. Cleveland presented the horses to King Kamehameha, who at first did not seem overly impressed with the animals, though he later became the first Hawaiian ever to ride a horse. After the death of Kamehameha the Great, his youngest son Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) realized the potential for using horses to gather wild cattle that had been introduced to Hawai'i by Capt. George Vancouver in 1793. The king sent one of his high priests to California, whieh was then a part of Mexico, to invite Spanish vaqueros (cowboys) to eome to Hawai'i and teach the Hawaiians how to ride, rope and manage livestock. In 1832 three vaqueros eame to Hawai'i and began teaching the Hawaiians the art of roping cattle in an area whieh would later become the town of Waimea (Kamuela) on the island of Hawai'i. The Hawaiians called the vaqueros "paniola," a derivation of the word Espanol, meaning "Spaniard" or "Spanish." Today the word has been changed to "paniolo" though some old timers still say paniola.

The Hawaiians quickly learned the art of riding and roping as well as the art of constructing leather saddles, ropes and tack. Soon many Hawaiians were living the livestyle of the paniolo. Over the years, keeping captive herds of cattle proved to be mueh more practical than rounding up feral livestock and many cattle ranches were established throughout the islands. The largest of these ranches was founded on the island of Hawai'i by John Palmer Parker and is known today as the Parker Ranch. The superior cowboy skills of the paniolo beeame world famous as, time and again, cowboys from Hawai'i competed and won top honors in rodeo competitions throughout the United States. At one time Ikua Purdy, a Parker Ranch paniolo, was considered the ehampion steer roper of the world, having taken first plaee at the World Steer Roping championships in Cheyenne, Wyo. Today the role of the horse in Hawai'i has taken many new directions. Horses are not only being used on the range, but they are being ridden in parades, polo matches, breed shows and dressage competitions as well. The military trains many people to work with horses as do 4H clubs and many riding stables throughout the state. Perhaps the most popular use of horses today is for the sheer pleasure of viewing the Hawaiian countryside from the back of a beautiful beast.