Delft Wild Horses

The wild horses of Delft are the image most travellers carry away from the island. A small herd of perhaps a hundred animals roams freely across the scrubland and the grazing plains in the centre and east of the island, drifting between the freshwater wells and the open coast as the day goes on. They are stocky, short-legged, weather-toughened, and almost entirely unconcerned by visitors who keep their distance.

Their origin is the more interesting question. The most credible explanation is that they descend from the cavalry and pack horses left behind in turn by the Portuguese in the 17th century and the Dutch from the 18th, both of whom maintained small garrisons at the fort by the jetty. The British, who inherited the island, are also believed to have used Delft as a stud farm at one point. After the colonial structures were abandoned, the horses were left to themselves and have been semi-feral for several centuries. They are now genetically distinct enough that local researchers describe them as the only true wild horse population in South Asia.

You see them on the standard tractor circuit. The driver will slow on the open stretches and let the herd come into view across the palmyra and the coral-walled fields. They are not domesticated and do not approach for food; the rule is to watch from where you are. A telephoto lens is more useful than a wide-angle one.

The horses are most active in the cooler hours — early morning, late afternoon — and tend to gather around the freshwater wells in the heat of the middle of the day. The Seven Wells area on the western shore is one of the more reliable sightings; the open plain south of Queen's Tower is another.

Take care if you are driving. The animals cross the tracks without warning and the tractor brakes are not always quick.