Lombok horse

The Lombok (Indonesian: Kuda lombok) is a breed of horse found on the island of Lombok, Indonesia. Probably of Mongolian origin, this pony is influenced by horses from neighboring islands, notably Java, and is itself regularly exported to other Indonesian islands. With its height of around 1.22 m and high-legged design, the Lombok is closely related to the Macassar, a pony native to southern Sulawesi, of which it is sometimes considered a type. They are traditionally hitched to cidomo, small two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicles particularly common on the Gili Islands. They can pull heavy loads of building materials or beer. Numbers are fairly small, with around 5,000 recorded throughout Indonesia in 2003.

History
Kuda lombok (Lombok horse) is the name given to this breed on the island of Lombok, but the breed known as "Macassar", found in southern Sulawesi, is very similar to Lombok. These two breeds are often described together, with Lombok being considered a type of the Macassar breed. Kuda means "horse" in Indonesian. Another name for the Macassar is Sulawesi pony. Like all Indonesian ponies, the Lombok is probably of Mongolian descent. An 1851 issue of the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia describes it as a cross between the Bali and Sumbawa breeds. Given Lombok's history, it is possible that the local pony received subsequent influence from Dutch horses.

Although the island of Lombok is regularly mentioned as a horse exporter, this trade seems to have had little historical significance. By 1515, it seems that East Java was regularly supplied with Lombok ponies. According to Portuguese writer Tomé Pires, writing in the early 16th century, this trade also existed in the opposite direction, with horses from Java being regularly imported to the island of Lombok.

These ponies were exported by the Dutch: indeed, in the records, Lombok is occasionally indicated as a horse-exporting island, particularly during the 1850s. However, there are few other reliable sources. Lombok's livestock boats are fitted out with kulis, and are used to transport ponies to other islands. Conversely, horses were imported to Lombok in smaller numbers. In the 1850s, the local Rajahs bought English mares in Sydney, which they crossed with Lombok or Macassar ponies.

Exports from Lombok collapsed between 1890 and 1910. By 1922, the Lombok was considered a small horse of little importance, although some were still exported to the island of Java. Trade in Lombok horses has declined in favor of horses from other Indonesian islands.

Description
The Lombok averages 1.22 m in length according to CAB International (2016) and the second edition of the University of Oklahoma Encyclopedia (2007), but smaller measurements are sometimes reported, averaging 1.11 m for females and 1.14 m for males. These are notably the measurements provided by the DAD-IS database and the Delachaux Guide (2014).

The model is typical of native Indonesian ponies, which are generally small in size. They are light ponies, fairly high on the legs, broader in the chest than Bali ponies, with a smooth, short mane.

The coat is usually bay or chestnut, with bay and seal brown being more common. The Delachaux guide lists only the dark bay. The breed is reputed to be hardy and easy to care for. Fed on hay, as opposed to the free-range system common on other Indonesian islands, these ponies are generally well cared for by their owners, especially when used to pull cidomo.

Usage
The Lombok could be used as a packhorse, a saddle horse and a horse-drawn vehicle,  and is also frequently ridden for working equitation. Still widely used for road transport, it is best known for pulling cidomo (or cedomo), small, brightly-colored, partially-covered, two-wheeled pneumatic carts, particularly common on the Gili Islands. In fact, this is still the only way to get around. This practice is now valued for its potential as a tourist attraction, lending a certain rural charm to these islands in the eyes of foreign visitors. On the Gili Islands, these horses pull very heavy loads of building materials or Bintang, an Indonesian beer, hitched to horse-drawn vehicles that are generally unregistered. Note that each island has its own cidomo registration and licensing system and there is a limit on numbers of horsecarts per island. As of 2023 all are required to be licensed and pay operating taxes.

Lombok horses have a different kind of importance, as the locals also consume products from these animals, notably their meat. Lombok inhabitants were not originally horse-lovers, this practice probably being the result of colonization and adaptation to the local slaughter tax system. Hippophagy is attested as early as 1924.

Cases of horse abuse have been reported in the Gili Islands. The not for profit Yayasan "Horses of Gili" works alongside other organizations to promote horse welfare, notably by setting up veterinary clinics and training horse riders.

Spreading breeding
Lombok is a locally adapted breed in Indonesia, specific to the island of Lombok and the western Lesser Sunda Islands (West Nusa Tenggara). DAD-IS does not provide an indication of the threat level, nor does it survey the population. The Guide Delachaux cites a population of 5 000 head in 2003, making it an Indonesian breed of low distribution.