Journey to Heaven: Why Sumba Loves the Sandalwood Pony | Social and Cultural Affairs

Sumba, Indonesia – Named after the fragrant trees that covered the island, carrying Sandalwood to Sumba is the only horse breed in Indonesia that still has an economic, cultural and religious dimension.

A strong and sturdy and strong and fun bull, Sandalwood horses are the only Indonesian horse exported: like baby Australian horses and racehorses from Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. They are also wanted by slaughterhouses in the Sulawesi region of Indonesia where horse meat is good.

But the proliferation of motorcycles, including the ongoing drought in Sumba, 800km (497 miles) east of Bali, is forcing many people to move from the countryside to the cities and some are worried that the pony will remain.

“Motorcycles are now more valuable than horses on the island,” says Claude Graves, an American hotel and philanthropist who has lived in Sumba for 40 years.

“Culture is dying. Only Pasola is keeping them, “he added, referring to the annual festival held at the beginning of the rice planting season when riders pick up spears to dump human blood on the ground.

Petrus Ledibani, assistant manager at Nihi Sumba, a resort that specializes in horse racing, says that while his father is still young, every Sumbanese child can ride.

“But now many children have never been on a horse – only those whose families have horses or who participate in horse racing and who know how to ride,” he said.

Selling horses

One of the eight official breeds of horses sold in Indonesia, the Sandalwood horses have small ears, a short strong neck and an unusually long neck. Their line dates back to the eighth century when Chinese traders visited Indonesia for the first time.

“They are called Sandalwood horses because the Chinese have switched with Mongolian horses instead of sandalwood and locals,” Carol Sharpe, an Australian paleontologist who set up the Nihi Sumba habitat, told Al Jazeera. “She was later abducted by Arabian horses and by traders from the Middle East. Arabian by nature is the fastest horse while the Mongols are also fast but also very strong, so the best mix. But it is not good for the workplace because of the shortage, perhaps because of years of malnutrition. The island has a lot of grass but most of it is not healthy. ”

But the Sumbanese, who practice Catholicism or spiritistic Islam, have found many other uses for pony: transportation, landmarks, payment of dowry, funeral offerings and treasure chests.

In the 1930’s, Dutch colonists introduced horse racing to the island.

Sandalwood and Australia Thoroughbreds sprinter companies have also emerged and are now controlled by Indonesian and Chinese heritage. But many pastoralists in Sumba are not concerned about the health of their animals, according to Sharpe.

“These races are facing back problems because they started running too fast. I have seen babies as young as 12 or 18 months on the road. They also confuse them, inject steroids and give them electronic drinks or coffee before the competition, ”he said.

The grass supplied to Sumba is not very healthy and is thought to be one of the minor reasons for Sandalwood horses [Ian Neubauer/Al Jazeera]

“Also let their horses be chased away in difficult times to save food. They don’t like to stay long. In 2019 we experienced a severe drought. Horses were falling like flies. ”

Instagram isolation

Despite being in good health, Sharpe recognizes that larger Thoroughbred-Sandalwood construction sites are better suited to the site than Sandalwood horses, forming a herd.

“They were trained to run in fearful ways so at first they were uncontrollable. Anyone who tried to ride with them would go downhill,” he said. “

Sharpe learned new skills from his regular teammates, most notably, how to clean the animals by getting them into the waves, sometimes by climbers. Over time, the ritual of bathing became a volunteer service at the site.

When guests took photos and shared them online, swing horses began to appear on Instagram.

“Sumba has always been known in Indonesia as a place for horses,” said Jonathan Hani, a horse herder in the sleepy Waingapu city of Tumba. “But when the visitors to Nihi started swimming with horses and people saw the pictures on the other side, the broadcast was very good for us. It put Sumba on the map. We have a lot of visitors from other countries.”

Accommodation manager Madlen Ernest also mentions horses as the ones who kept the house safe during the coronavirus and put food on the table for more than 300 people.

“Before the epidemic, almost all our visitors were from abroad so when the travel ban was passed in April, we had to close it,” he said.

“Four months later we reopened the Indonesian market. At first we were skeptical if it would work, but things started much faster than expected because some of the Indonesian promoters left here also posted pictures of horses swimming on Instagram.”

The journey to heaven

The Sumba Foundation, which provides clean water, health care, nutrition and education to the approximately 35,000 people on the island, has also encouraged the hospitality of visitors and horses to Sumba.

“We allow children from the countryside to come to the beach with their horses to compete. Visitors buy tickets to bet on their hobbies and the winners go to other projects, “said the company’s chief executive, Patrick Compau. surgery in Bali to save his life. “

Claude Grave, co-founder: “We see about eight young children coming to compete, all proud. It’s great that we can make money but for me, all children’s competitions are to preserve the culture.”

Despite recent changes in Sumba’s life, breeder Hani believes the Sandalwood pony will always be a cultural landmark.

“They are no longer used by most people when traveling because motorcycles are simple but they are still used in our culture,” he said. “If a boy wants to marry a girl, he has to give his parents some horses. When a person dies, a family has to give up a horse because we believe it will take their life to heaven.

“Horses are our best friends in Sumba, part of the family,” he says. “Having one is a sign of pride. If a person has a horse, then he has good manners. ”