Land development
Land development and an increasing human population reduced the number of the Kaimanawa horses and the space they had to roam, and in 1979 only around 174 horses remained. In 1981, the Kaimanawa horse population, the size of the ranges, and the herd movements began to be officially measured. A protected area was formed in the Waiouru Army Camp for the Kaimanawa herds to live. Legislative protection of the Kaimanawa horses was similar to the kiwi bird and other native species. There was a rapid increase in the herd size following the protection of the breed, and 1,576 horses were living in the area by 1994.