The Horses of Gili Trawangan

One interesting aspect of the Gili Islands is that no motorized vehicles are allowed for private use. That's the good news.

On Gili Trawangan, horse-drawn carts called Cidomo are the primary source of transportstion. They add a certain charm to an overly-commercialized landscape. Now the bad news. Tourists have accused the Cidomo industry of abusing the horses--malnourishment, excessive work hours, and heavy use of the whip to spur the horses on to greater speed are the main accusations. It is asserted that the average life span of these horses is only three years because of mistreatment, when most horses live to about 20.

One hour on Trawangan is certainly not enough time to make any sort of assessment. I saw no obvious signs of abuse, but most horses were sitting idly, in the absence of tourists. And neither horses nor drivers appeared particularly happy with their fate in life.  As is the case with most things in the world, especially those involving money, the truth probably sits in an uncomfortable gray area where there is little moral heroism to be found--except in the case of the horses themselves who carry the weight of the island on their backs.