Meet the last horsemen of these paradise islands - 1
Published 21 Dec 2018, 08:19 GMT

After a night of bivouac on the crests of Ua Huka with his sons, Vohi gathers the horses in preparation for their return to the valley.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Wild horses flee as Marquesan cowboys approach.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Ua Huka's riders surround a group of horses and capture them with a lasso.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Jérémie rides his horse through Hiva Oa's lush terrain.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Paco was born and raised in Ua Huka. After a career in the French army, he built his own ranch and now owns a dozen beautiful mounts. He likes showing his island to tourists on horseback and hunting wild pigs with his dogs.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Vohi trains one of his horses on the beach of Hane.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Vohi patiently works to gain the trust of his horses. Each stage in the training process is crucial in reaching harmony between the man and the horse. He regularly speaks to them in the Marquesan language and calls them by imitating their neigh.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Jérémie and his horse, Teken, take a traditional seawater bath at Atuona Beach.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Vohi regularly captures wild horses in the hills of Ua Huka with his friends. He has been practising this high-risk activity since a very young age.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Paco grew up in Ua Huka surrounded by the traditions of the Marquesan horse. He now owns his own ranch with a dozen beautiful mounts.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Patricia has lived with Paco for 30 years on the island of Hiva Oa and he taught her how to ride. They live in harmony with their horses who sometimes solicit small gourmet treats from the kitchen.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Marquesan horsemen build their own saddles using local wood. They are usually shaped to carry bags of copra, or dried coconut.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Like many islanders, Vohi makes a living in the copra industry and uses his horse to carry the bags. The coconut flesh will be dried and then sold to the Tahiti oil mill to make the famous 'monoi', a cosmetic coconut oil.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Ua Huka is blanketed in a cloak of green during the rainy season, though the area is normally overdry throughout the year.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
After a day on horseback, riders set up the camp in a small cave. In the early morning they will hunt wild pigs in the depth of the valley.
Photograph by Julien Girardot
Like many islanders, Vohi regularly goes on a pig hunt after dark. He is one of the few that still does it on horseback, however.
Photograph by Julien Girardot