Meet the last horsemen of these paradise islands - 1

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.

Wild horses flee as Marquesan cowboys approach.

Ua Huka's riders surround a group of horses and capture them with a lasso.

Jérémie rides his horse through Hiva Oa's lush terrain.

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.

Vohi trains one of his horses on the beach of Hane.

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.

Jérémie and his horse, Teken, take a traditional seawater bath at Atuona Beach.

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.

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.

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.

Marquesan horsemen build their own saddles using local wood. They are usually shaped to carry bags of copra, or dried coconut.

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.

Ua Huka is blanketed in a cloak of green during the rainy season, though the area is normally overdry throughout the year.

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.

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.