Preserving the soul of Sumba through the protection of its Sandalwood horses and heritage.
On the island of Sumba, the Sandalwood horse is far more than livestock — it is woven into marriage traditions, funeral rites, and the annual Pasola festival. Yet this living heritage faces challenges from financial hardship, limited veterinary access, malnutrition, and fading traditional horsemanship, putting horses and other animals at risk.
The Sumba Horse Project exists to change that. Working alongside local vets, we provide anti-parasite treatment, wound and dental care, emergency aid, and nutritional support, while our charity also helps other animals across Sumba. Every treatment and rescue is paired with education, working alongside traditional healers to bring modern veterinary care together with generations of Sumbanese knowledge.
11 RESCUED HORSES | 30 HORSES TREATED PER CYCLE | $100K CLINIC GOAL | 3–4 MONTHS BETWEEN TREATMENT CYCLES EXPANDING TO MORE VILLAGES | SURRA TREATMENT RESEARCH
Overview
The Sandalwood horse, an ancient breed in Sumba, originated from Mongolian Chinese horses, named after the precious wood they once collected, and has adapted to one of Indonesia’s most demanding environments. Long dry seasons leave water and grass scarce, causing undernourishment and dehydration, while rains bring flooding, impassable roads, and the spread of parasites and disease. Valued as a working horse, a traditional bridewealth (belis) horse, and a competitor in local horse racing, the Sandalwood horse remains woven into Sumba’s cultural and ceremonial life.
Across Sumba, we care for Sandalwood horses and other animals with anti-parasite treatment, wound, hoof and dental care, emergency veterinary assistance, and nutritional support. Alongside direct medical care, we work with local communities to strengthen animal welfare through practical education, bringing modern veterinary knowledge together with Sumba’s cultural values and traditional horsemanship. Together, we help owners prevent disease, improve nutrition, and provide better daily care. Our goal is to ensure the island’s animals live healthier, happier lives while preserving Sumba’s unique customs and heritage.
At the heart of our work are Dr. Osta and the NIHI Stable Team, all born and raised in rural Sumba. Dr. Osta grew up learning traditional animal care from his family and village elders before earning his veterinary degree in Kupang and returning home to serve his community.
Together with the experienced horsemen and caregivers of the NIHI Stable Team, and supported by senior veterinarian Dr. Nanta, they bring modern veterinary science together with generations of local knowledge. Together, they care for animals, share knowledge with communities, and help keep Sumba’s equestrian traditions alive.
Every contribution helps protect Sumba’s animals, support local communities, and preserve the island’s unique equestrian heritage.
- Participate in an Equine Activity at NIHI — NIHI donates $5- $10 from every horse activity booked to support the Sumba Horse Project.
- Sponsor a Village — $600 provides one village with a year of basic veterinary care, parasite prevention, and animal welfare education.
- Sponsor a Veterinary Student — $3,000 per year funds veterinary education in Kupang, helping train the next generation of Sumbanese veterinarians.
- Sponsor a Rescue Pony — $1,800 per year covers full care and rehabilitation at the NIHI Rescue Stable.
- Sponsor the Future Clinic — Help build Sumba’s dedicated veterinary clinic. Every donation brings us closer to our $100,000 goal.
- Sponsor a Malnutrition Recovery Plan — $18 provides a 25 kg bag of feed and rice bran, enough to nourish one pony for approximately 1–1.5 months, depending on its condition.
- Sponsor Emergency Care — Around $750 covers a typical five-day emergency treatment, including sedation, wound repair, pain relief, antibiotics, and veterinary care.
- Sponsor a Check-Up on the Sumba Plains and remote villages — $250 funds a full day of fieldwork to locate, examine, treat free-roaming and village working horses, buffalo and other animals.
ACTUAL CHANGE HAPPENS WHEN YOU
Get involved
Together, we can improve the lives of Sumba’s animals while safeguarding the traditions and communities that have cared for them for generations.
– Sumba Horse Project –
Nihigram
Discover polo, the NIHI way. For a limited time, join Sebastian, a professional Argentinian polo player and coach, for an introduction to the game.
Whether you’re trying polo for the first time or looking to refine your swing, balance and horsemanship, Sebastian will guide you with the ocean as your backdrop.
Weight restrictions apply.
Some mornings feel as though they belong to another world.
Move with @nihi and @wearetpp to the sound of the ocean, looking out over Nihiwatu Beach as NIHI’s horses gallop along the shore.
Reformer Pilates, in a setting almost too beautiful to be real.
Today, we bid a heartfelt farewell to one of our original Sumba sea horses, Hanna.
Hanna was our very first healing horse, the one who showed us the way. She spent her days at Nihioka Spa Safari, living peacefully beneath the palm trees and grazing on the hillside.
Through her gentle nature and intuitive energy, she brought comfort, connection and healing to so many. She touched the lives of everyone who had the joy of meeting her. Today, her herd honoured her in the water with a final farewell.
Her spirit will forever run free along the shores of Nihiwatu Beach. Thank you, Hanna, for the healing, love and cherished memories. You will always be a treasured part of the NIHI herd.
Start your day with a friendly game of tennis at NIHI’s new Ride & Racquet Club. Listen to the sound of the ocean as you play, while horses wander freely past the court, a morning that could only happen at NIHI Sumba.
We are deeply honoured to share that NIHI Sumba has been awarded the prestigious Michelin Three Keys for the second year in a row, recognising NIHI as an extraordinary trip of a lifetime stay, the ultimate in comfort, service, style, and elegance.
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We are proud to be one of only three hotels in Indonesia to receive this prestigious accolade.
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Our heartfelt thanks to our incredible team for their dedication, passion, and spirit.
No, this is not AI. This is NIHI.
Here, horses are at the heart of the culture, carrying generations of tradition, ceremony and an enduring sense of freedom.
Across the island, local Sumbanese people bring their horses to the sea to bathe and swim. At NIHI, our horses also enter the ocean daily, swimming or simply standing in the shallows as the cool water washes over them.
One of the comments we receive most often is that these scenes must be AI. But no, everything you see on this page is real, authentic and unmistakably Sumba.
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Arrive at NIHI by helicopter, just 17 minutes from Tambolaka Airport. Take in the beauty of Sumba from the air and see the island from an entirely new perspective. Soar above rugged coastlines, rolling savannahs and untouched landscapes on the way to NIHI.
To explore even further, private helicopter tours and picnics in some of the island’s most remote and beautiful locations can also be arranged on request.
A very special night for NIHI.
We are incredibly proud to celebrate two incredible honours at The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026.
James McBride @bapakjames has been named the 2026 SevenRooms Icon Award winner, recognising more than three decades spent reimagining hospitality and shaping NIHI into what it is today.
And NIHI Sumba has been named No. 35 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026, once again standing among the very best hotels in the world.
A huge thank you to our incredible team in Sumba, our community, and everyone who has visited, supported and been part of NIHI’s story over the years.
Reformer Pilates has arrived at @nihi with The Pilates Project.
Move to the sound of the ocean, overlooking Nihiwatu Beach as NIHI’s horses gallop along the shore. A morning that feels almost too magical to be real.
Probably the most beautiful place in the world for Reformer Pilates.
At NIHI’s Ride & Racquet Club, it’s not uncommon to see a few familiar faces wandering past the tennis court as they make their way to the stables. Just another morning at NIHI.
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#nihigram by @alifeiimagined
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