Horse Heaven

Horse Heaven: Riding Adventures in New Zealand ...by Jan Knudsen

New Zealand is truly a horse heaven. A drive through the countryside will prove that. Everywhere you turn, you will find horses. I spent three weeks there last winter, traveling throughout the two main islands, and I never went a day without seeing horses. I saw riders on the beach, riders along the road, riders in the national parks, and riders in the back paddocks. I also saw signs pointing to race tracks and even visited one of the country’s many off-track betting facilities where local Kiwis met to wager on their favorites. I even met a woman, a retired British head school mistress, who was riding the whole length of the country, raising funds and awareness for therapeutic riding centers. And I met many riders and trek operators who talked about the New Zealand horses and riders used in the filming of the Lord of the Rings.

With a diverse geography that includes alpine mountains, plains, semi-tropical bush, and semi-arid desert, the equestrian traveler can easily plan a New Zealand riding vacation that is extraordinarily varied and that takes place in a country that is about the size of California. With the Internet, preplanning a riding vacation is easy. Before I arrived in NZ, I spent a little time surfing, planning two treks that promised spectacular scenery, which didn’t disappoint us. Once in the country, I found many more places to ride, taking up the reins at two more beautiful locations.

The Te Urewera National Forest is in the central part of the North Island. A vast wilderness of approximately 250,000 acres of native bush, the place is dense, magical, and remote. It is the ancestral homeland of the Maori’s Tuhoe tribe.

My family and I had prearranged an overnight farm stay and day trek with Te Urewera Adventures of New Zealand (http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/adventures/) located just outside the tiny community of Ruatahuna. We were fascinated to find that the proprietors, Whare and Margaret Biddle, were members of the local Maori population. Whare, a tribal elder, spoke softly, yet ardently, about his heritage and the land where he lived and worked. At the same time, the Biddles were anxious to learn about us—where we lived, what we enjoyed, and so on. Their hospitality and openness made us feel like welcomed guests rather than paying customers.

Riding through the thick bush of the Te Urewera was an experience that continues to fascinate us months later. Although we chose to book only a day ride, Te Urewera Adventures offers treks up to seven days through the bush and along the river valley. As we wound our way down the mountain, to the Whakatane River, our guide, Carlos, took time to point out many important plants that were edible, poisonous, or medicinal. Occasionally, we would catch a glimpse of the wild river far below. Our horses were sure-footed and comfortable along the narrow, steep, paths. They willingly crossed the many creeks and streams that flowed down the mountainside. The horses used for the trek are born and raised in this rugged terrain. The Biddle’s acclimate their horses to the trail while they are still very young. We enjoyed watching the antics of a 4-month old colt as he learned the ropes while accompanying his mother (the guide’s mount) on our ride. The yet unnamed dun wound in and out of our little group, testing the path, exploring the bush, and sometimes annoying our horses with his endless curiosity. When we finally reached the river, we stopped for lunch and waited for Whare and his group--a mother and daughter pair from Denmark.

Our ride back to the Biddle homestead was quite different from the first half of our trek. We crossed the river several times, seeking out the most ridable bank. Finally, we reached the place where Carlos lead us up a steep, sandy ridge, bringing us back to the path where we began our descent hours earlier. He said later that after having tested our riding skills, he was prepared to take us through the river and up that steep path. For us, flatlanders since birth, it was an exhilarating and rare opportunity.

Although the Biddles operate their business year-round, December-February offers the best of their summer. In addition to horse treks, they offer fly fishing excursions and tramping, making this adventure trek business a great destination if some members of your family are not as equestrian-minded as you.

Situated on the rugged east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, Kaikoura offers the traveler a host of adventures, including, of course, horseback riding. This beautiful seaside settlement is overlooked by majestic mountains which are snow capped for many months of the year. The premiere location of New Zealand’s eco-tourism industry, this area is an abundantly rich habitat for marine life. Kaikoura is famous for its whale watching. One of the few places in the world where whales can be seen year-round, tourists from all corners of the earth flock there. In addition to whale watching (we saw six magnificent sperm whale in less than and hour) tourists can swim with dolphins or seals (all under strict supervision), observe a variety of seabirds, or enjoy the gourmet meals that are offered at many local cafes. Not being a fan of salt-water swimming, I chose to go on a trail ride high above the town while my husband and daughter swam with seals.

Fyffe View Horse Treks offers a lovely two hour ride in the foot hills of Mt. Fyffe. The day I rode, a local veterinarian was enjoying her day off by acting as trail guide. She took a small group of us (a British couple, a young Chinese woman, a vacationing Kiwi, and me, an American) through a winding, wooded path that eventually lead us to a spectacular view of Kaikoura and the Pacific Ocean. Once again, we were educated about the vegetation and the history of the area as we ambled along on seasoned mounts.

It was on this ride where I began to hear about the horses and riders used in the making of the Lord of the Rings movies—a theme that would be repeated several more times. The horse community of Kaikoura was proud that a member of their local riding club rode as one of the Ring Wraiths. If you have seen the first movie of this trilogy, you will appreciate the skill and courage that went into making some of the riding scenes.

Finally, before our ride ended, our guide explained about the local farming industry and about how the proprietors of this trek, Sue and Peter McInnes, make their living off the land. Like most NZ farmers, they raise a variety of animals including red deer for Asian markets, selling both the meat and the antlers for what they described as a tidy profit. The horse trek is only one aspect of their land-based economy. Like so many others, explained our guide, the McInnes’ took their skills with horses and translated it into a thriving part of their farming business. Fyffe View Horse Treks does not have a website, but contact information can be found on a variety of websites about activities in Kaikoura.

Deep in the South Island is an area that is so refreshing and untouched by the hectic life, that it is hard to believe that such places still exist in our world. The land was quite different from the Te Urewera National Park—more open and not as lush. But it was still stunningly beautiful. Hurunui Horse Treks, tucked away in the high country of North Canterbury, offers a number of riding adventures. Our choice was an overnight New Year’s Eve ride. We found this opportunity on the Internet, months before leaving for New Zealand (http://www.horseback.co.nz/hurunui.shtml) and so we booked it early. Hurunui Horse Treks was the most professional horse trekking business that we encountered on our trip. A quick look around confirms the hard work put in by managers Rob Stanley and Mandy Platt. They have a large string of horses that includes many Thoroughbred/Clydesdale crosses, NZ’s own station-bred stock horses, and Connemara/draft crosses. Their crew was friendly, focused, and busy. Their outfit has a huge gear room where they keep and maintain English, Western, and Australian saddles. Add to that a variety of camping gear, saddle bags, and helmets (only for those so inclined), and you are easily convinced of their dedication to professionalism.

Rob Stanley is active in a group called Ride New Zealand and has been instrumental in the ongoing establishment of standards for the adventure riding industry that is so popular there. Adventure tourism is one of the main attractions for so many international travelers and most adventure activities are supported and staffed by employees and owners who have been certified as professionals. Horseback riding is no exception. On our ride, the trail guide’s assistant was a local student who was on Christmas break from school, where she was preparing for a career in the horse industry. Our ride through this wild high country was long and arduous and yet it was a thrilling adventure that was over too quickly. We rode six hours to our campsite. Winding our way through hillsides that were covered with sheep, rocks, and occasional fences, we marveled at the horses’ stamina as they climbed and descended again and again. Stopping only occasionally, we wondered about our own stamina. Six hours! Even with my regular riding schedule at home, my legs and seat began to ache a bit before reaching our campsite.

The campsite was hard to see from the trail—it was hidden in a grove of trees on a bluff above the Hurunui River. Rob and Mandy took four-wheel drive vehicles into the high country and met us with the necessary camp gear. Our camp cook, Kevin Platt, is a retired botanist who had worked with the New Zealand Forest Research Institute. He enjoyed talking about the native plants and trees that surrounded us. Shortly after we settled in, we were joined by a group of ten riders who were on the last night of an eight day trek. We celebrated an international New Year’s Eve with riders from Holland, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, the U.S. and Great Britain.

Adding interest to our group was a woman named Mary Pagnamenta. She came to camp with Rob and Mandy, taking a break from her own adventure. Mary, a retired Headmistress from Great Britain, was in the middle of riding the length of New Zealand to raise funds for two UK-based charities—the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy and the Brooke Hospital for Animals—and to promote the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled Association. New Zealand has an abundance of rough and rugged terrain, and a riding trip from one end to the other would be a challenge for any rider. Mary told me that her inspiration came from a book entitled Tschiffley’s Ride: a Tale of Two Horses. The book was about Aime Tschiffley, a Swiss explorer, who, in 1925, rode from Buenos Aires to New York with his mount and a pack horse. Hurunui Horse Treks provided Mary with her two horses and offered her a place to relax over the Christmas Holidays. You can visit Mary’s website and read about her trip (completed just this summer—NZ’s winter) by going to http://www.fourbeatstofreedom.com/. Trekking back to home base on New Year’s Day took just over five hours. Joined now by the larger group, we marveled at the little terrier, Tyson, who rode along, via saddlebags, with guide James Stanley—Rob and Mandy’s son. Tired, but exhilarated, we visited the local tavern—the haunted Hurunui Hotel—and enjoyed a New Year’s drink with some of our new friends. Eleven hours in the saddle in less than 24 hours—it was an adventure for us.

Just days away from returning home to the dead of winter, I longed for one more warm weather ride. We had seen a sign along the highway for Stonehurst Farms and I had recognized the name from my talks with Rob Stanley of Hurunui Horse Treks. Like Rob, trek owners Suzanne and Laurence Max are also involved with Ride New Zealand, and concerned with establishing standards for the horse trek industry. And like the McInnes’of Fyffe View Horse Treks, they added equestrian activities to help support a farming business that could no longer rely solely on sheep farming. In addition to treks, they run a riding and boarding stable where area equestrians train and ride. Their staff is highly trained, professional, and friendly.

Stonehurst Farms is located just outside of Nelson, New Zealand—a modern and lovely city on the northwest tip of the South Island. This little gem of a trek business offers casual day trips and caters to riders of all levels. The ride that we took skirted their hilly farm. Because the group I joined had some very inexperienced riders, we went slowly. During the break at an old musterer’s cabin, Laurence Max introduced me to his new mount, Percy. Percy was used extensively in the second and third parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Stonehurst Farms has purchased six horses that were used in the movies. Two horses were featured in the second film as royal guard horses to the Rohan King of Middle Earth. Three others were used as Black Riders’ horses. But Percy would be the one who would most likely be considered a star. He played the part of King Theoden's personal horse and was used extensively in battle scenes. In the story, his rider, the seventeenth King of Rohan, was crushed beneath his mount after it had been shot with a black dart. When I went to take a photo of Percy, he turned and posed for me—true to his new status as movie star.

One of the things that I regularly encountered throughout New Zealand, was the flexibility of trek operators to adapt to their riders. Stonehurst Farms was no exception. I was allowed to take a separate path homeward with guide and professional horseman, Callum Gibson. This allowed us to move out a bit, giving me a chance to really ride. Stonehurst farms has a well-organized and useful website. Visit it at http://www.stonehurstfarm.co.nz/.

There has been some controversy about the treatment of the horses during the filming of the three movies. The owner-operator of an equestrian adventure group, alleged that there was mistreatment of his horses. But when his charges reached the courts, it was thrown out after a 90-minute hearing. A spokesperson for the production company said "Throughout the filming of The Lord of the Rings, our production team took great pride in treating our extras, people, and animals with the utmost care and respect. Our set was a happy one." This sentiment was echoed by Lucy Long, a trek guide at Stonehurst Farms and a rider in the production. When asked what impressed her most about her time working with the film, she answered “the dedication and the professionalism of the people training us and basically having us in the right place, on the set, at the right time amongst sometimes up to 200 horses going at speed.” She adds, “one of the most thrilling experiences was taking up to 2 hours every morning to transfer ourselves into the character roles we played.”

Certainly, horses and actors alike, took risks in the making of this trilogy. But the risk is not unlike that taken by equestrian sports enthusiasts each and everyday, in pursuit of their goals. If you are interested in learning more about how the horse scenes were shot, visit http://www.horsewyse.net/lotr.html or http://www.ahafilm.info/movies/moviereviews.phtml?fid=7368 to read detailed descriptions of the methods used in the making of some of the most exciting rides ever caught on film. Both sites explain how scenes were shot and what steps were taken to protect both people and horses.

If you are interested in planning an equestrian horse vacation in New Zealand, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Book your flight early. Airfare to New Zealand is expensive, but if you allow yourself some lead time, you might be able to find good deals. Do your research to avoid getting in over your head. Here is a web address that can get you in touch with groups associated with Ride New Zealand: http://www.ridenz.com/ridenz.shtml. Many treks are difficult and require some experience and a little bit of grit. Most of the bigger adventure groups have excellent websites, giving you plenty of information for making judgments about the suitability of rides. When in doubt, email ahead.

Make reservations. Many New Zealanders are on holiday during the two weeks following Christmas, and motels get booked quickly. If you know where you are heading, make reservations before leaving the U.S. If you are like my family and enjoy the pleasure of exploration without detailed itineraries, go to local information centers—found in most good sized towns. These centers have maps, brochures, and booking agents. There are many unadvertised and difficult to find B & Bs—the information center agents can help you find a place, book your stay, and even take your payment.