Riding

Cathy (in foreground) with Heather, Christine and
Annette, enjoying the view from the top of the hill.

When Equine Influenza cancelled Equitana, Peggy, Annette and I (Heather) decided we would still go on a trip which involved horses. After looking at what was available and the cost of airfares we decided we could go to New Zealand for a little more than the price of a flight to Melbourne. I spent some time researching on the Internet and found a place at Mt. Lyford – about two hours north of Christchurch – which offers horse treks focussing on natural horsemanship. Kate Tapely operates Mt Lyford Horse Treks as well as Otahuna Horse Riding, just outside Christchurch.

After many emails back and forth to Kate it was decided we would spend five nights at her accommodation at Mt. Lyford – ‘Pokaka’ Ski Chalet – a fantastic log house secluded in the forest with a view to Mt. Lyford. We then had four days to spend riding. We also spent another two days before the ride at Hanmer Springs which is known for its great thermal pools. So we arrived refreshed and excited at Mt. Lyford for our big horse riding experience. On arrival we had the pleasure of meeting Kate and Walter, who had been at their house over the weekend.

Our guide for the four days was Cathy Johns who runs the Mt. Lyford horse treks for Kate. Cathy welcomed us on Day 1, introduced us to our other riding companions, Christine from Christchurch and Ina from Germany. After talking to us about our riding ability and experiences, Peggy was partnered with Kelly, a cheeky Welsh pony X mare, Annette met Basil – a standardbred , and I was introduced to Cosmo – a big Clydie X St James breed (a typical breed of high country horse).

We started with ground work. They use Ken Faulkner style which is a little different from Parelli so we learnt some new moves. After lunch we mounted and practised our riding skills. Cathy was very helpful as Annette and I had not done much natural riding so it was a great experience.

Riders

Our comments from the Diary on Day 1 – Peggy on Kelly – All she really wanted to do was ‘eat’. A feisty little mare and I had to be quite assertive most of the time but when she decided to do something she was quite light and co-operative. I think she needs stimulation and changes of tasks frequently to keep interest.

Annette on Basil – Wanted lots of cuddles. Quite stiff and not expected to be too flexible – he did try and succeeded after a while, while ridden stubborn at times and wanted to compete as in a ‘race’ with other herd members. Did most obstacles well.

Heather on Cosmo – had been used intensively in the previous week and had a bit of a ‘do I have to’ attitude. Good circling game and when ridden an easy trot transition. A ‘gentle giant’ with a fondness for eating.

Day 2 dawned fine again and we had a 9 am start. Peggy changed horses to Albie – a 10 year old gelding – they hit it off instantly! Today we were doing a ride of four to five hours. We saddled up, attaching our rolled drizabone to the saddle. Peggy had shown Cathy a new way to roll the raincoat and Cathy was so impressed she has named it the ‘Peggy Roll’ which you can view if you ever go there. After preparing with ground work we headed off – Cathy (our guide) on ‘Peppermint’, Peggy on Albie, Heather on Cosmo, Annette on Basil, Ina on Kelly and Christine on Rusty. Tina, another guide, brought up the rear on Angel.

We rode through grassland, pine forest, across creeks and had lunch on a hilltop with a beautiful view over the mountains. The weather began to change but we made it home before rain. The day ended after taking in beautiful scenery on lovely relaxed horses with relaxed and happy riders.

It turned very cold that evening. We had tea at the Lodge where Christine and Ina were staying and shared our meal with ‘Snowy’, the resident husky. That night we needed a fire and the next morning we woke to Annette yelling out “it’s snowed!”. We were greeted with a beautiful clear morning and snow on the mountain – just perfect!

This was the day of our ‘big trek’. After grooming, saddling, and ground work we mounted and rode up the hill to Crystal Lake. We rode over alpine meadows, through pine forests and took in the fantastic views which were quite magical with the fresh snow. We had lunch at Crystal Lake, enjoyed chatting about ‘life’ in general and had some good ‘girl’ talk. We then had to walk the horses down the rough road for a short while, gave them a drink at the creek and then started our journey home.

Back at the Containers!

This was a great day – we were just getting into the swing of it! After unsaddling, grooming, feeding we gathered for another cuppa and another heart to heart talk about what feelings can be brought up from the connection with horses. We (including Christine, Ina, Cathy and Tina) found we had all had a ‘spiritual/emotional’ moment at some time while riding with Peggy having a very emotional moment connecting with her horse Albie, which I guess is what Mel Fleming talks about.

We also talked about what goals we wanted to achieve while we had been there and if we had done so. For Peggy, it was to have a very enjoyable time doing what she loved and that was certainly achieved. For Annette it was to learn more about natural horsemanship and gain more skills and confidence to use on her own horse. For me it was to regain my confidence on horses while enjoying great scenery and company. In particular I had issues with mounting after a nasty fall a couple of years ago. The girls noted that by Day 2 I was first on the horse so, yes, I achieved my goals.

Day 4 – our last day of riding. We greeted the horses early and Cathy had already saddled them. This morning only Peggy, Annette and I were riding. We set off riding along Mason River – a nice flat ride and very relaxing. We disturbed all the ducks, checked out the herd of cows and viewed Mt. Lyford from a different angle. On this day I felt that Cosmo and I were really getting the hang of each other – how sad it had come to an end. We rode home for lunch and then it was goodbyes all round – people and horses – as we had domestic chores to attend to in the afternoon which included washing and disinfecting all riding gear for our trip home.

Thanks Cathy for such a great experience. We really enjoyed your company. And thanks to Kate for making it possible and the great accommodation.

If anyone is interested in knowing more go to www.lyfordtreks.co.nz

HEATHER BINNS