South Island Trails, New Zealand
Horses
Type of horses:
Various breeds with purebred arabs available for endurance races
Nature of horses:
Well behaved and responsive
Height of horses:
14.2 - 17h
Weight limit:
90kg (85kg for endurance racing)
Tack type:
English
Weather
Current Conditions:
Unknown, 6 C
Forecast:
Fri - Mostly Cloudy. High: 8 Low: -3
Sat - Cloudy. High: 7 Low: 0
Full Forecast at Yahoo! Weather
(provided by The Weather Channel)
Pricing
Seven Day Trek
2010 Price: £1040 per person
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Endurance Race Weekend
Price is dependent on the length of the race you choose. Please ask the office for details of this special trip.
Price does not include flights or travel insurance.
Availability/Booking Form
Ride Description
This ride shows you all that nature has to offer and is a custom guided tour through the beautiful South Island of New Zealand. This riding adventure begins in Queenstown, the adventure capital of the Southern hemisphere, and is run by Barbara and her family. Barbara is an experienced guide and came to New Zealand in 2004 to run a horse trekking business. Following the success of this venture, she decided she wanted to offer a more "off the beaten track experience" where she could share her love of this country, the outdoors and her horses.
The trails will take you through the mountains and along Barbara's favourite routes, showing views of the dramatic scenery apparent in this magnificent country. The rides are adapted to make sure that everybody gets the trip they want - riding in the forest, over mountains, through rivers, swimming in lakes and galloping on the beach...all the good spots are just waiting to be enjoyed. The terrain varies between the rugged mountains of the Southern Alps, rolling hills in fertile Southland, the dry plains of central Otago, river crossings, lakes, beach rides, dunes and forests.
There are a variety of lovely horses here, all of whom live in natural herds and get plenty of time off. There are some kind, quiet horses for those with less experience or confidence but also some more responsive and forward going ones for the more seasoned rider. For the very experienced and adventurous rider, there are purebred arab endurance horses available from a local stables and with these, riding can be from 40 - 80km per day at a fast pace. Their availability depends on their racing and training schedule and due to their value and fitness training, the costs are adjusted accordingly. Such experienced guests may take part in the races which can be seen in our Endurance Race Weekend itinerary below.
Trips here can be custom made and up to a month in length. They can also be easily adapted to suit families, with babysitting easily arranged when parents want to ride and the children are too young to join. Please ask the office if you'd like a longer or shorter trip than the 7 day programme listed below. Don't forget, it's summer there when winter here in the UK so this is an excellent option for some winter sunshine!
See Programmes.
Food & Accommodation
Accommodation is camping in tents or sleeping in bunk beds in the truck for those who prefer it. The truck has a kitchen, hot shower and toilet and is fully self contained. It also has solar panels, 2 sets of batteries and hot water on gas. Your host generally prefers to sleep in a tent to be closer to the horses. An outdoor table, chairs and awning are taken to each evening destination and guests sometimes like to sit around the campfire.
The food provided is simple, wholesome cooking and vegetarians can be catered for. The truck kitchen has an oven with a 4 burner hob and a BBQ is also taken along on the trips. Lunch is generally a packed lunch eaten out on the trail. Drinks included are water, juice, milk, tea, coffee and lemonade with guests allowed to bring their own alcohol (within reason) by arrangement.
Activities
Non riders can come along on the camping trip. Barbara's partner, Christoph, is an experienced surf instructor (they now also offer surfing holidays) so surfing is an option. Other activities like hiking, fishing, mountain biking, etc. are often available at the sites.
Further Details
Languages: English
Health requirements: Fit and healthy, endurance riders should be particularly so and well balanced.
Age limit: 6+ for the riding but younger children are welcome to join (babysitting can be arranged).
Tuition: No
Included: Riding, accommodation, meals, transport and transfers and an experienced guide
Not included: Alcoholic drinks
Travel Information
Fly into Queenstown airport. From here you will be collected and driven to the base to begin your ride. Transfer from and to Queenstown is included in the price. Different airport drop offs can be made by arrangement.
Airport: Queenstown
Programmes
Seven Day Trek
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There are many options for trails here and the path and distance for each day will depend on which horses are being used (they will be matched to your riding ability). Below is an example week itinerary but bear in mind that this is subject to change according to weather and the group members. However, Barbara and her team are flexible so the week will be geared towards your wishes. This is just one of the many options: Day 1: Arrival day with a half day ride at Mt Rosa, a chance to get to know your horse. Overnight is spent camping at Mt Rosa. Day 2: The Mt Pisa ride. This is a high country experience and involves riding on the Pisa plateau. Overnight is spent in an old musterer's hut. Day 3: Continued riding around the lovely Mt Pisa. Overnight camping at Mt Rosa. Day 4: Mace Town ride. Today you follow the Arrow river, crossing it many times, to the historic gold mining settlement of Mace Town. Alternatively, guests can take the Minaret burn trail. Overnight camping at Mt Rosa. Day 5: Stud visit to Cosy Dell Arabians, one of the biggest Arab breeders in New Zealand. This afternoon there is the option of a half day ride into the hills or a workshop on breaking in and training young horses. Overnight camping at Cosy Dell Arabians. Day 6: This is a full day ride at the beach at Riverton. This is the most southern beach of New Zealand and offers 40km of wide, empty space. It is a great place for a beach gallop and playing in the waves whilst also offering nearby dunes and forest. Overnight camping at Cosy Dell Arabians. Day 7: Half day ride at Waimumu or Eyre mountains. Drop off in Queenstown for departure. |
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| Minimum group size: | 2 |
| Maximum group size: | 5 |
| Ability description: | Novice - Experienced |
| Type of ride: | Trail |
| Total riding time: | As detailed by programme (usually between 4 - 7 hours per day, depending on ability of group and the chosen trail) |
| Departure dates: | Dates for 2010: Monday - Sunday from October until April |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |
Endurance Race Weekend
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Endurance riding is the fastest growing equestrian sport in the world and it involves riding across the countryside in 40km to 160km races. The horses' health is paramount and they are checked by a vet at least every 40km. It is a real accomplishment to finish the ride and the needs to be in good condition and pass the final vet check. Arabs are generally used for this sport as they have the great ability of cooling themselves down quickly. They are ridden daily and eat a special diet to keep them in top condition - true athletes. Cosy Dell Arabians has some real legends including a horse, Dell Dancer, featured in Lord of the Rings. Others you may ride are Fritz, a big dapple grey arab who really motors in flat gallops on the beach, Proud Mary, Up Roar, Fred, Shaka and Sambuca. For this weekend, you must be an experienced rider with a balanced seat, light hands and plenty of confidence. The weight limit is 85kg. Barbara herself takes part in these races sometimes and knows the horses well. Day 1 (Friday): Drive to ride base (you can travel with your hosts or meet them there). This is followed by a short ride of about 10km to let you get to know your horse and check the riding gear. Next up is vetting and registration. Locations can be all around the South Island. Contact us for the ride calendar of this year. Overnight is camping at the base. Day 2 (Saturday): The race! There is usually an option of 40km and 80km for unregistered riders. There are race options of more than 100km but these are for FEI rated riders only. 80km races generally start at dawn and finish in the afternoon. Overnight is camping at the base. Day 3 (Sunday): Drive back to Queenstown/Cosy Dell Arabians. Depending on where the race is, your hosts can drop off in Christchurch on the way back if you'd like. |
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| Minimum group size: | 1 |
| Maximum group size: | 4 |
| Ability description: | Very experienced riders with confidence, light hands and a balanced seat. |
| Type of ride: | Based with endurance race |
| Total riding time: | As detailed by programme |
| Departure dates: | Dependent on when races are scheduled. |
| Pricing: | See Pricing |