Family fun on four legs Take two teens away from their PlayStation and iPhones and what do you get? finds out.
Charles Woollin
’m terrified,’’ says my youngest daughter. She’s never been on a horse before and is sat bolt upright on her horse as we enter the second paddock on our first ever family horse trek.
We are staying at Baton Run Farm. It’s fair to say it’s off the beaten track. You get to it by travelling about an hour down the Moteuka Valley Highway from Moteuka at the top of the South Island. And then travel about 20 minutes down an unsealed road.
But it’s worth the trip. Baton Run Farm is situated in a glacial valley, ringed by hills and right next to the Kahurangi National Park. It feels like you’ve really got away from everything.
The farm is owned by Fiona and Richard. She runs the horse treks and Richard runs the 2000-hectare farm which has about 900 sheep. They offer horse treks and accommodation in a cute and cosy hut near the Baton River, which is where we are staying for a couple of nights.
We had originally asked for a trek for just myself and my partner. Our daughters (18 and 15) were afraid of horses and had said no but after a little bit of coaxing, they agreed to give it a go.
But it wasn’t quite working. The youngest was very apprehensive and I was wondering if we would be turning back. But Fiona has done so much of this she knew what to do. A quick change of horses, some encouraging words and we were through the gate and off.
‘‘Don’t worry, horses are very stable,’’ says Fiona. ‘‘They have a leg in each corner.’’
I have only been on a horse twice before on treks in Dartmoor in Devon, United Kingdom. The horses I had on both those treks seemed to be broken. The first wouldn’t move (I’m taking no blame for this…) and the second moved too much and raced back into the stables as soon as I sat on it. If I hadn’t have ducked my head, I would have been sent flying.
But the horse I’m on today, Orca, feels totally different. After leaving the second paddock. We head up a hill. I have to hold the reins in one hand and grip the mane with the other hand while leaning forward. It really feels like riding even though Orca is so experienced that all I have to do is point him in the right direction with the reins or pull back for him to stop. He’s done this so many times he just ‘Don’t worry, horses are very stable. They have a leg in each corner.’ knows to follow Fiona.
As for my youngest daughter, I can see confidence growing. When we get to our lunch break she’s beaming. In a little over two hours of riding she’s gone from petrified to wanting to try it again, thanks to Fiona’s help.
‘‘It’s a fine line between nagging and encouraging,’’ says Fiona. She says she wants to help inexperienced riders but also let them get on with it.
Fiona has run Baton Farm Horse Treks for about seven years. She only takes out a maximum of four riders on treks that last from about three-anda-half hours to three days. Each ride is tailored to the abilities of the riders so those with experience don’t find themselves having to wait for novice riders.
We climb up to a paddock where good riders usually let their mounts go for it and have a canter. There’s none of that today. Instead we enjoy the relaxing ride and take in the scenery.
Fiona’s story of how she ended up at Baron Run Farm is legendary in local parts. She’s originally from Winchester in the UK and came out to work as a woofer in Akaroa. She fell in love with New Zealand and decided to take a horse trek around Aotearoa. She got as far as the Baton Valley, fell in love with the place and has been here ever since.