No. We have horses to suit all riders from first time novice to the
experienced rider and professional guides to support you.
WHAT ABOUT NON-RIDERS?
If
you have a non-rider with you they are welcome to relax in our
charming picnic area with its 100 year old stables or to visit other
local attractions while you ride. The 'Gardens of the
World' and many popular café's are lose to the farm.
HOW OLD DO CHILDREN HAVE TO BE TO RIDE?
We
would recommend that children six years and under would enjoy a led
pony ride. This takes them up to the pond to see the ducks and
geese then back to the stable. Children who are 7 years and older
would find the 1 hour scenic farm trail suitable. Generally depending
on their confidence levels they would start out on a lead rope attached
to the guide and as they ease into the rythmn of the horse
and are feeling happy we detach them so that they can ride on their
own.
CAN I TAKE MY CAMERA OR VIDEO?
Yes.
We can provide clip-on bags that attach to the horse's saddle which
will allow you to carry your camera. Video camera's can be carried
in our saddle bags but it is not recommended as it is difficult to
film while riding.
WHEN ARE YOU OPEN?
We operate all year round except for Christmas Day - December 25th
ARE MY VALUABLES SAFE?
We recommend you leave them locked in your cars or leave them at the
office where they will be under staff supervision.
HOW MANY HORSES DO YOU HAVE?
40
horses which includes our trekking horses and staff horses. All horses are geldings
and are safe, reliable mounts.
HOW OLD ARE YOUR HORSES?
They are all in the sensible age bracket of 8 years and over.
CAN WE HIRE HORSES AND GO OUT BY OURSELVES?
No.
All our horse treks are guided by qualified experienced trek guides
in accordance with the Horse Trekking Quality Tourism Standard which
is administered by Qualmark NZ.
CAN WE GO FAST ON THE HORSES?
At
Stonehurst we strive to please all levels of ability, this is done
on a ride by ride basis according to the experience level of our clients.
There is usually an opportunity to ride at a brisker pace for those
who are capable.
DO WE HAVE TO WEAR HELMETS?
Yes, helmets are compulsory for all riders. We have a 'No Helmet No
Horse' policy!
WHAT SORT OF SADDLES DO Y0U HAVE?
We
have a range of saddles from English, Western and stock saddles. Each
horse has been fitted with the saddle which is most suitable for him.
HOW BIG A GROUP CAN YOU CATER FOR?
We
are very flexible with a number of different options open to us.
We prefer quality rather than quantity and therefore like to keep
the group size ratio to 1 guide to 5 clients with a maximum of 10
clients on any trek. This of course can vary if we have a large
group of friends who wish to go together. For this we can keep adding
extra guides and can happily cater for 20 clients when required.
