Heaven on Horseback

13/09/2026

It's September so you all know what that means....let the fitness work begin! 💪

The riding holiday horses start their season off by being loose schooled as a herd in all 3 paces. This gets their cardio fitness up and gets them used to working closely together.

After a few weeks of this, they are loose schooled with their saddles on to get them girth fit - no girth gals here, thank you very much!

The final stage is to ride!!! And that's what we'll be starting this week!!!

Here's a glimpse of some very sedate loose schooling by the gang 😎

09/09/2026

The team clocking on this morning :)

05/09/2026

Join us on a little journey into the education of Maggie and Molly.

'The Twins' were born and bred at Retreat Ranch and, although born a year apart, are pretty much identical. The only real difference is that Maggie has a white splodge on her right knee.

They had 2 weeks work 2yrs ago and now this is their time to shine. Here's a little compilation of their education over the past two weeks from getting them walking out on a line at the end of the lead rope to their first canters under saddle.

It's so sweet and wholesome to see them coming into their own and beginning their journey into our trekking herd.

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

Our littlest helpers taking their jobs VERY seriously... 🫡🐶

01/09/2026

Liberty Clinic with Russell Higgins
October 5th & 6th | Bay of Islands

Strengthen your connection. Improve your communication. Take your Liberty partnership to the next level.

Join renowned horsemanship clinician Russell Higgins for this highly sought-after two-day Liberty Clinic.

Whether you’re new to Liberty or already have an established Liberty horse, Russell will help you develop greater trust, understanding and communication, giving you practical tools to create a more willing, connected and responsive partnership.

A world-renowned clinician, Russell has worked alongside horsemanship legends including Buck Brannaman and Pat Parelli, and has helped countless horse-and-rider combinations deepen their connection through clinics at Equidays, Equitana and beyond.

What’s Included

Each day includes a practical group session with your horse plus an observation session, giving you plenty of opportunity to learn, practise and take new skills home.

$440 per horse & rider combination

Limited places available — secure your spot and discover what you and your horse can achieve together.

30/08/2026

Congratulations to Gabbie on passing her C2 Heavy Vehicle License 👏🥳

Having a celebratory drink as Gabbie is now officially qualified to drive the gooseneck....watch out NZ traffic 😜

28/08/2026

When the hard work pays off!

Jane's method of teaching focuses on confidence. Confidence for both horse and rider. This is developed through a lot of small 'victories' where the horse gets to really understand that no matter what he is asked to do, we will keep him safe. This also nurtures his trust and natural curiosity and develops his willingness to be our partner.

P.S. How awesome are Phoebe and Gabbie putting the first proper rides on Thai and Reba?