Northgate Lodge Equestrian

08/09/2026

An awesome opportunity coming to the Northland area. It would be great to see a few people taking this wonderful chance. 😃
Keep an eye out on the Dunstan Horsefeeds page for more details.

07/09/2026

Disappointed to see that somebody had made absolutely no effort whatsoever to pick out their horses hooves before doing the Blyth Tait clinic on the weekend. 🥴
This was just some of the packed dirt with stones in it that I had to pick up off the arena before grooming it yesterday. 🤦🏼‍♀️
Make a habit of picking out your horses hooves at home BEFORE you even put them in your float or truck and then check again before you go into the arena. There are signs and hoofpicks at every gate so there is no excuse really. 😠
I would hate to have to stop public use of the arena.

06/09/2026

POLE CLINIC at NORTHGATE LODGE
Wednesday September 30th in school holidays.
Small group of 4 horses OR ponies.
$40 per horse.
Daylight Savings will have started so can do some late afternoon sessions if needed.
PM me if you would like to book a space with preferred time, morning or afternoon.
Pole work acts as equine Pilates, enhancing your horse's core stability, balance, and suppleness. By encouraging the horse to lift its feet and engage its hindquarters, this low-impact exercise increases joint flexibility, improves body awareness, and builds strength without putting excessive strain on their tendons.

30/08/2026

YAY!! New date for surgery is October 9th.
That means I will just be able to get my kids camp done on October 5th-8th.
And I might even squeeze in a pole clinic on September 30th. 🤔
So until then I will still be doing WOW - Workout Wednesday.
I usually do 10am, sometimes 11am if enough people and 4pm.
I am also available during the day for lessons and some weekends.😁

25/08/2026

I am not quite sure if the Northland DHB realizes how difficult it is to organise horses when you go away. 🤔🤣
They have just rung and cancelled my surgery on Friday. 🤦🏼‍♀️
So life continues as usual... for now.

20/08/2026

SJ Timetable
Ponies will start at 9am sharp.
Hacks will start at 12pm.
We will need some assistance with gatekeepers please.
Let me know if you are able to help.
Remember the Stable Cafe will be open and we also have some avocados and citrus fruit available.
These times are approximate. Please ensure you are ready.
Ponies
X bars 9.00am Annabell Dobbs
50cm 9.10am Annabell Dobbs
60cm 9.30am Annabell Dobbs
70cm 10.00am
80cm 10.30am
90cm 10.55am Mirielle Maxwell
1m 11.15am Mirielle Maxwell

Hacks
50cm 12.00pm Andrea Bryan-McKay
60cm 12.15pm Andrea Bryan-McKay
70cm 12.35pm
80cm 1.00pm
90cm 1.25pm
1m 1.55pm Lisa Scott
1.05 2.15pm Lisa Scott

20/08/2026

Last chance to get you SJ entries in and then I will do a timetable tomorrow.
Remember the Stable Cafe will be open and we will have avocados available to buy as well.

15/08/2026

We have some lovely new season avocados available. 🥑
There is a stand by the hayshed and you are welcome to grab some, 50 cents each, special deal to start off.
Put cash in the container thanks. 😊

13/08/2026

No truer words spoken. Becky is preaching to the choir here.🙌
It is great to learn the basics on a nice quiet schoolmaster but at some stage you have to step up.
Horses have a mind of their own and can see or hear a boogeyman from a mile away. 🫣
Every horse can spook or stop or just have a bad day. 🤷🏼‍♀️ It is how you deal with it that helps you become a better rider. 😉

About to trigger some people with this one 🤪
Easy ponies don’t make you a better rider. 👀

And before anyone jumps in - easy, kind, safe ponies are absolutely invaluable. Especially when you're learning, every rider deserves a horse that gives them confidence, teaches them the basics and makes them want to come back for more.
But eventually… an easy pony can only teach you so much.
If your pony always maintains the perfect rhythm, finds the distance to the jump, picks up the correct leads, stays perfectly balanced, ignores every distraction and rescues you when your position falls apart… are you actually learning to ride, or are you just learning to sit there while the pony does the work and building your ego 🙊

The best riders aren't the ones who can ride the easiest horses. They're the ones who have learned to create rhythm rather than rely on it, balance their horse, recognise when something is going wrong and fix it, ride every stride adapt when the horse doesn't give them the answer they expected, develop feel and communicate clearly rather than simply hoping the horse will figure it out. And this is why, at MRS, we're so passionate about solid foundations before then getting outside of our comfort zone and progressing.

We want our riders to have confidence but we also want them to develop the skills to eventually ride horses that need them to be a good rider.
Because the goal isn't to find a horse that makes you look like a brilliant rider. The goal is to become the rider who can make a good horse better. 🤎

11/08/2026

One Tree Point pony club are having a showcross day this Sunday, August 16th.
This is a great opportunity to have a practise over some cross country jumps on dry ground before the season starts. 😊
So head along to Ruakaka this weekend for some fun in the sun. 🌞