Get ready for the Ride of your Life.
What to expect on trails
Please be aware of the fact, that most of our trails are ridden in New Zealand’s pure and beautiful wilderness, especially the pack trails.
This means
- Much of the time we will be out of cell phone coverage
- Toilets and accommodation facilities can be very basic (long drops, composting toilets, no electricity or Wi-Fi, etc.). During the trails, you might need to use the “bush toilet” – please read this DOC-article about how to be as nature-friendly with that as possible.
Use this remote opportunity for a digital detox and to really enjoy being in the wild and offline, spending time with like-minded people and in New Zealand’s beautiful back country.
Weight Limits
Our horses are working hard the whole season to give their riders a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although we are trying our very best by giving them fitting tack, regular breaks and everything they need for their wellbeing, one of the most difficult issues is ensuring they don’t develop sore backs due to the long and challenging rides.
Therefore, we have a general weight limit of 15,75 st/220.46 lb’s pounds/100 kgs.
We know a good rider who might exceed the weight limit might still ride very light on the horse, but as we usually cannot know about that before we see you on the horse, we ask for your understanding.
We have a selection of heavier horses that can carry a heavier rider. Please be honest about your weight. We are not judging, but we need to know so we can find an appropriate horse for you.
Feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions or concerns about that topic.
Defining your riding ability
We need to know your riding ability to see if you match the trail you booked and to find an appropriate horse for you. Please be honest about this and in case of any doubt, get in touch with us.
Our riding ability categories:
- Complete beginner – first time riding/only a few times in the saddle before
- Novice – ridden a few more times or someone with more experience, but little to no confidence
- Competent – confident, knowledgeable rider
- Advanced – has been riding for years and very confident on and around horses
Travel Insurance
On our trails, travel insurance is mandatory once you have booked with us (please see terms and conditions section 13 for more details).
That means organizational safety for us (as we have many costs before your trip even starts) and gives you peace of mind should anything unexpected happen.
Your insurance needs to include (at least):
- Medical expenses, emergency repatriation, repatriation, and evacuation expenses
- Personal liability, cancellation, personal injury, death, medical expenses
- Irrespective of whether you are travelling in your home country or from abroad
- Loss of/damage to luggage and personal effects
Here are three companies providing the kind of travel insurance you need (recommendations only, feel free to use another company):
Once you have booked your insurance, please safe the policy details on the phone you are taking with you and forward it to adventurehorsetrekkingnz@farmside.co.nz.
Note: this even applies if you are a Kiwi travelling from New Zealand as there are many things that can happen and are out of your and our control. A few examples of the last years:
New hip operation, cancer diagnosis, previous concussion, flu/illness, death in the family, flight cancellations.
Dietary Requirements, Allergies, etc.
We want you to have the best time possible on the trails with us. To achieve this and keep you as safe as possible, we need to know about:
- any medical conditions that may affect your ability to enjoy the trail (new hip, shoulder, back problems, etc.)
- special dietary requirements or food allergies (vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten, seafood, etc.)
Please let us know if one of these issues applies to you. Our crew is more than happy to assist with any difficulties.
Safety on Trail
Our horses are not only our business partners, but also our family. So, we ask you to always treat them with care and respect. Should you have any difficulties with your horse teammate, please let us know.
Riding horses can carry inherent risks. To avoid as many dangerous situations as possible, please take your time to read through the following reminders.
- The description you provide about your riding experience will be utilized to match you with the correct horse. Please be honest about that and in case of any doubts, get in touch with us.
- Always follow the instructions of the trail boss and the wranglers.
- For your own safety, we recommend you to wear a hard hat for the ride (compulsory for beginners and novices!). If you don’t want to bring your own, we have a selection of hard hats to borrow for free.
- When getting on and off, please ensure you have plenty of space. Especially after a long day’s ride, horses, and humans are getting impatient, so take extra care here!
- Wait until all riders are mounted and ready before riding off.
- Be always aware of your horse and the other riders around you. Give special space to the packhorses. Make sure you keep distance to the rider in front of you, so the horses don’t kick each other (stay away from a horse with a red tape/ribbon in its tail – it doesn’t like someone straight behind!)
- Please stay in a line. As a constant herd, usually our horses choose the order themselves. Nevertheless, we might ask you to ride at another position knowing a horse combination is not the best.
- Please do not use another rider’s leg or horse as a rubbing post for your horse as this could result in biting and kicking.
- Never ride past the guide (unless instructed to do so) and keep the pace set by the guide. Due to the packhorses and the tricky terrain we are riding in, don’t expect more than walk.
- As a courtesy to others, give verbal warnings for dangers (i.e., holes, low branches) and pass back messages clearly that the guide may have given.
- Horses can be startled by sudden movements. Don’t throw things (i.e., hats, cameras) to or from a horse. Always dismount to remove or put on coats and jumpers etc. Secure raincoats, hats, and sunglasses firmly.
- Make sure you wear comfortable boots for riding that also allow you to walk longer distances. On some trails, longer walks are necessary to get down the mountains that are to steep for riding. You might also like to stretch your legs from time to time and lead your horse. We recommend ankle-high hiking boots.
- Horse riding is a physical activity. The fitter you are, the less tired you will get and the more you will enjoy your holiday.
- Keep your energy low, don’t scream or shout around horses, even though our horses are seasoned adventure horses they can still get startled by silly behaviours. This can lead to injuries to yourself or another rider.
- Maintain a hold on your reins and feet in the stirrups at all times. These are your balance and brakes, if a horse should shy, or another rider cross your path effecting your horse’s movement lack of contact with these items can cause falls.
Behaviour around horses
Please use the following precautions when around our horses:
- Always approach the horse from the side where it can see you coming.
- Don’t make loud noises or sudden movements.
- When walking around the back of a horse (alone or with another horse!) please leave plenty of room.
- When working around the horse (i.e. grooming or tacking up) stay close to the horse so that, in the unlikely event that the horse kicks, you will not receive the full impact.
- Never wrap the lead rope or reins around your hand.
- When turning a horse into a stable/out in a field or paddock, always turn the horse’s head towards the fence before taking the head collar off. If more than one horse is being turned out, leave plenty of room between each horse and ensure everyone removes the head collars at the same time.
- If you are not happy working around the horse (i.e. picking up feet), or are unsure of what has been asked of you (i.e. tacking up or untacking), ask us for help.
- Always wear sensible footwear around horses.
- Remember that jewelry (especially earrings, rings and necklaces) can get caught and could cause injury.
- Always make sure loose clothing is buttoned/zipped up and cannot flap and frighten your horse.
Mounting your horse
At Adventure Horse Trekking we prefer to assist our guests to mount the horse. It is not only saver and better for the horseback to do so, but we can also check all the tack and make sure you are ready for your adventure ride.
Should you need any assistance anyway because of an injury etc. or need special equipment, please let us know before you arrive.
Risk Disclosure
As we are riding very remote and working with horses, there are a lot of risks we cannot influence. Therefore, please make sure you read the risk disclosure thoroughly. After booking, you need to sign it for us anyway.
Terms & Conditions
Please also read our terms and conditions and be aware of the details. With the booking, you give your agreement.
Privacy Policy
Please check the privacy policy to find out about the use of your data.
