Our Team
Meet the Waimapu Mill Horse Trekking Team.
We have a range of horses used for both guiding and hiring.
Riding Team
Venus
Hang
Midge
Amber
Midge is the nosiest and hungriest of the herd. First to the gate, Midge is everyone’s best friend.
Favourite food: Whatever’s in your pocket.
Amber is our chestnut pony. She’s our back of the pack plodder.
Favourite food: Oddfellow mints.
Fire
Eva
Fire is an older Kaimanawa mare who has joined our herd for smaller riders.
Favourite food: anything she can sneak from the feed bins in the shed.
Eva is a gentle and sensitive horse. She is great fun for our experienced riders and loves a tail scratch.
Favourite food: Gumnuts.
Daisy is the herd princess and loves her snacks. Daisy is currently on the bench as moral support until her feet are feeling a bit better.
Favourite food: Carrots.
Moose is our big boss man. Due to his size he can take most riders. Moose is our big goofball and is currently on the bench recovering from injury.
Favourite food: Anything in a bucket.
Hang is our solid old man. Known for looking after any rider, he is the stoick rock for our herd.
Favourite food: Carrots.
Venus is one of our lead horses. She is a soft, sensitive girl who loves head rubs.
Favourite food: Gumnuts
Support crew
Daisy
Moose
Mustered from the Wild
New Zealand has multiple areas where wild horses roam. The most famous of these are the Kaimanawa horses that live in the Kaimanawa ranges in the central North Island. These horses undergo a muster every year with a number being rehomed to start their domestic life. We have rehomed two of these horses who will hopefully join the trekking team in the future.
Atlas
Muster: April 2025
Kaimanawa range area: Zone 15
Current age: 2 yr old
(photo is from before she was mustered)
Atlas was mustered at just 9 months old. She went to Wild Thyme Horsemanship for a training camp before joining the herd in June 2025. She loves people and loves a good scratch.
Peter Pan
Muster: April 2026
Kaimanawa range area: Home Valley
Current age: 3 yr old
Petey was mustered in April this year, the day before ANZAC day. He is still currently at training camp with Wild Thyme Horsemanship. Petey will compete with trekking guide Jackie at the Kainmanawa Legacy Colt Challenge at Equifest in October this year.
Your Guides
Matt
Jackie
Matt is one of your guides.
Main mount: Venus
Jackie is one of your guides.
Main mount: Amber
Weight Sizes for our horses
It always feels a bit exposing when you are asked to provide a body weight range when organising an experience.
We totally understand this, however, all our horses are very different in size and weight and this means not every horse can take every rider.
When booking your experience we ask you to select which weight range you are in to pair you with the right horse. This will make the experience a heap better for both you and your horse.
