GIDDY-UP!: Stella Aulding and Insky, Brianna Marriot and Dinky and Jessica Marriot and Rudolf work on their riding skills at The Pine Hollow Riding School Holiday Programme in Te Karaka. All pictures by Paul Rickard
The Pine Hollow Riding School Holiday Programme in Te Karaka runs Monday to Friday with about 20 keen horse-riders of all ages and abilities coming together to enjoy all things equine.
Owner Jacquie Paull says a typical day will start with the riders catching the ponies, brushing them and saddling
them up. They are then split into groups depending on ability and have a morning lesson. After lunch, if the weather is fine they will ride down to the river and take the horses swimming. They also play games in the arena like ‘capture the flag’. Here they are put into two teams and must capture the opposition team’s flag and carry it back to their own end of the arena as fast as possible without being tagged. Ms Paull said the children have “heaps of fun” on the programme.
“They meet new friends and learn to work as a team and help each other out. The ages range from five to 15 so the older and more experienced riders help out the younger less experienced ones.”
There is also an overnight camp coming up in the last week of the school holidays where they can stay over. “If the weather is good they can stay in tents and do things like roast marshmallows over the brazier, sing songs — all that fun stuff.”
