The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Watch: Viral video star Thunder happy to be back on dry ground

Otago Daily Times
23 Jul, 2017 09:26 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Thunder enjoys an apple. Photo/Beth Ferguson

Thunder enjoys an apple. Photo/Beth Ferguson

A happy Thunder (pictured) eats apples yesterday after Friday's floodwaters ordeal in the Hakataramea Valley.

About 4.30pm on Friday, horses and ponies, including Thunder, belonging to Beth and Ben Ferguson, were trapped as they tried to cross a raging torrent in what is usually a dry creek bed on the Fergusons' paddock.

Mrs Ferguson said the horses were in shock after they tried to cross the creek and became stuck.

Warning: Language may offend

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Click here for the Fergusons' video on YouTube

"They were pretty shaken up, but they have just started to calm down. They're here eating apples over the fence.

"It's a dry creek bed that only runs one or two times a year and when it does it's just a tiny creek."

She said both she and Mr Ferguson had checked on the animals earlier that day and saw them high on a hill and thought they would be safe.

"For some reason they decided to come back to the house. They got halfway across and decided they didn't want to cross any further."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tension was high as the horses stalled through their crossing.

There was only about an hour of daylight left, but thankfully they figured out a way to cross the water, Mrs Ferguson said.

A video of the ordeal has been shared widely on Facebook and features on YouTube's trending list.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

The Bay of Islands Pastoral & Industrial Show - NZ's oldest - on this weekend

03 Nov 10:00 PM
The Country

‘Incompetent’: Conservationist wants MPI removed from hornet eradication mission

03 Nov 09:15 PM
The Country

'Incredibly rare': Farmers asked to keep an eye out for kakī

03 Nov 07:55 PM

Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

The Bay of Islands Pastoral & Industrial Show - NZ's oldest - on this weekend
The Country

The Bay of Islands Pastoral & Industrial Show - NZ's oldest - on this weekend

The show, at Waimate North, will open on Saturday from 8am.

03 Nov 10:00 PM
‘Incompetent’: Conservationist wants MPI removed from hornet eradication mission
The Country

‘Incompetent’: Conservationist wants MPI removed from hornet eradication mission

03 Nov 09:15 PM
'Incredibly rare': Farmers asked to keep an eye out for kakī
The Country

'Incredibly rare': Farmers asked to keep an eye out for kakī

03 Nov 07:55 PM


Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable
Sponsored

Poor sight leaving kids vulnerable

22 Sep 01:23 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP