Our therapy horses are the heart of everything we do. Each one has been carefully chosen for their calm nature, patience, and love of people.
Our youngest and smallest team member, Barry arrived from Cambridge in 2025. A larrikin in the paddock — running, bucking, and even pulling off other horses' masks at play time — he settles beautifully once he's on the job. Barry previously visited rest homes and hospitals, so people have always been his happy place.
Bred and raised at Wake Field Estate in Te Puke, Merlot joined us in late 2025 and immediately made his mark. A true pintaloosa — black, white, and brown — he stands out wherever he goes. He's done it all: pony club, trekking, jumping, games. Kind, patient, and totally adaptable to every rider's ability level.
Dusty came to us from Taupo in 2021 and has been a firm favourite with our younger riders ever since. She only has one eye, but it hasn't slowed her down one bit — she's gentle, reliable, and incredibly tolerant. Don't let that fool you though; she'll remind confident riders and unsuspecting volunteers exactly who's in charge, and she's been known to untie herself mid-session to go find better hay.
A former one-day eventer and hunter from Taranaki, Ngaba has reinvented himself as one of our most versatile RDA mounts — carrying tiny tots and older teens alike with equal care. He has sensitive eyes and wears a mask outdoors. He also has a soft spot for new mares and falls head over hooves every time one arrives on the property.
Our oldest team member and our most aptly named. Dream was gifted to us in 2023 by a local lady, and she has been loved by every single rider who has sat on her back. She lives up to her name in every sense of the word.
Kiwi Kawa came to us from Wellington in 2021, having done a bit of everything in a life well lived. She is utterly unflappable — nothing rattles her — and universally loved by our riders. She does have one weakness: egg and spoon races bring out a fiercely competitive streak, and she takes them very seriously.
Ruby joined us from Taupo in early 2025 and quickly carved out her own special role. She's the go-to horse for anxious or nervous riders — calm, dependable, and full of personality. Always curious, Ruby is usually the first to greet riders at the ramp, nose already out investigating whatever's going on.