lyndanchris

I am looking at the possibilities of buying a horse in NZ ( sold mine in UK coz I was quoted 10K to transport him with us) and was wondering if anyone can answer a few questions?
1. Where is the best area in North Island for keeping and riding horses?
2. Do you have equine insurance available for vet bills etc. and if so the costs?
3. Is the majority of horses rode unshod?
4. What is the average cost of food and hay?
5. Is it worth bringing my horse equipment over from the UK to NZ or better to buy in NZ?
6. Are the majority of horses kept out all year or stabled?
7. Are farriers and dentists easily available and if so average cost for services?
8. Are horses sold with a probation period should the horse be unsuitable?
I would appreciate any help with the above questions you might be able to provide as this would also help me to decide on which area to concentrate on for living and working in NZ and also whether to look at lifestyle blocks or a more rural aspect.
Many thanks to you all in advance.

Justcol

Sorry i dont have a horse so i cant give you any proper answers.
I live in Cambridge, waikato which is horse central for nz.
within five minutes drive of my place there are at least 10 studs and breaders
and god knows how many stables.
try doing a google sarch for equine services or stables in this area.
you could contact them via email to get all your answers.

SarahB

Hiya, I can maybe answer a few of your questions…. Can try anyway
I didnt bring my chestnut Arab with me, my best friend has him in Rutland for me... he never really travelled that well so I couldnt imagine him going half way around the world! he wouldve hated the climate here as he was chestnut sabino with lots of pink skin so very photosensitive.

1. Not sure…. I live in East Auckland and can tell you the horsey areas around here… Takanini, Clevedon, Whitford… North Shore has a huge adult riding club in Torbay… also depends what you want to do and where you want to ride your horse? I can ride on the beach where I live which is lovely and so much fun. Remember that NZ has no ancient rights of way like UK so off road riding can be really limited in some areas.

2. Yes there is horse insurance here but not many companies seem to do it yet. There is Quadrant, which is advertised in Horse & Pony Mag… I insure my Arabian with Jardine Bloodstock and it costs me about $230 for the year, that does include vets fees…. Cheaper than UK ehh?? Also expect to pay the same amount in dollars here for vets visits as you would in pounds in UK... so much cheaper!!!

3. Like UK you can decide if you want to go barefoot or not… ask around for farriers or Barefoot trimmers…

4. You will notice a huge lack of choice here in horse feed… I think I pay about $35 a sack for Coolade, that’s like a basic maintenance chaf and grain mix. My hay is included in the Livery cost so not sure of prices for bales here sorry. Wormers are $12.50 upwards....

5. Yes bring it over!! … English leather costs the earth here…. Make sure its clean and bring it all over! I would bring everything you can and I certainly regret not bringing some stuff with me. Stock up on your favourite items before coming over as you might not get it here... my brother sends me Mountain Horse String gloves over....

6. Up here the winters are mild so the horses are out 24/7 all year round. They seem to live longer and not have so many allergies/stereotypical behaviours.. must be better for them. Quite a few rugs available here (called Covers here), canvas is still widely used as so warm here the horses can sweat under synthetic. Here it is quite usual to rug your horse all year round… plenty of summer sheets in the shops. The sun fades the horses coats so show horses covered all year round... also helps keep the flies off (actually hardly any flies here which is odd?)

7. My yard manager is also my farrier so easy for me but other people have farriers come in and they seem to do a good job… you need to ask around for recommendations. We had Warwick come out to do the horses teeth, he is the top man… he advertises in H & P…. that cost me $90 last October.

8. Plenty of horses here to buy….. depends what you want…. Plenty of ex racing TBs and SBs for next to nothing or even given away… up to 10’s of thousands for top class horses…. Expect to pay $5k plus for a decent horse or pony here. You might be able to get a horse on a trial period…some sellers do and some don’t. Have a look on Trademe for a few horses to give you some idea of whats available here.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Eque...0005-0382-.htm

Hope some of that helps... Sarah

...and Ive ended up with a chestnut Rabicano Arabian here whos even more photosensitive than my last horse was!! lol.... hes rugged up all year round... if hes not rugged he gets urticaria all over him from the sun and rain.... youd think I shouldve known better really! lol

Also, its different keeping a horse here.... not so much hard work. In our yard we only go when we want to go... or to ride. We dont have to go every day, which is really nice.... if theres anything wrong the manager will ring you up and tell you. After years and years of getting up at 5.45 to go and muck out now I dont have to... felt strange at first but now I have a young family too so its much easier for me.

lyndanchris

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Looks like I am going to be googling for a while

I know what you mean by 5.45am Sarah!! Looks as if that will be one thing to look forward to not having to do as well as mucking out