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It has been a working farm since the early 1900's, and Lawrie and Jenny took over when they bought the property in 1981 from Lawrie's father, who owned and worked the farm for 35 years. Since then, they have developed Waitohi Downs to it's current state, with stables and woodchip yards for the horses, sheep, deer and cattle yards and varied paddocks for stock grazing. The property stretches from the homestead in the foothills up into the high country and over to the flats of the trout and salmon filled Hurunui River and the 100-acre pine forest where the boundary lies. This provides a diverse choice of paddocks for the stock to feed in, and also plenty of space to grow grass for haymaking. Around the 100-year-old homestead is a beautiful landscaped garden, sloping down to a pond, which is home to black swans and other assorted bird life.
The hills on the property are covered in silver tussock, which looks magical blowing in the breeze. There are also Manuka and Kanuka bushes, Flax, Matagouri and Tauwhini to be seen around the place. These plants play an important role in Alpine Horse Safaris - our horses are all named after native plants, all of which may be seen on our trips.
The main season for the horse safaris begins in October and runs through til May, although rides are taken all year round. During these busy summer months, the hay needs to be made to feed the stock the following winter, and lambs are drafted to be sold on. The lambing season here begins in late September for about a month, and the calves also arrive in September, making it a busy month. The cattle are all Angus and Angus Cross (with a Charollais Bull) and the young calves born in September are sold at 7 months old in April.
Aside from the 35 riding and pack horses, Lawrie and Jenny have about 10 breeding mares and 2 stallions from which they breed all of their own Clydesdale Thoroughbred Cross horses. The foals are born from about late October each year; at present there are about 15 yearlings and 2 and 3 year olds, all waiting to be handled and broken in for use on the farm. Lastly the fawns arrive in November, making Waitohi Downs a real nursery during the spring and early summer. The ewes are shorn in July, well before the lambing begins, and the hoggets (one year olds) a little later in August and September. The velvetting of the deer antlers also happens at this time of year, beginning in November through to December.
Most of November is spent away from base for the horses, as they travel 400kms South through the high country to Lake Tekapo on an 12 day ride, remain there to rest for 10 days and then return to Waitohi Downs again carrying a different group of guests. From this point on, the horses are constantly in work until the season ends in May, taking people on rides ranging from 2 hours to 12 days. Yet their work does not end there, as the horses are all predominantly stock horses and are used for mustering sheep and cattle throughout the year. This keeps them fit at all times, and ensures that they are very sure-footed and capable of being ridden safely over all types of terrain, even in the rocky high country where vehicles are unable to reach.
If you want to experience a genuine sheep or cattle muster, and see how the horses and dogs are used at work, come and pay us a visit. Here at Waitohi Downs we are one of the few places in New Zealand that you can come and ride quality horses and become involved as part of a real working farm at the same time. We do not just run the horse safari business, the horses are part of our way of life, and this is what we want to share with you. We guarantee the tranquil unpolluted beauty of the North Canterbury high country will have you mesmerised - this is straightforward horse riding at it's best.
For More information or bookings contact: Alpine Horse Safaris
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