Thunder, Kiwi Sport Horse Stallion, 17 years
Years ago Ian got a phonecall: " We have got a colt here and your name is written all over him". So the golden Dun " Shoshoni Thunder From Down Under" arrived at North River. He is a stunning stallion with a great personality, lovely nature and wonderful movements. Amongst his foals are several buckskins, duns, a cremello colt and an amazing Clydie Cross. All his offspring has his great movements, ability to jump and lots of personality. He has been started (it took only 4 sessions in the roundpen to ride him and he took it all as he has had a saddle & person on his back all his life), and ridden in a ropehalter.
Jaffa, Standardbred Mare, 26 years
Jaffa, former name Podge, came here because she didn't make it on the race track...like so many others.
And yet Ian had another bay horse: so her first name became JABAH (Just another bay horse), but the more Ian worked with her the more she became very special to him in a very short space of time. So the name had to be changed. Over the many years she has carried thousands of riders through the bush.
Quite a few dressage riders and competitors coming for a trek have commented on her movements, her "astonishing well" engagement of her hindquarters and that for a simple Standardbred.. A few years she has also worked at the RDA in Whangarei before she got retired as a broodmare. She is Thunder's favourite girl, those two together are a bit like a married couple and their offspring has incredible personalities.
Jaffa is a wonderful mother to her foals who inherit her lovely, gentle nature: so far in the herd Luca, Jameela and Merlin.
And yet Ian had another bay horse: so her first name became JABAH (Just another bay horse), but the more Ian worked with her the more she became very special to him in a very short space of time. So the name had to be changed. Over the many years she has carried thousands of riders through the bush.
Quite a few dressage riders and competitors coming for a trek have commented on her movements, her "astonishing well" engagement of her hindquarters and that for a simple Standardbred.. A few years she has also worked at the RDA in Whangarei before she got retired as a broodmare. She is Thunder's favourite girl, those two together are a bit like a married couple and their offspring has incredible personalities.
Jaffa is a wonderful mother to her foals who inherit her lovely, gentle nature: so far in the herd Luca, Jameela and Merlin.
Stella, St James Mare, 13 years
A friend found this mare "up north", for free as hard to catch, he got her onto a trailer with some food. Chosen to be broodmare with quite a bit of unknown history she was going to be part of his breeding programm. Her first foal sired by a purebred Clydesdale stallion was born on Guy Falk's, so he got named Cracker. She remained hard to catch so Ian worked with her and convined her that humans aren't that bad. Since March 2015 Stella is with us. More and more she has lost her shyness with the 2legged ones, her lovely and gentle personality shines through and she is a patient mother with her foals. She lives with Thunder at the moment and their first foal together was born in April 2016: a little colt called Tahi, growing up with his Mum and Dad until weaning.
A friend found this mare "up north", for free as hard to catch, he got her onto a trailer with some food. Chosen to be broodmare with quite a bit of unknown history she was going to be part of his breeding programm. Her first foal sired by a purebred Clydesdale stallion was born on Guy Falk's, so he got named Cracker. She remained hard to catch so Ian worked with her and convined her that humans aren't that bad. Since March 2015 Stella is with us. More and more she has lost her shyness with the 2legged ones, her lovely and gentle personality shines through and she is a patient mother with her foals. She lives with Thunder at the moment and their first foal together was born in April 2016: a little colt called Tahi, growing up with his Mum and Dad until weaning.
