Our History with horses begins with Zane who grew up on different farms around the Waikato, and as a child rode horses in the traditional English way, attending pony club and riding his pony around the farm, pulling logs, jumping steams, and racing around with his two brothers. When his parents sold their farm in the 80’s horses were put on the back burner until around 2006 when Zane (now married to Mel with 3 children) ended up being a part of a horse camp at Seaview Ranch in Katikati. Graeme Savill introduced Zane to the natural horsemanship style, collated from his own learning from the greats Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman, Monty Roberts, and Tom Dorrance.
Natural Horsemanship is based on developing a rapport with horses using methods developed from observation of the natural behavior of free-roaming horses and rejecting abusive training methods. It’s about working with the horse and becoming a team. A favorite quote from Ray Hunt is “I was working in the mind of a lot of people who didn’t want to believe their horse had a mind. Get a bigger bit, Get a bigger stick. That was their approach” Graeme taught Zane to start horses and worked alongside him for a year learning how to start green horses, fix horses with issues, hoof trim, ride in a rope halter and learn all about horses.
Since then he has refined and honed his style of working with horses and people. Zane is passionate about sharing his understanding of horses and his clear compelling communication style sees many people changing their approach to their horse and riding habits and seeing a radical positive change in their horses’ behavior and their own riding enjoyment.
Zane takes care of all the horse training aspects, has a hoof trimming run all around the area, runs clinics, takes care of the Quater Horse stud breeding, and does lessons with intermediate-advanced riders, and a racing stables training and track riding job.
Mel grew up at Kai Iwi, Wanganui on a sheep and beef farm, riding motorbikes with a strong dislike of horses after several encounters with them that put her off for life. However, after attending Savill’s Horse camp as an adult she discovered the joy of riding and has been hacking around on horses with Zane ever since.
She now drives the admin side of Falling Creek Ranch, as well as organising the camps and clinics and taking most of the riding lessons, she also makes and sells lead ropes and halters that are designed especially for natural horsemanship but also suitable for everyday use, and rears calves in the spring, and grows as much food as possible in her vege garden.
She also assists at a Horse Assisted Therapy program called R.E.I.N.S run by Jigsaw Whanganui and Susan Cameron.
Together they run the camps with the help of their amazing volunteer leaders, take out people on treks and run the farm.
