Learning Experiences on Horseback

"I have had the pleasure of riding all over the world on holidays with my students and this was one of the best we have ever experienced. The location is gorgeous, a short trail ride to the beach where you can ride a very interesting coastal area and swim with your horse. The horses were very well trained and cared for and the host is passionate about teaching riders at diverse levels from beginner to advanced. Such a kind and welcoming environment! They accommodated our gluten free diet needs and we rode to the Mussel Inn, a micro brewery and had fresh, wonderful sea food. We took a night ride to see a glow worm colony and were made to feel like family. My farm, Shea Rose Farm, also has a vaulting team that is competitive, and we enjoyed sharing some of our knowledge with their vaulters. Definitely make this a stop if you can make it to Golden Bay!!"

"I have been on a few treks.. but none like my friend and I experienced here. I had booked a trek to the Mussel Inn which was several hours. Baerbel was welcoming and accommodating as soon as we arrived. We had a quick tour of the accommodation she offers at the farm which is really nice as I had never heard of a horse backpackers/B&B 🙂 Baerbel took a good amount of time to assess where our riding levels were at, and really took the time to explain riding style and how the horses respond. Really interesting stuff to me. This instantly set Hack Farm somewhat aside from other treks which now seem as though we were just in a rush to get on and then off. Overall, amazing opportunities to learn, fantastic people, cool part of the country, excellent to hear about local conservation efforts, really good value for money and I will definitely be coming again when I am in the area. In fact... it is probably going to be the main pull for me to visit the area again. This time I think I will see if I can stay a weekend 🙂 Thanks Baerbel for your time and attention 🙂 I think you have such a good thing going on at Hack Farm. Thumbs up! All the best.

As I hadn't been on horseback for a longer period of time, I was a bit nervous at the beginning of our hack, but Baerbel is a great coach, who makes you feel very confident and secure on your horse. During these few hours on horseback I learnt so much about natural horsemanship thanks to Baerbel while at the same time enjoying the amazing track along the beautiful beaches. I had lots of fun with Trixie, my horse, with her being very responsive and friendly. Despite the bad weather it was an awesome experience that will be remembered. Not to forget to mention the refreshing break at the legendary Mussel Inn... I have not experienced the accommodation, only had a look around the beautiful rooms that Baerbel and Thomas offer in their B&B. They look so inviting that I hope to be back at Hack 'n' Stay in future!