Learning Experiences on Horseback

Vaulting, Riding, Horsemanship lessons

Here at Hack n Stay, we’re all about developing connections between horses and humans Both in the saddle and on the ground. By combining good horsemanship, Centered Riding and trust based leadership we’re passionate about building relationships between horses and their humans.

Riding Lessons

Balanced riding for all ages & Abilities

One of the things we often hear from our guests is a desire to learn more about our style of balanced riding. By combining Human & Horse Biomechanics, Centered Riding and Good horsemanship, our riding lessons will not only give you the confidence to have fun in the saddle but will teach you how to be an effective and ethical rider regardless of your chosen discipline.

Whether you’re a new rider, returning to riding, or looking to renew your confidence in the saddle; our riding lessons will help you be the best rider you can be for your horse.

Cowboy Challenge

A fun and engaging way to learn how to communicate with your horse. Our Cowboy challenge obstacle course has a number of challenges designed to build your confidence in the saddle and help you become an effective rider. Obstacle course also has a number of difficulties making it suitable to challenge even experienced horsefolk.

Beach Riding Lesson

We believe that there’s no better arena to learn how to ride than the golden mirrored sands of Paton’s Rock Beach. This experience starts at our farmhouse and follows our hack track down to the beach where we’ll split off from the ride for a one on one riding lesson.

Arena Lesson

The perfect introduction to centered riding, an arena riding lesson will help you find confidence in the saddle as you learn how to work with your horse to achieve balanced riding.

What a cracker morning at
Patons Rock Beach

#mcduff #ice #goldenbayhorseriding
#nelsontasman #Clydesdales #patonsrock #

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#hacktrack
#rusty

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Sometimes you just can't contain the feeling of exhilaration that bubbles up when you find your confidence in the saddle.

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Feeling free and a big smile

#ice #patonsrock #mohuanz #goldenbaynz
#freedom

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One of the coolest things about having a herd of highly trained equine workmates is how well they can adapt to and take care of riders of all ages and...

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Super cute Dad and Daughter date on horseback this morning. Piper aced the steep ups and downs of our #hacktrack and in no time found her balance, ...

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One of our young riders doing a great job of finding his centre and standing up as he helps #jasper climb the winding hill of our #hacktrack.

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Making families 😊 happy
Even with some rain

#familyfun #PatonsRock #luke #Chloe

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Bubble ride!
#McDuff shows Sven the trail #PatonsRock

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Boxing day sunrise ride • • • •
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#nz
#sunrise #horses #newzealand #morning #horse #horsesofinstagram #nzmustdo #equestrian ...

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Stunning intimate Sunday ride.
#hacknstay #rideon #goldenbaynz #newzealand #patonsrock #brownacre

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Clydesdale canter
@PatonsRockNZ #patonsrock #brownacre

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A very happy 60th birthday ride for Tom! 🤩
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#ridenz #equestrian #mustdonz #goldenbay #ilovenelsontasman #beach #horseride #trek ...

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Rainy days aren’t so bad! .
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#newzealand #hackfarmnz #horseriding #equestrian #beach #nzmustdo #redwing #patonsrock #brunner

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One of the rides at #hackfarm today #goldenbaynz #See #Sun #ridingnz #goodhorses #rideon #hacktivity #hacknstay #hackandstay #patonsrock

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#Sunrise #Vaulting at #PatonsRock beach

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#luke smiling for the photo down on #patonsrock beach

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What a perfect spot to catch the last light of the day ☀
#hacknstay #sunset #rideon #hacktrack #leonard #brunner

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"I learned so much about how to ride correctly, what was best for the horse and best for me (good posture!). They cater for all riding abilities, I had no experience, another customer had ridden his own horse previously and another had ridden when she was younger. We all had a great time....3 hours of riding pleasure. Babel shares years of knowledge and has a great sense of humour, she’s is very passionate about what she does and hearing her story was really inspiring."

"Hack and stay is a real peace of heaven. The horses are really well treated and the track to the beach is amazing. But there’s so much more than trekking, there’s all sorts of swings for the children, a little climbing wall and you can even try some vaulting. We’ll remember our stay forever!!"

Horsemanship lessons

Connection, Intention, Leadership

Good Riding starts from the ground up. Our horsemanship lessons will help you become the leader your horse deserves as we teach you the fundamentals of communication with horses. Horsemanship lessons include Groundwork, Round Penning, Obstacle Courses, Communication and Trust Development.

Kids Horse Husbandry

Help your little one learn how to take care of horses. From Grooming, to leading to the saddling and more, these sessions serve as an introduction to horse ownership and will give your child confidence around horses and peace of mind for parents.

Groundwork

Learn how to communicate with your horse in a manner that they understand. Our Groundwork sessions will teach you the fundamentals of natural horsemanship and cover a range of skills to develop your knowledge, build trust with your horse and to become the leader your horse deserves.

More info

What is Horsemanship?

Horsemanship is the language we use to communicate with horses. Through horsemanship we learn how to develop a partnership with our horse, building a mutual language we can both understand in order to get the most out of our time together.

Will I be Riding?

Our horsemanship lessons all start on the ground as we find this is the best way to help you understand the importance of body language, intent and energy. That being said we believe in translating everything we do on the ground back into the saddle so you can always combine a horsemanship session with one of our rides to get the most out of your experience.

What to wear

We recommend wearing comfortable long trousers (no zip-offs) and closed shoes. A loose long sleeve shirt is also a good idea to protect yourself against the harsh sun. If you’ve booked a swimming ride, bring your swimmers along too.

Do you follow any particular style of horsemanship?

We believe in using the best tool for the job at hand and don’t prescribe to only one style of horsemanship. Over the years we’ve honed our toolbox and acquired new tools from a number of horsemanship practitioners.

Have more questions?

Sometimes you just can't contain the feeling of exhilaration that bubbles up when you find your confidence in the saddle.

This photo ...

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"Horses Lend us the wings we lack"
- Pam Brown

Every rider can remember the very first time they went for a canter. The gift ...

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Sound On 🎶

As well as the ever changing coastal beauty of #goldenbaynz , our #horse trails are full of surprises around every corner! From...

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Todays riding lesson at the beach while sunrise. #hacknstay #goldenbay #nzmustdo #wwooferlife

#horsemanship #lesson

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"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!

Vaulting Experiences

Grace, Balance & rythm. Learn to fly with our exceptional vaulting experiences.

Vaulting is often described as a combination of dancing and gymnastics on horseback and is considered to be the safest equestrian discipline.

We’ve seen time and time again how transformational the sense of confidence and self awareness gained by finding your balance and expression on horseback has on individuals of all ages and particularly for kids and Baerbel is passionate about sharing this magic with others.

No previous experience is required for this fun and engaging activity.

Ride & Fly

Our Ride & Fly is the best combination of experiences. We start off at the homestead and ride down to beach over our farm track and through native forest as part of our Paton’s Rock Beach Ride. Once on the beach the fun really begins as we split from the group and teach you how to find balance, confidence and grace on horseback with a vaulting lesson on the water’s edge.

Vaulting Arena Session

Utilising our purpose built vaulting arena we’ll introduce you to the magic of flying on horseback. Within no time we’ll have you standing on horseback, connecting with the rythm and motion of your horse like never before.

More info

Is it safe?

Yes, vaulting is actually considered to be the safest of all equestrian sports & is proven safer than riding bicycles, playing on playground equipment, and even playing soccer due to Vaulting’s 3 points of Safety.

Age Limit

Vaulting is suitable for riders of all ages and in fact we recommend riding in a vaulting saddle for riders under the age of 5. In no time at all your child will be flying up on the horses back as they find confidence, balance and freedom of movement.

What to wear

Is vaulting only for girls?

Definitely not! Vaulting actually finds it’s origin in the cavalry and was originally used to display the physical prowess of the mounted soldier. Think of vaulting as an introduction to trick riding. Vaulting is loads of fun for folks of all ages and gender.

Have more questions?

What a amazing riding day
Loved it from ...

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"Horses Lend us the wings we lack"
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Super cute Dad and Daughter date on horseback this...

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Seasons Greetings from the Hack Farm Vaulties!
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Another sussessfull Vaulting Camp
to prepare ...

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Getting ready for the display at RDA Richmond ...

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Vaulting workshop at Hackfarm

#vaultingnz...

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Happy kids at #hackfarm #kids riding #vaulting ...

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#Sunrise #Vaulting at #PatonsRock beach

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Aaand again another successful performance of our ...

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May I introduce: the Hack‘s Vaulting Team!
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1. NZ Vaulting Tournament
Tomorrow is the day...

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Guests learning to fly on horseback with @hackfarmnz

We took our 5 year old for a horse trek to Paton Rocks beach and it was so much more than just a ride. The very friendly and experienced owner let her get the horse from the paddock it, groom it, help get the horse ready for the trek, teach her some horse vaulting skills and then let her help feed and water the horses at the end. Such value for money and a really relaxed and wonderful experience for her and my husband too for that matter! We must come back to enjoy staying at the Horse themed farm house at some stage. Thank you so very much, we highly recommend to anyone to come to you!

Baerbel Hack and her team are probably the best hack experience I have ever had. With a lot of sensitivity, deep understanding of horsemanship and extraordinary dedication to teach horse and rider of all levels the proper interaction and handling of a horse they take you via farmland to the beach - a breathtaking location to enjoy a ride for all riding levels. This trek is not about 'just getting tourists on a horse, take them out, cash out money'. Baerbel starts explaining and introducing you to the well maintained and beloved horses from the very beginning, teaches a lot about their character and horse handling while you ride and takes care of each riders individual needs. We are lucky enough to live in the area and now go see her regularely to get horse riding lessons for us and our 3 year old twins - who enjoy the careful and sensitive way Baerbel introduces them to vaulting. This horse riding school / horse trek is much more than a tourist attraction and will leave you with an excellent memory of your stay in NZ.

Baerbel provides a passionate service, catering to all levels. As a beginner my confidence blossomed as she shared her support, knowledge and insight on the horse - human relationship, while infecting us with the riding buzz! The kids were thrilled with their introduction to vaulting and experiencing different gaits in a safe attentive style. Also beneficial for improving posture, opening the hips - and heart! Highly recommended 🙂 This horse riding school / horse trek is much more than a tourist attraction and will leave you with an excellent memory of your stay in NZ.