Te Rangi Horses

19/08/2026

Simon’s fab tack boxes 📦
Get in touch to get one for yourself!

02/08/2026

POLES, GYMNASTICS & A WHOLE LOT OF FUN!

Come and play with your horse at our Polework & Gymnastics Clinic at beautiful Wairoa Lodge.

We'll be using poles, patterns and gymnastics to improve rhythm, balance, coordination and rideability - while keeping training fresh, fun and interesting.

Whether you're just getting started or ready for something more challenging, there is a group to suit you!

📅 Saturday 15 August
📍 Wairoa Lodge
👥 Max 5 riders per group
💰 $70 + $30 ground fee

Come along, have some fun and give your horse something new to think about!

Bookings via the website or PM / email me - [email protected]

South Auckland Riding Coach. As a qualified secondary schools teacher I have 15+ years experience in teaching and enjoy communicating with young people. We offer flatwork, jumping and horsemanship lessons to young riders and enjoy finding ways of creating lessons that are fun and engaging for younge...

15/07/2026

One of the questions I’m often asked is why I like to walk around the arena while I’m ground schooling, rather than standing in one spot and lunging.
For me, it simply feels like a more natural way to work with a horse.
Rather than travelling endless circles around a fixed point, I like to make use of the whole arena - walking, changing direction, weaving around jumps and encouraging the horse to stay connected with me wherever we go. In this reel you’ll see Hoot working through a few turn on the forehand and turn on the hindquarter exercises blended to become smooth changes of direction. These transitions help keep him thinking, attentive and responsive, rather than falling into a repetitive pattern.
One of the biggest things I’m looking for is that the horse remains softly bent through their body, aware of my position, and willing to shape around me as we move together. I want them to understand that their job isn’t simply to go around in circles - it’s to stay mentally connected and ready for the next conversation.
One piece of advice that has always stayed with me came from a horseman I greatly admire. He spoke about being mindful that we’re not training a flight response. That really resonated with me.
If we’re not careful, repeatedly sending a horse around and around on a circle can become more about keeping them moving than helping them think. I prefer to create sessions where the horse is encouraged to stay relaxed, attentive and engaged, with regular changes of direction and purpose behind every exercise.
As with all of these reels, this is just a short snapshot of one part of the training. The timing, feel and progression are what really make the difference. If you’d like to learn more about this approach, I’d love to welcome you to our Winter Horsemanship Clinic at the beautiful Malmo Equestrian on 25–26 July. We’ll spend two days building practical skills, better communication and stronger partnerships in a relaxed, supportive environment. Come along, ask questions, have a go, and enjoy a weekend dedicated to becoming a better partner for your horse.

09/07/2026

Today - turn on the fore. One thing I’d like to mention before we get into this reel…

Instagram only allows for short snippets, so what you’re seeing here is just a little taster of the exercise. There is a lot more teaching, timing and feel that goes into introducing these movements, and every horse progresses at their own pace. My hope is that these videos provide a little point of reference or spark some curiosity, rather than being a complete lesson.

One of the first pieces I like to teach is the turn on the forehand. Before we ever ask for a turn, the horse first needs to understand how to softly move their hindquarters away from light pressure. Once that understanding is there, we can gradually build towards a forward-moving turn on the forehand, where the front feet continue to walk while the hindquarters yield.

I was taught by someone I deeply respect, Ken Dromgool, that it’s important not to let the horse stop and pivot on a planted front foot. Instead, encouraging the front feet to keep walking allows the horse to stay soft through the body, maintain a gentle bend, and avoid screwing or pivoting into the ground. That philosophy has stayed with me over the years, and it’s still the way I choose to teach this exercise today. Thanks, Ken, for sharing such valuable knowledge.

There are plenty of different approaches to teaching a disengagement, and that’s okay. This is simply the way that makes the most sense to me and has produced the feel I’m looking for.

For me, this exercise has never been about teaching a horse to spin around. It’s about developing clear communication, body awareness, softness to pressure, and helping the horse understand that we can influence different parts of their body independently. Those skills carry through into everything else we do, whether you’re hacking, competing, or simply wanting a more connected partnership.

This is exactly the kind of foundation we’ll be building at the Winter Horsemanship Clinic. We’ll slow things down, focus on the timing and feel behind each exercise, and help both horse and rider develop a clearer conversation together.

Give it a try and let me know how you go!

07/07/2026

One of the most useful groundwork skills I teach is the send (or turn on the hindquarters).

At first glance it might just look like an exercise, but it’s actually about teaching the horse to yield their shoulders, have awareness of your personal space and learn to follow a feel. Those same skills carry over into everyday handling - whether you’re leading through gates, loading onto a float or truck, or simply moving your horse around safely and confidently.

One tip that has helped riders learning this exercise is to think about sending the horse’s nose towards a point on a 45° angle, rather than directly out to the side.

Why?

Because when we send the horse out on a 90° angle, they often step into our space instead of yielding away from it. Thinking about that 45° line encourages the horse to move their shoulders away first, creating a much clearer, softer response and setting them up to move out on the circle with clarity.

At the end of the reel, you’ll see a quick sequence of three related turns linked together - from sending the horse forward on a line, into a forward-moving turn on the forehand, and finally into a full 360° turn on the hindquarters. Although each exercise has its own purpose, they all build on the same foundations of timing, feel and clear communication.

It’s a small change, but one that can make a difference to the conversation you’re having with your horse.

I hope this helps you with your groundwork…if there’s something you’d like to see in a video pop it in the comments 🙂👊

15/06/2026

❄️ WINTER HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC – MALMO EQUESTRIAN ❄️

📍 Clevedon | 25–26 July | Indoor Arena

I’m excited to be bringing a Winter Horsemanship Clinic to the incredible new facilities at Malmo Equestrian.

My horsemanship philosophy is built around a simple belief:

*The best partnerships are built through understanding, communication and feel.*

Whether I’m working with my event horses or coaching riders, I always come back to timing, feel, clarity and working to better understand how the horse thinks and learns. When we improve ourselves as riders, our horses come with us.

✨ MORE THAN JUST EXERCISES — A BETTER CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HORSE ✨

Together we’ll focus on:

• Building trust and genuine connection
• Improving communication through timing, feel and intention
• Developing softness, suppleness and balance
• Encouraging confidence, curiosity and willingness

The full two-day clinic offers the greatest opportunity for progression, with Day Two building naturally on the concepts introduced on Day One. Riders are also welcome to attend either day individually.

Whether you’re just starting your horsemanship journey or looking to deepen existing skills, you’ll leave with practical tools, fresh insights and a better understanding of how to support your horse to feel confident, willing and engaged.

🕤 9:30am–3:00pm
👥 Maximum 8 riders per day
💰 $225 per day | $400 for both days

If you’re interested in developing a deeper connection with your horse, improving your feel and communication, and creating a more willing and responsive partnership, I’d love to have you join us.

Bookings and enquiries welcome. Full details via the website ( link in bio 🔗)

15/06/2026

❄️ WINTER HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC – MALMO EQUESTRIAN ❄️
Clevedon | 25–26 July | Indoor arena

I’m really excited to be running a winter horsemanship clinic at the incredible new indoor facilities at Malmo Equestrian.

This clinic is built around one core belief:
when the horse isn’t responding, it’s usually a communication problem - not a “horse problem.”

My work (both with my event horses and everyday riders) always comes back to timing, feel, clarity, and learning how the horse actually thinks. When we improve ourselves as riders, the horses come with us.

I’m also big on keeping things simple, practical, and pressure-free. Horses and people both learn better when things feel achievable.

We’ll focus on:
• Building trust and a genuine working connection with the horse
• Improving clarity of communication through timing, feel and intention
• Developing softness, suppleness and physical balance in the horse
• Encouraging curiosity, confidence and willingness so the horse can think and engage

MORE THAN JUST EXERCISES — A BETTER CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HORSE

Whether you join us for one day or immerse yourself in the full two-day experience, this clinic is designed to help riders better understand how horses think, learn and respond, while developing practical skills that improve everyday interactions and riding.

For the most complete experience, join us for both days and enjoy a progressive learning journey that builds from foundational concepts into deeper refinement and partnership. Prefer a shorter commitment? Riders are also welcome to attend either day individually. Full details are available on the website.

Whether you're just beginning your horsemanship journey or looking to deepen existing skills, you'll leave with practical tools, fresh insights and a better understanding of how to communicate with your horse in a way that feels clear, fair and effective.

📍 Malmo Equestrian, Clevedon
🕤 9:30am – approx 3:00pm (brand new indoor arena, winter-friendly)
👥 Small groups (max 8 riders per day)
💰 $225 per day / $400 for the full 2 day experience

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing the right things” but not quite getting the response you want from your horse — this clinic is for you.

Bookings & enquiries welcome - https://terangihorses.co.nz/products/winter-horsemanship-clinic-malmoequestrian