https://www.facebook.com/103842511309220/

Milbank Equine

Home
New Zealand
Taupo
Milbank Equine

Call Directions Contact the business

**Equine training services for sport horses and racing thoroughbreds at all stages**

12/09/2026

Nearly five months of Sèla 💝

21/07/2025

“False” ground lines on jumps----A discussion

Imagine coming at the jump in this photo from the landing side to get a better grasp on what is meant by a false ground line. You can see that the top of the jump would be closer to the horse than the bottom of the jump, where it meets the ground.

Horses judge their takeoff spots by where they think the bottom of the jump is, and if the bottom is farther away than the top, it is deceptive to the horse’s vision, and can cause the horse to misjudge its take off point and get too close, This can lead to a knocked down rail if the rails are in cups, but on cross country, where the rails are solid, it can lead to a fall, even to a deadly rotational fall where the horse somersaults over the fence and crashes to the ground from high in the air.

It is highly irresponsible of a course designer or builder to not use generous ground lines. Anything helps, a log in front, or some brush, some hay or straw bales, some pine straw, but some cross country course designers either do not understand this, or leave out ground lines on purpose to add to the challenge.

At Rolex one year they had a fence like this one in the photo called a pheasant feeder, and the approach side wasn’t filled in. I was standing there when a young girl missed her distance, got flipped on, and killed.

Eventing is dangerous enough done right. Done wrong it can be fatal. When you walk your course, and you see a fence with an insufficient ground line, say something to the technical delegate. Usually, if the TD is competent, she will fix it.

Don’t expect others to save you. Often they do not know despite their credentials.

15/07/2025

**Space for one more breaker/schooler before October**
I have over 10 years experience breaking in with natural horsemanship methods mostly having done warmbloods and thoroughbreds. I have evented to the old 2* and produced my own horses so know how to get the right start and correct buttons to make a good sporthorse. I have all the patience in the world for the problematic/quirky horses and developing a quieter happier brain for them. Fully equipped property with loads of farm hacking where your horse will get to gain the benefits of getting out and about. Based in Taupo

13/07/2025

Ramen Noodle 🍜 being a bit cute over some fillers he hasn't seen and his first time jumping a course at this height 🫣

23/06/2025

Love how every time I order an ulcer treatment Vetpost throws in horse treats and treats for me 😆

17/06/2025

You SHOULD be able to take on and off a jacket on your breakers second ride 😉

08/06/2025

🌟 **The little mare that could** 🌟
A kissing spine success story.

I have to take a moment to have a spiel about this horse ❤️ I first sat on Mouse as a just turned 2yo fresh from the breakers (early I know) at the racing stable I managed three years ago. That first ride I had never felt something nicer with so much potential, and I've ridden plenty expensive warmbloods etc in my time!! A year later she became mine and she has been nothing but a battle. She couldn't cope with the stress of racing and would repeatedly get chronic ulcers so they gave up and gave her to me before she ever made it to a race. Despite that, she was the 'babysitter' for all the new anxious horses round the track because of her kind nature and she NEVER put her ears back or got angry at a human despite the pain she must have felt. I knew that was worth something.

Currently horseless I made a difficult move to Taupo with no house to go to and no friends. I picked her up on the way and felt better going not completely alone. She took an hour to get on the float, came off dripping and skinny. It then took three months to get her to eat anything making it difficult to treat the ulcers I knew she had. I spent the next year barely finding the time for her and dealing with a nightmare of a horse. She couldn't eat, chronically herd bound, wouldn't float, when she got on she'd nearly flip it, couldn't tie her up and couldn't stand for the farrier. However I knew she was anxious and struggling with a gut issue. I only found the time to ride her once a month but you know what, every ride I had a smile on my face. She felt INCREDIBLE. She was worth something.

She was also just the happiest horse to be alive. Happy to be with people, happy to go for a ride, happy to meet all animals and she NEVER put her ears back at me despite the anxiety she felt in her day to day life. She was worth something.

After finally finding more time to ride her consistently. We ran in to more issues. She would pace at the walk, stumble down hill, over bend, hated body work and wasn't responding well to it anyway. I bit the bullet and got her x-rayed for kissing spine knowing if she had it I would be putting her down. She has it. The vets were on my side with putting her down until they saw the scans. It was the mildest they'd seen and were positive with her young age she could recover from this with steroid injections. I mulled it over for a couple months. Telling myself to be responsible and not keep a difficult 4yo thoroughbred with kissing spine. But after many depressed days I couldn't go through with it. She'd already come so far and she was worth something.

We got the injections, did the rehab and she was great! She was the horse I'd dreamed of. Incredible power, incredible jump, quiet to trek, happy-go-lucky little mare. We had a minor setback with a fat leg just before hunt season. I turned her out for a month and when bringing her back in all her signs of pain had returned.... I FORGOT the vets said you can't turn out a horse with kissing spine once you've done the rehab. It was too early to get another round of injections. I was faced with putting her down again.... I started the rehab from scratch praying it would be enough. She certainly improved but it still wasn't perfect. She was no way near as bad as the first time and and it was hard to know what was pain and what was memory pain. However she seemed happy so I continued to strengthen her. I had no idea if she was going to be worth the blood sweat, tears and massive vet bill of injections every year to keep her going.

Today she proved to me that she is worth EVERYTHING!!. I finally got to hunt her and couldn't have asked for a better horse. The most beautiful powerful stride I've ever sat on. Taking me into every fence and clearing them with incredible scope like they're 1.20m. If I could build my dream horse in a lab she is it. The best part, she was 100% sound! She can do it. She was worth it.

I've spent the last year telling myself I should be responsible. Put down the broken horse. Keep the horse with nicer movement instead. I judge others for doing exactly what I was putting myself through. But every time I've sat on that horse for three years, I've had a smile on my face. We forget that that's the whole point. Why keep the nicer horse when this one is more fun? We do this sport to enjoy it at the end of the day. Not to be the best. Not to make momey. But because we love it. And I'm so glad I have a horse like her to make me love this sport every day.

29/05/2025

Baby's undercover to get clipped 🙌

27/05/2025

So proud of Tui in her lesson yesterday. She was stoked to tell me that she centered 40cm a couple days ago after her confidence getting knocked from a broken leg. Then yesterday she pulled off this! The biggest course I've asked her to do

Address

Taupo

Telephone

+64220694845

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Milbank Equine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Milbank Equine:

Better Cavs
Bell Block, New Plymouth

Want your business to be the top-listed pet store/pet service in Taupo?