Ellen Bennett Horsemanship

14/11/2024

HORSE GRAZING AVAILABLE
📍 The Farm, Whangaruru, Northland

Looking for quality horse grazing? We now have spots open to our beautiful 1,000-acre farm.

Why us?
- Affordable rates starting at just $40/week
- Vet on site: Peace of mind with veterinary expertise always available
- Experienced Care: 30+ years of horse management, with a skilled team on hand
- Natural Grazing: Horses are kept in small herds, regularly rotated for optimal health
- Trail Access: 15km+ of trails, tracks, and nearby beaches for riding adventures
- Extra Services: Hoof care, cover management, training sessions, and behavioral work available
- Pick-up & Drop-off: Convenient transportation from anywhere in Northland

Suited for:
- Young horse maturing
- Horses needing a holiday
- Retired horse living out their golden years

We have healthy pasture all year round, and can provide winter supplements to ensure consistent feed. Your horse will be well looked after with daily check-ins and a supportive environment.

Send a message to enquire:
[email protected]

13/11/2024

Very big month for me. I completed my 300 hr yoga teacher training. It’s hard to know what to say about the experience. Life changing for sure. I just don’t want to forget anything. Yoga complements my whole life.

06/11/2024

HORSE GRAZING AVAILABLE
📍 The Farm, Whangaruru, Northland

Looking for quality horse grazing? Now we have a few spots open on our beautiful 1,000-acre farm. Suited for:

- Young horse maturing
- Horses needing a holiday
- Retired horse living out their golden years

Why choose us?

- Affordable Rates: Starting at just $40/week
- Vet on site: Peace of mind with veterinary expertise always available
- Experienced Care: 30+ years of horse management, with a skilled team on hand
- Natural Grazing: Horses are kept in small herds, regularly rotated for optimal health
- Trail Access: 15km+ of trails, tracks, and nearby beaches for riding adventures
- Extra Services: Hoof care, cover management, training sessions, and behavioral work available
- Pick-up & Drop-off: Convenient transportation from anywhere in Northland

We have healthy pasture all year round, and can provide winter supplements to ensure consistent feed. Your horse will be well looked after with daily check-ins and a supportive environment.

Check out our website for more info:
https://www.thefarm.co.nz/grazing

Or contact our accounts manager:
[email protected]

28/10/2024

This time last week, we had just gotten back from Equifest. It was such a build-up to get there, and being in the thick of it was just so much fun! Anyone who knows me personally will understand how incredibly excited I was to be there.

I had my first presentation, “Building Ethical Foundations for Beginners and Beyond,” on Friday morning, and I was super happy with the two horses we brought with us, as well as my amazing demo riders and support crew.

The next day, I had a great session of Freework with a fantastic little horse lent to me by Hannah, Fagan’s daughter. Irwin? I may have forgotten his name, but he was a wonderful demo guy. He had obviously been well-loved and trained. He understood so much so easily about human-to-horse communication. It was like he had done Freework before, but it was his first time at liberty. We brought a friend for him to hang out with in case it was all too much, but he was so confident and communicative that we did really well.

On the last day, I had a little end-of-Equifest presentation where I shared eight exercises I use for beginner riders’ next steps after their first introduction. There were a few logistical hiccups, but it was very fun. The best part was learning from Chester, my demo horse. He was a bit apprehensive and unsettled. I was a little worried about how the whole thing would go, but as soon as Holly, the demo rider, got on and began riding him in a way that gave him confidence in what he was meant to be doing and provided him with a sense of purpose, he completely relaxed. I really believe that shared purpose—knowing what the goal is—gives horses an opportunity to have a mutually beneficial relationship with us and adds to their life and happiness. I’ll talk more about that at a later stage. For now, I’ll say a massive THANK YOU to Equifest and all the people who helped get us there! I loved every moment, learned heaps, enjoyed seeing old friends, new friends made, had fun with my great team, and a special thanks to my family for coming down. It was an amazing weekend.
Massive thanks to Paula who made it all possible for me to go despite studying full time.
I’m actually a student in a 300-hour yoga teacher training this month, so I’m super grateful I got to come at all. A bit of a ramble, but I’m still buzzing!

04/10/2024

Look, see? I told you! I’m officially an educator!
I couldn’t be more thrilled, or more privileged. I absolutely love what Equifest is doing for our horses and humans here in NZ.

15/08/2024

We are looking for a few people to join our horse and our farm teams at The Farm.

Horse tasks include feeding, mucking out, moving herds, fencing, handling, riding, taking treks, assisting with lessons and school camps, taking videos and photos.

Trekking season is beginning to get going soon, so we need capable riders to take treks and bring horses back into work!

Cow team is milking a small herd of cows to feed calves and doing farm jobs, moving and sorting herds, fencing and odd jobs. You done need experience, but if you have it, amazing.

We are also working on developing more facilities, so if you are a builder that would be amazing, too!

Also need social media help, so if that’s in your skill set, yay!!!
In exchange for this unique work experience we provide you with food, accommodation, learning experiences, lessons, fun treks, and an awesome community to be a part of!

For the horses, a
large portion of what we do is help horses to be more versatile through a unique relationship based horsemanship approach, with the focus on them enjoying human handling and riding. It can be particularly rewarding to be part of that process. We find that a horse who has developed confidence in humans, in general, and also themselves, will have a better chance of being looked after and loved.

Check out www.ellenbennetthorsemanship.com ( having trouble with the website just now but I’ve put it there in case I figure it out) to get an idea of what we do, and https://www.thefarm.co.nz/ for a feel of life here.
Horse handling and riding experience required for the horse team. No experience needed for cow team. We prefer longer term stayers, but if you have experience and only a short time, give us a bell!
Start date now!

To apply, contact [email protected] or PM Ellen Bennett Horsemanship on Facebook.

The Farm is a 1000-acre campsite & events venue located in the countryside of Whangaruru, New Zealand. Book your stay For over 20 years we’ve been sharing our home with friends, travellers and volunteers from all over the world who’ve helped us make The Farm what it is today.

10/06/2024

We have been so so so lucky with our horse team
volunteers over the years!

Right now we have a super nice and very relaxed time. Feeding, moving, having nice mileage rides, and playing with youngsters.

If that sounds like work you’d like to do for a few weeks or months, give me a message.

21/05/2024

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7KgyCOSmW2/?igsh=MXFqdzdnNm15ejV5Ng==

25/02/2024

POSITION AVAILABLE!

We are looking for a keen and capable person to join our horse team at The Farm. The team is 3-4 people and 40, or so, horses strong.

Tasks include feeding, mucking out, moving herds, fencing, handling, riding, taking treks, assisting with lessons and school camps, taking videos and photos.

Trekking season is slowing down now, so it’s time to get into starting, and training, new and younger horses.

We are always working on developing more facilities, so if you are a builder that would be amazing, too!

Social media skills are very helpful, so if that’s in your skill set, yay!!!
In exchange for this unique work experience we provide you with food, accommodation, learning experiences, lessons, fun treks, and an awesome community to be a part of!

A large portion of what we do is help horses to be more versatile through a unique relationship based horsemanship approach, with the focus on them enjoying human handling and riding. We feel that a horse who has developed confidence in humans, in general, and also themselves, will have a better chance of being looked after and loved.

Check out www.ellenbennetthorsemanship.com to get an idea of what we do, and https://www.thefarm.co.nz/ for a feel of life here.
Horse handling and riding experience required, we prefer longer term stayers, but if you have experience and only a short time, give us a bell!
Start date now!

To apply, contact [email protected] or PM Ellen Bennett Horsemanship on Facebook.

17/11/2023

Real life at The Farm.

D.I.Y ENTERTAINMENT

18/10/2023

Went to Equifest and well, WOW!
WOW WOW WOW AND WOOO HOOO!

It was a great event, educational, inspiring, entertaining, fun etc etc etc

But. The main thing for me was:

The HORSE was at the center!!!

I’ve just been minding my own business, doing my own thing for the past few years and Equifest was my first foray back into the greater “horse world”.
What a change!! I’m so excited and inspired!

What excited me?
- Seeing clinicians being focused on their horses’ wellbeing, not only their outcomes, or their personal method
- Watching top level riders gracefully bow out as soon as they felt their horse having an off day
- Hearing coaches talking about improving the rider, not the horse
- Hearing people questioning why the horse was behaving in a certain way, not just rushing in to “fix” things
- Seeing people searching for more genuine and authentic connections with their horses
- Witnessing that connection with so many combinations throughout the weekend - in all the competitions and in all the disciplines!
- The upsurge in the liberty ridden and unridden competition, and specifically the acceptance that it’s more beautiful when it is genuinely involving choice. Which means it’s okay when your horse leaves or doesn’t perform perfectly. The best bit is when the conversation is mutual!
- Feeling the gap between separation of disciplines, and training methods, closing around the banner of HORSE FIRST!!!

But mostly I feel gratitude to the horse and our world. We are all so lucky to fall under the category of “Horseperson”. I personally think there will be a gene isolated soon that will answer the question we all feel… Why? Why are we so drawn to these particular four legged creatures? But I digress….

GO HORSEWORLD!!! Go all of us!

Hopefully we will all feel more inspired, now, to share what we learn, share our passions and our journeys. Horse at the Center, egos at the back. I think I do, but, hmmmm, we will see how I feel tomorrow.

02/10/2023

Sweetest project pony ever.

Moose, 13.3 hh stocky true crossbred gelding.
Jumping bloodlines on both sides of his breeding. Lone Arrow and Mokau. Has dilute Andalusian blood as well.

Moose has been under saddle for a few months.
Can walk trot and canter out on treks. Leads the way or is happy anywhere in the group. Forward and keen, but not rushy. Very green still, so will need more mileage, but confident as at this stage.
He has not started serious schooling yet, but is relaxed over poles and has free jumped.

He was started bitless, but is becoming comfortable with the bit now.

Floats loads happily.
Drenches easily.
Is getting used to hosing.
Is good with his feet, but has not had or needed shoes. He has been ridden on various terrains and has not been tender.
He had his teeth done as a youngster, but not recently.

Really one of the sweetest ponies I’ve had. He has some vulnerability about him, though, so will only go to exactly the perfect home to bring him on. Not for beginners, thank you. Low yellow 💛

Please feel free to ring and discuss. Or pm me.

021 407284