Horses
Horses have always been a big part of Glencorran Farm
When you meet Mike (Heather's dad) this comment might surprise you. But like all hill country farms that were settled over 100 years ago, horses were essential in the process of breaking in the native bushland for farming. Once the land was developed horses were used for mustering and general farm work when motored vehicles weren't equipped for getting out on our steep terrain. When Heather came back to the farm in 2019 she brought her enthusiasm for young horses with her and the horse numbers have steadily increased since then.
The East Coast
When Heather first began with starting horses, a lot came out of the East Coast of the North Island. She made many friends up the coast and brought truck loads of horses at a time, transporting them using a stock truck down to the farm. We still have a number of coastie specials in the paddocks but are enjoying breeding our our horses now (and avoiding the massive haul up to get them) that we have the opportunity to do so with Coke.
Starting Young Horses
We used to do a lot of our own starting, but now the reality is we are just too busy farming to get the time to do a young horse well. Collectively we start around one or two of our own horses each year. The rest of our breaking in is done by Boxer Shaw. He is a major asset to our farming operation and we would be lost without him. Boxer has a kind hand, giving young horses the opportunity to learn about hacking, pig hunting and rough terrain which is perfect when they return to GF and we start riding them out on the farm. You can catch Boxer on the TV show "Native Ride" which screened on Maori TV.