- 4 months ago
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00:00The best of New Zealand's rural heartland, Hyundai Country Calendar.
00:15It's a small farm with a lot of horses.
00:19I forbid Zane to get more horses and next thing I know there's, I'm like, what's that horse out there?
00:24You got it.
00:25Where visitors come to enjoy the outdoors and the animals.
00:30There's nothing as good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.
00:34Our lives are enriched for having horses in them.
00:37We're just off to muster in the cattle and weigh them and then take them back out again.
00:49Mel and Zane Scott farm 91 hectares near Whanganui with their son Casey.
00:56I sort of describe it as all dead flat, just quite a bit of it's on a fairly steep angle.
01:03They have around 50 horses and 80 cows.
01:06I like cattle.
01:07I like cattle.
01:08I'd far rather work young horses with cattle.
01:14And today they've got some extra help.
01:16We love opening our farm up and having people come and enjoy the outdoors and horses and
01:21that sort of thing.
01:22Zane and Mel host horse camps for adults, children and teenagers like this group.
01:29We're bringing our campers out to do the muster with us.
01:30And for most of them they've never done this before so it's all new and exciting and it's
01:32really fun.
01:33just seeing the joy of these teenage girls just to be able to do the muster.
01:36We want some extra help.
01:37We love opening our farm up and having people come and enjoy the outdoors and horses and
01:42that sort of a thing.
01:43Zane and Mel host horse camps for adults, children and teenagers like this group.
01:48We're bringing our campers out to do the muster with us.
01:53And for most of them they've never done this before so it's all new and exciting and it's
01:58really fun just seeing the joy of these teenage girls just to be able to do the most.
02:02teenage girls just doing their first muster and riding their horses on the hills and having a
02:07really great time. Okay guys what we're going to do we'll head up here behind this hay barn we'll
02:13pick up all these cattle take them back home where they're going to get weighed and drenched so
02:17the big thing is just stay behind the last animal don't get too advanced up on the horses all these
02:23horses are pretty relaxed with the cattle so get in there and have a bit of fun even if you've
02:27never done it before see what you can get done all right let's ride
02:40so what you want to try and do is sort of form a line behind them okay
02:44so I'm getting in front of the cows stay behind him when he's walking along try and relax a little
02:53bit because he's getting cross with you because you've got him pulled up okay I think we need to go
02:58off to the left a bit now guys if you come around this away we'll go and pick up the far end and
03:06we'll bring them down and poke them out the gate it's not about them being genuinely helpful it's
03:14about them having a genuine good time you know and it would be quicker to do it ourself but heck
03:19it's so much fun that that's what it's about just don't put too much pressure on guys
03:24maybe accidentally on about a Thursday night I would generally leave a few gates open and let
03:34the cattle travel around the farm wherever they want so that's all that they know the cattle have
03:39escaped we just have to master them in
03:41the cattle know what to do and where to go
03:48it's not their first rodeo either yeah maybe the gates get left open a fair few times
03:55don't push them too fast just let them find along
03:59you are going to have to slow it down and you're going to have to give each other space
04:05the calves are going to walk slower than your horse it's not a race
04:08they get thrown in the deep end here and a lot of girls that come have not been on a horse at all
04:19so some are riding with white knuckle terror the first day is a pretty huge learning curve but yeah
04:27by the end of camp they're confidently catching them and saddling them up so it's really cool seeing
04:31their progress and just the confidence that with handling the horses just grow so much in a few
04:37days with a successful muster under their belts the young campers have a go at weighing the cattle
04:53okay we don't have a lot of very viable flat land to be high producing off there's not a lot of
05:01quality feed out there so they're still putting on weight but we just need this autumn flush to kick
05:06in so what we've got is what we've got and we're just trying to make the best of it
05:11it's challenging terrain for a lot of riders but the horses know it well
05:23our horses live in these steep paddocks so it's their normal it's their every day
05:32and they're trying to work with riders of all abilities so his instinct would be to be worried
05:41about this but hopefully we can get there chief is a five-year-old quarter horse being handled for
05:49the first time chilled out with that pretty quick hey yeah he's fairly nervous but he's trying hard
05:57and that's all we can ask for good boy you're all right you're all right so I'd call starting the
06:05old-fashioned breaking in is using force and intimidation and starting a horse is sort of
06:10more where we want to go I'm trying to just work with a horse and a bit more calmer fashion maybe in
06:15a way he understands and have him join me on a journey and hopefully become the superstar
06:20that's potentially in there it's much better for him we're not having a big fight and a challenge
06:26we're trying to get a job done together oh hey you're a little bit worried you're doing good
06:34good girl the horses at Falling Creek Ranch are not pampered we're like a pretty robust horse that
06:48can handle this country and thrive and survive on on pretty rugged land Mel's never sure exactly how
06:55many horses there are it's 50 something I forbid Zane to get more horses and next thing I know there's
07:03like what's that horse out there oh yeah yeah yes about that I was meaning to tell you about that so
07:11yeah we do well some people like to collect horses I have been told I need to get rid of horses not
07:18accumulate them but you know I sort of look around some of these hills and there's definitely space for a
07:22few more I'm a little bit soft and that I have a lot of people they've sort of said you can have
07:29it if you can do something with it it's yours if you can't then that may be the end of the road for
07:33the horse so we'll end up with 50 horses I mean if it's a good one that's a yes I clearly heard that
07:43we've actually been given some well they were travelled horses but now that's some of our our best riding
07:48horses so it's not all bad I guess yeah Mel's bringing these horses in for the riding lessons she
07:57teaches on Falling Creek Ranch we have a few good old trusty that you can just put anybody on and you
08:05know they're going to be sensible and calm and yeah just sort of match the riders to the horses
08:10sitting up nice and straight still okay arms out oh good work guys how does that feel Marlo okay is it a bit wobbly yeah
08:24nice Marlo it's just really cool seeing people learning seeing their confidence grow just try and keep your hands together a little bit so not out too wide that's better Marlo
08:28we try and develop the partnership between a rider and a horse and we're really big about teaching them how to teach their horse to be confident to do the things that it's scared to do
08:35right up to the end cone and you're going to really think about squeezing that leg a lot of people it's their goal to one day own their own horse the Kiwi Dream and so I try and teach the parents what I can as well
08:55as well and so I try and teach the parents what I can as well as well just try and keep your hands together a little bit so not out too wide that's better Marlo
09:02And so I try and teach the parents what I can as well, just to give them some confidence.
09:07You can ride back to the shed and we're going to saddle up now.
09:22Mel and Zane Scott's farm near Whanganui is too small and too steep to make a living entirely from livestock.
09:29So Zane and son Casey supplement the farm income by offering services like barefoot hoof trimming.
09:39Today they're working with Pauline Nielsen's four quarter horses.
09:44How are you going?
09:45How are you Zane?
09:46Good.
09:48And her four tiny donkeys.
09:50Right. I've got the team.
09:51Cool. We'll get into it.
09:53These are Mediterranean miniature donkeys.
09:56They turned up here and I don't think I've stopped laughing ever since, really.
10:03They're quirky little fellas, but they're good fun.
10:08His feet are so much better, eh?
10:09Yeah.
10:11They're different to a horse for sure.
10:13Oh, they're a good challenge. They're good fun. They're just different, you know.
10:16So you have to play the game with them and they have a long memory. They live a long time and they don't suffer fools.
10:23So if you're not treating them with the respect they deserve, they will challenge you and make it quite difficult.
10:30So they've come a long way. You're all right. You're all right.
10:36Like this guy here, early on when I was trimming him, he would put up quite a bit of resistance.
10:43He's just sort of relaxed quite a bit now.
10:46And they're not just pets.
10:49These guys, these guys work.
10:51Pauline and her miniature donkeys host walking tours.
10:57We put their little panniers on. You put your picnic lunch in there.
11:02I give you a map and you take them for a walk around the farm and stop somewhere and have lunch.
11:08When they're not doing that, they do therapy work with kids and adults and they are wine waiters at weddings.
11:15It obviously has to be an outdoor wedding.
11:20What I'm trying to do is sort of reset the excess growth on the hoof back to how it might look if this donkey was running around in the wild in his natural environment.
11:31Being in captivity, they're better fed than they would be in the wild.
11:34So they're tending to grow a lot more hoof than they're wearing off.
11:38So we're just trying to reset the balance, put the hoof back to where it should be.
11:42No different to a horse.
11:43Zane's son, Casey, is learning the art of barefoot hoof trimming.
11:49Yeah, he's quite flat-footed, eh?
11:52Barefoot hoof trimming is different to how a fairy prepares a hoof to be shod.
11:56We're trying to mimic what the hoof looks like on a wild horse.
12:00That hoof is able to sort of spread as it hits the ground and let go so the hoof can flex a lot more, which it can't do inside a shoe.
12:07That frog can hit the ground and impact its pumping blood up the leg.
12:11I know off my dad. I sort of had a rough idea how to do it at home. I think I picked it up pretty quick.
12:21Yeah, good work. Stealing all my business.
12:24This is an amazing place.
12:29Yeah, it's quite beautiful, eh?
12:30Yeah, you're lucky.
12:32Back home, Mel is leading a trek through Falling Creek Ranch.
12:36This is another way they make an income off the small farm.
12:43Are horses in your retirement plan?
12:45I love doing the treks because you meet some really interesting people and have some good yarns out there.
12:50And just seeing people that are quite terrified to start with actually just having the best time and, yeah, just raving about it by the end is really quite satisfying.
13:00Kick, kick, kick. Yeah, good. Come on.
13:05We just have to kind of cater the ride to the riding abilities.
13:09We have people that have never ridden before that come here, so most of the time it's just at a walk.
13:15It's a different pace from Mel's weekend rides.
13:22I like to ride pretty hard and fast.
13:26We do some competition stuff going fast and also on the beach, love a good old blat up the beach.
13:32The couples don't really mind us, do they? No.
13:34No.
13:43Zane and Mel spend most weekends taking part in competitive events like Cowboy Challenge, an obstacle course for horses and riders.
13:52Some of these obstacles are pretty terrifying for a horse, especially if they've never seen it before.
13:57So when my horse first saw that curtain, she was not keen at all.
14:02She was just going backwards at a million miles an hour and just, yeah, took a lot of encouraging to get her through it.
14:09So you push it forward and then push it back.
14:13This is the Flintstones.
14:14Yeah, push it forward, push it back.
14:16It is scary. It's moving. There are no blue plastic drums in the wild in nature.
14:22So it's a man-made, potentially terrifying object that we're asking them to try and be confident.
14:29You got it.
14:31The aim is that they'd stay in contact with it and really be nice and relaxed as they push it along, get around it and push it back.
14:38The deep trench is more familiar to a horse.
14:44Good job, Snow.
14:46There are holes and banks out in nature, so that's not so bad.
14:5030 centimetre is a piece of cake. The 90 centimetre is a different storey.
14:54That's it. When she turns away, put some pressure on.
14:58Roll these.
15:03Just takes a bit of practice and a bit of courage.
15:07This is the kind of thing that's a lot harder than it looks.
15:13Boy, this wind and rain isn't helping much today.
15:17They just sort of get a bit upset with the wind and rain, you know, like a kid at school.
15:21They go a bit crazy sometimes.
15:23I'm trying to just grow our partnership and just be as soft as I can.
15:29So I'm riding with my whole body. I'm not doing everything with my reins.
15:33When she does the right thing, I'm going to reward that by taking the pressure off her.
15:37And hopefully we can just get calmer and calmer at doing the obstacles.
15:41Good girl.
15:43We're just looking for them to trust us down through this hole and jump up the bank at the far end.
15:48It's very much about like a working relationship.
15:53I want my horse to want to help me do the job.
15:57What we're trying to achieve is our horse making it look effortless and easy.
16:03Slow it down.
16:04You're going to come round and round your body this way.
16:25Send it back the other way.
16:26Zane and Mel Scott and son Casey host horse camps on their small farm here, Whanganui.
16:33Good to wear a hat.
16:35That bang, that pop, does anyone know what that's called?
16:38Break the sound barrier.
16:39Breaking the sound barrier.
16:41So we get this one wound up a bit.
16:43Everybody sort of wants to be a cowboy or a cowgirl, don't they?
16:47Well, a lot of people do.
16:48And so, yeah, if they can crack a whip and throw a lasso, that's all pretty good.
16:53Just sort of horizontally go round your head.
16:56Just go round and around.
16:57And if you roll your wrist over and send it the other way, it will go bang.
17:05So good and loud, eh?
17:06All right, so about four of you will sort of pick a corner each.
17:10That one's not too bad.
17:11Yep, and try and crack it in front of you rather than behind you.
17:16Okay, so you're looking straight in front, but we're going to crack it at about one o'clock.
17:20Just round and around.
17:22Back the other way.
17:23Did it get you?
17:26Oh, so that was a good swing and then you decided to spank the ground with it.
17:31You're trying to be too strong with it, almost.
17:34Just relax a bit more.
17:36Don't look down.
17:37If you look down, you'll actually wrap it around your head.
17:42It does make your ears bleed good, I can testify to that.
17:46Look, we're not going to wrap them in cotton wool.
17:48We're just having good organic fun.
17:52I've got my target, here it is.
17:54Let it go right in front.
17:56The longer you swing it, the more the animal you're trying to catch is picking up on that rope
18:02and is going to actively try and evade you.
18:03So I try and get close, I try and get close and I go swing, swing, throw.
18:12Yeah, not bad.
18:14You caught yourself.
18:16Our health and safety policy is more of a point and laugh policy.
18:20So if you're going to be an idiot, first thing we do is point and laugh.
18:24Then we check if the horse is okay and eventually we'll check if the people are right.
18:27But yeah, we're pretty relaxed.
18:30And there's not a screen in sight.
18:32Swing and throw it.
18:34No technology.
18:35We're just redoing what we had fun doing as kids in the outside and the outdoors, you know.
18:41So yeah, just good organic fun out in nature.
18:46We want it to be a home run type experience where they've just had so much fun, met a whole bunch of new people.
18:51Try to get above your head more and stop hitting the ground.
18:54I'm hoping they're going to feel sad to get home.
19:03Tonight we're going down to the forest.
19:06They all start a fire with natural bush materials.
19:11So they have to use a flint and steel to light it and then they have to cook their dinner on a campfire.
19:17We kind of just let them go for it.
19:19Like we showed them how to do it and then they just have to figure it out.
19:23And then that's just going to sizzle away and just keep turning it without burning yourself.
19:28Standing around not gathering wood means you're going to be hungry tonight, so go and get some wood.
19:32Finding all the supplies you need is a challenge, but it's really, really fun and it's a really good experience.
19:43Definitely to be able to cook our own food on the fire and everything.
19:47It's something a lot of people don't get to experience.
19:50Definitely.
19:52Now they wait for the fire to burn down to embers they can cook on.
19:56The camp started from an idea in our hearts and we just wanted to do our own sort of style of camp.
20:11The best way to make it happen was get our own piece of dirt and be able to sort of run it our way.
20:17And so we went and dairy farmed to earn enough money to buy a block of land.
20:23And guys, don't forget when you're out and about to look for a good stick.
20:27It was a great means to an end, milking cows, but it wasn't really answering the call of our heart,
20:32which was to be doing this sort of thing.
20:34This is what we love to do, so we're pretty happy.
20:37No more dropping chips.
20:38We've been running them for five years now and got bigger and more popular.
20:44We just love opening our place up and sharing it with people and having a good time, you know.
20:49It doesn't matter whether it's a kids camp, an adult camp or these teenagers,
20:52they just get stuck in and have a lot of fun and there's lots of laughter and it's hardly work really.
20:58But that was the whole plan, you know, to create the life of our dreams while we were young enough to do it.
21:02And so opening our place up and enjoying the outdoors and especially around horses is just a home run for us.
21:16We just love what we're doing. I can't believe this is my job.
21:20You're doing it all by yourself.
21:23It's our job, but it's also our fun activity together.
21:26We just can't get enough of it. We love it.
21:32Good luck.
22:02Country Calendar was brought to you by Hyundai, future positive.
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