About Us (NZ Horse Recreation)

Join Up

We need members to support our submissions. Help us to help you, by adding your name to our membership!

Our Sites

Bridleways New Zealand

Information about public riding places parks, forests, beaches and farmland rides with maps and photos. Learn about permits, access. parking before you go.

Horse Sense on the Roads

Information for horse riders, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists about road safety around horses on the roads.

Horse Sports New Zealand
Equestrian Sports and training venue information. - currently under construction

Home‎ > ‎

About Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Are We?

Ordinary horse people, who care about public access, safety for horse riders and getting better recognition for recreational riding. Our aim is to provide information and work on recreational riding advocacy.

Originally formed as "Bridleways Auckland" in 2007, we have changed our name to recognise the wider need for an organisation to work on advocacy throughout the country. We hope to create a network of advocacy groups throughout the country.

We welcome all 'equines' including donkeys and mules, and all equine people whether you own, drive or ride. We are sport, breed and club agnostic; individuals who just like to play with their horses in the paddock are as welcome as those who aspire to compete at top level.

Contacts
- Our Partners

Our Objectives:

Increase access to public recreation areas for horse riders.
Provide information to riders about recreation and sporting resources.
Advocate on behalf of recreational riders, regardless of sporting, or club affiliation (or non-affiliation).
Research and publish information to benefit the equestrian community, and increase understanding of recreational requirements (and benefits).
Create links with other recreation bodies to advance common goals.

Long term goal: To become a recognised National Recreation Organisation (NRO); working on behalf of all horses and riders.

Why Join?

In New Zealand there is no national body representing all horses or riders\drivers. The ESNZ does not include advocacy as one of its roles. At the moment recreational riders are reliant on pony clubs, sports clubs or individuals to represent them at Council.

Other sports have well organised bodies that represent recreational users (as well as competitors) - that's why they are getting better access for their sports! It's time we riders got more organised and got a fair share of the recreational access.

Who Can or Should Join?

Every rider and horse owner! We need as many riders as possible to sign up and show support for riding issues. Going to a council with 300 or 3000 names is much more effective than turning up on your own.

There is no body or group that represents recreational riders, I am hoping that we can begin to get together and gain more riding access through better advocacy.

Clubs and sports groups are encouraged to affiliate, pass information on to members, and collaborate on submissions. All in the horse world should be concerned with the profile (or lack of it) of horse sports and recreation, and with the dire lack of horse recreation space. It is all our responsibility to do something about it.

What Does it Cost to Join?

At the moment joining is Free. We are completely voluntary. We rely on members to provide ideas, photos, local riding information for the website and work on campaigns to increase recreational riding areas. We will do some fundraising to cover costs like postage or other incidentals, but will try to obtain this funding from grants or community funds.

JOIN NOW!

What Will NZ Horse Recreation Group Do?

Provide Information on horse recreation areas and routes.
Make submissions on horse riding issues or infrastructure planning to Councils, MPs and central government.
Gather information on the horse sector in New Zealand, and publish it.
Increase the profile of and for horse recreation through the media.
Educate planners and government officials on horse recreation.
Work with other recreation groups and agencies to Improve horse recreation access. There are many other recreation groups and organisations, many have similar issues to our own. We may get better access if we make a joint approach with others. We need to take the initiative and educate others about horse riders special requirements, and also be prepared to listen to other groups concerns about rider behaviour or being near horses.

What Can Members Do?

Keep an eye on local papers for horse riding Issues. Councils put public notices out about new bylaws and issues that affect recreation or horse riding. It is important that we have the opportunity to have our say. If you see something in your local paper - send a message using the mailing list to let everyone know, and we will organise a response or submission.
Send in Information about local riding opportunities. Information about your local area is important, we rely on you to tell the rest of us about your area. This is published on NZ Bridleways www.nzbridleways.info
Contribute to Submissions. This mailing list will be used to keep you informed about all submissions that will be created with our group's name on it. You can agree\disagree or change submissions - you get to have your say!
Create Local Advocacy Groups. Create your own group and get together to investigate local riding, lobby for better access to parks and see if you can get horse access onto trails (or create a trail).

Can I be more involved?

YES! Please volunteer to help run this group, or create a local sub-group in your area.
If you have a good network of contacts in your area, have special skills that will assist us in fundraising or other activities or just have time and motivation to offer, please do contact me.

Clubs, organisations and groups can partner with NZ Recreational Horse Riders

Existing clubs, and organisations are encouraged to partner with us, and keep their members up to date with news. If possible have an interested person in your club assigned as Recreational Advocacy Liaison, to be the point of contact and relay information between your club committee and our group. Learn more about partnering

Attachments (2)

image-3.jpg - on Feb 28, 2009 2:40 PM by Vivien Dostine (version 1)
912k View Download
letter of introduction to groups.pdf - on Sep 14, 2008 7:42 PM by Vivien Dostine (version 3 / earlier versions)
214k View Download

NZ Horse Recreation