North River brings horses and humans together

 

Previously a horse trekking operation on the outskirts of Waipu, North River now prides itself in using horses in a therapeutic way hence their name North River Horse & Humanship Centre. 

“We’re not about competition or teaching horses to jump or run,” says part-owner Ian Benson. “We are more about relationships with an equine theme. In many cases it’s about changing a rider’s attitude towards the horse rather than making the horse perform.”

Horses have shaped our history in work, in war and in pleasure but can be the ultimate therapists. A psychological link between horses and humans has been established unlike any other animal. 

This horse-assisted therapy is alive and well at North River where husband and wife team Ian and Anke Benson run courses which assist in personal development, regaining of confidence perhaps through a fall or a bad experience, and team building. They also spend several months of the year teaching their psycho therapeutic philosophy in Germany. We are all aware of the tremendous work done by Riding for the Disabled centres throughout the country. Horses change lives giving people confidence and self-esteem, providing peace, tranquillity and hope.

North River will open its gates to the public on Sunday February 3, giving talks and demonstrations of equine-assisted learning which will interest both horse people and non-horse people. Body workers will demonstrate horse homeopathy and osteopathy and, of course, there will be pony rides. North River horses come from a variety of backgrounds and their differing abilities make them well suited to people of similarly varied backgrounds and abilities who simply have a horse ‘itch’ that needs scratching.

As the former English Statesman Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Anke Benson combines her passion for horses with her interest in psychology.