Why we do what we do

OUR story

Meet the Committee

The Kaimanawa Kegacy Foundation is made up of a group of dedicated Kaimanawa enthusiasts who are focused on helping to preserve Kaimanawa Horses in the wild while ensuring those in captivity have the greatest chance for success.

Anne MacAulay - Treasurer

Anne has been riding and working with horses since before she can remember. She grew up riding around a large sheep and beef farm, attending pony club and having fun with her ponies and horses. As a young adult she completed BHS riding and instructing qualifications in the UK.

She became involved with Kaimanawa horses through the Kaimanawa Wild Horse Preservation Society, then became a recognised trainer for Kaimanawa Heritage Horses.

Anne lives in her motor home with her three Jack Russell terriers, traveling around the country working with people and their horses, encouraging owners, handlers and riders to work with empathy and understanding. She is also in the process of completing her Master in Social Work and is enjoying the challenge of academic work alongside her equestrian endeavours.

Leanne Hackett - Chair

Leanne began her journey with Kaimanawa horses in 2008, when a sweet little chestnut yearling colt arrived in her yards from the muster. Over the following years she took on more horses from the musters and supported other people on their wild horse journey.

Of those horses, many taught her profound lessons, including a mature mare named Supernova who challenged her level of knowledge and cemented in her a recognition that Kaimanawa owners of any level need a robust support system during the taming process.

Because of Nova, and the skills she taught her, Leanne was well set up to tame a mature stallion from Zone 20 for the 2021 Stallion Challenge. With the help of a great team of people, Warhawk was started under saddle, trained for archery (shooting arrows off his back while cantering around a run) and became the first ever Kaimanawa horse to visit the Sky Tower. Seeing him go from the depths of the wildest part of the Kaimanawa Ranges to the heart of New Zealand’s biggest city was exceptional: a true representation of the breed’s bravery, resilience, and trainability.

Kelly Wilson - Special Projects

Kelly began her journey with wild horses back in 2012, taming 11 wild Kaimanawa horses alongside her sisters Vicki and Amanda. Now, alongside a list of bestselling books and award-winning photographs of wild horses, Kelly is the only trainer in the world to have achieved top six finishes in the Extreme Mustang Makeover (USA), Australian Brumby Challenge (AUS) and Kaimanawa Stallion Challenge (NZ).

In recent years, she has continued to advocate for wild horses on a global scale, taming almost 100 wild horses. From 2018 to 2020 she also spent several months living with wild horses in Canada, America, Australia, Portugal, and New Zealand to observe herd behaviour for her bestselling book Wild Horses of the World. She now has 20 books published.

Kelly also has a passion for training domestic and wild horses at liberty, winning Equidays Top Talent in 2018 and going on to perform at many of the nation’s leading equestrian events. Her extensive knowledge of wild horses, equine behaviour and horsemanship has gained her international recognition, and she has become a popular guest on podcasts and at equestrian events, as well as appearing in television shows and magazines.

Madeleine Flannagan - Honorary Lawyer

Madeleine first developed a love of horses at two years of age, when she found herself on the wrong side of the fence hand-feeding feral ponies. Ever since, she has had a love of horses and spent many childhood trips to the snow trying to spot wild Kaimanawa horses. Although her family lived a suburban life, they eventually bought her a cheap pony when she was 11. She biked or walked to see him every day, learning to ride without a saddle and mostly from books. He was challenging, but they went on to form a great partnership.

On leaving home in her teens, she said goodbye to horses for most of her adult life. In 2018 however, a News Year’s resolution to revisit horses saw Madeleine start riding lessons. Never one to do anything by halves, she applied to adopt a wild Kaimanawa from the April 2018 Muster.

Feijoa changed her life. Despite a busy life as a Barrister, mother of four and living in a townhouse, she began driving daily to see him. As he was young, liberty became a way to connect with him while she waited for him to grow old enough to ride. The partnership Madeleine and Feijoa have formed is well known, with Feijoa having the largest social media following of any Kaimanawa horse, as well as consistently placing in Kaimanawa events and beyond. Feijoa shows talent as an easy-going all-rounder and has an affinity for liberty and bridleless.

River Waite - Secretary

River was only ten years old when her mum adopted her first Kaimanawa from the wild. Hummer came in as a yearling, and the things she learnt from him were invaluable to her future with the Kaimanawa horses.

In 2021 River had the opportunity to handle her first Kaimanawa. Skyhawk had been mustered as a foal in 2018 but had remained unhandled. After being transported to her property by cattle truck, it was very rewarding for River to help the mare progress through the training milestones and come to the realisation that humans could be trusted. She is now the first to run to the gate when River calls out to her.

River also has a lovely bay gelding named Tazar, who was born in captivity from a 2018 mustered mare. He has grown into a stunning full-sized pony and has recently been started under saddle. River states: “He will stay with me for life and is my heart horse now that my old Northland bush pony Awanui has been retired.”

How can we help

Our areas of Expertise

EVENTS

Our aim is to showcase Kaimanawa Horses at Events to prove their versatility as a breed

TRAINING

We can assist with training of kaimanawa horses at all stages - We can even come to you

EDUCATION

Our aim is to offer Educational Opportunities about the Wild Herd & Training your own Horses