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EquiHaven

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🐴 EquiHaven
Where Horses Help People Grow 🌿

🤍 Horse Connection & Wellbeing
🌾 Gentle horses. Genuine connection.

Lasting wellbeing.
📍 Near Waiinu Beach, Whanganui
✨ A peaceful place to slow down, reconnect, and simply be. 🌿 About EquiHaven

Welcome to EquiHaven – Where Horses Help People Grow. Nestled in the peaceful countryside near Waiinu Beach in the Whanganui region, EquiHaven was created from a simple belief: that horses have an incredible ability to help people slow down, reconnect, and find calm. I'm Kaz, the founder of EquiHaven, and horses have always held a special place in my life. Over the years, I've experienced first-hand the comfort, peace, and quiet strength they can offer simply by being present. That experience inspired me to create a space where others could discover the same sense of connection and wellbeing. At EquiHaven, our Horse Connection & Wellbeing sessions provide a welcoming, non-judgemental environment where people can step away from the demands of everyday life and spend meaningful time with our gentle herd. Through quiet interaction, grooming, mindfulness, and simply being present, our horses encourage us to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with ourselves and nature. Every horse at EquiHaven has their own unique personality and story. Whether it's Lucy's gentle nature, Amora's loving kisses, LB's cheeky curiosity, or Milo's quiet confidence, each member of the herd brings something special to the experience. Together, they create a space where trust grows, confidence builds, and meaningful connections are made. There is no pressure, no expectations, and no riding required—just an opportunity to experience the quiet wisdom of horses in a peaceful rural setting. Whether you're looking for a moment of calm, time to reconnect with yourself, or simply the joy of being around horses, you'll always be welcomed with kindness, understanding, and a friendly nicker from one of our herd. Thank you for visiting EquiHaven and for supporting this small, heart-led business. I look forward to welcoming you to our little corner of the countryside and introducing you to our remarkable herd.

💚 Kaz
Founder, EquiHaven

Horse Connection & Wellbeing
Where Horses Help People Grow.

30/10/2026

Lucy’s progress

28/10/2026

LB having a rolly polly

27/10/2026

Day 7 of Lucy’s treatment and she is doing much better

26/10/2026

Day 6 of Lucy’s treatment

25/10/2026

5th day of Lucy’s progress

22/10/2026

Day two of Lucy’s treatment

21/10/2026

Lucy - medicine day

15/10/2026

🐴 **EQUIHAVEN – HORSE CONNECTION & WELLBEING**
*Where Horses Help People Grow*

🌿 **Sometimes, you just need a different kind of connection.**

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, or simply in need of some time out from everyday life?

At EquiHaven, near Waiinu Beach in the Whanganui region, I offer a calm, welcoming space where you can slow down, spend time with horses, and reconnect with yourself.

✨ No horse experience necessary. No riding. Just time with horses, at your own pace.

Through gentle horse interaction, grooming, quiet observation, and connection, you can explore mindfulness, build confidence, and enjoy a little breathing space away from the pressures of daily life.

Whether you're a horse lover or have never been around horses before, you are welcome here.

💚 **Curious to try a different approach to wellbeing?**

📩 Send the EquiHaven page a private message to find out more or enquire about a session.

📍 Near Waiinu Beach, Whanganui region.

*EquiHaven – Where Horses Help People Grow.*

27/08/2026

🫧 **Meet Bubbles – The Little Survivor** 🐴

*"Sometimes the smallest hearts carry the greatest courage."*

And now we've reached the **seventh and final member of the EquiHaven Herd**...

Meet **Bubbles**. 🫧🤍

At just **7 years old**, Bubbles is the smallest member of our herd.

But don't let her size fool you...

She has one of the **biggest personalities** around here! 😂

Bubbles is a miniature pony who has previously been a **children's lead pony and riding pony**, and she is absolutely wonderful with kids.

She's sweet, gentle and full of character.

She loves having her **neck scratched**, adores carrots 🥕, and will always come running when I call her name.

She also has a very important rule about food:

**Everyone else's dinner is better than hers.**

It doesn't matter what she's eating.

If another horse has something...

Bubbles wants it.

😂

But underneath that cheeky personality is a little pony who has had to learn that people can be trusted.

When Bubbles first came to me, catching her wasn't easy.

I used to have to **chase her around the paddock** just to try to catch her.

She was particularly cautious around men, and it was clear that she carried some fear from her past.

She also had a very strong reaction to having a bit put into her mouth.

She would panic and try to rear, so rather than forcing her to accept something that clearly frightened her, I changed the way I approached the problem.

I bought her a **bitless bridle**.

And what happened next was incredible.

The frightened pony began to relax.

The panic disappeared.

And suddenly, Bubbles could simply enjoy being a pony again.

Today, the little pony who once ran away from me comes when I call her.

She is lovely to lead.

She loves being brushed.

And she will happily stand beside you soaking up those wonderful neck scratches she adores.

She's also super to ride and is particularly good with children.

Within the herd, Bubbles has learned another important survival skill...

**Get out of the way!** 😂

Some of the bigger horses can be a little bossy with her, but Bubbles has perfected the art of whipping between them and scooting away before they can bother her.

She may be the smallest...

But she knows how to hold her own.

And perhaps that's what I love most about her.

Bubbles reminds us that sometimes what looks like stubbornness is actually fear.

Sometimes what looks like difficult behaviour is simply someone trying to protect themselves.

And sometimes the answer isn't to push harder...

**It's to listen, understand, and find another way.**

That's something Bubbles has taught me, and it's a lesson I carry with me every day at EquiHaven.

🌿 **Kindness changes things.**

🫧 **Bubbles | 7 years | Miniature Pony**

🐴 Former children's lead & riding pony
👧 Wonderful with children
🥕 LOVES carrots
🤎 Loves neck scratches
🪮 Loves being brushed
📣 Comes when I call her name
🫧 Full of personality
😂 Believes everyone else's food is better
🌿 Now happily wears a bitless bridle
❤️ Learning that she is safe and loved

And that's our **seven horses**.

Seven very different stories.

Seven very different personalities.

Seven gentle teachers.

Over the past few posts, you've met:

🤎 **Lucy – The Gentle Soul**

🐴 **Marshall – The Gentle Giant**

❤️ **Amora – The Heart Horse**

🌼 **Daisy – The Comfort Keeper**

🌿 **LB – The Curious Companion**

🌱 **Milo – The Quiet Courage**

🫧 **Bubbles – The Little Survivor**

Each one arrived at EquiHaven with a different history.

Each one has taught me something different.

And together, they are the heart of what I'm building here.

But perhaps the most beautiful part is that their stories aren't finished.

They're still learning.

Still growing.

Still forming new friendships.

And now...

**they have the opportunity to help other people discover something about themselves too.**

This is only the beginning of the EquiHaven story.

Thank you for following along and getting to know my beautiful herd.

I'd love to know...

**After meeting all seven, which horse do you feel most drawn to?** 🤎

Tell me in the comments. I'd love to hear which one captured your heart.

🐴🌿 **EquiHaven – Where Horses Help People Grow**

📍 Near Waiinu Beach, Whanganui

26/08/2026

🌱 **Meet Milo – The Quiet Courage** 🐴

*"Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take one small step towards trust."*

Today we're introducing the **sixth member of the EquiHaven Herd**.

Meet **Milo**. 🤎

Milo is **7 years old**, and his story is one of patience, resilience and learning to trust.

Like Marshall, Milo came from the **same breeder** and began his life as a Thoroughbred racehorse.

And he was a very successful one.

Milo showed so much promise on the track that when he was diagnosed with **kissing spine**, his owners made the decision to have him undergo surgery so that he could continue racing.

He returned to racing after his operation, but eventually another problem brought his racing career to an end.

Milo began **bleeding from the nose**, and the decision was made to retire him.

His life then brought him to EquiHaven.

I have only had Milo since **December**, and from the very beginning it was clear that he was going to need something different from some of the other horses.

He was shy.

Very shy.

Milo didn't come running when I called.

He didn't want to be touched.

He would watch me from a distance, quietly trying to work out whether I could be trusted.

So I waited.

I didn't chase him.

I didn't force him.

I simply gave him time.

For months, I allowed him to decide when he was ready to come closer.

And then, one day...

He did.

He allowed me to walk up to him.

Then came the first pat.

And every tiny step after that felt like a little victory.

Today, Milo is still finding his feet, but something has changed.

He is beginning to trust me.

He's beginning to find his place within the herd.

And he has formed a particularly lovely friendship with **Marshall**.

You'll often find the two boys playing together or hanging out nearby.

Watching Milo slowly become more confident has been incredibly special.

Because Milo has reminded me of something I think we all need to remember sometimes...

**Healing cannot be rushed.**

At EquiHaven, we never ask a horse—or a person—to heal on someone else's timeline.

There is no deadline for trust.

No right speed for confidence.

And no such thing as a step that is too small to celebrate.

Sometimes progress is simply walking a little closer than you did yesterday.

Sometimes courage is allowing someone to touch your nose for the first time.

And sometimes...

**staying is the bravest thing you can do.**

🌱 **Milo | 7 years | Thoroughbred**

🏇 Successful former racehorse
🤎 Same breeder as Marshall
🩺 Retired following health challenges
🌿 Quiet and gentle
🐴 Finding his place within the herd
🤎 Forming a special friendship with Marshall
🌱 Slowly learning to trust
✨ The quiet courage of taking one small step at a time

Milo is the **sixth story** in our Meet the Herd series.

Only **one horse remains**...

And she's a little different from all the others.

She's small.

She's cheeky.

She's got a HUGE personality.

And she has a story about fear, trust and discovering that sometimes changing the way we approach something can change everything.

🫧 **Next up: Bubbles – The Little Survivor.**

I can't wait for you to meet her.

**EquiHaven – Where Horses Help People Grow** 🌿

Address

Waitotara

Opening Hours

Wednesday	10am - 2:30am
Saturday	10am - 3:30am

Telephone

+64210647950

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