A Winter Trek
Riding through the Rakaia in mid-winter.
As a hopeless romantic, as much in love with horses as the day I was first bucked off, I have tried many times over the years to convince Mr Magee to buy a horse.
words: Róisín Magee images: Róisín Magee
His response always goes something like this:
“No.”
Mr Magee prefers pursuits like hunting, shooting or fishing. He likes aeroplanes, war movies, big machines and television programs like ‘Outlast’ where people have to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.
Horses are not totally out of the question as soldiers used to ride them, but my horses and their various complicated needs have put him off. Imagine my delight when I found a horse trek operator – James Cagney - who was not only (a) a man, but also (b) a munitions expert (having served in the NZDF) and (c) an expert hunter with access to some of New Zealand’s most spectacular back country.
Even better, James is very good at doing something I have always wanted to learn – packing horses. He spent many years working as a hunt guide in Canada, where the hunters disappear for long stretches with all their gear packed on horseback and he assured me that I could learn to pack in a weekend.
Having failed to learn anything to do with horses quickly, I was dubious, but the opportunity to get my husband on a horse was too good to turn down. So we packed our bags and drove an hour and half north to Lake Coleridge, where James and his wife Deb run High Country Horse Adventures.
The plan was to ride with packhorses from Lake Coleridge across the Rakaia and up into Black Hill Station for a night in a musterers’ hut, before retracing our steps back home the next day. We would spend two full days in the saddle.
The best thing about riding with someone who doesn’t normally ride is that they don’t worry about anything. James gave Mr Magee a quick lesson – left, right, stop, go and we were off.
Plunging into the raging Rakaia in midwinter? No worries. Scrambling up steep slopes in fog so thick you couldn’t see the hand in front of your face? What’s the issue?
The worst thing about riding with someone who doesn’t normally ride are the clothes they think will be ‘suitable’. Mr Magee emerged the morning of the trek wearing a hi vis orange mining jacket. Was that the best jacket, I wondered, politely? Yes – it’s 100% waterproof, he replied firmly. And that was that.
James’ horses are fantastic and they really can cater for everyone – from complete beginners to very experienced riders. The longer the trek, the fitter you probably need to be, but there are options for different levels. And the country James has access to…
This is what you come for. The sweep of the massive valleys, the towering peaks, ice cold rivers with enough flow that you can feel the water snatching at your horse’s legs. The sense of history and a taste of what life was like before machines came to these remote stations; when horses were more than just pampered pets – they were a lifeline to the outside world.
We trekked in midwinter, so on the first day after fording the Rakaia we climbed through Black Hill Station in thick fog. We took an old pack track; the fog seemed to dampen the sound of the river below and there was no sign of any other life. It felt eery.
But then we popped out of the fog onto the snowy tops. And at the sound of horse hooves crunching through snow – I suddenly realised that I had never ridden in snow before. Watching the horses run off to play and roll in the snow when we stopped at the hut was something I will never forget.
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