Hanmer Springs · St James high country · New Zealand
Spend one morning in country you forgot still existed.
A guided ride into 78,000 hectares of South Island high country — no experience needed, a calm horse chosen for you, and a guide who sets the whole pace around you.
From $160 per person No experience needed 1.5 to 6.5 hour rides
Riding out from the valley floor, St James
What the morning is really like
You don’t need to be a rider.
You just need to show up.
We start slow on the flat — your guide walks beside you until the horse feels like an extension of you, not a test.
Then the trail lifts into the tussock, the noise of everything you arrived with falls away, and for a couple of hours it’s just you, the horse, and more space than you thought was left.
Arrive a stranger to horses.
Leave like you’ve ridden for years.
No part of the day is left to chance. Here’s exactly how a first ride runs.
Meet & match
Meet Milo at the St James Homestead, fit your helmet, and get matched to a calm horse by temperament — not luck.
Easy start
Walk on the flat until you feel steady. Your guide stays at your side and the pace is always yours.
Into the high country
Climb into the tussock and open ridges, stop for the view, and ride back down with the photos of your trip.
Pick your morning.
Every price is the price.
All rides leave from the St James Homestead, 20 minutes from Hanmer Springs. Kept to small groups, with your horse and helmet included — from $160 per person, no hidden gear fees.
Minimum age 10Max rider weight 110 kg
Minimum age 10Max rider weight 110 kg
Minimum age 10Max rider weight 110 kg
If you’re nervous, read this
We built the whole day around people who’ve never ridden.
Calm, well-schooled horses
Every horse is chosen for temperament and matched to you, not handed out at random. These are animals that have carried first-timers for years.
You set the pace
Your guide reads the pace off you, never the other way around — and you can slow down or stop at any time.
Safety, sorted
First-aid trained guides, satellite comms in country with no signal, and a worked-out evacuation plan on every ride.
Weather & families
If the high country isn’t safe we reschedule or refund — no fuss. Riding with kids? Just ask and we’ll sort the right horses.
What riders say at the top of the ridge — they didn’t know New Zealand still had country like this.
The country you’ll ride
One morning,
frame by frame.
Getting here & when
Easy to reach.
Worth planning around.
Self-drive to the St James Homestead — about 90 minutes from Christchurch, 20 from Hanmer Springs. We provide the horse, helmet and tack; you bring closed shoes, a warm layer and water.
The questions every
first-timer asks.
Still unsure about something? Just ask us.
None at all. Most of our day riders have never been on a horse — your guide covers everything you need before you leave the gate, and the horses are chosen for exactly this.
Most fitness levels are absolutely fine — it’s a ride, not a workout. If you’re unsure whether a particular ride suits you, send us a quick message first and we’ll be honest.
Yes — our day rides are kept small and personal. Tell us your numbers and the ages riding and we’ll match the right horses.
Yes — for safety and for the horses’ welfare, every ride has a minimum rider age of 10 and a maximum rider weight of 110 kg. Near the weight limit, or riding with younger children? Message us and we’ll talk through the options.
We reschedule or refund. We never ride when the high country isn’t safe — your guide makes that call.
Long trousers, closed shoes or boots, a warm layer and a jacket. We provide the helmet and all the tack. Bring a camera.
Securely online through WeTravel in a couple of minutes, or send an enquiry and we’ll help you choose first. Cancellation terms are shown at checkout.
One morning. One ride.
A view you’ll talk
about for years.
Not ready to book? Just ask.
Tell us when you’re
visiting — we’ll sort
the rest.
Send a quick note and Milo will reply with available mornings and anything you want to check first. No obligation, a real person on the other end.