My horse was Felix, a handsome chestnut who starred with Tom in The Last Samurai, with Martin Freeman in The Hobbit, and Danny Huston in The Warrior's Way as well as other movies. He's not big-headed about it, though, and carried me without any fuss; but we all saw that he was a star, when he lay down for Steve to get on and off during our initial briefing.
Steve himself was riding Trappeur, a handsome Percheron stallion: big, grey, shaggy, with a real presence, and also a Hobbit star - a long way from his humble beginning as a TradeMe purchase. Working with directors including Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg is also quite a jump from constructing portable showers, and it's a fascinating story how Steve progressed from supplying ablution blocks for the actors, to becoming the animal wrangler on a series of huge movies.
It was no surprise, then, after listening to all these tales of fantasy and improvisation - ponies wearing hairy, padded onesies - to get back to the yard and find goats clustered around a flying saucer, and a fat eel called Fluffy under a bridge. Waiheke Horse Tours are not your usual trekking operation.
CHECKLIST
Details: Waiheke Horse Tours has a variety of options for riding treks, lessons, winery tours and picnics for up to four people, and Steve will arrange transfers to and from the ferry. Phone (027) 532 7688. Poderi Crisci can also, of course, be reached by more conventional means.
The writer was a guest of Waiheke Horse Tours.