War Horse Learn to Ride Programme leaves Melville Primary School students buzzing

The kids had a blast at the War Horse learn to ride programme and were literally "buzzing", Noeline Jeffries said. Photo / Supplied

Eight students from Melville Primary school who never had the chance to experience horses up close were invited to attend the War Horse Learn to Ride Programme (WHLR) during the past school holidays.

The programme at the Waikato Equestrian Centre's Riding School in Hamilton gives disadvantaged children the opportunity to ride and learn horse mastership skills at a beginner level.

The children, aged between 9 and 14 years, were selected by their teachers to attend the programme. Some of them never even touched a horse before and the feedback from parents and teachers was very positive saying the kids never stopped talking about their experience and were literally "buzzing".

The programme is organised by a subcommittee of the Waikato Combined Equestrian Group (WCEG) and is made possible due to surplus funds from the War Horse Memorial Statue that was erected in Hamilton's Memorial Park since 2018.

As part of the programme, the children not only got to groom and ride a horse, but WCEG patron Noeline Jeffries also taught them about the history of horses in New Zealand and the animals that served overseas in World War I.

Each child goes home with a certificate of completion and books on the war horse statue in Hamilton and the Sapper-Moore Jones statue at the south end of Victoria St.

Hamilton West MP Dr Gaurav Sharma and Margaret Evans from Theatre of the Impossible (TOTI) Trust also attended the event.

Hamilton West MP Dr Gaurav Sharma, Margaret Evans of TOTI, War Horse Learn to Ride co-ordinator Noeline Jeffries and Paul Gibbs of the Waikato Equestrian Centre. Photo / Supplied

Sharma said it was great to see the horses in action and talk to the young kids from Melville Primary School taking part in the programme.

"[The programme] is great fun and a real confidence booster for children ... The [WCEG] recognises that not all families can afford to pay for the programme, so with the help of sponsors it supports kids from various schools around the Waikato to take part ... for free."

It costs $200 to sponsor one child to attend one programme.

The WCEG was set up by equestrian Noeline Jeffries in the 1980s and received strong support from Evans who was then mayor of Hamilton. With TOTI, Evans continues to champion their work.

The WHLR has been running since 2018 and the centre is working to continue this in 2023, but they desperately need additional funding to top up the ever-depleting surplus funds from the war horse statue.