Formed in 2009 when threatened with the loss of the New Plymouth Pony Club grounds, a group of us rapidly engaged with local body politics and managed to keep the club where it belonged. There began a deep commitment to saving places for us to ride in the region. We set about connecting with local and regional councils to ensure that horse riding is included in plans, policies and bylaws.
With riding spaces being lost or stolen through urbanisation, TEN's key focus is to maintain recreational riding areas - reserves, parks, beaches, and paper roads- and advocate on behalf of all Taranaki equestrians for more riding facilities.
TEN consists of representatives from the major horse-sport groups in Taranaki, together with passionate recreational riders, or 'happy hackers'. In that way, we keep abreast of the problems experienced in the district and ensures we have wide connections to draw on when necessary.
Our first project was to further develop the council-owned forest at Lake Mangamahoe - the ‘Bridle Zone’. Our fundraising efforts have enabled us to grade the trails, install a water tank and build a covered yard. The Bridle Zone is truly a magnificent place to ride and we are proud of the part we have played in its increasing popularity.
Launching a facebook page helped us to keep people up to date with horse events and equestrian related issues. TEN is now seen as a strong and credible voice for the equestrian community- we just have to keep on keeping on and having fun together, on our horses, in the spaces we have won with all our hard work.
