Wild kids take on wild Kais

Two Northland girls had their dreams answered this year when they each received a wild pony at the annual Kaimanawa muster.

Eleven-year-old Gaia Aplin, and sister Shanti, 8, received a foal and young horse that is about 18 months old, both of which would likely have been sent to slaughter if not for the girls.

The Tutukaka Coast sisters are thrilled to have been able to adopt the young Kaimanawas and have been documenting their journey on their Facebook page Wild Kids – Wild Kais.

“We looked at some maps and named them Kiki and Cascade after rivers in the Kaimanawas,” said Gaia.

Both girls are established horse riders even at their young age. Gaia was recently crowned the Northland pony show hunter champion, while Shanti can jump up to a meter without saddle or bridle.

Experienced mentor Kelly Wilson, who starred in the Keeping up with the Kaimanawas show in 2014, is guiding the girls through their journey.

“The girls have the right attitude and mindset to safely learn and work with a young Kaimanawa out of a muster, said Miss Wilson.

At this point the ponies are too young to ride so Gaia and Shanti are simply handling them and teaching the ponies to trust them, said Miss Wilson.

“The horses have reacted really positively to the girls and are forming a genuine bond with them. Right from the start they knew that the girls were their [partners].”

Working with wild horses poses safety risks and the girls have had to learn how to work around them.

“I’ve learnt to stay calm around them and to do things slowly around them so they don’t get a fright. I’ve also learnt to start each day as if they have forgotten everything from the day before,” said Gaia.

Shanti loves her pony’s cheeky personality. “She likes to get into things the other day she took the electric fence down and galloped to the other end of the paddock.”

The girls mother, Anna Gentry said she “isn’t sure who’s taming who at the moment” and that she has seen a huge change in her “wild kids” since they started to train the horses.

Wild Kaimanawa horses are mustered every year in order to control the population, but this year was the first to see all horses adopted.

Gaia and Shanti work with the Wilson sisters to help make learning fun for the young ponies. Video: Supplied