Ranger the Kaimanawa Stallion
The true story of a wild Kaimanawa stallion who became a star performer and favourite horse of the Wilson sisters.
Ranger is a wild horse living in the rolling Kaimanawa Ranges of New Zealand. The lead stallion of a large herd, he protects his mares and foals from danger and takes them to safe places to graze among the tussock.
One wintery day, Ranger hears the sound of a helicopter approaching. The Kaimanawa horses don’t trust humans and Ranger has always kept his herd well away from them. He rounds up the others to flee, but after hours of being mustered by helicopter, he finds himself locked in a pen with over a hundred frightened horses. This will be his very last day in the wild.
But it’s also the first day of a completely new life — a life that Ranger at first finds frightening and confusing. But, with the gentle and patient care of the three sisters who have rescued him, it’s a life that Ranger will eventually grow to love.
Ranger is a real horse and the events of this story really did happen. He was born in the Kaimanawa Ranges, of New Zealand, in 2006 where he roamed wild. In 2012, during the Kaimanawa horse muster, he was mustered by helicopter and drafted into the yard destined for slaughter.
The Wilson sisters intervened and saved his life, along with 10 others Kaimanawas (whose journeys feature in the No1 bestselling book For The Love of Horses). Ranger excelled in domestication and just 28 days after he was mustered from the wild, he was ridden for the very first time. From there he progressed quickly and become one of Vicki, Kelly and Amanda’s favourite ponies. They had lots of fun with him on the farm, in the river and teaching him to jump on the arena. Ranger was even quiet enough for the kids at their Showtym Camps to ride and when people visited they couldn’t believe that he had been a wild stallion only months before.
That summer Ranger competed at his first show jumping and Show Hunter competition, as well as doing public appearances at Equidays and Horse of the Year, New Zealand’s biggest equestrian events. Vicki rode him bareback, with just a rope around his neck – their bond was so strong she didn’t need a saddle or bridle to control him.
This remarkable, once wild stallion, has since won many competitions and taught countless kids to ride – he is once of the most trustworthy ponies the Wilson sisters have ever owned.
Reviews from Readers
I read my daughter Ranger the Kaimanawa stallion and she loved the bright colourful pictures of the horses. I like how it tells you the story as if the horse was telling the story; even the look on the horses face tells the story! This is a great book for children who like the Wilson sisters but cannot read the chapter books. - Cindy
My girls have all of your books and treasure them like GOLD!!! Now we are buying them as presents for friends and family. - Cat
My girls are big fans of the Wilson sisters and we have all of Kelly’s books. Liv is 12, she enjoys reading the ‘bigger’ books, she is reading ‘Saving the Snowy Brumbies’ at the moment. Amber is 6, so she loves ‘Ranger, the Kaimanawa Stallion‘ and we are currently reading ‘Dandy, The Mountain Pony’. - Kim