5 DAY WILD KAIMANAWA OWNERS WORKSHOP

Saving a wild horse from the Kaimanawa Horse Muster - A 5-Day Foundations Program for New Owners

1–5 June 2026 | Taupō, New Zealand

Hosted by Kelly Wilson & Morgan Chandler-Bruce

The Wild Kaimanawa Owners Workshop is a five-day, short-format program designed for New Zealand owners who dream of rehoming a wild Kaimanawa from the Muster but are limited by time or budget.

This workshop provides an accessible pathway into wild horse ownership, without compromising on welfare, ethics, or long-term success.

It is specifically designed for owners who adopt a Kaimanawa from the 2026 Muster and send their horse to Kelly’s Wild Kaimanawa Sanctuary for professional initial handling.

By combining professional preparation with hands-on owner education, this program bridges the gap between wild and domestic life and gives every partnership the strongest possible start.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This shortened format is ideal for owners who cannot attend the full 25-day immersive taming program but still want their horse to receive high-quality, structured handling.

Your Kaimanawa will first complete Kelly’s established 25-day taming program, working daily with experienced trainers and long-format participants under close supervision and mentorship.

Following this, each horse receives an additional refinement with senior trainers, ensuring key milestones are consolidated before you arrive.

By the time you join the workshop, your horse will have a solid foundation, allowing your focus to be on learning, connection, and confidence, rather than navigating early taming alone.

WHO THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR

This program is ideal for:

First-time wild horse handlers
Time-limited participants
Budget-conscious adopters
Owners wanting professional support

Participants must have successfully applied for and been allocated a horse through the official Kaimanawa Horse Muster process.

YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE

During the five days, you will work directly with your own Kaimanawa under close supervision.

You will learn not only what to do, but why.

The program focuses on:

Understanding how your horse was tamed
Maintaining strong foundations at home
Reading body language and emotional states
Developing safe handling routines
Building confidence in everyday situations
Supporting long-term wellbeing
Repeating the key milestones your horse has learnt
Preparing for life beyond the sanctuary

You will gain practical skills, clarity, and confidence to continue your horse’s education independently.

BRIDGING WILD AND DOMESTIC

This workshop is designed to support one of the most critical transitions in a horse’s life: the move from wild to domestic.

Through ethical, welfare-first horsemanship, participants learn how to:

Preserve the horse’s emotional safety
Maintain trust and softness
Prevent common behavioural setbacks
Build resilient partnerships
Create sustainable training routines

This approach sets both horse and owner up for long-term success.

WILD HORSE MILESTONES

Throughout our taming program, horses work through 47 progressive handling milestones, collectively building toward the following core skills:

Facing up and developing draw
Basic body control at liberty
Basic obstacle training at liberty
Haltering
Leading confidently, including over advanced obstacles, and trotting by the shoulder
Introduction to electric fencing and paddocking
Led adventures
Full-body grooming
Farrier preparation and first trims
Truck and trailer loading

Each horse progresses as an individual. While most reach these milestones within 3 to 5 weeks, progression varies and cannot be guaranteed.

PROGRAM CONDITIONS & HORSE INFORMATION

Kaimanawa horses for this workshop are usually mustered by the Department of Conservation in late April. If the muster is delayed or cancelled due to weather or other circumstances, the workshop may be postponed or alternative untouched horses may be sourced.

By the time training begins, horses have typically had four weeks to adjust to yards, fencing, feed, and human presence.

All colts and stallions are gelded prior to the workshop. Fillies and mares may be pregnant.

Mature horses may require a custom program due to unpredictable age and training requirements.

All participants must complete adoption through Kaimanawa Heritage Horses and cover associated costs, including purchase, transport, and veterinary care.

Workshop duration may extend to seven days depending on participant numbers.

KELLY’S JOURNEY WITH WILD HORSES

Kelly’s journey with wild horses began in 2012, when she and her sisters tamed their first Kaimanawa horses. What started as curiosity quickly became a lifelong calling.

With every horse, Kelly learned something new. She discovered that no two wild horses are the same, and that true horsemanship is built not on force or shortcuts, but on patience, observation, empathy, and consistency.

Over the following years, Kelly went on to work with hundreds of wild horses across New Zealand, Australia, and North America. From Kaimanawa horses to Brumbies and Mustangs, each experience deepened her understanding of herd psychology, trauma recovery, and authentic communication.

Working with such a high volume of horses accelerated her learning in ways few trainers ever experience. Every success reinforced what worked. Every challenge revealed what needed refinement. Every mistake became a lesson that strengthened her system.

Through thousands of hours in yards, round pens, paddocks, and wilderness settings, Kelly developed a clear, repeatable approach to taming and training that prioritises emotional safety, trust, and long-term wellbeing.

This system is not theoretical. It is the result of lived experience, built horse by horse, year by year, across continents and cultures.

Today, every workshop, retreat, and training program Kelly delivers is grounded in this depth of real-world knowledge. Participants are not just learning techniques, they are stepping into a lineage of experience shaped by hundreds of wild horses who helped refine the method.

WHY THIS PROGRAM MATTERS

At its heart, this program is about one simple, powerful outcome: saving a life.

Kaimanawa horses are managed by the Department of Conservation to maintain sustainable herd numbers within the ranges. When population growth exceeds capacity, horses must be removed. Without rehoming pathways, those numbers would be managed through culling. The opportunity for a wild Kaimanawa to transition into domestic life exists only because people are willing to step forward and take responsibility for them.

Every adoption matters. Every owner who commits to learning, preparing, and doing the work creates space for a horse to live.

This workshop exists to make that commitment possible.

By providing professional initial handling and structured owner education, this program gives each Kaimanawa the strongest possible chance of a successful transition. It ensures that horses are not only removed from the wild, but truly supported into safe, knowledgeable homes where they can thrive.

Rehoming is not just about reducing numbers. It is about changing a horse’s entire future.

Through this program, a Kaimanawa who would otherwise face an uncertain outcome is given time, patience, training, and partnership. They are given the opportunity to become a riding horse, a liberty partner, a family horse, or simply a safe and valued companion.

This program does not just teach skills. It creates second chances.

Every participant is directly contributing to the long-term survival of the herd by choosing to rehome rather than allow numbers to be reduced through lethal management.

When you choose to take part in this workshop, you are not just beginning a training journey.

You are choosing to save a life.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Duration: 5 Days

Maximum Participants: 6 per trainer

Requirements: Successful application for a Kaimanawa horse (Not included: horse purchase, transport, veterinary costs)

Equipment Required: Rope and web halter, 12ft lead, truck or trailer and a companion horse to take your horse home

Dates: To be confirmed

Location: Taupō, New Zealand

Cost: $2500 NZD

Meals: Lunch included, please bring a water bottle and snacks.

Accommodation: Free onsite camping is allowed, with access to a toilet/shower, as well as power and wifi. Limited accommodation is available to book on site, priced at $100 per night for twin share, or $75 per night for a 4-person bunkroom (bedding, breakfast and dinner included).

BOOK NOW

Email: info@kellywilson.nz