Stanley Vale….!

“Stanley Vale”……! Canterbury, NZ

In my earlier days of horse trekking this hut used to be my second home…. good riding friends and myself, initially explored this region as a horse recreational area, opening up old overgrown pack tracks… its 78000 ha size is so fantastic to explore..

Then with help from people in DoC and the Canterbury Conservators Dept , a small group and myself explored the potential for combining the famous St James walking trail with horse use on this same route..

Of course we were up against folks who didnt wish this, sighting horses cause weed infestation,, horses cause erosion, etc etc…. each of these concerns us dedicated equestrian riders had to dispel…. luckily St James before Doc took over was infact a one hundred year old high country sheep and later cattle station that was also well know for a breed of wild horses that roamed this land..

Before roading was bulldozed in horse pack tracks were the only option to deliver supplies to outpost huts and indeed the Ada homestead which sits within St James, and with these one hundred year old pack tracks,, little or infact no erosion can be see anywhere.. imported weed seed are non existent along these trails as well… the historic Fowlers Pass being a prime example.. a steep up and down track of some twelve kilometres in length, linking the Fowlers hut to the east and this Stanley Vale hut to the west ,.. horses stick to the track and dont often deviate ..

So in the end we horse trekking folks were allowed to use this trail, and erect overnight fencing at several huts on route to accommodate horses.. a “win win” in my book..!

On the walk way, trampers are fascinated when they meet us, asking all sorts of questions , want to pat them some even wanting a ride … I have asked many of these trampers their opinion of combining horses with walkers and 99% are very positive…!