Why buy a New Zealand Sporthorse?

- The Environment
New Zealand is reknown throughout the world as a country ideally suited to raising sound, healthy, hardy youngstock and is the origin of many top level international competitors, especially in the eventing, showjumping and equitation disciplines. With the relatively mild year round climate and highly fertile pastures, New Zealand horses generally live outside 24 hours, 7 days a week right from birth, which provides young bones with the movement they need for optimum growth and strength. Many New Zealand horses grow up on a variety of farmland, providing them with the agility and confidence to tackle natural obstacles from the beginning, and the opportunity to learn to just get out, be horses and enjoy themselves!

The magnificent snow covered Southern Alps decorate the scenery beyond Astek Stud (Winter, June 2006)

- The Foundation Breeding Stock
Many New Zealand sport horses carry close Thoroughbred blood from our highly regarded Thoroughbred mares which are considered, by international sport horse breed associations, to be some of the best in the world and extremely well suited to breeding quality performance horses. The classic New Zealand Thoroughbred is a strongly built, well proportioned, attractive type of settled temperament, sound constitution and good foundations who's stamina/jumping bloodlines make them perfect for adding staying power, refinement and athleticism to the modern Warmblood stallions.
- The Affordability!
Purchasing a New Zealand sporthorse is also very affordable with our dollar being very favourable to overseas currencies. Importing your new horse to your country is also relatively easy with fewer quarantine requirements due to New Zealand's low disease status, and our internationally experienced, professional transportation companies who we can recommend and help organise on your behalf.

What Makes Astek Horses So Special?

Astek Horses and Handling
Astek stallions have been carefully selected for their internationally proven bloodlines, temperaments, type, jumping ability and movement. We feel very proud to own such quality stallions and our belief in them as sires of top sporthorse performance prospects is already coming to attention.

Astek mares are also strictly chosen for their specific attributes of temperament, conformation, bloodlines, movement, jumping technique and type, as well as success of themselves and their family. Each horse is individually assessed on arrival and allowed to settle close to the homestead to allow us to get to know them as individuals. They learn to trust us and quickly settle into the daily stud routine.

A good working knowledge and understanding of natural horse behaviour and horsemanship leads to our horses trusting and respecting us, working with us and enjoying our company. This greatly assists during everday handling and at foaling time, effectively minimising accidents and injury.

Astek foals are handled from birth and enjoy our company from an early age. They are handled regularly during their first few months, taught to 'give to pressure' from a halter, are groomed, have their legs handled and feet trimmed. This ensures that our foals do not fear us yet have respect. Foals follow a strict worming regime from 7 days of age. At weaning they are covered and supplementary fed throughout their first winter, while being kept in a herd environment with a settled "nanny" mare for guidance and leadership.

During the spring and summer our yearlings and 2 year olds undergo further in-hand training and basic ground work, including float training and attending in-hand shows (when possible) for the outing experience. At around 2 and a half years old we introduce the young horses to further training including long-reining, then saddle and rider, and generally find this all a very smooth progression from their earlier training. A few light rides to achieve acceptance of a rider and the basic ridden aids, always finishing on a positive note, are all that are required before the horse is turned out again to mature both physically and mentally, and to "digest" their new learning experiences. We also often free-jump our 2 year olds to assess their natural aptitude and jumping technique.

At 3+ we commence light ridden work again, encouraging the horses to enjoy, relax and feel proud of their learning acheivements. Once the basics are established, short rides are varied between the arena, our farmland, roadsides and when possible other locations such as the beach or competition venues. Light competition starting with dressage and showhunter classes usually begins later in the 4 and 5 year old years.
Each horse is treated as an individual with regards to when and how they progress, and we find the relationships that develop with these youngsters to be hugely rewarding.

Our Facilities
Astek Stud is situated in the fertile Canterbury Plains of New Zealand and covers over 80 acres of fully irrigated, well maintained land divided into many well sized sheltered paddocks. Our facilities include a fully fenced 90 x 45 metre sand based arena, large sand based round yard, purpose built vet facility (for scanning mares and preparing semen), open front stables, floodlit foaling paddocks, safe fencing and lovely established trees. Our broodmares and youngstock live outdoors all year round, while the stallions live in private tree-lined paddocks close to the residence and have access to shelter sheds in their paddocks.

Winter evening mist at Astek Stud

Yearlings grazing at Astek Stud in early summer (November)

Our Feed and Care Regimes
Astek horses are individually assessed as to feed and exercise requirements. Specific minerals, vitamins and herbs are added to the diet as individual needs dictate. Paddock management is planned well in advance for optimum parasite control and fencing is maintained continuously with horse's safety in mind. We provide supplementary feed to all of our horses all year round which keeps them looking and feeling great!

Our pastures are irrigated and sown to include a beneficial herbal mix containing all of the herbs naturally sought out by horses. Top quality lucerne, meadow hay, baleage and oats are also grown and produced on our subsidary farm for supplementary support. All stock and feed pastures are top-dressed with organic fertilizer and lime to ensure correct calcium - magnesium - phosphorus balance.

We feed a specific organic Vitamin/Mineral mix containing the ingredients that horses living out of their natural environment often lack. We also follow a regular drenching program as well as feet trims and teeth checks.

All of our horses wear covers and are grainfed daily throughout the winter as, particularly for broodmares, this undoubtably aids in maintaining warmth and energy which can otherwise be drawn from their unborn foal. Another vital aspect for us is caring for the emotional needs of our horses by providing regular routine and well thought out paddock groupings which horses thrive on.

We aim to provide all of our young horses with a secure, healthy environment and allow them time to grow to their full potentials before being placed under the physical and mental efforts of regular work.

While we are largely a breeding establishment, we know that producing quality horses is only the start! Correct training is also essential for horse and rider combinations to progress. To assist local riders with this, we promote clinics throughout the year with top trainers in dressage, showjumping, breaking in and more.

Exciting times are ahead as we start to bring some of our own oldest Warmblood progeny under saddle ourselves.... the moment we have been waiting for!

Thanks for visiting our website!

Sue and Keith
Astek Stud