Country of Middle Earth

My German friend at whose place we had been staying in the beginning and around Christmas time, had a very beautiful present for me. Actually, she said it was because I had been taking care of her horse for 2 and a half years and she would owe me something. But for me taking, care of a lovely horse for that much time and that for free, is nothing that she owes me for. All this time with my favourite horse was already enough present. But it came even better. Actually, it was two presents. Two riding lessons on movie horses.

The first one, I already had before going to Samoa. It was in the riding school that she used to go to. They had a grey horse, called Gallaxy, who was 17 years old and had appeared several times in the Lord of the Rings for a short time. The riding teacher herself rode him in one scene, where the elves leave middle earth and in another one -I discovered that after rewatching it – Orlando Bloom rides him as Legolas when he comes to Rivendell. I am sure that it is the same horse. She had described him as forward going, which I couldn’t agree with, but he was sweet and always tried hard to please. He is not well trained as in the movies he didn’t have in important role and always only appeared for short periods and only in walk, and in his real life he was a farm horse. We did some walk, trot, canter and some cavaletti work, he was really pleasing! After the lesson, we visited one of the black rider horses, which in real life actually is brown with white legs. They just painted the horses for the movies! He didn’t look scary and actually wasn’t even tall.

A heartful thank you for my friend!

The next part was even better! By chance, she had gotten to know the stunt rider of Liv Lyler as Arwen in the Lord of the Rings and, as she knew how I was a big fan, asked her, if we could come over. Jane had bought the horse that had played Asfaloth in the movies – he is called Florian -, or actually Viggo Mortensen bought him and gave him to her, as always the actors and the main actors have the priority rights to buy them. He also bought his horse, Brego, whom he wanted to take to America, but after a grave illness, he left him at her place. After many years of a happy life, he died there.

Florian, the actor horse of Asfaloth, was at that time already 28 years and in his pension (now he is over 31 and still healthy and active). But, Jane saddled him up for me and told me she would give me lesson on him. Wow, can you imagine how I felt? First, she went on him to see what his mood would be like. Before she had told me, I should not be disappointed if he is not so active any more, because he is already old. I think that guy cannot be not active. As soon as she sat on him, he started tripling around and showing off – there was a mare close by. After some rounds, she got down and handed the reins to me.

I mounted him and felt like I was in heaven. He was kind and did everything I asked for. We started slow with some walk, trot and canter, then went on to some leg yielding in walk and trot, flying canter changes, Spanish walk. It was amazing. Most of the things, I never even learned. She told me what to do, I did it and he understood. And then, in the end, she said: “Ok, stop there. Spectators take your cameras and be ready! Nadine, take the reins short, shorter and now press your legs together…” I was so surprised, when he reared! She told me to do it again and now, I was better prepared and laughed, I was so happy! 28 years and still as fit as in his young years, such an amazing horse. And he loves it! Afterwards, she offered me a short ride to the river. She, her dog and my friends followed me on foot and I cantered along the riverside, just like in the movies. I even got an autograph and we also got to know Clydie, the carriage horse of Gandalf.

I got one of these shirts as well! Plus the amazing autograph on a picutre of her on the rearing Florian!

Have you ever seen a more beautiful horse?

Both lessons have been really fantastic, the teachers were kind and understanding and I had learnt a lot. Even in English, I had no problems of understanding what they said – horse vocabulary can be really different – somehow, I always got the meaning. If New Zealand wouldn’t be so far away, I would take regular lessons with them. And I really love my friend, who made all that possible. Now, I owe her so much, because she made my biggest dreams come true.

The same day, my boyfriend and me said once more good bye to our friends, heading south to the Pitangirua Pinnacles, which – guess what - of course have been film location to the Lord of the Rings. Indeed, they shot the “Paths of the Dead” there and we went hiking there. How scary! Or actually not. With bright sunlight it needs a lot of imagination to look like in the movies. Or maybe, it is because the dead are already realeased and don’t live there anymore…

But yes, it is a very impressive formation of sediment stones. We spent the night at the foot of the Pinnacles and the next day, took the ferry from Wellington to the South Island, after having been stuck in a traffic jam with a herd of cows.

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