Ngā wāhi eke hōiho

Where you can ride a horse

Recreational horse riding is allowed in some regional parks and on several Auckland beaches. You will need a pass to ride in a regional park.

Ride a horse in a regional park

Ātiu Creek Regional Park

Open from 6am to 9pm during daylight saving, and 6am to 7pm outside of daylight saving.
Closed between 1 July and 30 September due to calving and lambing, and ground conditions.
Group limit is 20 riders.
Dogs prohibited at all times.
Horse riding pass required.
Combination code required to access the unloading/parking area.

Read more about Ātiu Creek Regional Park.

Āwhitu Regional Park

Open all-year round.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Riding may be restricted in winter due to ground conditions.
Access to the beach is not permitted through the campground, wetlands or main arrival zone.
Dogs prohibited at all times.

Duder Regional Park

Closed due to ground conditions and farming operations between 1 July and 30 September.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Horses not permitted on beaches or the shell bank.
Riders must follow all kauri dieback procedures, including ensuring floats, animals and equipment are free of organic matter.
Access from the car park is through the old stockyard on the right-hand side of the kauri dieback hygiene station.
Dogs prohibited at all times.

Hunua Ranges Regional Park

There are designated trails through the Lower Mangatawhiri Valley along a gravel road, through grass paddocks and bush, and along the Mangatawhiri River.
A main loop down to the Lower Mangatawhiri campground has extra linking tracks across it.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Riders may lead one other horse.
Riders must follow all kauri dieback procedures, including ensuring floats, animals and equipment are free of organic matter.
Due to safety issues, dogs cannot accompany horse riders in this park.
A horse riding pass cannot be used in conjunction with a recreational hunting (feral pigs) permit.
All vehicles and floats must park in the unloading area.
The kauri dieback hygiene station in the unloading area is locked in a cage and can be accessed with a network code.
Use the hitching posts when setting up and cleaning horses - this allows all organic matter to be collected and disposed of in compliance with the Controlled Area Notice.
Mangatangi Hill Road is a Watercare operational road and care needs to be taken at all times. Any vehicles found past Graeme White Road may have their permit revoked without review.
You need a network code to access the locked Watercare gate at the intersection of Moumoukai Road and Waterline Road. Please call 09 301 0101 to obtain a permit and access code.

Read more about Hunua Ranges Regional Park.

Muriwai Regional Park

Riding area includes Okiritoto Stream.
Group limit is 20 riders.
Riders may lead two horses.

Pae O Te Rangi Farm (located in Cascade Kauri, Waitākere Ranges Regional Park)

Riding may be restricted in winter due to ground conditions.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Horses may require shoes due to the metal roads at Pae O Te Rangi Farm.

Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park

Horses are not permitted on the beach.
Riding may be restricted in winter due to ground conditions.
During calving season riders must watch out for and steer clear of cows with young calves at foot.
Group limit is 10 riders.

Read more about Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park.

Waitawa Regional Park

Open all year-round.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Vehicle and float parking is in front of the green sheds - do not block access to the shed doors.
Hitching pens, compost bins for manure, a toilet and a map are available at the back of the green sheds.
Horses are allowed on Waitawa Bay beach near the Kayak Campground however are prohibited from Maitaitai Bay.
Horse riding permitted in most areas, except the mountain bike trails and disc golf tee areas. Please check the map displayed in the Hoiho parking area and follow the markers.
When accessing Waitawa Bay through the campground, dismount and lead horses away from the archeological area.
Dogs are not permitted when horse riding.

Whakanewha Regional Park

Open all-year round.
Group limit is 10 riders.
Keep below the shell bank when riding on the beach.
From 1 October to 28 February, riders must steer clear of the beach area during high tide to avoid shorebird nesting sites.
Cantering is permitted on the beach only from 1 March to 31 July when clear of other users. At all other times, cantering and galloping are prohibited.
Use the hitching rail by the pōhutukawa and on the central track.
Riders may lead one other horse.
Horses are not allowed in Poukaraka Flats and associated beach area.

Read more about Whakanewha Regional Park.

Ride a horse on a beach

Karioitahi Beach

You can only unload horses in the signed area near the beach entrance. Remove all manure from the unloading area.
There is a walking-only zone for 500m either side of the entrance between 10am and 6pm from Labour Weekend to the end of March.
Within this 1km walking-only zone, horses must remain within 10m of the water’s edge when possible. Horse manure must be removed from this area.

Noticeboards at the beach entrance include all the rules relating to horse riding.

Other beaches

You can also ride horses at:

Algies Beach
Hatfields Beach
Martins Bay Beach
Omaha Beach
Ōrewa Beach
Snells Beach.

From 1 December to 15 February, horses are only allowed on these beaches before 10am and after 7pm. Horses are prohibited on Easter weekend and Labour weekend.

If you are riding a horse on these beaches, you must:

remove or safely dispose of horse manure
show consideration for other users at all times
ride or lead your horse in a manner that does not intimidate, cause a danger or nuisance to other people
not ride or lead your horse through bird breeding areas
not ride or lead your horse on coastal dunes except when accessing the beach via a direct route
ensure horses are ridden below the high tide mark if on a beach, so manure can be washed away
not ride at high tide to avoid potential conflict with other beach users.