Nikki and Kate's life after racing

(Photo courtesy of Arrow's Flight Photography)

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

Nikki Macpherson loves her "grumpy wee chestnut" - a 28-year-old mare, known as "Kate".

They have been a team for over five years now, with Macpherson saying having horses around her has done good things for her health. 

"In 2020 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and we were doing the treks into hospital and seeing all these horses in multiple paddocks and I lamented the fact that I hadn't been riding them all these years and burst into tears," says Patterson.
 
Husband Jono Ching immediately thought "we can do something about this."

At the time one of his colleagues had a retired standardbred. In her racing life she was Blue Violet, who placed once in 21 starts in 2002/03.

"She's 14.3 hands and built like a barrel," says Macpherson, "she's  a grumpy wee chestnut."

In no time Kate had changed stables, as it were, and Macpherson and Ching sold their Rolleston house and bought a larger rural property at Rakaia.

"I wanted  to look out the window and see Kate," says Macpherson. 

"And I said 'well I've always wanted to have a view of the mountains' so it worked out well," says Ching.  

"After the diagnosis it was a pretty heavy time and having Kate there helped her a lot, not just physically but emotionally and mentally as well," says Ching, "I'd hate to think where we would be now if we hadn't made that lifestyle change to get the horses."

Macpherson agrees : "At the time I was on two sticks and I was just grooming and cuddling Kate and it went from there."

Macpherson had ridden horses during her youth and she ended up riding Kate at home and then they went trekking and hacking together.

Her disease means she can walk but her mobility fluctuates - "it's very fickle".

"There are days when my leg just doesn't work but we've got a wheelchair ramp here at home and the top it is at the perfect height so I can literally step onto her," says Macpherson. 

"I ride in a barrel racing saddle which is very deep and very forgiving."

It's a win-win for horse and rider.

"A neurologist said to me a long time ago that she's the reason I'm still walking ... once you stop using those muscles when you have degenerative diseases you don't get them back."

Kate is now one of four horses on their Mid Canterbury property.

"If they are going anywhere there is no way she is going to be left behind," says Macpherson. 

Late last year the pair went to their first In-hand show, a Ryal Equine event at Kirwee.

"I was terrified of doing it in my chair because of how it would be received by the others and how the other horses would cope with it - it can be confronting," says Macpherson.

But all went well, the combo finishing second in "Best Mannered" and fifth in "Walk". 

Grateful for the way they were welcomed, Macpherson says they are now looking at doing some more in 2026.

"It might be another low key event like we did or we could do a cowboy challenge or something like that," says Macpherson. 

"She's certainly not ready to stop!"