Meet the Dune Lakes Herd: Mary
Elder and Matriarch at Dune Lakes Lodge
By Rob Pliskin, Equine Pathfinders Foundation volunteer
Matriarch and herd Elder Mary
Rosemary knows Mary from “BNZ,” Before New Zealand, when they first met in their previous lives, in the UK. It is the unshaken bond that grew between them that brought them both to New Zealand. Yes, both of them, and along with them, Mary’s daughter, Jodie.
Mary and Jodie are part of the journey Rosemary took into this way of being with horses, and were her greatest teachers and partners of that time. Which says a lot about all three of them. From learning horse partnership in the wilds of Wales, to learning and practicing Strasser Hoof Care in the UK and NZ, Mary has guided and stayed with Rosemary on her journey of growth.
At 35, Mary is both Elder as well as Matriarch at Dune Lakes Lodge. She is the great-grandmother of Sam, Sahara, Susha, and Estrella; the grandmother of Solo, Soma, and Spirit; and the mother of Jodie. And all of them continue to teach all of us.
So today she more than deserves to be Misty’s companion in peaceful freedom as the gates around here open for her, too.
It is the unshaken bond that grew between Rosemary and Mary that brought them both to New Zealand.
The Dune Lakes herd at play.
The horses of the Dune Lakes herd are an integral part of the Dune Lakes Lodge Retreat and Horse Inspired Learning Centre where they help their human partners create learning experiences to improve the wellbeing and success of children, youth, adults, and families.
Under the loving care of Rosemary Wyndham-Jones and Equine Pathfinders Foundation, the horses make their home on the beautiful South Kaipara Head Peninsula, a massive, ancient sand barrier that separates the South Kaipara Harbour from the Tasman Sea.
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