Meet the Team
My Name is Karen Weibel, a New Zealander born and raised in the mountainous South Island. I have a strong love and connection to our High Country and the World of Horses. Throughout my horsey life, I have longed to grasp the true essence of a horse as so many of us do.
I am continually amazed by the love and passion they bring forward to so many Men, Woman and Children. What is it about Horses? For me they represent a wild beauty - earthy, primitive and free. My childhood dreams were of manes and tails flying as herds galloped over vast lands without fences. I know for others they offer challenges to excel and push boundaries to succeed. So many different reasons to love one animal.
Raising my three Children in the High-Country, breeding and riding horses, as well as having access to well-known and respected Horseman/clinicians as family members and friends, developed our awareness and understanding of Horsemanship. Although my title is written as “Professional Horsewoman” I don’t feel I am qualified, and consider myself a mere student of the horse. As a student, I have continued to gather a pot pourri of beliefs, which are often challenged as I grow in my understanding of these magnificent regal animals. My daughter Emily Weibel as a young girl, enjoyed the freedom of our remote High-Country property offered her. Large tracts of land, forests, river crossings, hills and mountains were hers to explore on her horse. Breeding horses gave her opportunities to climb on unbroken horses who ran in herds without saddle or head gear, just trust in the horse and a feel. This is here where Emily’s natural ability to ride excelled and developed my passion to understand the History of horses and all they have given man-kind.
Emily was born and raised in the South Island of New Zealand. Growing up in the High Country surrounded by horses and professional horseman who gave her a very in-depth understanding and passion for horses. As a young girl Emily became well known as an extremely talented horse trainer, colt starter and top competitor with consistent first placings in open classes and show performer.
Emily has her name in the credits in “The Hobbit” movie as a wrangler where she trained horses to accept film atmosphere and accept and train the Hobbits to ride. A well-loved NZ farming Television program “Country Calendar” created a program on Emily and our family, with emphasis on the finals for Cowboy Challenge and Emily successfully taking the Open Buckle. With performances and night shows Emily has gained a reputation as an outstanding bridle-less rider being asked to perform at many events from Agricultural Shows, to Major Equine events around New Zealand.
From here Emily was offered to play a leading role in a short film - When Jean Dean Race’s the Train. This film portrayed a young girl who waved farewell to her fiancé as he went off to war. Jean (Emily) would race the train to receive mail from the Men at war, tragically he was killed in action. This role had Emily riding her own horse to perform the stunts required. Without training, the trust between Horse and Human was obvious, and Emily gave an outstanding performance.
Emily continues to train horses and has worked as a Trainer at Twelve Oaks and a Trainer /Manager/Breeding specialist at Amberley House, an elite warmblood breeding stud, both Highly respected Equine studs in New Zealand. Emily has performed clinics, training and asked to judge at events Internationally and continues to compete.
Now 26 years old Emily would like to follow her passion with horses as a founder of 40 Degrees Equine Preserve Park, believing in securing a future for endangered horses around the world so her generation can enjoy and appreciate the true life ancestral lines of what created the horse what it is today. Emily knows we owe this to future generations to preserve these rare and endangered breeds for the future. What we owe even more, is to respect and protect all our equine bloodlines.
Aspen is a young teenager who, like her Big Sister Emily, has lived a life surrounded by Horses and International horsemen and Woman in the High Country of New Zealand. With this background Aspen is already proving herself a competent, empathetic young horsewoman. Creativity is another one of her strengths and this shines through when working with horses. Aspen seeks to improve her partnership with her horse at every moment, gentle and compassionate with results.
With her sister Emily’s guidance Aspen started her young horse Rancho under saddle at the age of 10. Today Rancho and Aspen really look sharp together, tackling steep hills and frightening descents to gather cattle. With the youth and spirit of both horse and rider, Aspen and Rancho have years to create many more wonderful adventures together. Aspen also shared a role in the film When Jean Dean Races The Train and starred in NZ farming TV program Country Calendar.
Aspen has enjoyed a transient lifestyle for the past few years prior to the interruption of Covid. International travel introduced Aspen to the world outside of New Zealand, exploring the back country of the USA and Canada. Her highlights were: being involved with selecting a breeding pair of Kiger Mustangs at an auction run by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). We later imported these Mustangs to New Zealand, riding horses on the Kiger Range to view the wild herds of Kiger Mustangs in their vast landscapes and with the help of International renown horseman Bryan McVicar, Aspen helped put the first ride on one of her favorite Kiger Mustang. Another memorable ride and privilege was her ride on a Kiger Mustang Stallion - Regalo, from Wild Horse Mountain in Oregon.
Back home in NZ Aspen is a pupil of NZ Correspondence School, this allows freedom to explore a variety of curriculum. Her Vlogs and Stories of her life with horses and her youthful understanding is enlightening. As seen through a foal’s and young horses' eye’s paired with seeing through a young girl's eyes and her perspective.