Introducing Kate Doyle

We are very happy to have found Kate Doyle as our new Horse Manager.  Kate has lived in NZ for almost 5 years, having moved here with her family, husband Chris and her two sons aged 13 and 10. They also have a 25 year old son and their first grandchild in the UK.   Kate has worked with horses all her life and holds BHS stage 1, 2 and 3 in horse management and care. As she says, "Horses are my passion and life."

Kate has worked in many aspects of the horse world, including with Redwings Horse Sanctuary, which is the UK's largest equine sanctuary, where she helped to look after over 1,200 horses ponies and donkeys.  Since being in NZ she has busied herself fostering over 50 dogs and puppies for the Saving Hope Foundation. She has a dog called Ruby (a Saving Hope rescue) and two donkeys, Stanley and Ollie at home, both aged 21. 

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Let's hear from Kate ....

I just like to say a massive thank you to everyone for helping me settle in and feel so welcome. I’ve really enjoyed my first couple of months with you all. I’m loving the variety it gives me every day, working with the ponies and all the different volunteers.
In the last few weeks I’ve started riding with a few volunteers as a bit of extra work and therapy for some of the horses to keep them bright and interested. Please come and see me if you are interested in helping out with this and I’ll check a few things first and then put you on my list.

Now for some information about my two donkeys, Stanley and Ollie. They both came to me for rehabbing from a friend in Tutukaka.  I told my husband it was meant to be as my middle son is named Stanley and my youngest is Tommy (which used to be how Ollie the donkey was known). They arrived home with me the 30th of December, 2021.
Ollie is lovely and cuddly and acts like a cute little old man in his 90’s. Stanley is oozing with character and absolutely brilliant with kids. However, he saves his worst behaviour for me and it can take me up to 15 minutes to even catch him, sometimes accompanied with biting and kicking.  They are both aged 21, so in their prime of life as their breed, Jerusalem donkeys can live into the fifties.
The donkeys now graze in Taupaki as since the floods, we have had to relocate to a new property. This is the first time I have not had them on the same property as me since I got them. It seems to be working well and makes going out to see them a fun visit.

Please give Kate a huge NSRDA welcome as she settles-in to her new role!