He’s gained a reputation as a good horseman during the past 20 years and if anyone’s going to rein them in its Ant Logan.

Together with wife Michelle - a vet specialising in equine medicine, they do a lot of horsing around.

Ant was raised in Ruatoria and kind of “fell into horses” as a country boy.

“You grow up pretty capable in most things on a farm, and I rode a bit as a kid,” he says.

“I’ve been around animals all my life.”

Ant’s father wanted his kids to grow up learning how to ride bareback.

“A saddle was a luxury."

"We only had one for our family, so I got the basics back there in that early training."

"Dad was pretty handy with a horse."

Ant was a skilled horseman from a young age. Photo: Supplied

"Our whole family rode but it was not something I ever loved. It was work,” Ant says.

It wasn’t until 25 years ago when he was fencing for a client with a mate.

“She ran out of fencing work for us and had a heap of horses she wanted broken in so asked if we’d be interested."

"My mate Tojo Maaka was already an experienced horse breaker, so we broke them all in – 12 in a month,” Ant says.

“I developed an interest in it then. It was fun."

"Seeing a horse graduate from nothing to something that’s useful, that was the coolest part, developing that trust."

"Ever since I’ve been dealing with young horses,” he says.

“I’m 50 now and absolutely loving it. It keeps me young and fit.”

A shearer all his life, Ant grew up around shearing sheds with his mum a rousie and cook for shearing gangs.

Michelle and Ant in their early days working in a shearing gang in Australia on their way back to New Zealand. Photo: Supplied

“In the holidays I just had to tag along.”

Ant travelled widely picking up work shearing in Wales where he met wife Michelle – a Welsh vet, in 2002 at a nightclub holding a school uniform, fancy dress disco.

“My friend, Charles, said he’d buy me a drink if I went over and talked to the Kiwi guy. I thought Charles knew him, but he didn’t,” she grins.

“Ant had an Around the World ticket which he gave up and stayed on.”

Michelle travelled back with him via some shearing work in Australia, where she worked as a rousie.

“I loved New Zealand and so I stayed, she says.”

“I was working in a mixed vet practice in Wales when I met Ant and worked as a vet in Gisborne back here, travelling to clients up the East Coast."

"It was amazing to me, shepherds mustering on horseback with a team of dogs."

"I loved it."

Michelle enjoying her love of horses. Photo: Supplied

Michelle then gained more experience by moving south and working for Invercargill equine specialist Brendon Bell.

Ant also moved south and they lived in Riversdale for a while where Michelle developed a love of breeding horses when working at what is now Macca Lodge Horse Stud for Northern Southland Veterinary Services.

She then completed a three-year residency in Massey Veterinary School, Palmerston North, becoming a specialist in equine medicine.

They married in 2011 and initially lived in Omakau in Central Otago, Ant working on Matakanui Station before being offered a farm manager’s position in Southland.

Michelle worked as a vet in Alexandra before returning to Riversdale with Ant.

After some time in Riversdale, they settled on a small farm at Pukerau, near Gore – complementing each other with their two horse-loving careers.

Michelle’s had her moments despite her love of horses.

The boys aren’t keen on being castrated and she was badly bitten by a 7-year-old stallion as she was about to inject the anesthetic.

“He got hold of my arm and dragged me across the paddock, then ran past me and I thought, ‘This is it!’” she says.

Ant coming back from a spot of pig hunting. Photo: Supplied

Another vet eventually gave him three more injections through a fence before she could get near.

As for Ant: “I’ve had too many close calls to remember. I’ve been tipped out that many times,” he says.

He’d eyed up a beautiful horse once on a horse trek which a mate was selling.

“It had ‘For Sale’ marked on its bum so I inquired, thinking Michelle would love that horse."

"I brought him home proud as punch and was riding him up the driveway to surprise her when the bloody thing bucked me off!”

“I was watching and I wasn’t going to get on him after that,” Michelle laughs.

Ant reckons that horse is now his best mate, named Tom Fleming after the guy who bred him.

“But every time when he’s fresh and I jump on he puts in a wee buck,” he grins.

“With horses when everything’s going right they’ll be on your side until they’re not."

Ant working his miracles. Photo: Supplied

"At the end of the day, it’s about showing leadership."

"If you gain their trust and show that leadership, they’ll be your mate."

"If you show faith they’ll show it back,” he says.

Word gets out when someone with Ant’s skills becomes renowned and in 2015 Ant was asked by a horse contact if he’d be interested in transporting a whole herd of wild horses south from Arcadia Station at the head of Lake Wakatipu, near Glenorchy.

Station owner Jim Veint was giving them away to a good home.

“I was asked if I’d be interested in going halves and getting the whole herd out,” Ant says.

“When I saw them they were quite unique, like old school stock horses."

"I knew when I saw them that I had to be involved with them."

"They were very difficult to break in, basically big ponies, very nimble with good strong legs, good healthy stock horses."

Michelle giving a talk at Equifest. Photo: Supplied

"You need something quick like that on a hill."

"They’re strong and can go all day.”

The pair found two good truckies – Jock Sharpe and Jamie Coote, from Switzers Valley Transport to help load and move them south.

It was no mean feat.

“Michelle was away working at Massey, and I got home with all these trucks and trailers loaded with 31 wild adult horses, plus about nine foals – about 40 all up, that we’d rounded up from Jim’s yards,” Ant grins.

“It was a big mission – 200kms, but when they got off at the other end they were magnificent.”

That was until he tried to keep a rope on them.

“It took two days to get a rope on 31 horses, but the next time it took me one day,” he says.

“We were farming fulltime. It was a massive challenge.”

Equine specialist Michelle offers a spot of pampering. Photo: Supplied

Some were broken in and sold as were some of the foals and Michelle says they’ve had amazing feedback.

“People loved them. They’ve gone all over the South Island."

"People bought them for kids and families and it’s all credit to Jim and his breeding. They’re so loyal.”

“I call them ‘street kids’,” Ant says.

“Michelle breeds Hanoverians, originally from Germany, and not that bright in a farm environment, but the Arcadia ones never get into trouble,” he says.

"They know where to put their feet. They’re born street wise.”

Michelle now works for the Veterinarian Council of NZ as a veterinary advisory.

She is also running online Horse First Aid courses through their business Logan Equine, teaching the basics such as taking a horse’s pulse, checking temperatures, bandaging, wound care, colic and the likes.

“It’s what to do until the vet arrives aimed at all levels - Pony Club members or their parents, absolutely anyone with a horse,” she says.

Michelle with the orphaned foal they raised - Esbelli. Photo: Supplied

She’s also recently been involved in developing online learning resources for Massey University where she gained a higher education teaching qualification and has also done research into Equine Metabolic Syndrome.

The Logans moved with their two kids to Moa Flat in West Otago in 2022, but they still have strong connections and a great reputation in horse circles around Southland breeding some first class show jumping horses, as well as the loyal, athletic Arcadia stationbreds.

Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.