Keeping up with the Kaimanawas product reviews

I was visiting a friend and her daughter is horse mad so when this came on TV we watched it and I was hooked on the thought of "can these wild horses be tamed enough to be saved?" so when I noticed this DVD was available for review I put my hand up and waited. I really liked how even though it is technically a reality show the scenes weren't scripted and it was natural (horses don't perform on demand) and we got to see the good, the bad and the ugly. There were some heart breaking moments and some rather comical moments.

As I watched I slowly started noticing how different the sisters are, each has their strong points and weak points but their determination to save the horses was easy to see. There was Vicki who is really strong and determined, my favourite scenes would have to be when she was riding in the competition and it looked like she was flying and the funniest would be when she was teaching the horse to sit on the couch by using the actual couch in the sitting room. Then there was Kelly who did not make that big an impression but when she was bitten the shock was real and her strength to get back in a paddock with the horses was simply amazing. Lastly Amanda, the clown with the wicked sense of humour, my favourite scene of hers would have to be when she "baked" a treat for the builder. There was fantastic breath taking scenery and some fantastic sunrises and sunsets. I don't have a favourite sister as they are so different but I really do hope that TVNZ decide to do more of this type of show - it is a lot more real than most of the other "reality shows" that are available to view.

I have liked the Facebook page to be able to keep up with how the sisters are doing but more importantly, how the horses are doing. I really liked how real the people are, you got to see the highs (doing really well in the competition) and the lows when things didn't go quite according to plan. They did mention the book Kelly wrote which I had a look at but was put off by the price, it is fantastic to see people following their passions. They are also very busy with teaching kids to ride and doing holiday camps that looked a little messy.

I learnt a lot about wild horses from this series, I never thought of the harsh conditions the horses would be used to and the challenges they face by not having access to a vet when needed, it was great that the vets explained things in plain English so everyone understood the situation. The one part almost had me in tears when they had to put one of the wild horses down for his own comfort.

I will be keeping my eyes and ears open for further episodes in the series as I am sure there is always more horses that are caught in the muster and think it is great that the army want to re-home the horses rather than slaughter them.