Just like Lake Tekapo’s acknowledgement to the working sheep dog – who has been at the Mackenzie Country farmer’s side for well over a 150 years – Christchurch has chosen to honour the horse as the animal that helped tame the Canterbury Plains and who worked tirelessly along side our pioneers.
“One of God’s Greatest Creatures”, “Faithful Servant and Friend to Man” this monument states on this Selwyn District Council Year 2000 project situated on West Coast Road, West Melton.
It is true, the first horses (three) were brought to the Canterbury Plains at Putaringamotu (Riccarton) by the Deans Brothers in 1843. Clearing the land for the future sowing of crops would have been impossible without horses. Horses had been working the land on Banks Peninsula since the late 1830’s.
*photo taken by Annette Bulovic*
