Tina Portanger, Canterbury 0273525106 PortangerFamily@xtra.co.nz

Hello my name is Tina Portanger - I have now lived in Christchurch for approx. 10yrs, previous to this my husband, daughter and I resided on the West Coast (please don't hold that against me) in a town called Ross - before this we lived in Auckland (don't hold that against me either) - I grew up in the Far North in a place called Ahipara, which is the south end of the beautiful 90 mile beach - my childhood playground.

I have been involved with Horses in way or another for at least 30yrs (probably more), primarily I am a hunting and eventing person - but like to dabble abit in everything. My horse experiences are very varied - ranging from Head Instructor at a local Pony Club to being an extra on the famed Lord of the Rings. I have had a wide variety of instructors - ranging from Captain Mark Philips, George Morris to early days with Andrew Bennie and numerous New Zealand famous instructors. What got me thinking and learing more about saddles was I started to have problems with my beautiful horse Max - and was corresponding with Anthea (my sister)who at the time was developing the Citori Saddling System - Max went from a lovely horse gaining 10's in the dressage arena to not being able to get him near it - I tried everything I could - natural remedies, change of saddles etc. Anthea came down and assessed Max for me - I have never looked back - I have travelled and helped Anthea when she comes to the South Island - and it still amazes me to see the changes in horses when they are put into a correctly fitting saddle that allows them to move. I am a qualified Animal Technician who tends to lean towards the natural side of things - Citori Saddling System impressed me so much that I just love to go out and share this experience and knowledge with others - If I can be of any help - please don't hesitate to give me a call.