Welcome to the Wonderful World of Colour and Tradition
We are a small family owned business, located on the east coast of New Zealand, and we have specialised in the construction of Californian-style tack for over a decade. Everything you will see on our website has been handcrafted from the finest natural materials New Zealand has to offer, combining contemporary design practise with traditional construction methods. We sincerely hope that you will find our work exciting, inspiring, and helpful.
New Zealand Mecates grew from a love of horses, tradition, and a quest to find quality tack. We use natural materials, hand prepared and grown on New Zealand pastures. We craft everything by hand with care, with a sharp attention to detail, and with skills developed over a decade of dedication to our work. New Zealand Mecates can provide you with a wide range of customisation that is second to none, and will interface with you to build a product that you will be proud of. With a background in fine arts, we posses a sensitive understanding of colour and are able to interpret nature and designs to produce artistic and individual tack. At New Zealand Mecates, operate with a high standard of honesty and integrity, and we put an emphasis on quality, longevity, and tradition in everything we make. We are one of the only traditional gear makers, and the only twisted mecate maker in New Zealand, and it would be a pleasure to work along side you to realise the tack you have always wanted.
Read on if you would like to learn more about us, browse our products in our shop, or gallery, or get in contact with us if you have any questions. We are very pleased to have you!
The Story of a Kiwi Family...
We kiwi’s* are a pretty ingenious bunch, really. Bailing twine is probably our favourite tool, used for almost everything from hanging fences to holding up trousers. This same ingenuity is what encouraged our Creator Director Ilana Cheiban to pick up the rope and knot her way through her first halter in 2008, when quality gear was scarce and the need to support her family insistent.
The first time she sold anything was at a local horse and tack auction that had been organised by a few colourful characters. "I sold 17 halters for 23 dollars each", Ilana said, ‘I remember realising that there was a market for the gear that I was making for my family; that there was something I could provide and a way to keep us afloat."
