At 48, Natasha Webber is living a life that reflects strength, resilience, and a deep connection with animals, especially horses. She works at Pet ‘n’ Produce Supplies & Saddlery, a role she loves and that keeps her fit and active.
Natasha moved to Hervey Bay in 2007 with her partner Hayden, after falling in love with him at age 26. They met in Queenstown at the iconic Winnebago’s bar and have been inseparable ever since, married now for ten years, together for twenty-two.
Their son, Jamie, recently finished school and started a Heavy Diesel Apprenticeship with Absolute Diesel Services, making them proud parents. “We’ve always included Jamie in adult conversations and life decisions. It’s helped shape him into the grounded young man he is today,” Natasha says.
Born in Westport on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island but raised in Karamea. Natasha’s early years were hard. Her parents separated when she was five or six, and the memories she does have of them are not easy because of the passing of her little brother at just three years old. Several other family losses in quick succession clouded her childhood memories.
. “I was six when my uncle died by suicide. At that age, I didn’t understand. But later, as others passed, I understood and saw the pain behind such decisions. It’s so sad, if they had only reached out and asked for help, they would probably still be here today.”
At nine, she moved to Christchurch to live with her mum. Natasha remembers her childhood fondly and recalls push biking or walking everywhere.
Horses were always a source of joy. She began lessons at ten, saving her own pocket money to pay for them. Ironically, she’s allergic to horses, but that didn’t stop her. “A doctor once asked if I could do something else instead of horses, I was not impressed!” she chuckles.
Natasha’s first job, back in Christchurch, was pumping petrol. “Back then, it was full service on the forecourt. We’d check oil, tyres, and clean windscreens. We did it all.”
Today, the pair own five horses: Jarrah, Coco, Leo, Anzac, and Milo. Her main horse, Jarrah, is her trail and cowboy racing companion. “There’s something about the bond you build with a horse,” Natasha reflects. “It's not physical, it’s mental. You think it, and they do it.” That bond is rare, but she’s felt it twice, first with Zac, a riding school horse when she was 13, and again with Sid, when she worked as a Trail Riding Guide at Moonlight Stables in Queenstown, a sprawling eight-hundred-acre deer farm.
When Natasha was about six months pregnant, she and Hayden decided Queenstown was too expensive to raise a family. They moved to Hervey Bay and met the late and great Norman McLean. In 2015, the couple tied the knot at Susan River Homestead Resort. “It was magical,” she recalls. “We rode off on our horses for our wedding photos.”
A long-time horse lover and community builder, Natasha is a co-founder of Southern Cross Extreme Cowboy Racing on the Fraser Coast. The sport combines horsemanship, speed, and obstacle challenges. “It all came to fruition thanks to the assistance of the committee of the Burrum District Active Riders. Now, the group has over 200 members.”
Her dedication to the sport and the promotion of it was recognised in 2024 when she was inducted into the Extreme Cowboy Association (EXCA) Hall of Fame in the U.S. “I was so proud. Just being nominated was an honour, but receiving the personalised buckle was unforgettable.”
Currently, Natasha is training in Emmett Therapy, a muscle-release technique for horses. She’s also on her way to becoming a certified riding instructor. “It’s about teaching people from the ground up, building that trust between horse and rider.”
Her guiding philosophy? “Always think positive, then the positive will come to you.”
And when it comes to riding? “Ride it like you stole it!”
By Kim Parnell
From What’s On Fraser Coast Magazine
