About Horse & Country Bendigo

Ian & Esther have many years of experience as owners of Bendigo retail businesses and in various forms of hospitality. They have travelled extensively throughout the Australian outback.

Ian has many years horse experience including trekking on the Bicentennial National Trail of over 5,300 kms with 3 horses, extending from Healesville in Victoria to Cooktown in northern Queensland. A project involving the greater part of a year, with the ride being of almost 9 months of that time. In earlier years he worked with horses on stations whilst travelling the Australian outback.

He has also entertained and assisted numerous horse riders and other tourists in the N.S.W. high country on extended treks, and in the Alice Springs area of Australia’s Northern Territory, in Queensland, and at Bendigo’s own Sandhurst Town where, under the alias of Reginald the Reckless Reinsman, he drove a 5-horse stagecoach team and terrorised tourists as a member of the Wild Wattle Gang.

Ian also had experience on a large Gippsland agistment property and with breaking / educating young horses to both saddle and harness work. He has also assisted many new riders in finding quality horses to suit their needs.

He was a partner in the business HOOFBEATS OVERLAND which operated a stagecoach and horse team business of 3 full size Cobb & Co style coaches each drawn by 5 horses, and a miniature coach of the same design drawn by a pair of ponies.

He also owned a successful country auction business, operating throughout Victoria and separately conducted hundreds of country property auctions.

We know the enormous frustration often encountered in buying a float – either extensive waiting periods for new floats, or travelling many hundreds of kilometres to look at floats that just aren’t quite right, again & again.

Our aim is to provide a stock of quality Australian floats – both new & used that are available to tow away immediately. We register new floats on-site.  As well, floats can be custom built to your requirements by one of our Australian suppliers.

We also stock a range of related accessories including the amazing DOUBLE UP portable yard panels and various towing accessories.

We love to travel Australia, camping in remote areas. With family to visit in far northern Australia (W.A. & N.T.), as well as distant parts of Victoria, it’s something we’ve become used to. It can be quite a juggling act, finding the time – in a way that enables us to do justice to the business at the same time. This is where mobile phones and the internet come into their own, so to speak. We often research and communicate whilst travelling – when we get reception.

We are always looking at ways to improve what we do, and for new ideas. We like to be open to suggestions. Got any ideas ?