Perhaps - but, for Jess and Grace Hore, taking part in the programme Young Riders was a chance to get involved in something a long way away from sheep and rolling hills.
The sisters have grown up at Beaumont Station - a backyard of 28,000ha - surrounded by animals of all shapes and sizes.
The animals they have been so attached to are the equine kind. They breed them, break them in, ride them and go on to win shows on them.
Their exploits, particularly Jess’, have reached the screen with the fifth series of the Young Riders series, which follows young riders at horse shows throughout the country.
Jess, 17, a year 13 boarder at Columba College, said it was a great experience being on the show.
‘‘They approached me about it and I thought it would be something different. It’ll be good when I am older to look back on it and see what I was like,’’ she said.
‘‘And it keeps you on your toes, making sure you are doing the right things, which sort of helps me with my riding.’’
She had been to many shows across the country, the pinnacle being the Horse of the Year show in Hastings last month.
It had been a summer to remember for Jess, who was second in the junior rider national championships, second in the junior rider South Island, first junior rider at the South Canterbury/North Otago event, first junior rider at Southland and first junior and young rider at the Otago event.
She did not place in Hastings, but was happy with her efforts.
Young Riders is in its fifth season and this is the first show which features riders from the South Island. It is on TVNZ and also on the internet.
The sisters have been riding horses since they could walk.
‘‘I can remember riding a Shetland pony when I was pretty young, could barely walk really,’’ Jess said.
All the horses used on the station were bred there, with mum Abby and the sisters heavily involved.
Some went to work on the farm, for mustering and hacking, while others are used for the girls.
Jess rides Beaumont Cassanova, a lively 11-year-old grey, who has a personality all of his own.
He had been her mainstay for many years, as she had bred him and broken him in.
‘‘You have just got to be patient with them. Get them to trust you. It can take years. But it is worthwhile in the end.’’
‘‘You have to get them fit and that means we can get out and ride them. There are hills on the farm we find helpful. We just run them round. We have to be fit, too, to ride them.’’
All that training on the farm helps as they travel around the country.
‘‘We do a lot of travelling but that is how it is. That is the only way we can get around. You stop probably every three hours to give the horses a break - just get them out from the trailer for a few minutes.’’
Younger brother Tom, 12, helps out with the horses, while on their travels.
‘‘It took us three days to get to Hastings but you have to factor in the horses,’’ mum Abby said.
‘‘You have to be careful when you drive, try to drive so if you had a reasonably full bucket of water on board it would not spill out of the bucket.’’
Grace, 15, a year 11 student at Columba College, who rides Centino, a male 11-year-old gelding, said the series had been fun.
She helped the producers with their social media and learned some new skills.
It was something she would love to do in the future although she loved breaking in horses.
‘‘It is rewarding. They can be quite jittery for a while and then you build a relationship, trying to get their trust.
‘‘That is the big thing - gain their trust. They are like any animal - if they’re secure they’re fine.’’
