Spring has sprung - literally with lots of rain!

by Nicky Hoseck (Trail guide at Wild Coast Horse Trails)

Well, the weather has done it’s best to curtail our work at Wild Coast Horse Trails but we have soldiered on in pouring rain with all the enthusiasm of those who love their vocation and have the privilege to work with amazing equine companions.

Our two clients from Johannesburg, Bronwyn and Simmy, endured three days’ of rain – determined not to miss a minute’s riding during their weekend farm stay. The whole experience was quite a challenge for two ladies who had rarely ridden outside of the arena before, but they coped admirably with the difficult conditions, helped along by our sympathetic and steady horses.

Another wet few days saw Klara Webb introducing the team to Ttouch and Ride with your mind techniques. The results were astonishing and we saw some incredible improvements in our horses after just one short session. Our minds have been opened to a whole new way of approaching our work with the horses and we are looking forward to sharing this new knowledge with our clients on the Natural Horsemanship Week programme we are developing.

We are also discovering the benefits of riding in a lighter seat and encouraging the horses’ backs to come up underneath us. Doing so much fast beach work inevitably leads to our horses tending towards the forehand. This new way of riding is helping to combat that and we saw some great results, especially from Roz and Geronimo. Geronimo was a stock horse before coming to us so has never been the easiest horse in the schooling arena. However, Roz’s riding, assisted by Klara and Ttouch bandaging, brought him into a beautiful outline and had him extending through the neck and rounding his back like a dressage horse!

September saw the launch of several new trails and holidays at Wild Coast Horse Trails. Our new seven- night beach trail is a fantastic 140km adventure along the Wild Coast which Nicky lead for the first time with clients Claudia and Volker Weber. Although Volker’s shirt suffered a few casualties after trying to bundu bash our way through a small section of forest, the rest of the trail went smoothly and painlessly. Our furthest destination is the Kob Inn, situated right on the rocks overlooking the sea; this is stunning spot and proved excellent for dolphin spotting. The riding is as exciting and varied as ever and our horses gobbled up the additional kilometres without batting an eyelid. Troy proved, once again, what a solid trail horse he is despite his youth. After a long morning’s ride through to Mazeppa Bay, he had a long drink and then promptly dozed off – truly nothing unsettles this loveable boy even at his tender age of six!

Last week Nicky and Roz headed out into the rain once again with clients from Sweden, Germany and the UK. The rain did nothing to dampen spirits and the four-day beach trail proved to be an enjoyable adventure for all. The rivers were surprisingly shallow and calm which made for easy crossings for both horses and riders. Roz, however, was on Time Warp who is not always sure how many legs he has or where they are at any given time. As a result, they ended up swimming the Kobanqaba River while the smaller horses all managed to wade through quite comfortably. The dips and undulations in the river bed are not always easy to read and Time, sadly, misjudged it and ended up in a deep section, casually soaking Roz along the way! Our Swedish and German clients then headed off to Dinaka where, hopefully, the weather cleared enough to give them a wonderful game riding experience.

Torstone Tasara

Torstone Tommy

Torstone Astro

The past couple of months have been busy with the births of this years’ first crop of foals. Astro is the first foal out of Tic Tac and our first pinto baby. He’s already looking tall and strong so shows potential to follow in his grandmother’s (Tenna Sea) hoof steps as a great a trail horse. Tommy is the progeny of our Percheron stallion Bobby and has the same mischievous personality as his brother Trevor. Our filly (Tasara) is the first foal from our Anglo Arab stallion, Tashbah, and one of the few chestnuts we have produced. In her first couple of weeks, she had all the flightiness and action of her Arab bloodline but now, as she fills out, her mother’s Percheron genes are starting to show themselves. And, last but not least, is our Thoroughbred/Percheron cross colt. Born jet black with a white star, his grey hairs are already starting to come through.

Back on the farm, there has been lots of activity, as The Loft accommodation for clients on our working riding holiday programme has enjoyed something of a revamp. A deep clean and a fresh coat of paint has given it a new look, although the rain has forced us to delay repainting the exterior so we are hoping for some dry days in order to complete the project.

Ida and Phillippa, from Sweden, have just headed south to experience some of the adrenaline adventure highlights of the Eastern Cape. First stop is a skydive in Grahamstown and then they are headed down to Stormsriver to throw themselves off the Bloukrans Bridge. Crazy or adventurous – what do you think?

Over the month ahead, we are looking forward to furthering our Ttouch work and also to starting two youngster, Twain and Taitum. Both Anglo Arabs, we are really looking forward to seeing how these youngsters shape up under saddle with the intention of them joining our trail team in the years to come.

Till next time.....

http://www.wildcoasthorsebackadventures.com

Equestrian Gap Year programmes

Brush up on your stable manners with an equestrian gap year programme

Posted: May 30, 2012 |By Nicky Hoseck|

After completing school or university many people decide to 
take a year or so to explore new horizons and get a clearer 
sense of themselves and their priorities before committing 
to a career. For many, this is the opportunity to travel to 
new countries and experience different cultures and people. 
For horse- mad girls (why are they nearly always girls?),
this year is often a chance to rekindle an old passion.

Equestrian Gap Year Programmes are generally not free, but 
they are often a lot more affordable than keeping a horse or 
having regular riding lessons. The added benefit it that it 
gives those involved the opportunity to learn about so much 
more than just horses.

There are many different types of riding holidays available to
people on a gap year. Some might choose to assist with 
teaching children to ride ponies, or even to lend a hand at a 
riding for the disabled establishment. Some of the most 
popular Equestrian Gap Year Programmes are those situated
in Africa. Not only does this give participants the opportunity 
to discover a whole new world and lots of different cultures, 
many of the opportunities also involve riding with game – 
something that is not usually available outside this continent.

Many of the trail-riding companies in South Africa offer
Equestrian Gap Year Programmes and volunteer opportunities
to experienced riders. This often means that volunteers will 
ride out with a guide and their guests, usually at the back of 
the ride, to ensure the safety of the guests so a fairly 
advanced level of horsemanship is generally required.

In many cases, Equestrian Gap Year Programmes will cover a
lot of different aspects of an equine business and volunteers 
may find themselves involved with handling foals, brood mares
and stallions as well as riding horses. As with any volunteer 
placement, there is a balance between the hard work and 
the fun stuff. While you may end up cleaning tack for a 
morning, the afternoon will probably be a great ride through 
the African wilderness.

Very few Equestrian Gap Year Programmes will expect their
participants to muck out stables or do any other very heavy, 
manual work. However, there re always disreputable companies
out there who are anxious to get their share of volunteer 
labour, even if they are not really in a position to offer an 
organised programme. To avoid wasting your time, it's 
advisable to speak to previous volunteers to check out the 
details of what they were expected to do and what their 
experience was like. After all, it is a big investment in terms 
of both time and money.

Once you secure your place at a reputable stable, be sure to
brush up on your riding before you get there – otherwise your 
riding muscles might let you down over the first few days!

Working Riding Holidays at Sunray Farm with 

Wild Coast Horseback Adventures

Volunteering with Horses in Africa

Volunteering with horses

Published: May 7, 2012   Last updated: May 8, 2012 by Nicky Hoseck

Desensitising is a vital step in training

Learn how to train a horse the natural way

Source: Wild Coast Horse Trails

Gap year opportunities

For many people, one of the most cost-efficient way of travelling and experiencing new cultures is through gap year and volunteer programmes. Volunteering with horses is a wonderful way to gain new experiences and develop your equestrian skills.

All over the world, there are opportunities available for people interested in volunteering with horses – ranging from helping in rescue and rehabilitation centre to assisting professional horse-riders with the day-to-day care of their animals.

Some equine rescue and rehabilitation centres require people with previous experience and the confidence to handle previously mistreated or abused animals, while other opportunities, such as those at riding stables or other equestrian establishments, may be more suited to volunteers without any prior experience of working with horses.

Within an African context, there are opportunities for experienced riders to assist with trails and safari rides. These types of positions offer some of the most exciting opportunities for those interested in volunteering with horses. Not only do participants get to ride regularly, they also get to experience wildlife from horseback and learn about keeping horses healthy in a challenging and often remote environment.

When considering the best destination to pursue volunteering with horses, it’s advisable to speak to volunteers that have been there before. Not everyone in the horse world is legitimate and some will exploit volunteers by expecting them to do unpleasant chores with little reward at the end. On the other hand, there are some amazing experiences out there and people who have experience of volunteering with horses often discover a lot about themselves during the process as well.

For those who have a genuine love of horses and want a taste of adventure, volunteering with horses can provide a unique opportunity to discover a new country, develop equestrian skills, make new friends and experience new challenges on horseback.

volunteering with horses in Africa

• volunteering with horses
  volunteering with horses in Africa