Horseback Riding in Africa
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| The full dam next to the farm house |
The past winter months seem to have floated by; either in a haze of hectic-ness or totally chilled! There has been some really cold snaps - leaving snow on the distant mountains - and us beach bums shivering from the un accustom icy wind! And then a few days later we are back to the lazy balmy sunshine that we are use to.
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| Jamie and Puzzle trying out the water in the dam! |
Nevertheless the horses got a bit of a break with only one work rider Jamie helping Amanda, and one small trail at the end of the month, we were all refreshed and ready to get going again.
Visitors from all over ...
Trails in July were very quiet, but we did have a lovely visit from Candice from Cheval D'Adventure. We have recently gone onto their books and look forward to taking their riding clients on wonderful horse riding holidays.
July was school holidays, so the work riders were all kept pretty busy doing short beach rides for local holiday makers in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay. Elisa and Simon from Holland, Hannah Eaton and Laura Loi - Thanks for being with us and for all your help and hard work!
Steph Verney came back to us for a second visit in July - on our 6 month volunteer program, but sadly her Grandfather become very ill and she had to go home after 6 weeks, we were all so disappointed. You are just going to have to try again Steph.....
We had a lovely visit from Wendy from Unicorn Trails and her friend Tania who is going to be writing travel articles about our horse trail along the Wild Coast. It was great catching up - we have not seen each other for ages! Danni - from Unicorn Trails - is bringing an escorted group to ride with us in October, so the Unicorn Team is all fired up and up to date with what we do and will be sending lots of riders to us this coming season.
Around the paddocks
Spring equals new beginnings
So September has arrived, the orange trees and Jasmine are all in full bloom and the heady scent has brought spring quickly to Sunray Farm. We have 3 riders on our working riding holiday and they are having a great time. Hannah Mitchell from Scotland has arrived for 6 months on our Volunteer program, so as usual I am kept busy coordinating and organizing.
I tell you what has been a really pleasant surprise is the sudden popularity of our 2 week Horse Riding Holiday at Sunray Farm! Angelique (South African) is with us at the moment, and she will end her stay with a 3 night 4 day trail along the coast. I have another lady booked to arrive on the 14th Sep and there are a couple of other ladies interested.
Basically you stay with us at the farm, either in the guest room or in The Loft (depending on your budget), and get to do as much riding as you like, and be as involved with the horses as much as you like. Its informal, and relaxed with riding at the farm (out rides and schooling/lessons) beach rides and riding at the game reserve. It suits any level of rider, as the riding is tailored to suit each individual. I was thinking of removing this option, but I am going to keep it available for now, and lets see if the interest grows??
Anyway, that is it in a nut shell for now. Please leave a comment and share the blog with your friends!
Happy riding
Julie-Anne
Heart breaking decisions, devastating consequence, happy endings....
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| Olympic, Tanica, Quayle |
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| Brood mares |
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| 11 October 2010 Diamond & Trinket |
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| 13 Oct 2010 Tanica & Trevor |
After a month, I dropped in to check to see how the girls were looking, I was a little concerned that they had lost condition. I did voice my concern to the person who was suppose to be looking after the horses. But it was the end of a very dry winter..............I also asked where Quayle was, they said she must be around.........Diamond was the first to foal, she was looking thin but ok, and she had a lovely filly whom we called Trinket, shortly after Tanica foaled, a lovely colt we called Trevor she was also thin. I kept asking after the other 3 mares, no one had seen them? Warning bells started to ring in the back of mind head...... I went to visit again - I am horrified at how the horses had dropped even more - the two mares with foals are very thin. Olympic was now due to foal, and I want to see her and get told no, she is dead!! I ask what happened, and get told they dont know but it might have been while she was foaling.....Romance is looking awful. On further enquiry I am told that Quayle is also dead - fell and broke her neck?? I am beginning to think more like my girls had starved to death!!
I am guilt ridden - my beautiful girls are riddled with rain scald, full of ticks, skin and bones - Oh my God - what have I done? I cant forgive myself for having to sell them. I dont have the money to buy them back. So I make a decision to go and get the two foals and hand raise them. At least that would help the mares and the foals would be OK - so the Saturday I go around and tell the person who was suppose to be looking after the horses that I will come and get the foals on Monday. The two foals are looking very poor, thin and full of ticks, I give them a shot of vitB (and the mares) and told them to hold on, I will come back for you............................
Monday morning, I get to the farm, Tanica is looking terrible - an old injury is abscessing and very painful, she is horrifically thin. Little Trevor is weak and wobbly - you can see his hips and ribs sticking out. Romance and Diamond are eventually found and brought to the sable yard. Diamonds foal is missing .....and never found.....I was too late.......
Once home, we got Trevor onto a milk/water/tissue salts mix and fed him every two hours. Darling Tilly without any hesitation took him under her maternal hoof and become his step mom. Within days, he had stabilized and pickup weight. Now I knew my worst nightmare was true, Tanica, Diamond & Romance were going to starve to death by neglect....Oh dear God forgive me....please help me.
The following photos were taken on the day we brought the mares back to Sunray Farm.
23 November 2010
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| Tanica's abscess on leg |
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| Diamond |
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| Tanica |
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| Romance |
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| Romance |
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| Romance |
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| Tanica |
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| Diamond |
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| Tanica |
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| Diamond |
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| Diamond |
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| Tanica |
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| Romance & Diamond on the road to recovery |
So began a week long negotiation to buy the 3 remaining mares back, all the time the girls were getting thinner and weaker. But we did it, got them home and began nursing them back to health. We also managed to get Trevor suckling again from Tanica as with food and good grazing she began to produce milk again.
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| Tanica & Trevor reunited and getting stronger |
and last but not least to dear Roz & Ana and friends. Thank you.
Its a happy ending to a painful lesson.
Here are recent photos of the three mares - Tanica will remain a brood mare, as the damage to her leg has made her unsound. Diamond is loving working at the Game Reserve and has made a full recovery! Romance is back from her rehab with Janine, as fat as butter and is used here at the farm as she is a school master and wonderful ride. And Trevor, well he is cute and fat and growing up with the rest of the herd!
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| Tanica January 2011 |
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| Romance 4 June 2011 |
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| Diamond enjoys being a safari horse! June 2011 |
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