WINTER WARMER Article by Abigail Dixon
Not wanting to withstand another cold winter in England with no polo and no horses, Abby sets off on an adventure to Africa to ride on the wild side.
The sun rises early in Africa and I pounce on the day`s beginning. The bush is my office, a herd of horses my steeds. Dressed in Khaki from head to toe I pass by some blesbok en
route to the yard. I creep by the wooden post and rail muttering, “Good Morning Sam, Good Morning Whatmore”, and so on until I reach my grooming bucket. Then I stand back and watch in admiration as the 28 horses respond to the boys whistles, herding into the yard after their night roaming free in the surrounding bush and placing themselves obediently under their name tags. I find myself wondering what the outcome would be should the horses at Ham be left to their own devices. This morning however, Sharalumi, a youngster, decides to try out a new kraal and so there is a brief outbreak of horse havoc before the sun has risen high enough to be seen over the top of the Acacia trees.
African Horse Sickness is a deadly disease, which can become rife during the summer months. Should the disease, born from mosquitoes, take hold of a horse death is almost guaranteed. Therefore, every precaution must be taken, including checking all the horses’ temperatures every morning before they are tacked up and prepared for the morning ride.
In the wilds of the African bush things never go according to plan, in fact there can be no plan for nature carves its own course. The sudden alarm raised of an injured buffalo cow changes everything the morning had on offer. With the vet alerted and on his way and guests as capable riders, we eagerly set off on a buffalo hunt.
As we canter across the red earth of Africa, Impala, Kudu and Zebra alike, spring past us or stand startled on guard and watch us pass by. Adrenalin takes hold of me as the ride slows to a walk and we creep in silence inches from an enormous Giraffe. We watch in awe as the bull munches on sweet- thorn, also known in slang as the ‘tooth pick tree’. It is amazing that these animals can eat them without damaging their insides.
Within a couple of hours, not having allowed the many distractions of the bush to divert us from the task in hand, we come across a herd of buffalo, and thankfully the injured, heavily pregnant cow. A single buffalo is valued in the region of £50,000 so it is little wonder that so much time and attention is given to this female due to give birth any day. Private game reserves in Africa are a growing and successful form of conservation. The value of animals, particularly those such as buffalo, which are not threatened by poachers, is increasing rapidly. All of this adds to the sense of urgency to keep this buffalo and her youngster alive.
The excitement intensifies as the vet mounts his horse, rifle
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