A TURKISH WELCOME


FINDING The Club’s vet, Holly Baird, discovers a side of Turkey


rarely reported in the media these days, when riding the Anatolian Plateau in Cappadocia


M


y horse’s breath warmed the back of my neck in the icy mountain air. I looked up. The path was absurdly steep. My foot slipped, the


edge of the path subsided, gravelly rocks cascading down the canyon face. I daren’t look down. The response to the announcement of my latest adventure replaying in my mind: “Turkey? Is it safe?” Well-meaning family and friends were


most likely referring to the terror attacks on Istanbul two years ago, the current, tricky political situation or maybe the notoriously tactile Turkish men when they questioned my plans to travel to Turkey. Nobody questioned the safety aspect of horse riding in the region. Except for me in that precise moment. I was high on the Anatolian Plateau in


Cappadocia, a region 750 kilometers south- east of Istanbul, where I had joined eight experienced equestrians, incidentally all female,


for a week-long trail ride. Famed


for its bizarre rock formations, nicknamed ‘fairy chimneys’ thanks to their enchanted appearance, the region was formed millions of years ago by volcanic activity. The ash released by


formed soft rock that has been sculpted over the years by wind, water and ice, creating a moonlike series of lofty plateaus and deep gorges. With the vast and varied landscapes as its primary attraction, travelling on horses was the perfect way to experience everything Cappadocia had to offer. 


low temperature eruptions


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