LET THE GAMES BEGIN 2nd DEC.

I am like a child again. I wake up at 06h00, check there are no snakes in my room and I’m rearing to go. I just want to work with the horses. I walk outside to be with them. It is still raining, on and off. We sit on the verandah and chat on and off with Don and Cheryl and Luisa, who are now telling us all about their 64 horses. Cheryl starts to teach us about the pecking order and the body language of the horses and ours to them and the telepathy the horses have about our fears. We are told at this point that whoever falls off has to bake chocolate cake. At this point I inform them all that there are two traits I do not possess. Baking and sewing. Whilst on the verandah, the horses, predominantly the mares and some foals, roam around. There is Cleopatra and Gibson (her colt, just 3 weeks old). He looks so funny with such long spindly legs. I’m taking pictures, lots of them. It’s an awesome sight to be so close to Mom and her foal. I sit in the paddock with the horses to familiarize myself with them and to learn about their body language. I need to work on my own nervousness. I sit on a plastic barrel and the horses slowly but surely, start to approach me. They are inquisitive, yet so casual. I take photographs. Cleopatra brings Gibson so close to me, I can almost touch him. Gibson has the funniest tail I have ever seen. It’s like a horse tail which has been crimped. Natural for a foal, I am told. Cinnamon strolls up and promptly lies down next to me. This shows you just how relaxed and trusting the horses are. There are 13 Stallions here, of which all but 2 (Spirit and Zeus) will be gelded. The gelding (castration) should have happened in winter, but due to no water, this could not happen. The water is imperative for washing the area of gelding thus preventing infection and screw worm. The screw worm eats living flesh!
Now I have the pleasure of Caribbean introducing herself to me. A Friesian cross Arab cross, she is 3 and a half years old. A beautiful Blue Roan with the gentleness of an Angel. She approaches me with the softest of eyes and sniffs me. In no time, she is almost resting her head on my shoulder. I have fallen in love with her. I’m told she has not yet been backed. I categorically state that this will be the first horse I will be willing to try and back. I have to first watch how Luisa and Laura (her friend), will back horses. I am keen. Dead keen. Luisa and Laura are both senior guides having worked here forever.
Now the fun begins. We are told to go with Luisa to a H U G E open field, to round the horses up and drive them through to the stables, along the road, some 3km from the house. Cheryl’s property of some 500 HA is spread wide and far. We meet Nikkita (a local teenager), en route, who joins in. This is my first time ever involved in getting into a field, finding the horses and then having to assert my authority in telling them where to go and where not to. Ha ha. The first horse I come across I endeavour to assert my authority with. He looks at me as if to say “Is there something I can do to help you?” I once again attempt to assert my authority and he looks up again as if to say “Do you mind, I’m eating”. Don then shouts out for me to leave him alone. He is Strike, who is some 30 odd yrs old, riddled with arthritis and retired. Good start Mish! All is fine in the field, when suddenly you have some 30 horses cantering / galloping towards you. Yeah right, I will guide them, all 5 ft of me. We are taught to make ourselves big and authoritative. I am trying to now be the Matriarch. Hee Hee. We run in the field with the horses – Talk about freedom. You have to experience it to understand. The horses are now rounded up by the gate to the road, where our 3km long trek along the road begins. Already we are tired, beads of sweat pouring down, yes, even in the rain. Now we are taught the importance of driving the horses forward. I’m thrown the luminous green jacket to slow down or control any traffic. I’m at the rear end of them all (I am the biggest chicken when it comes to the rear of horses – Aint no horse gonna kick me) and we now trot and run towards the stables keeping the horses in check and making sure they don’t split up. It is incredible how ignorant the public are whilst in their cars as to how to travel a dirt road with some 30 horses, none of whom are on any halters. We arrive at the stables, leave the horses loose in the stable yard and now must prepare each stable with food in each trough or bucket. I am exhausted!! There are 17 stables and one larger fenced off area for the balance of the horses to feed in. The excitement of being and working with the horses replenishes any exhaustion. Now the horses are to come in to their stables and they push and shove to get to their cubes first. Robin Hood is very pushy, forever pushing his way in and out of his stable, despite the ropes across his entrance. They are fed and released into a paddock opposite the stable yard. We pray they stay there for the night. I have learnt a lot. I have walked and run a lot. I am tired. I am keen to hit the sack. Luisa makes Spag Bol for supper and I make Lamb curry for tomorrow night. I retire early and sleep like a baby.
M