IANAKNOWSWHATSHE’SDOING.
I’mnotsosure.Infact,astherockyground
flashesbeneathme fasterand faster,
I’mnotsureatall.I leanforwardinthe
saddle,anaccommodatingWesternstylethatsits
ridersdeep and givesyour kneessomethingto brace
against.I relinquishanypretencethatthereins
I’mholdingareanythingotherthana psychological
prop,somethingto help me believeI’m drivingthis
charge.I grab Diana’smane.She givesa snort,
afleetingtoss of the head,and gallopsonwards
acrossthe bushveldsavannah.Gallops.Irisk
a momentarygrin.I’mgalloping.
Priorto arrivingin SouthAfrica’sremoteWaterberg
mountains,mysoleexperienceofridinghorseshad
beenthe sort of nose-to-tailponyconvoythat passes
for the sporton popularEuropeanbeaches.I had
whatI’dterma healthyrespectforthesetowering
creaturesshodintheequivalentofsupersize
knuckle-dusters,one that demandedI kept a safe
distance.And,yet, the moreI encounteredthese
mercurial,conker-glossyanimals,the more
I wantedto understandthem.Wherebetter
todothisthanatthehomeofa horsepsychologist?
TripleB Ranch,a workingcattlefarmset1,500
metresup in the Waterbergmountainsbordering
Botswana,is the hub for HorizonRidingAdventures:
some60 horsesplus ‘horsewhisperer’Shane
Dowinton.Renownedfor its horsemanshipclinics,
and for givinga refugeto problemhorses,Horizonis
mannedby a skilledteamwho rear,trainand ‘break’
horsesusing‘roundpen’reasoningandnatural
horsemanshiptechniques.‘Thereare no bad horses,’
says Shane,‘just badlybrokenones.’It’s a rich place
for learning,attractingbothexpertand nervous
noviceriders.Horizon’sfree-roamingherd,the
majorityof whichare a breedof wild Boerperdbush
horse,are roundedup and broughtinto the stables
twicedaily.Theirthundering,bone-shakingarrival- allwirymanesandunshodhooves– rendersme
speechlesson my first morningin the Waterberg.
But intimidationquicklybecomesinteraction.
I’m matchedto a suitablemount– the supremely
steadfastDiana,a 16-year-oldalphamarewhom
I nicknameThe Travelator.And beforeI can say
‘whoa’,I’mupinthesaddleandoffaroundtheestate,
musteringcattle,trackinggameandevendoing
a spot of horsebackyoga.The actualstayingon
the horseand ridingbit almostbecomesan
afterthought,whichisverymuchthepoint.The
distractionsare spectacular.One honey-bright
morninga groupridesup to GhostKoppie,an
outcropof rocksabovethe ranchwhereviewsof
the Waterberg’sroundedgolden-pinkpeaksroll on
forever.Mineral-richlichenof iridescentgreenand
yellowcoatsthesteep,craggyrocks– theexact
coloursthechameleonwediscoverlurkinginan
aardvarkholehastaken.Thehorsespicktheirway
aroundwithmountain-goatagility;all I haveto do
is sit tightand avoidneedle-sharpacaciatrees.And
thewasps...a seriesofsquealsdominoesdownour
convoyasthegroupnegotiatesa narrowpass
overhungby a wasps’nest.Shanehopsoff his horse
and appearswithan aloe leaf to remedythe brief,
intenseburningof the stings.
It is encounterswithbiggeranimalsthat leave
an indeliblemark.Hometo hippo,giraffe,zebra,
antelope,leopard,caracal,brownhyena,jackaland
hundredsof bird species,the Waterbergis premium
wildlife-spottingterrain.Led by guideswho
sportinglyactasdecoyswhenapproachingrisky
rhinoor hippo,we get withinmeremetresof Africa’s
big game.As we are on horseback,theseanimals
simplysee us as anotherfour-leggedcreature.
Emergingoutoftheforestintoa suddenclearing,
wecomeuponfourspectaculargiraffes.Theyregard
us briefly,thengo backto browsingfor tenderleaves.
Witha squeezeof my heelsI edgeDianacloser,until
I canmaptheuniquemarkingsontheirmuscular
necks,see the steamrisingoff theirproboscis-like
tongues.And so we stand,for sometime:a herdof
PHOTOGRAPH: animalsbaskinginthe morningsun.
SHUTTERSTOCK/IULIIA
KHABIBULLINA
Fascinating in their power and beauty, horses can be intimidating to the
uninitiated. Learning to ride in South Africa’s Waterberg mountains, among
a 60-strong herd of Boerperd bush horses, will dispel your fear at a gallop
Travel on horseback
F Horizon Riding
Adventures’ Triple B Ranch
is about 2½ hours from
Johannesburg International
Airport; it offers everything
from classic safari rides
and family ranch holidays
to expert horsemanship
clinics (from £1,295;
ridinginafrica.com).