Mkulu Kei Horse Trails

Cher-a-Don Horses

On this page find an introduction to horses, horse facts and pictures of adults and children having fun with horses, our working horses, training and holistic approach to horses, a special horse, a blind rider, a incredible trail and photos, rehabilitated and abused horses, the breeds we have and our breeding program.

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See You in the saddle soon!

For you to get the best “in the saddle” experiences you want to know you are going to ride a horse in a good condition, that is fit, trained and suitable for your equine experience. As a novice rider you want to know your mount has brakes and is easy to control with a more conservative pace. As a more experienced rider you want a trail horse that is more responsive to commands. You may want a mount that is more flighty but on trail you don’t want a horse that is going to jog all the way or pull the reins out your hands. Even the most experienced rider wants to stop to take a photograph, relax in the saddle and then the horse must accelerate when asked. We have put hours into training the perfect horse for you. Although at Mkulu Kei horse trails we have a very young herd of horses, you will get a horse that matches your needs.

We work with the horses on the ground from birth and they have manners taught to them by the entire herd including the staff in the position of matriarch. We can voice control individual horses if necessary. That does not mean we have horses only for beginners, different horses respond quicker to stimuli and these horses are trained for intermediate or advanced riders. Each horse’s own personality is recognised as an individual and trained according to whom they are. Working with nature and not against it, using the horse’s instinct and natural behaviour we aim to get the best out of each individual horse. By communicating with them and following our own adapted natural horsemanship methods we have happy relaxed horses.

An introduction to horses.

A horse is a herd animal, they rely on their friends and family to survive. They have strong family ties and will recognise a sibling, mother or father even if introduced years later. They have life long friendships with the nanny and stable mates in the same age group and will reinforce this by grooming each other at every opportunity. Touch and smell is incredibly important to them. They understand and mourn the death of a horse, even one not in a close relationship. If we have a horse die we give the other horses a chance to see the body and say goodbye or they will continue to look for their friend often going into a deep depression. The loss of a horse affects the whole herd as each horse has a job, be it discipline, maintaining the pecking order comforting, breeding or nurturing.

Horses are telepathic and this is essential for the survival of the herd as a means to communicate danger. If you are nervous the horses do not realise you are scared of them, they think you have seen something they need to be afraid of and they become jumpy. Relax, breath and they will think what you saw has gone away.

It is a proven scientific fact that an increase in the human handler's or rider's heart rate affects the heart rate of the horse they are working with. You are affecting the horse. What some people may say is a naughty horse actually starts with you, the rider, relax, breath, become more sensitive with your body, be more patient and bond with your mount. Become a horse whisper - horseman. You will see the results.

It is because a horse is a flight animal we can ride them, kick them and they move away, shift your weight in the saddle and they move left, right, forward or backwards. By desensitising our horses to many experiences they are less likely to kick. We do not advocate walking up to any horse and pulling it’s tail but totally the opposite, touch the shoulder to let him know they are there and walk close to the horse moving your hand round telling them you want to walk behind them. Dealing with the public and families with small children we have taught our horses not to react, it is only a safety measure however, it gives us an opportunity to teach clients that horses are great big teddy bears and something they must not be afraid of. It also gives us the platform to have fun and introduce our horses and their temperaments. We find that once clients understand why an equine reacts to different stimuli it all makes sense and they can get on with the idea of riding.

In the wild horses live in herds, a typical family unit consisting of a stallion, which is in the driving position, keeping everyone together, mating with mares and looking out for threats. With the mares, foals and yearlings, there is one dominant mare that decides where the group goes and manages others that haven’t started breeding by pushing them into bachelor herds and harems. The interest of horses in the wild is to survive and reproduce, and up to 70 per cent of the time is spent grazing. All members will indulge in mutual grooming, which they use to establish friendships, touch is very important to them. Each working horse, grooms a new horse after his first ride as if to welcome him or her into the club, as a new team member. A horse is a prey animal, a horse’s natural instinct is to take flight – run first, ask questions later. By gaining his respect and trust we can learn to control what frightens him. Horses use body movements and posturing to communicate. Horses learn quickly and unlearn slowly. From this observation of herd behaviour, the famous Californian horse trainer Monty Roberts, the real-life horse whisperer, explained that when a youngster is misbehaving, one of the older mares will discipline him. She does this by pushing him out of the herd and not letting him back in until he has exhibited sufficient apologetic behaviour, i.e. licking and chewing and lowering his head. When he is forgiven he then takes the easy route and follows her, or “joins up”. See our training methods and join up further down this page.

Our working horses.

I am personally extremely proud of my working horses; they work together in harmony, encouraging the younger horses to be confident and work as a team. I use the geldings for trails and day rides, adding mares when extra horses are required or when introducing foals at foot to the beach and work. Our mares are used more for arena work both lessons and children’s pony camps. Mares are more likely to kick than geldings or stallions, as naturally they are the protectors of their foals and ward to off any potential stallion if she is not ready to mate.

The horses can be separated during the ride thereby giving more advanced riders the chance to increase the pace while more novice riders, behind the second guide horse, can ride at a slower pace. They can then be regrouped at any stage of a ride. The advanced riders can canter away from the more novice riders with no drama and although they are trained to follow one behind the other in Indian file, as an intermediate rider you could ask your mount to ride on an individual path with ease. (On the Transkei rides we do not ride in Indian file). Horses have to be asked individually by his or her rider to canter or they will continue to trot, even if the rest of the ride canters off. You asking for the canter is a safety precaution, so we don’t have horses taking off. You as a rider you will not feel the difference of pace when you turn for home and can relax on a long rein or can have a controlled canter without fighting with your mount.

As an experienced rider when I commenced the trails I wanted to have the correct horse for your riding ability either for an advanced rider or beginner rider and I can personally tell you I have quality riding horses, some may not be confirmation perfect but as riding horses they are. Our clients are pleasantly surprised about the quality of our horses and the care and time we take in matching each rider to a horse thus ensuring both rider and horse maximum pleasure.

We have a selection of quality horses for your riding ability, from never ridden through to advanced rider. The size of our horses vary from 12 to 17 hands and they are fit and in good condition. All our horses are voice controlled, giving us an element of control of the horses, giving beginners a chance to find their seat before having to worry about controlling their horses too.

A great team of working trail horses.

Come Ride with Us ...

Our horses run in natural family herds in huge camps where we do not interfere with the pecking order and social status. In the herd they are allowed to be natural horses and develop their own personalities. They come in once a day during which time they are fed, groomed and handled. The natural herd disciplines wayward youngsters and over zealous family members.

A very common mistake that  some riding clients make is they believe being able to go fast is a sign of an experienced rider. To the contrary, a good rider is someone who can communicate the speed and direction they want to go in a split second and the horse responds willingly from fast to slow, from left to right with no fuss from rider or horse, a partnership.

By allowing each horse to show us their own personality we look to see who is naturally more forward moving for experienced riders and quiet horses for the beginners, thereby never breaking their spirit but encouraging their abilities, the result - great trail rides for your riding pleasure no matter what your riding experience is. A number of our horses are then trained on the bit, making our horses a pleasure to ride for the more experienced riders. *Nsync, Gabriel, Candor, Beau and Apollo can be ridden by a novice rider on a long rein, however ask them to come down on the bit and the neck comes in and the energy level increases. Bliss, Maverick, Atlanta, Romeo, Caribbean and Nippit have all been trained for more advanced riders, all working on the bit on an independent route, but can be used for intermediate riders on a longer rein. Zeus a Friesian stallion already covering mares is not only on the bit but also at four years old mature enough to stand next to a mare under saddle. Hermes not just a beautiful looking big bay with impeccable manners but within three months under saddle would hold his own in a dressage class, once five years old he will have this opportunity as Don intends going to shows.

Solo, who came to us as a three year old, was orphaned as a young foal and ran with cattle so had no idea how to be a horse, of pecking order or how to speak his own language. Riding with the mature working team he was, within days, a confident leader of the team. Now Don has gone further, he rides Solo without a bridle - just a neck strap, and he is happy to lead a ride even on a busy beach with holidaymakers. *Nsync is ridden by Don, as the main guide horse taking and controlling the pace of the ride without a saddle, bridle or even a neck strap, just his voice and by shifting his weight on *Nsync’s back.

The equines are better behaved than the vehicle drivers and used to road rage and bad manners. Ignorance is one thing but why some drivers, even after being educated lose their class and respect for others when they see horses on the road. It constantly astounds us, just how inconsiderate the human race is. Horses have as much right on the road as any other vehicle. Slow right down and pass wide. If the public knew, understood, comprehended, just how fast a horse could move in any direction when they get a fright they hopefully would take that into consideration. It just takes a flying stone from under the vehicles wheel to hit us, the splash from a puddle of water, the rattle of an overloaded trailer. An equine no matter how well schooled, trained or under-control they can get a fright and jump. It is instinct over thousands of years; of being a prey animal no training can override that. He will jump and then ask why. When we as guides wave the traffic to slow down lots of drivers wave back, hoot and accelerate. As a result you can relax my horses are totally bomb proof, they have seen it all.

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Much of the backing (preparation and ride for the first time) process is done in a fun from the first day. We use the foal as a temporary saddle rack in the stable when we saddle their mothers. They have watched their mothers tacked up and being ridden so it is something they understand. A saddle sits where a predator would attack; on his back and under his belly. In play the foal soon understands that the saddle does not bite. It is not unusual for a young horse to play with a bridle or saddle left on the rails, as if asking to be ridden. Our system works for us. No drama, no stress, nice and easy. In the height of season, we tack up the horses to be ridden that day including the new horse. Mount all the other riders, who are stand at the rail while Cheryl gives instructions on how to ride, tips on balance, dos and don’ts. The new horse is lead out of the stable and parked right next to the mates in a big field. He is mounted for the first time aided by a senior guide on the ground holding the opposite stirrup and steadying the new horses balance. The guides stand, stroke and talk to the new horse and begin to lead the horse takes the fist steps. Some new horses grow roots and won’t move, others want to explode. The new horse is asked to walk, halt and walk again just a few meters. Basically all we have done is show the horse they can move with weight of a rider. We dismount and mount them a few times and take them to line where the other horses are waiting, placing them between their mates. Then we go for a ride.

A horse is a herd animal so he wants to stay with his friends, we like the middle of season as the new horse would rather stay with the mates than take off into unknown territory with bikes, cars and strange noises. The mature horses understand the rules of the ride and give the new horse a stare from hell if they try to pass in the line. When they trot or canter for the first time the new horse is unsteady but no or few bucks. By the end of the first ride the new one is comfortable with the weight. They have seen the beach, cars, bikes etc before so they just go for the ride. During the first ride we find the steering and brakes and with a bit by reinforcing voice control they already understand. On completion of the ride we un tack and they roll with the other horses. No fuss no hustle. What we have noticed is, on that day as if welcoming them into a club, every mature horse grooms the new horse. On the second ride we treat the new horse no differently from a mature horse and by the third ride the new horse is ready to take the first client. We don’t use the new horse for beginner riders until we are sure that he will not be confused by a novice riders instructions and wait until the horse is older to expect them to carry heavy riders.

We wean the foals between 4-6 months. Previously we would separate mother and foal in an attempt to stop the foal drinking, a very stressful period for all concerned. Now we use our own weaning halter that has proved to be very successful and mother and foal remain together. The following years are spent having fun, forming life bonds and growing out. We back (ride the first time) at 3 years but only once the bones and muscles are fully-grown would we consider carrying a heavy rider. Where possible a young horse will ride for a few months and then go back into the field to grow out and think about what he has been taught. They come back mature and wanting to be ridden, it is not unusual for a horse in training to decide to join a group loose, they generally just join the string and we voice control them to encourage them to behave as we want then to.

Clients comment on the maturity level of our younger horses, Spindrift never rode like a young horse, he was confident, a leader and responsible in finding many of the hidden paths on trail. Alex, Robin Hood, *Nsync, Excalibur, Royal Revenge, Apollo, Bliss, Caesar, Atlas, Hermes, Maverick, Atlanta, Caribbean, Nippit and Zeus all carried clients within a few days of first being ridden and already are confident to lead the ride if asked. This we believe stems from our approach to learning from the day they were born; we encourage their personality, never breaking their spirit, never forcing the horses but allowing them to have an option but making the option the one we want and the easiest choice for the horse. Then by encouraging with positive reinforcement, we get more co-operative results, a partnership. We never allow a horse to be hit, especially on the face.

We run our colts and stallions in bachelor herds as they would in the wild. This way the colts and stallions are completely socialized. Two stallions in the wild would very seldom fight, play is noisy and pushy and often misunderstood by people; believing stallions to be aggressive. Stallions rear up and grab the jugular vein or bite the other horses knee to flip the other stallion on their back, throw their legs forward and stamp and squeal all in a mock fight. Very seldom do two stallions fight and very seldom would there be an injury, two seconds later they are nose to nose grazing or grooming each other. More often than not it is the two best friends making all the commotion. Two mares will kick each other to hurt, stallions hardly ever kick with force. It is in this play that a stallion is selected in the wild by a Matriarch mare for his gene pool.

2007 – 2009 we had a terrible screwworm problem (a worm that eats living flesh) and so we did not geld (castrate) our boys, we were nervous of getting the worm into the cut. In December 2009 8 new boys, still stallions, came into work. They acted like geldings. They were completely social and happy not only to start their training under saddle, but also to pass mares on another ride with no more reaction than the geldings at seeing new horses. By having the boys at the beach stable it gave us an opportunity to introduce stallions to the public and changing people’s perception. Putting a stallion in a stable away from his social group and only allowing him to see a mare at mating time makes him frustrated and he can become aggressive and sometimes dangerous.

Our fillies run in harems until they are mature enough to breed or ride, spending their youth growing out and forming strong friendships, used later as nannies for their mates babies. A nanny raises a foal; the mother is there more for nourishment. In the wild the nanny would normally be one of the older daughters or a mare that does not have a foal at foot. In the wild not all pregnancies go to term so the mare is not permanently pregnant. Mares often conceive twins but it is extremely rare that she would carry to term, normally naturally aborting in a few weeks of conception (her placenta is too small to carry two vital embryos to term) Lack of grazing, water, accidents and health play a huge part in controlling the numbers too. I like to give the girls a few years under saddle before going into the main herd and stallion.

Our mares and foals run with the stallion in a main breeding herd as they would in the wild. We only take the stallion out when we need to control the number of foals; the stallion then runs in the bachelor herd. We take the nanny and mare out to run on our lawn near due date. We need to be near for a difficult birth, retained placenta etc, but more importantly we need to bond with the foal especially in the first 5 days. It is at this stage we can halter train, pick up feet, pull the tail (so they are accustomed to people behind them and don’t kick) and groom them and to enforce us as the matriarch the easiest. The foal is up on its feet in a few hours, the second day it is galloping round and round the mare, who frantically spins to try to keep her foal in sight. The circle widens and mom relaxes. It is about then the foal no longer wants human contact and seeks out the other foals to play with. The nanny takes over and the family unit goes back into the breeding herd.

If another mare wants to steal a foal she will place herself in a position so the foal identifies the wrong mare and bonds with her. The foals own mother would then have to fight for her foal that won’t come to her.

A mare has the ability of retaining a foal in uterus by two months past term if she is not happy with conditions or is frightened. Most foals are born as the light changes; sunrise or sunset. A mare is extremely shy and will foal out of sight, however because they trust us and see us in the matriarch position they foal on my lawn. We have even had one mare seek us out to pull out a foal that was too big. She called, stood up, walked towards us and turned her bum and lay down. We assisted and both Joan of Arc and foal Berica are well.

What an incredible trail!

Meeting Carl was a blessing and life changing.

The Blind Bat as Carl calls himself has no sight, he cannot even see shadows. I was determined to give Carl the full trail experience, I did not change the route or the pace; we rode through rivers, over rocks, round trees and even had a race!

I gained from the experience in so way ways.

Here is Carl’s account of his trail.

During mid-2005, I did some internet research on "coastal horse trails" as I always wanted to treat myself to the sounds and feeling of cantering on the beach, swimming in the sea and lagoons, and take in all the amazing aspects of the coast.

I came across

www.mkulukeihorsetrails.co.za

and read about the wild coast and made contact with Cheryl Giacchetti, who runs the trails from near Kei mouth in the Eastern Cape.

What striked me from the first chat with Cheryl, was her openness in accepting me as a blind rider, and her words "I'd like to have you come so I can explain to you the beauty of our wild coast in more detail".

I've been previously turned away as a blind rider at other riding facilities in JHB and elsewhere, and Cheryl's open invite made me book for the 5 day trail for Early February 2006.

The trail exceeded by far more then my expectations and what the web site describes.

Firstly I was blown away by Cheryl and her family's warm hospitality and personal treatment on arrival and on trail.

Cheryl went out of her way to ensure I'm happy, and ensured she gave me full verbal descriptions of what she was seeing, including letting me touch the various rock formations, plants, etc.

I learnt to appreciate how the wild coast changes terrain almost every few hundred meters.

We rode along varying beaches, rock cliffs, forests, fields, hills, villages, and swam in the sea and lagoons.

The Hotels, both Sea Gulls and Wave Crest were really well enjoyed, with very friendly staff, and oh yes wonderful and too much food.

Also, her horses are wonderful animals, all very well schooled, nice natured, and the only down side was when I had to give Gunston back after the trail, it literally brought me to tears, you create such a bond with your horse as they faithfully look after you on all forms of terrain along the trail. My riding definitely improved on trail and Cheryl, having assessed my riding ability she was the first to let me attempt some jumping and within one lesson I was clearing a 70 cm jump - thus she's an excellent riding instructor as well.

PS: I'd like to thank you Cheryl, Don, the Kids and of course Gunston for a life changing experience. I will definitely be back, not only for another trail, I need to make it an annual get-away. You've taught me so much more about horses and what amazing animals they really are, and have boosted my love for riding even more. This does mean a lot to me, as I've done many major cycling events on the tandem, run Comrads, did some large hikes, padelling, etc. and finding regular partners always being a challenge as a keen blind sportsman, but the horses and riding community have really been so helpful and accepting in general, and horses never let you down.

Carl's web address:

http://www.freewebs.com/blind_bat

"Blindness is not an obstacle to me, but a challenge."

Contact Carl he would love to hear from You.

I allocated Carl Gunstone because of his gentle nature, Gunstone always responds to the clients but I was amazed at what I witnessed. On this trail he was different. On the ground Gunstone was gentler more caring and constantly nuzzled Carl. Gunstone took Carl's arm gently between his teeth and he guided Carl around!

My mount Holly was totally out of character around Carl. She is a matriarch mare, a bully and always on a mission, she is a tornado. She would run through you if you got in her way and she can't stand still for a second. However Holly was so gentle around Carl.

I asked my vet if the horses could sense Carl was different. My vet said that the horses knew Carl was blind and in the wild, the herd would lead a blind horse to water.

We taught Carl to jump, using Selly a confident jumper and by using my voice as direction. Carl has gone on to purchase his own horse and rides daily unaided and has started endurance riding.

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    Come Ride with Us ...

We at Mkulu Kei Horse Trails believe it is our duty to home and rehabilitate unwanted and or abused horses so a percentage of our revenue is used, donations are greatly appreciated and in season my daughters Daniela and Luisa give lead rein rides to small children on the beach, a %age of their revenue is used to take in abused and unwanted horses.

Some horses require intensive therapy, others just medical attention. It is important to try to work out what happened to each horse and to work through the problem areas. We then look at the new horse's personality and allow them to find a valuable place within Mkulu Kei Horse Trails.

All horses Retired on the farm like Major, Tom Thumb, Strike, King Arthur, Goldie, Grey Mist, Sun Dance and Holly receive the same care and attention as any of our other horses. I prefer nature to take its course but intervene if the horse is in pain.

The Breeds of horses we use.

Friesian, Boerperd, Nooitgedacht, part breed and Arab Horses.

We keep a variety of horses. Friesians, Boerperd, Nooitgedachts, part breeds and Arabs / Arabian horses to compliment your preferences and riding ability for our horse trail. It's not uncommon that people come away from Mkulu Kei Horse Trails with a newfound love and respect for these companionable, dependable animals. That carry riders safely through beautiful places they couldn't see otherwise - like valleys, cliffs, isolated beaches and secluded bays. There's a special magic to sitting on top of a gentle horse as he makes his way along unspoiled beaches, splashes through rivers, and pauses to look out over the valley with you.

All breeds are gentle but forward moving with wonderful temperaments. We ride with our own adapted saddle a mix of an English and stock saddles and snaffles and our tack is kept in excellent condition.

We have no endemic horses in South Africa. The Boerperd is a unique South African breed rooted in the Cape Horse, ranging back through South Africa's history from Jan van Riebeeck's days in 1652. The Boerperd studbook was founded in 1905 and the Nooitgedacht strain was first classified at the Nooitdegacht Research Station near Ermelo in the 1950's. Both breeds make good riding horses.

The Arab or Arabian is the oldest of all horse breeds, and is considered by many people to be the most beautiful equine animal with it’s refined head and dished profile, expressive eyes, high spirits and unique floating action. The breed’s legendary stamina and gentle temperament makes it a perfect choice for the longer trails.

The Friesian is almost too heavy for the longer distance beach work and the Arabian horse is too small for my taller clients. We required a horse that has the Friesian temperament and bone but an Arabs stamina and movement and intelligence.

We embarked on our own breeding programme in 2000, the fruits of which you can see with Alex, Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, *Nsync, Excalibur, Royal Revenge, Caesar, Bliss, Apollo, Atlas, Maverick, Hey Dude! Romeo, Beau, Gabriel, Goliath, Captain Morgan and Candor. Young mares Caribbean, Atlanta, Nippet, and young stallions Hermes and Zeus, all now valuable working horses, they are all confident, rounded and happy horses. Breeding the perfect horse takes time but already we are getting the size and temperament we are aiming for, now we can fine-tune the breeding program adding more height.

We again have a batch of youngsters, which will be joining the working horses. Thumbelina, Triton, Jiminy Cricket, Feisty, Lola, Maya, Paris Hilton, Spice, Tenacious Spirit, Flash drive and Utopia to follow in a few weeks and are already showing the promise that our previous three year olds have fulfilled.

While Zenia, Black Berry, Stuart Little, Jack Sparrow and Gibson are still running with the herd and enjoy the safety and guidance of the others and grow into healthy confident horses. Their training started the day they are born, they are halter trained, feet cleaned, brushed daily, and colts gelded all in preparation for their third birthday when weight is introduced in the form of a rider and the more serious work begins.

We have put purebred Friesian mares to Poseidon, a registered Friesian, Zeus our young stallion will cover a limited number of mares this season. Purebred Arab mares are put to our Arabian stallion Spirit and semen from Raka a registered Arab stallion and Hermes to some of our part-bred and smaller mares. By putting part bred mares to the Friesians to stamp height, bone structure and incredible temperament and then turbo charging a percentage with the Arab blood we are getting progeny that is easy to work with on the ground, even tempered yet forward moving to ride, some more forward moving than others. At a later stage we will introduce some more Saddler blood into the mix to increase a bit more spunk to a percentage of the foals.

We are reducing the number of foals born in the next few years as we have a young herd and breed horses for our use not to sell.

Colts in the system:

Stuart Little : 15/11/07

Jack Sparrow : 09/03/08

Gibson : 10/11/08

Fillies in the system:

Xena : 19/11/07

Black Berry : 19/12/07