When we arrived at Kaapsehoop Horse Trails,
we discovered Mike having a nap.
It turns out that he was Christo’s ( the owner) first riding instructor!
He now lives and works on the property.
We let him to enjoy his siesta in peace.
Seeing that we did not want to wake Mike to enquire as to where Christo was,
we sat and marvelled at the view from the deck outside the small gift shop
While posting Kaapsehoop images on Facebook,
I got a call from a friend in Ladysmith telling me about Christo and his horses.
Phone calls were made and messages exchanged,and it turned out that Christo
 was actually sitting behind me at the bar where my wife and I were having dinner!
The miracles of modern technology…
We chatted briefly and he very kindly invited my wife and I to come to spend some time at his school and see what it is that he has become Internationally famous for.
This is where the horses come to get saddled up.
Each has its own stall, and they have all been constructed out of reclaimed wood.
Nothing goes to waste on this property,
and seeing that much has to be purpose built, it is often made of re-purposed materials
Each horse has its own bridle.
I am glad that it is not me who has to remember which set belongs to which animal.
There are a variety of saddles to choose from…
Some saddle accessories are more intricate than others
Clean tack is a necessity
There has to be an oil skin jacket in a tack room.
Even if it is never worn, it has to be on a hook.
Even the decorations that can be found dotted around the property,
have been constructed from recycled materials
The resident Border Collie trying to do his impersonation
of the Jock of the Bushveld statue in Barbeton.
But it is all about the horses.
I am not a great rider. In fact, if I am being brutally honest,
I have only ever done two rides in my life…and I did not enjoy either of them.
But it was easy to be attracted to the horses that I saw at Kaapsehoop Horse Trails.
This horse in particular got a LOT of lens time from me.
No matter what my feelings are about riding,
I could not help admire the innate beauty of this creature.
As did this one in the foreground…
The regular chestnut chap in the rear of the image did not get to feature prominently.
This is what horses do CONSTANTLY…eat.
It was more difficult than I thought to get images of them with their heads raised.
Another view out over the vista,
this time from the paddock
This quote on the wall aptly sums up what I feel about horses.
There is accommodation available on the property.
It is certainly not 5-star luxury, but neither is it very basic.
If there are schools or groups that want to stay over,
 dormitory type accommodation available.
To find out more about the programs and accommodation,
visit their website:
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When I head off to the bush, I like to feel comfortable and look good.
I can achieve both in clothing supplied by:
https://www.ruggedwear.co.za
My first pair of “vellies”…
Check out their website:
and their Facebook page:
You can order on-line and their delivery
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 Cool Ideals is my service provider of choice.
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Not to mention all the other benefits that FTTH offers…
Like stability and affordability!
www.cisp.co.za
GammaTek is my powerbank supplier of choice.
One of my problems is often lack of battery power
 if I have been using the camera on my phone.
I have tried many “powerbanks”,
but the majority drain before they can fully recharge my device.
This is where this Powerbank has the edge…
it can recharge my phone up to 7 times,
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To find out more:
www.sablogawards.com
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