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[RC] Wildlife riding - Kristene Smuts

Hope you guys had a wonderful festive season!

Many of our organised rides (and a lot more training rides) are done in
game reserves, where there are giraffe, kudu, gemsbok, and in some
cases, rhino.  Of course the smaller animals are around as well,
including noisy guinea fowl.

Ibn's first LD ride was in such a game reserve where they had a
fenced-off lion and wild dog enclosure.  The start of the trail led
right next to this enclosure.  By the time we came around the corner to
do our stretch of the trail, we saw many riderless horses and cursing
horseless riders!  I swear the lions were giggling every time they
unseated a rider with a roar!  Many horses became de-spooked by that
ride as there were plenty of ostrich, giraffe and rhino who also
couldn't figure out what we were.  Strangely, the horses gave the rhino
dung heaps a wide berth ..... ;-))

Another new ride was held in a game reserve that had huge kudu.  These
animals are generally very shy as well and would hide in the bush and
stay still.  Unfortunately this particular ride unsettled one of the
bulls and one of the last riders had to deal with a very angry, fully
mature kudu bull charging and gauging her leg.  She stayed on to just
make it to the finish line which was a few hundred meters further on. 
This particular ride had lots of warthogs with babies - too cute to see
them run in a line with their little tails up like antennae!

We have a huge number of trail tour operators who either have game
farms or who take their clients into game farms - a *big* tourist
attraction - some even ride amongst lions and elephant!  It is a fact
that you can come closer to game when on a horse than on foot, but
silliness is *not* encouraged.  Rhino in particular can't see well and
if they decide that because they can't see you, they might as well
charge, you are in a rather big spot of trouble!

My pet hate is guinea fowl as they wait till the last minute to fly out
of hiding, making a huge racket.

Kristene
South Africa

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