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Mkulu Kei Horse Trails |
In Memory Of |
This page is dedicated to the memory of our horses,
our four legged friends that are no longer with us, who have passed on due
to old age, African Horse sickness and various other illnesses.
 They have been our
teachers, friends and team members. Thank You
Mkulu Kei horse trails were established in 1998
with a herd of 70 odd horses this is the hardest part of the trails, the
death of a horse.
This page is a thank you to our four legged
friends who gave us so much joy.
Our friends, companions and teachers. Thank you While some mentioned past on
from old age, others lives were cut short. Each one has a special part in
our minds and hearts.
These are the horses that made Mkulu Kei Horse
Trails what we are today.
A big thank you from us for being part of your lives and with each horse’s death you take a piece of us.
When I was a child I heard that the Native Indians
of America believe that the soul of a dead horse passed on through to
another younger horse. As an adult when my A grade horse Fait-Bon died I stood
and watched my other horses rolling one after another on the exact spot on
the ground my faithful horse died. It did not happen all at once but, over
a period of about an hour, each horse took a turn almost as if they were
trying to absorb some of his spirit. I never forgot it.
I have since witnessed my herd going to pay their
respect to a dead horse in the field and have come to realize if I took
out the body too quickly other horses would go into depression. Horses
mourn their dead companions, but we can make it easier for them by giving
the herd a chance to say goodbye. Without closure stable mates can spend
the rest of their lives looking for a friend or family member. When one of my
father's mares died of horse sickness she had a tiny foal at foot; the foal
was in the stable with her when she died, along with the other
horses in the stable waiting to be fed. She suddenly lunged forward into
the stable wall and died of a heart attack. There was a collective sound,
a groan that passed through your bones from all the horses on the mares
passing and then one call from a stable further down. The foal’s older
brother. We let the horses out together to see what would happen next. The
older brother, himself only 3 years went to the side of the foal and both
walked out together. He raised her, standing over her when she slept in the
field, more protective than any mare or nanny. Cleopatra’s young filly at
18months took on the role
 of mother to her younger brother, another
inseparable pair.
We are too quick
to think horses are mere animals, with no thought or reasoning.
Who is the fool?
If I can teach just a handful of people about
horses, their emotions, language and how to communicate with them then my
life here has reason. We are the intelligent beings, or are we? Think
before you act, your action can affect a horse’s emotions for ever. Cheryl
On death, where ever they do go there will be no
abuse, fear or pain and I imagine a field full of happy horses running
free. Manes and tails blowing in the wind, family units grazing and
playing together in a green fields with rolling hills of grass, blue sky
and bubbling rivers and hope I can walk there too to share a part of their
world.
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G.A.
Brant
A gift to
man.
When God
created Horses
So my
Father did maintain,
He took
some tireless muscle
And
mingled it with brain. He added grace and carriage
And a
sure foot, agile gait, With a sense of noble bearing
And
courage as a trait.
Then He
used these ingredients
To meet
His master plan.
When His
creation was completed
He gave
this wonderous gift to man.
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Flicka
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Saddler X
Born: 1995 - 2nd May 2009
15.3 hh
Chestnut
Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
Experienced.
Not for a nervous rider.
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Flicka a schooled, HOT, hard working, forward
moving, honest, mare that likes to please. The more you relax the less she
dances, sit back and enjoy her rocking horse action or ask her to extend
her stride. Flicka likes to show off with her showy five gaited paces. She
is not a beginner’s horse and will come back from a long hard ride with
more energy than she started with. A very clever mare that opens gates and
puts herself in the field of her choice.
A mare that fell on hard times before we saved her
and her foal at foot Tenacity, both covered in ticks. Flicka had an open
sore between her ears that was full of screwworms.
Other foals *Nsync, Black Velvet (Tinkerbelle),
Atlanta and Maya a very pretty filly from Sprit. All have grown into
hardworking riding horses.
We lost Flicka, to undiagnosed African horse
sickness on the 2nd May 2009. She was found in the field at 16h00 with
what appeared to be grumbling colic. Her gums where pale but had a
temperature of 36. c. We got her up and slowly walked her onto the lawn,
by which time her breathing was slightly more difficult and her head,
neck, shoulders and withers had started to swell, with very little
swelling to the eyes. She looked at me as a held her head in my lap I
stroked her neck and told her it was ok, let go. By 23h00 hours she was
dead in my arms, her neck, shoulders and withers had ballooned to 3 times
her size with little to no nasal discharge.
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Blade
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1994 - 03/04/2003 African horse sickness
A strong fit gelding just past his prime and was fully vaccinated while I had him (3 years). Low
temp, swollen eyes, very thirsty, took 7 days to die. Treated by the vet’s instructions.
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Travis
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05/10/2003- 03/09/2005 African
horse sickness
Friesian x Boerperd
Sire: Rommel
Dam: Flake
Vaccinated: Found dead in the field in he morning
with nasal discharge like shaving foam.
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Moon Dance
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12/12/2002-26/1/2005 African horse sickness
Arab x Basuto
Sire: Durakha Raka
Dam: Nibbles
Vaccinated: Found dead in the field in the early
morning with nasal discharge like shaving foam.
The evening before she had joined us in a sunset ride ride and came galloping up the hill, farting and bucking, a
picture of health.
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Anthony
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17/11/2002 – 24/1/2005 African horse
sickness
Arab x
Sire: Unknown
Dam: unknown
Vaccinated: Found dead in the field in the early
morning lying in the dam with nasal discharge like shaving foam.
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Black Jack
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05/09/2002 -2/1/2005 African horse sickness
Friesian
Sire: Poseidon
Dam: Corlea
Vaccinated: Beautiful, strong healthy colt. We nursed him for 9
days under vet’s instructions. Huge temp, swollen eyes, labored breathing died at 02h00.
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Little John
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07/10/2002-29/1/2005 African horse
sickness
Friesian x TB
Sire: Poseidon
Dam: Dreamer
Vaccinated: Sickly foal never really thrived found dead with swollen
eyes.
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Tryton (1st)
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02/11/2003-27/1/2005 African horse sickness
Friesian
Sire: Poseidon
Dam: Maid Marion
Vaccinated: Strong healthy colt treated
homeopathically as each symptom presented its self we lost the battle after
9 days.
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Prince
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1/11/1992 - 21 /4/2004 African horse sickness
Reg. Friesian 98512000 5917946
Sire: Abe 30121
Dam: Perseel Prinses 57HSA
Vaccinated: Strong healthy stallion found in the
field, looked like he had tried to get up several times, found swelling
round neck and head.
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African Horse Sickness
This disease is spread by tiny flying insects Culcoides (midges) however there is evidence that this disease can also be
transmitted by species of mosquitoes and ticks.
Horses are the most susceptible host with close to
95% mortality, Zebras and donkeys are thought to be the carriers.
Pulmonary form of the disease is characterised by
high fever, depression and respiratory symptoms. The clinically affected
animal has trouble breathing, starts coughing, frothy fluid from nostril
and mouth, and shows Serious lung congestion causes respiratory failure
and results in death in less than 24 hours. This form of the disease has
the highest mortality rate.
Cardiac form has a longer incubation period showing
signs in 7-12 days after infection. High fever is a common characteristic.
The disease also manifests as conjunctivitis with abdominal pain and
progressive difficulty in breathing. Additionally, oedema, presented under
the skin of the head and neck: most notably around the eyes. Mortality
rate is between 50-70% and survivors recover in 7 days.
Mixed form Diagnosis is made at post-mortem exam
Affected horses show signs of both the pulmonary and cardiac forms of AHS.
TO DATE THERE IS NO TREATMENT.
There is a huge controversy over vaccines and
treatments but all I can say is we are all running scared and having a
horse is like Russian Roulette; one never knows when it is your turn. And
if and when it hits other continents it has the potential to wipe out all
horses, as they won’t have a natural immunity. With global warming and the
fact that Culcoides are already in UK the powers that be had better get
their act together.
We need some one to come up with a alternative vaccine
that works.
All horse owners in Africa need to work together.
But first are we being told the truth?
Are the vaccines up to date for the new
strains?????
How many strains are there really?????
Are the vaccines available to the public
uncontaminated by temperature/ cross contamination etc?????
Should we be using a live vaccine?????
What happens when and if the virus turns on humans
like swine/bird flu or aids then will they wake up?????
Who will be pointing fingers at whom when the virus
goes global ?????
What I do know is: I share boundary fences with two
game farms with breeding herds of Zebra. The farmers can move animals
around freely even though Zebras are thought to be the carriers of African
horse-sickness. We live in the middle of cattle country, where the
Culcoides are thought to breed in the cow dung and a stones throw away
from Transkei where there is no control on vaccines. What chance do I
have?
I have personally seen horses sick with and without
nasal discharge, shaving cream and no discharge. With and without
swelling, swelling on the neck, face, eyes, between their legs, entire
legs, and whole body. High temps and sub temps, colic symptoms, excessive
thirst, hungry, off their food, excessive saliva, pale gums, orange gums,
labored breathing, vaccinated, unvaccinated horses, horses in show
condition and poor condition, young horses and old horses, one horse that
took off at a gallop for no reason and dropped dead and a four month foal
at foot die but the mother never got sick, horses out at grass and stabled
horses. Some made it others died there is no pattern.
Answers?
I get into trouble from the so called authorities
regularly for what is written and if that what it takes to wake them up
then so be it. I won’t keep quiet.
We have had our success stories too; in 2003 we had
19 horses sick with AHS and lost only one. In 2005 we lost only the young
horses. Between 2005 - 2008 we used a preventative measure and in 2009 we
lost Flicka.
We have a policy that as long as the sick horse is
breathing we won't give up and have worked round the clock for nights
working with each symptom. Sometimes we are lucky and sometimes we aren't.
We have lost horses we thought might win the battle and saved others we
thought we could not. When a horse gets sick we bring in their family unit
so that they have something to fight for.
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Old Age
Abe 30121
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23/4/81 – 2002
Abe an imported registered Friesian stallion (progeny of the great Fokke 217 and Dam: Ster mare, Ima 6024) Whose
bloodline is in great demand for confirmation, height and excellent temperament.
Abe tried to jump a fence to get to a mare fell and
had a heart attack at my feet. A great way for a stallion to pass on.
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Midnight Dreamer
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1988 - 23 /2/2004
TB
Sire: Unknown
Dam: unknown
We put her down due to old age,
she was not coping.
Mother to Alexander the Great.
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Major
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1988 – 2004
Friesian.
A great ride in his time and my patient teacher of
carriage and harness.
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Tom Thumb
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1980 -2008
miniature
My son’s first pony and part of our lives for 29
years.
Strike and Tommy formed a very unlikely team and
for the last 10 years of their lives shared food bowls never being more
than a few meters apart. When Tom died Strike never bonded again.
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Goldie
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A sweet big nervous mare that only came to us to
retire. She must have been a beautiful horse in her time. |
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King Arthur
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1984 - 2008
miniature King Arthur or Chapppie as he was named
prior. Thought he was a warthog and would get down on his knees to get through the smallest of holes in the fence. When
you approached him his ears went back and he squealed like a pig
being killed only then remembered he liked people to scratch his
ears and stood.
Giving him an injection was
a nightmare it took 3 men to pin him down and then it took all
your strength to get the needle through his tough skin, he never
got ticks.
We so miss his humorous antics. |
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Strike
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1978 – 2009
The horse used for all the beginner riders when we
first started Mkulu Kei.
We put Strike down in the drought of 2009. At 31 years it
was time to sleep, your work here was done boy, go find Tommy. Thank you.
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Sundance
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1990 - 12/6/2010
Sundance was a big awesome ride I wish we had
known this boy in his youth. He came to the stable as a mate to Goldie
and we never saw him in his prime.
A big stunning looking golden Palomino, we rode him for a few months
but his hock would swell up possibly from an old injury.
A nanny to Tenacious Spirit then a baby who he loved and
protected.
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Grey Mist
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Flemish X
Born: 1990
16.1hh
Steel Grey
Sire: Unknown
Dam: Unknown
Intermediate+-Experienced
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Grey Mist was the sort of horse that would be
pictured on the front of coffee table books. When he retired he was still
an exceptional ride, bold, forward moving, always with his neck
beautifully arched. He was a superb trail horse but would be equally at
home in a dressage arena. Someone put a lot of work into his advanced
training and probably not what one would expect to find on trail. He swam
and jumped anything you ask and always gave every ounce of himself.
Unfortunately Grey has aged fast and sadly the time
come to retire him, although he rides like a horse half his age with all
the enthusiasm of his youth, he drops condition very quickly. He is his
own worst enemy and uses so much energy on a ride we can’t get him back
into condition. |
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Both our international and national professional
sporting equestrian riders expressed surprise at the quality of horse Grey
Mist was. He still has the pure controlled energy he had in his youth.
Total control, but he needs to learn to enjoy his retirement, but his head
and his body are not in the same place and wants to be ridden.
A horse that has played a huge part in Mkulu Kei
Horse Trails and terribly missed as a special, loved, working horse. |
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2009 we had a drought that has been claimed to be the worst in 75+ years;
the dam water was a mud puddle with about 1-2 days water left, the grazing
finished. The old horses where not coping. We made a decision to put Grey
down. Not a decision we took lightly but we did not want to witness him
suffering.
Grey you were a major player in making us who we are and we want to
dedicate the 2009 award of excellence we received from the Tourism Board
in your memory. You made us the best. Thank you.
Grey Mist is the inspiration and yard stick to the
kind of horse we want to offer our advanced riders and in every horse we
put the extra training into Grey lives on.
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Jamaica
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Grey
Born: 1993
15.0 hh
Arab X Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
Suitable for the nervous Beginner - Intermediate.
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Jamaica a schoolmaster an easy ride, with sweet
nature and honest temperament. A mature gentle mare for the beginner or a
nervous rider. Jamaica is easy to work with both in the saddle and on the
ground. Jamaica loved to jump, show her a jumping course and even if your
approach was incorrect and took each jump. In a utility lesson with
bending poles, jumps and trotting poles she would finish the course even
if the rider were not using the reins for direction, she watches and
listened to our instructions and just did the course. A wonderful first
pony. She gave us two lovely colts, Excalibur, and Captain Morgan and
stunning filly Caribbean all with their mother's gentle personality and
attitude to work.
Thanks my girl you where a special lady in so many
ways. You taught so many children the fun side of riding. You loved to
jump and you gave us so many laughs when you followed my instructions to
the letter even with no assistance from your rider. Thank you your legacy
lives on with your sons and daughters and will continue to be part of our
lives.
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Other Causes of Death
Ondep Farina
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1989 09/02/2003
Arab.
Sire: Unknown
Dam: Unknown
A mare that was very popular as a trail horse for
those who could ride.
She died in foaling with a ruptured membrane. The vet
was on his way but never made it. She bled before our eyes and all we
could do was try and save her foal. As we milked her she looked on to her
foal calling her quietly until she left us.
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Kingston
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26/08/2008- 13/04/2009
Arab.
Sire: Spirit
Dam: Topaz
Kingston a beautiful healthy foal that fell down embankment.
We have no idea what happened, we found him in the bottom of a gorge.
It kills me to think of him he was going to be
a stunning looking horse and had his mothers temperament a loving
gentle personality. |
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Nando Rommel
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1/10/1996 - 20th June 2004
Reg. 985120005817590 Friesian.
Sire: Abe 30121
Dam: Stella 59HSA
Liver failure possible plant poisoning, vet was
treating him.
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Farina Sebeka Raffek
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Arab.
Sire: Durakha Raka.
Dam: Ondep Farina
09/02/2003-11/09/2003 |
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Orphaned foal having been bottle fed from birth.
She broke our hearts when she died unexpectedly and was so much part of
our lives. She knew she was loved and was very spoilt.
She made her bed at night on the straw on the
veranda next to a dog with a new pups which cuddled up to her too.
She had no idea she was a horse and would walk
through the house looking for her bottle.
Farina died at 6mths possibly due to a low
resistance to infection. Due to the amount of colostum she received at
birth, although we did try to milk her mother as she died of a ruptured membrane.
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Tanica
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X saddler/ Friesian
Sire: Prince
Dam: Flicka
31/08/2002-05/10/2003
Hole in her chest from bullet Believe she was
mistaken for a Bushbuck and shot by hunters from neighboring farm.
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Cleopatra
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Boerperd X Arab
Born: 15/11/2002 – 15/9/2009
15hh
Chestnut
Sire: Durakha Raka.
Dam: Gwenevier.
Intermediate-Experienced.
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Cleopatra was one of those foals you had to stop to
look at in the field; she grew into a beautiful mare. She produced a
stunning foal, Feisty, a filly that was shouting as her head emerged, but
before her body was even out. She slid out, stood up and was looking for
food before her poor mother had even registered the foal was out and now a
cute colt Gibson with attitude.
Cleopatra slipped in the mud trying to get to water
in the dam during the drought and broke her leg we had no alternative but
to put her down.
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Queen
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Boerperd
Born: 1996 - 31st Dec 2009
16.1 hh
Bay
Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
+ Experienced.
We rescued Queen from the Transkei in poor
condition she had trust issues and was not the easiest to work with. She
has obviously been hit in the face, however working with her regularly she
warmed up to us and would check you out and walked up to you. Queen was not a
beginner’s horse and would take advantage and go faster if not checked. She
was obviously ridden from walk to gallop and thought that was what is
expected. The beach was interesting riding if you did not take control
immediately. However she was controllable for an experienced confident rider.
A very competitive small but strong horse, a very forward moving mare with lots
of energy she wanted to please. She was impossible to walk with on lead rein
as she walked too fast.
Thought to be pregnant although we now question if she
did not have phantom pregnancies. One disadvantage of the mares running
with the stallions permanently one never knows the exact due date and she
had an huge tummy and udder and looked full term this whole year.
Although queen was not with us for long she crept
into my heart. I really enjoyed riding her, her energy was incredible and
I enjoyed her spunk. Reminding me of riding Holly.
On the 1st January 2010 Queen lost the plot, she
would only push forward, pressing her head up against anything that got in
her way until it gave. She entangled herself in trees, walked through a
corrugated wall until it gave way. It was apparent her would either break
her neck or leg, so sadly we put her down.
Plant poisoning. Affecting her nervous system and
probably a collective poison that would explain her large tummy.
Sorry girl you could have been my next soul mate,
certainly were in tune but at least we knew you were happy with us.
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My Teachers
Socks and Farthing: My first loan Pony’s - old age
Major: My first pony - old age
Fait-Bon: My A grade show jumper and companion - old age
Tongaard Taboo: - Horse sickness
My friend Flicker: My children’s first pony: - Horse sickness.
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We at Mkulu Kei Horse Trails, the two and the four
legged would like to say a big thank you to our four legged friends,
teachers and companions. You all paid a part in our lives and made us who
we are. Thank you Cheryl
Contact Details:
P.O. Box 25, Haga Haga 5272,
Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Tel/Fax: +27 (0) 43 8411 525 A/H
Cell: +27 (0) 83 632 7298
cheryl@mkulukeihorsetrails.co.za
During the day please contact me
on the cell, I am probably horsing around. Signal can be
irregular, please leave a message or phone me on the
landline in the evenings.
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