Cher-a-Don Mkulu Kei Horses

These are photos of our working riding horses relaxing before and after a ride, retired horses, mares and foals all living as nature intended, in large fields with their stable mates. Content holistic, happy horses.

At Mkulu Kei horse trails & riding holidays, we bred our own horses so we can give you the perfect riding horse for your equestrian holiday or vacation horse ride, but we feel it is our responsibility to rescue abused or neglected horses and giving them a second chance too.

Our horses run in natural herds in huge camps where we do not interfere with their pecking order and social structure. These are pictures of our horses at home at the Cher-a-Don Mkulu Kei horse stud farm and relaxing at the beach stables between rides.

In the herd they are allowed to be natural horses although they come in once a day during which time they are fed, groomed and handled. The foals are born outside and raised by their nanny, know and acknowledge their father, mother and siblings. Play with their mates and strengthen their bodies through natural play and exercise. The natural herd disciplines wayward youngsters and over zealous family members, resulting in whole, happy and content equines, allowing each horse to develop their own personality. The horses in the field break into family units living and socializing as they would in nature, encouraging friendships, working together as teams and developing life partners and friendships. Establishing themselves in the pecking order, swimming in the dams and rolling in the mud. They are not the cleanest horses but are well adjusted, happy horses and are never bored from long hours standing in stables as they live as they would in the wild, runing, interacting and keeping themselves fit.

See our photo gallery below of Mkulu Kei horses. How and where they live when not being ridden.

Our horses work hard but they play too as nature intended. Horses understand and mourn their dead, are closer to their nannies than their own mother, recognize a sibling, mother or father even if only reunited years later. They form friendships for life and can communicate over long distances by smell, sound and telepathically. They understand and acknowledge both physical and mental problems in humans. They have emotions, feelings, empathy and reasoning.

"A real ride to many places at any paces"

Horse riding holiday with us a combination of horse riding safaris, equine beach riding an unspoiled pristine coastline, working and training horses at a going established stud farm and riding stable.

The Wild Coast, a scenic coast experienced on horseback. Mkulu Kei horse back safaris South Africa along the South African, Eastern Cape, Wild Coast. For your premier horseback riding vacations, African horse trekking adventure and working horse riding holiday destination. Awesome hacking conditions, the best horse riding countryside.

Volunteers, on your horse riding working holiday at Mkulu Kei horse trails you will get a great insight into horse care, our natural training methods, the equine tourism industry and how we are using horses to reach troubled youth at Lalapanzi Adventure Centre, by using horses to teach alternative life skills to kids in trouble with the law. • Equine Assisted Therapy

Cher-a-Don Mkulu Kei horse farm is the hub of Mkulu Kei horse trails and riding holidays. It is where our foals are conceived, our foals are born, and the training of young horses starts. At the homestead we work on the finer equestrian training, flatwork, lunging, schooling of horses, arena work and jumping. Volunteering on your working holiday at a riding and breeding establishment will give you the opportunity to work with horses of all ages. Helping with the children’s pony camps, both in and out the saddle and now the chance to witness horses changing children's lives.

Our Holistic Approach to Horses

Horses raised in the field are less likely to spook on a ride as they have established team mates to look for danger, sharing responsibility for their wellbeing and others in the herd. Their diet too is natural grazing, with lots of bulk and little concentrate or horse food, walking continuously selecting the grass or plants they require to self medicate and encouraging better muscle tone and fitter bodies by self exercising. The feed we do give is of high quality and extra trace elements and minerals making up for any short fall in the soil and extra energy during the busy season. The more we ride them the more concentrate they are given to replace any grazing time lost during rides and keep up their energy levels.

Happy holistic horses, using nature where possible by running barefoot all their lives, they are surefooted and happy to be ridden without shoes on any terrain. Chipping their hoofs on the roads and filling them on the beach sand. Their teeth too seldom require attention or filling as the rough grass wear down their teeth evenly without forming ridges as horses on concentrate do.

Our horse training starts the day the foal is born, the sooner we can bond with the foal the better. As the mare is so relaxed with us the foal soon learns that the two legged members of the herd are not scary. With the help of every horse in the herd the foals mature into well disciplined, relaxed happy healthy working horses.

A horse learns everything from memory, if his experiences are good ones he/she will be a good horse. If abuse and hard handling is used to train he/she will think that all riders/people are the same and will be more skittish, aggressive and less likely to trust people. We use nature, pecking order to train our youngsters, the new and green horses follow the herd on a ride, while the confident more mature mounts take the lead, encouraging the babies while they gain their balance of a rider on their backs for the first few time. Using horses that don't kick in front of the ride as brakes until the new horse understands the bit and what the rider wants him to do. A horse naturally wants to please you and is always looking for a leader he/she can trust. By the forth time a horse is being ridden, he is well adjusted, understands the riders weight, his legs and the bit and ready for his first client. When trained the dominant, flighty, more confident, horses are encouraged to be horses for more advanced riders and the quieter personalities naturally become the horses used for the beginner riders and are happy to follow the ride as they would in the field. There are no bad horses, just horses that have been handled badly. Diet, over feeding - too much protein, ill fitting tack and the horses teeth can play a big part in a "problem" horse. It is possible to retrain a horse it just takes more time to gain that horses trust in humans and then what you require him to do, they often become stunning riding horses.

Mkulu Kei Horse Trails & Riding Holidays, one of the few horse stables in the world that offer horse riding lessons in an informal environment, no hours going round and round the arena. We explain equines to you, allocate the correct horse for your riding ability, get you comfortable around horses on the ground and in the saddle by showing you where your legs and hands must be in order to be balanced. Only then do we go out of a ride, increasing the pace as you get more confident. We do not aim to teach you to be "pinkie perfect" riding but rather how to have fun while you are learning. From there you can find a stable yard in the area where you live to help you with the finer points of equestrian horse riding. Many of our clients are new, first time riders, many of whom have gone on to be competitive or own their own horse. Our experienced riders know they will be allocated a horse they too will enjoy and are split into more advanced groups so they can get the ride they too can enjoy.

To do this we have a holistic approach to our horses, we work with nature and not against it. Our horses must want to work; we must have a bond with them. By putting ourselves in the position of a matriarch we can communicate with our horses so as a first time rider you can get your balance in the saddle and then take the controls. As an advanced rider you will be amazed at how relaxed and well trained our horses are both in the saddle and on the ground.

Retired Horses

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

Most images have been thumb-nailed - click on the picture to see a larger horse photo.

Photographs Taken at the Stud Farm Foal being born Birth of a foal naturally Foals first steps Tenacity & Tenacious Spirit Best friends for life At home on the lawn Horses at the stud Weaned foals From the horses perspective Fillies in a harem herd Colours in the sky Colts living together Pretty baby Big foal being born Atlas long legs Jiminy Cricket Go baby go Horses growing up naturally Young horses on the farm Spice 2 days Thumbelina 2 yrs Happy weaned foals Foal nursing Atlas drinking Misty morning Dad and foal Stuart at a few hours Horse having a mud bath Roll after a swim Feisty and Cleopatra Happy horses New friends Peter Pan Family unit Jiminy Cricket 1yr Family group Pregnant mares Horse play Thumbelina & Starlight Preg mares eating Fig leaves Shady tree Natural horses Paris Hilton Day1 Maternity paddock Cinnamon & Spice 13 stallions on the lawn Introduction to water Lola Spice Sleepy baby Spice Gibson My mom Utopia So cute Go baby Kingstone Boys will be boys Stuart Little Paris Hilton Foal a few hr old 3yr old stallions Pictures Taken at the Mkulu Kei Beach Stable After the ride A little shy All shapes and sizes Horses always eating A popular mount Horses at the stable At the stable yard Zeus a working stallion Best friends Working team of horses Two stallions playing Dam at the stables Horses friendship Good stable mates Got an itch Green grass Horse grooming Gunstone & Spirit Gunstone in the dam Horses coming in for a ride Enjoying time out the saddle Bonding friendships Horses never stop eating Horses enjoy human contact Equines enjoying people Just finished riding I can see you Relaxing between rides Riders and horses Say hello to a horse Sleeping horses Sleeping with a stallion Stable mates grooming Time out the saddle Waiting to eat before a ride Going to ride at the beach Equines taking a nap Watering hole at the stable Working geldings Young stallions and geldings Young string of riding horses Zeus and Solo Want an apple? Brothers Yard mates Natural horses Spindy Arab stallion Spirit horses & horses Catching up on grazing Between rides Handsome horse Horse trail riding holiday with Mkulu Kei horse trails will take you across what can only described as be the best riding countryside. Awesome ocean views, variation of bridle paths, no fences and pristine beaches of the Wild Coast in South Africa. Whether you dream of riding along open Savannah grasslands, pristine coastal forests or unspoiled Wild Coast beaches, there's a Mkulu Kei horse and trail that suits your available time, riding level and budget ... Horse riding holiday with us a combination of horse riding safaris, equine beach riding an unspoiled pristine coastline, working and training horses at a going established stud farm and riding stable. The Wild Coast, a scenic coast experienced on horseback. Mkulu Kei horse back safaris South Africa along the South African, Eastern Cape, Wild Coast. For your premier horseback riding vacations, African horse treking adventure and working horse riding holiday destination. Awesome hacking conditions, the best horse riding countryside. A South African horse ride through Sub-Tropical coastal hills and rivers to the beaches of the Wild Coast in South Africa, a horse riding holiday, with so much more. Come Ride with Us ... …and you will see rolling hills, rich Savannah grasslands and thick-forested valleys with multitudes of rivulets cascading down to rivers that eventually spill out onto quiet sandy beaches, fantastic high rise cliffs and spectacular rock formations that make the Wild Coast in South Africa one of the most beautiful places in the world. An incredible combination of cross-country horse riding and the exploration of our beautiful coastline. And what better to experience South Africa's beautiful coastline than on the back of a horse … We at Mkulu Kei Horse Trails, the two and the four legged would like to say a big Thank you to all our volunteers for sending us their horse & foal photos, these are your holiday memories. Thank You. Cheryl See You in the Saddle soon! Contact Details: P.O. Box 25, Haga Haga 5272, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Tel/Fax: +27 (0) 43 841 1525 A/H Fax: 086 523 8259 Cell: +27 (0) 83 632 7298 Skype: cheryl.giacchetti E-mail: info@mkulukeihorsetrails.co.za During the day please contact us on the cell, we are probably horsing around. Signal can be irregular, if you cannot get through please leave a message or phone us on the landline in the evenings. Thanks For your South African horse riding holiday Make a Booking Now !