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Mkulu Kei Mares & Fillies
Breeding, Riding Horses & Equine Assisted Therapy/Learning Program
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Our Mares and
fillies at Mkulu Kei Horse Trails are used for breeding the perfect riding
horse and in our Equine Assisted Therapy/Learning Program working with
troubled children who are at risk or have done crime in South Africa and
as trail horses for more competent riders on the Wild Coast safari trails.
As we like our mares to have been ridden for a few years before being put in foal the younger mares will be running at the beach stables, with the geldings. As our mares are mostly Arabian and Arab crosses they will be more likely the horses used for the longer trails, being more forward moving than some of the geldings who have been trained for the less experienced riders.
• Stallions and Geldings
 At Cher-a-Don Mkulu Kei horse trails and riding holidays
our main working team of trail horses are geldings and are used for the Morgan
Bay beach rides and longer overnight trails into the Transkei. We use our mares when
more horses are required in a busy riding season (Government school holidays),
if a certain personality horse is required for the overnight trail, on the safari
rides, on the children’s pony camps, for riding lessons, for breeding the perfect
trail horse for your riding ability and for teaching life skills at Cher-a-Don
Teambuilding Adventure Centre formerly known as Lalapanzi Adventure Centre in the
form of equine facilitated learning or therapy.
The wind of heaven is that
which blows between a horse's ears.
~Arabian Proverb
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the
inside of a man.
~Winston Churchill
No hour of life is wasted
that is spent in the saddle.
~Winston Churchill
What is a perfect riding horse? For us an equine
that is easy to work with on the ground and in the saddle. A horse more
than a pony in size, well trained, brave, sure-footed, responsive, patient,
with no physiological problems and the equine has a personality. Some can be
more flighty than others so we can accommodate any rider’s equine capability.
Good riding horses are not so easy to find at a reasonable price. The good
horses already have homes and so many of the ones we found at realistic prices
had problems, so we started our own breeding program. It is better for us to
rescue mares than geldings or stallions and can work through the problems slowly,
any mares we can't ride easily can become broodmares while we work through the
issues. Some of our best working horses are babies from rehabilitated mares.
While we worked with their mothers we bonded with the foals and now they are
mature and in work.
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As a volunteer as part of your holiday abroad,
when we are not riding on the beach with riding clients, more out of
season it is the mares and foals we work with the most. As the geldings
are ridden regularly at the beach stable, the mares need to be ridden,
schooled and going for the youth camps. We use the mares as riding horses
in lessons, to introduce the foals to the concept of working at the beach.
The foals need to be handled and halter trained, your extra pair of hands
can make the difference in a young horse’s life.
Our mares have become a valuable tool for equine
facilitated learning or therapy for troubled teens and leadership camps
at Cher-a-Don (Lalapanzi) Adventure Centre.
See Equine
Assisted Therapy/Learning
Below see pictures of our mares, photos of foals
being born and with a description of each as you would find them on an
average day. Size, colour, breed, temperament and her progeny.
"A real ride to many places at any paces"
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Horseback safari adventures along the South
African, Eastern Cape, Wild Coast. For your equine riding holiday and
African gap year & career break adventure. Mkulu Kei Horse Trails
& Riding Holidays.
For more information about our other horses,
see the hyperlinks below.
Natural Birth of a Foal
Anyone present at a birth of a foal
and watched a foal getting to its feet and sucking for the
first time cannot help but to be impressed with the miracle
of nature. A foal should stand on it’s own for the first time
within an hour, (some 15 minutes others 2 hours) and suck as
soon as possible. It is extremely important that the foal in
its first suck takes in a substantial quantity of colostrums.
The foal’s mother’s antibodies in the colostrums are absorbed
into the foal’s blood stream, once protein has been swallowed;
the pathway is blocked to further transfer. It is extremely
important that the foal absorbs the antibodies to start his/her
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Photos of a Foal Being Born
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Most of our foals are born naturally without
any assistance however when I saw the size of the foals legs I knew the mare and
foal would require help. At birth this foal was the height of an average 6 month
old Friesian foal.
Our equine stud is proving to be a great success,
although we like to breed confirmation perfect horses, our objective is
to breed good working, riding horses with the temperament and work ethic
we require for the public to ride. At Cher-a-Don Mkulu Kei we do not sell
our horses. Each horse becomes a valuable member of the team as a riding
horse, therapy equine or as a brood mare.
The geldings at the beach stable are our main working
team and the horses we ride more often. By volunteering at Mkulu Kei on a
working riding holiday, students get to ride and work with horses of all ages
while gaining equine experience. A gap year holiday or career break is a great
way to extend your stay in South Africa and gain both equine and equestrian
experience.
It is with the mares and foals that you will learn the most about horse behavior.
At Mkulu Kei horse trails volunteers will get the chance to see how we work with
our horses, our holistic approach to horses and the training methods we use. An
adaptation of the Monty Roberts natural horseman technique. Getting the best
results in training the perfect trail horse while forming a relationship out of
the saddle which will teach you to be a horseman and not just a rider.
As a riding volunteer you will be allocated
tasks that vary according to the time of the year and how much
equine experience you have had. Learn first hand about our breeding
program and training, then if a experienced rider start by bonding with
the mares and ultimately the foals, then go on to backing and schooling
the youngsters. If you are a more inexperienced rider get to understand
horses and how they communicate, bond and then learn how to ride on a
different level.
At Mkulu Kei our horses run in natural family units
within the herd in huge camps where we do not interfere with the pecking
order and social structure. In the herd they are allowed to be natural
horses. We embarked on our own breeding programme in 2000 and they
are currently running in huge fields at Lalapanzi game farm.
An ideal situation where the herd runs side by side with the game. It is
not unusual to see the herd integrated with Warthog, Besbok and Impala
all happily grazing next to each other, as the game would with Zebras,
making riding on safari a pleasure.
We can get up close to the game and
neither spook. In the next few years we however want to reduce the number
of foals born as we have a young herd of working horses and can now afford
to reduce the number of births and the mares will be ridden more often
at the beach. Easier said than done as the mares and stallions have minds
of their own and fences are easy to jump for a determined equine.
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Equine Facilitated Learning or Therapy
One of the most rewarding jobs as a riding
volunteer is when we use the mares for teaching life skills or a
form of therapy at Cher-a-Don (Lalapanzi) Adventure Centre.
An equine facilitated learning/therapy used
for troubled teens camps or to help identify natural leaders with
school leadership identification camps.
A large % of our camps at Cher-a-Don (Lalapanzi)
Adventure Centre are youth that are either at risk or have been
involved in crime. The original idea was to offer an alternative
teambuilding activity but the response was incredible and now we
offer the horses to all camps including the leadership identification
camps, as the horses identify the potential natural leaders very quickly.
Animal-assisted learning using horses is an
effective program and a fun therapy used all over the world for
troubled, defiant, and/or rebellious adolescents and teenagers.
The bond teens develop with a horse can help them learn alternative,
more appropriate, and more effective ways of dealing with life’s
challenges.
We use the mares at Cher-a-Don (Lalapanzi) Adventure
Centre as a tool to promote emotional growth in struggling teenagers
helps with emotional problems, including low self-esteem, anxiety
and depression and a variety of other issues, including drug abuse
and academic underachievement. Horse therapy is used successfully in
treatment programs for struggling teenagers, it helps troubled, at-risk
teens overcome problems and is beneficial in helping struggling youth with
various problems, including negative relationships, behavioral patterns,
which sometimes manifest as anger, control, distrust. A fun form
of therapy that all students respond to in one way or another.
For more
information see Equine Assisted Therapy
Our Breeding and
Riding Mares
With a description of each horse as you would
find her on an average day
Atlanta
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Friesian X Saddler
Born: 28/08/2005
16.2hh
Black
Sire: Poseidon
Dam: Flicka
Experienced rider
Owner Daniela |
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Atlanta is a beautiful black mare with her
mother’s large expressive eyes and attitude to gates; she goes where
she wants to graze.
She has potential both as a big trail ride
with lots of confidence and as a brood mare. Atlanta has started her
working career having worked both on the shorter rides and the
longer trails.
Atlanta was always a flighty horse in the
field she was more difficult to work with on the ground than many
of our babies.
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We all commented that she was going to be
harder to back and train than our other young horses. But what a
surprise. She loved working from the second she had her first rider.
Luisa got on her back for the first time and Atlanta realized what
she was. A big mare that was born to be ridden. She took the lead
of the group and responded to all commands. Comfortable in the lead,
happy at the back of the ride, in the sea and passing cars she took
to being ridden like a duck to water.
As a ride she is very responsive; more for the
advanced rider, as she moves forward easily with her long strides.
Destined to be one of our very popular trail rides and with her height
a big brood mare. Atlanta will spend her next few years as a riding horse,
only letting her foal once she has fully grown out. Well that is our plan
until one night she escaped and went looking for her man. We found her in
the field with 29 colts and stallions grazing happily. Three geldings had
surrounded her in a triangle and all horses where peaceful, noses down eating.
No cuts, scratches, fighting, squealing with no drama. We had expected the
worst but they had taken the role of a matriarch and protected her, she never
conceived.
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Black Berry
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Friesian X Boerperd
Born: 19/12/2007
15.2++hh
Black
Sire: Poseidon
Dam: Flake
Intermediate-Experienced
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Black Berry; a young pretty affectionate young mare,
with long black legs that go on for ever. She is going to be a very big
lady with a sweet soft heart.
She is in basic training and will be backed in
the next few months.
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Caribbean
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Friesian X Arab
Born: 27/12/2004
16.hh
Blue roan
Sire: Prince
Dam: Jamaica
Intermediate ++Experienced rider
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Caribbean wanted her own rider like her mom.
Her mother Jamaica was our schoolmaster and used for lessons.
Caribbean joined her mother trotting over trotting poles, bending
poles and even jumps from a few days old. One morning Caribbean
nudged Johnny who was carrying his 18-month-old daughter at the time
until Johnny placed Skye on Caribbean’s back. Then she was happy and
proud she had her own rider.
She, at 6 months,
had backed herself!
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Caribbean has her daddy’s personality; she
wants loves every one and does not always take no for an answer.
Caribbean is not pushy on the ground but will stand patiently
waiting for attention, following your every move with her eyes
but when you move she follows you. You share your shoes with her
and can play follow my leader through any obstacle course.
Maturing into a very kind, affectionate mare, bigger than her
mother and she will still grow out later. Her brother Excalibur
grew out late and only bulked out at 6-7 years. |
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Caribbean lost the foal she was carrying, it
was not a planned pregnancy, our neighbours stallion jumped the
fence, 2009 has been a very hard year with little to no rain and
the grass exceptionally dry. A blessing as we don’t like our mares
to foal too young, it stunts their growth and we will let her
conceive again only after a few years of working.
Caribbean is officially backed and going but
more skittish than we expected and does not like to get her feet
wet. She avoids the puddles and even the wet sea sand, she is
taking longer than our other horses to accept the sea, but she
never went as a foal. Her mother was our schoolmaster at the
homestead and used for lessons in the school. She is more at home
in the arena with trotting poles and jumps and as that is where she
will be used more with the pony camp. We will give her the time to
confidently work out that the sea does not swallow horses alive.
Although she is too flighty in the saddle to
be used as a therapeutic horse at Lalapanzi, she is the first horse
to approach the children at the camps and is always the horse standing
in the middle of a group getting her share of the attention.
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Cheyenne
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Paint X
Born: 2003
15.1hh
Blue Roan
Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Cheyenne was involved in a horsebox accident
as a young foal. When she came to us she was petrified of everything,
now on the ground she is great. But she still has major issues, we
can't touch her muzzle and she won’t accept a halter. From what we
have established she was tied with her halter and trapped in the
horsebox when it rolled. There is no point in stressing her further
we just need to work around the problem. She accepts a strap around
her neck, loves an ear scratch and happily walks up to you in the
field.
When she is stressed she rears up. We work
with her in her own time. It is worth the extra five seconds to settle
her.
She has given us two stunning colts
Maverick and Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately when we moved location
Cheyenne went walk about to one of the neighbouring farms with
Jack Sparrow, then a week old foal at foot. We hunted in the ravines
and valleys for a few days before we found them.
When we did locate them, Cheyenne had
reverted back to the nervous feral condition she was when we first
got her and could not get near her or the foal. During this time we
lost one of Jack's ears to screwworm.
Now Cheyenne is back to trusting us again
and happy to get in our pocket on her terms. She is young and has
thrown quality foals and is very content when pregnant so we can
afford to leave her as a brood mare.
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Cinnamon
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Appaloosa X
Born: 8/11/2002.
14hh
Sire: unknown.
Dam: Paula.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Cinnamon was given to us at 6 months an
insipid, sickly filly, that we nicknamed "Sheep". My
understanding is she lost her mother a few weeks after birth and
was bullied by the whole herd. Cinnamon wanted the stallion at all
costs, to the point of climbing through fences. Pregnant with Spice
she was like a butterfly - her confidence and attitude changed, she
now stands up for her rights, is accepted in the herd and has blossomed
in looks before our eyes.
A very pretty, unusual coloured horse
with incredible eyes. Backed but too tiny to carry much weight we will
re-back her after the birth of her second foal, Our plan is to use
her in the arena and has potential to be a very sweet child’s pony.
She gave us a strikingly beautiful, showy
filly, Spice.
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Feisty
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3/4 Arab
Born: 27/11/2006
15.hh++
Chestnut
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Cleopatra.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Feisty a spunky mare who from the second she
was born has loads of personality, in fact we witnessed her birth
and as her head was delivered but before her body was she had
started calling. |
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She was up on her feet quicker than any
other foal I have seen born and shouting to be feed before her
young mother could stand up.
We lost her mother Cleopatra during the drought
and Feisty took over the rearing of her young brother Gibson, a job she
took very seriously.
She will be backed in the coming weeks and already
showing us she does everything to the best of her ability. Growing out
beautifully, she will not be the biggest mare but she definitely will
excel on the longer trails and with jumping. We are expecting great
things from her.
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Flake
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Boerperd X
Born: 1996
14.3 hh
Bay
Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
Intermediate.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Flake was one of the original horses we
purchased from a truck load of abused and unwanted horses. Her
history is unknown but she does not like men, hates if you raise
your voice and she needs to know her rider before she really gives
of herself.
She would be happier being ridden by one
person only, her eyes tell it all; a deep sadness with a history of
abuse. We have to handle her every day to keep the trust and she
goes feral very quickly.
Flake is a schooled, honest, weight carrier,
with a good forward moving floating pace. A mare we have not used
in riding to her full potential, but Flake is 100% mom and way
prefers raising foals. She can be used in the arena, although copes
better on the shorter out rides than the longer trails.
Flake is valuable as a brood mare, throwing
quality foals and hard working progeny like Robin Hood, Travis, Black
Jack, Demeter, Esmeralda and Black Berry.
Flake is a very good therapy horse as she
obviously has been hurt and finds trusting strangers differcult,
we like to use her with the camps of at risk kids as she communicates
very quickly and relaxes if the participant is gentle in their approach.
Giving us an opportunity to raise trust issues, cause and effect with
the participants and she really does like all the attention.
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Flash Drive
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Friesian / Basuto / Boerperd
Born: 2/11/2007
15.2hh++
Bay
Sire: Poseidon.
Dam: Nibbles.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Luisa |
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Flash Drive a strong young mare who has huge
potential as a riding horse, daughter to Nibbles and full sister to
Nippit.
She is expected to be one of our very
popular working horses and expected to develop into a big strong
equine and under saddle a worker for all riding abilities.
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At the moment she is still very much under her mother
Nibbles who controls her every move and will be until Nibbles has another foal at foot.
She will be backed in the next few weeks.
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Joan of Arc
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Friesian
Born: 25/10/2000
17.0 hh
Black
Sire: Grant.
Dam: Louna.
Intermediate-Experienced riders.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Joan of Arc, one of the first horses to be
bred and trained by us. She has had the perfect upbringing. Joan of
Arc is a stunning mare in terms of height, stature and temperament.
A big strong lady, who is easy to work with on the ground, a ladies
hack with superb high action, that is honest and forward moving. A
mare we have not used to her full potential as a riding horse or
for the carriage as she happier raising foals. Weaning her babies
however is a nightmare, and she ends up feeding them until they are
nearly fully grown and looses too much condition.
Joan of Arc was the inspiration for our very
successful weaning halters. See our tack shop pages.
Weaning Halter
Joan of Arc is one of our most valuable brood
mares in our Friesian breeding program. Mother to Zeus, our first,
third generation foal, now a young stallion, and fillies Esperanca,
Berica and Zena.
When the foal Berica was born.
I saw Joan of Arc lying down, when she saw me she
got up and walked about 20 meters towards me and then turned her hindquarters.
I saw two feet that were sticking out but the shoulders and head were stuck!
Joan had come to look for help, we pulled out the foal and all was well.
Absolute proof of the intelligence of a horse;
their reasoning, problem solving abilities and of a good bond between us.
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Lola
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Anglo Arab
Born: 29/11/2006
15.hh++
Chestnut
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Gwenevier.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Lola reminds Cheryl of her junior A grade horse
Fait-Bon, there is a intelligence behind those eyes. A young mare
with a huge chest, expected to be a stocky horse with ability
and agility.
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This mare has a special presence, we are
expecting her to be a loyal worker who would go beyond the expected
norm.
Lola will be backed in the next few weeks
and one of the mares we would like to see jump. A horse that we
believe the volunteers will have lots of fun with both in the arena
and on cross-country course.
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Maya
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X Saddler X Arab
Born: 09/11/2006
16.hh
Chestnut
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Flicka.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Daniela |
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Maya becomes more and more like her mother
Flicka, in personality and will probably never be a beginners
horse. Maya is a flighty mare who has the ability to move from A-B
easily with a smoother gait than her mother had. She is in training
and will be backed in the next few weeks.
Unfortunately she cut her bottom lip as a small
foal, we should have stitched it but at that stage she was not the easiest to
handle. We may have it corrected but it does not hamper her in any
way.
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Nibbles
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Basuto X Boerperd
Born: 1998
14.3hh
Bay
Sire: Bullet
Dam: Millie
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Luisa |
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 Nibbles was given to Luisa at 2 years old
and was a hand-reared orphan with the worst stable manners!
And a big attitude. Dangerous in the front,
scary from the back, have food and she will eat your hand for it.
She must have been spoilt and hungry,
associating humans with food. She hates men and still storms Don, tolerates
women and loves children and will do anything, jump anything for a
little girl.
Get on her back and she is a pleasure to ride,
flies over anything, would do very well in competitive jumping, she
is very brave, responsive and enjoys big jumps. She covers ground with her
long floating action and when you are on her back she feels bigger
than she is.
Nibbles is an incredibly energetic horse,
she trots in the field and seldom walks, if she is not eating she
is moving with her family unit in tow. A very dominant mare with
her babies and does not allow her foals to interact with the other
horses, making working with them on the ground a nightmare. If we
are moving horses to the next field she bolts with family behind
her, seldom in the direction we want her to go. Nibbles loves being
a mother but is way too controlling with her foals who end up being
"mommies babies".
A real asset as a child's second pony, bold,
honest, schooled, forward moving, willing, jumps, swims and loves
to please under saddle.
 Nibbles loves any work, arena or out rides. She
would have made a good cross-country horse; this mare is brave and
willing to jump anything. A great kids pony but can get a bit
competitive in gymkhana games.
She gave us three cheeky foals Moon Dance,
Nippit (Megabyte) and Flash Drive. Once weaned the foals do improve
their manners!
A mare we use as a therapy horse.
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Nippit
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Friesian X Basuto pony X Boerperd
Born: 23/09/2005
16.3 hh
Bay
Sire: Poseidon.
Dam: Nibbles.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Luisa |
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Nippit, a bigger, kinder version of her
mother Nibbles. A “nice” mare, put together well, strong, very
friendly and easy to work with if in the field without her mom.
Even as a mature mare Nippit charges back to her side if mommy
calls. She uses her ears a lot more than other horses, she puts
them back as if angry and changes her mind and climbs into your
pocket. She is totally joined up and comes when called. I have
high expectations for this big mare. I believe she is going to
be an asset both in work and as a brood mare.
She has just started her working career and
is a really nice big ride, forward moving and willing, wants to
please. Not for beginner riders, she can spook, but is already on
the bit and a quick learner. Even under saddle her mannerisms and
movement is as her mothers but without the attitude. A great trail
horse for more experienced riders that like a horse to responds
quickly with a energetic pace.
A horse who could easily hold her own in a
showing glass and with a bit of schooling, in a dressage arena .
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Paris Hilton
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Reg. Welsh X Arab
Born: 15/12/2006
13.hh
Grey
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Jessica.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Paris Hilton has always been as cute as a button,
probably not the sharpest tool in the shed but she knows she is
pretty and struts her stuff. Pointing her toes and floating.
She would make a good child's show pony and
have considered selling her but that would mean she would have to
say goodbye to everything she knows. Family, friends, big fields
and Us.
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She will not be the biggest horse and we
will see where she can find her place in Mkulu Kei Horse Trails.
Paris will be backed in the next few weeks.
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Spice
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Appaloosa X Arab
Born: 20/11/2006
14.hh
Bay
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Cinnamon.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Spice a finely put together mare who Cheryl
has a soft spot for. She reminds Cheryl of a butterfly who could so
easily be crushed yet in the right circumstances could to fly to
great heights.
She is exceptionally gentle by nature, a
sweet, loving kind little lady who loves her kisses and thrives on
attention. |
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Spice will never be a big horse or weight
carrier, she has a slight built, a porcelain doll. Yet there is
something special about her personality. On the ground she is easy
to work with but as a riding horse she may not be the easiest to back. She
is not bold and will happily follow the ride but she will still require a
confident rider that she trusts on her back.
She is sharp and quick to learn new things
but we will take her training slowly giving her time to feel
comfortable. In show condition she would do well in a showing class
as a child's pony.
Time will tell where she finds a place at
Mkulu Kei Horse Trails.
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Starlight
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Miniature
Born: 1999
90 cm
Black
Sire: unknown.
Dam: unknown.
Lead rein
Owner Luisa |
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Starlight looks like a Miniature Friesian mare
with along flashy mane. A sweet mare, except when she is pregnant.
Then she transfers into a man-eating monster, but two days after
the foal is born her sweet nature is back. A little mare for little
people on lead rein. We assumed her to be pregnant to King Arthur,
a miniature stallion, 90cm high, Oops!
Pregnant to Poseidon a 17.2 hh purebred
Friesian stallion. The result; Thumbelina, a cute real miniature X
Friesian filly already bigger than Starlight. We could have a perfect
kids pony, small but strong and very pretty.
Watch this space to find out more. Jiminy Cricket a
second foal and a third colt to Poseidon, Stuart Little. Starlight obviously
likes her man to be big and strong. She cannot be contained as she walks
through any fence, so if she wants a baby that is it.
A mare has the ability to retain the size of a
foal in uterus there by having a foal she can cope with at birth. The
foal grows out after birth.
I fancy six miniature
Friesians to pull my antique carriage
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Tenacious Spirit
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X Saddler X Arab
Born: 30/07/2006
15.2hh++
Chestnut
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Tenacity.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Don |
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Tenacious Spirit a very pretty chestnut mare
who could be likened to an "A type personality" with fiery red hair.
She is bold, a leader, knows what she wants, confident in
personality and will get the best from life. She is no fool.
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Beware the back legs are fast and she takes
no prisoners.
Tenacious Spirit has a long floating action,
covering ground with ease always in the front of the herd. She
belongs to Don personally and will not be available to the public
to ride, she will become his main guide horse.
She will be backed in the next few weeks.
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Tenacity
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Saddler X
Born: 1999
15.2 hh
Bay
Sire: unknown.
Dam: Flicka.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Tenacity was given her name for a reason, she
was rescued when she fell into a flooding river just after birth and
had to be rescued and revived. Rescued again from uncaring owners in
terrible condition six months later, having completely lost her ear,
due to an infection and screw- worm. Her lack of ear adds to her
character and personality. Bold, honest and forward moving. She
struggles with vertigo in some situations. Tenacity is a really nice
comfortable ride and with her long legs covers ground easily. A
really good ride if you set the tone that you are taking her for a
ride and not her taking you.
Watch out; her back end is dangerous. If she
knows you are working behind she is fine, but don’t surprise her,
she is fast.
We have a foal! We put Tenacity to 7 different
stallions over the years and gave up trying to get her pregnant, it
was not through lack of trying on her part - she is a very loose
lady.
On the morning of 30/7/2006 Tenacity had a
foal, one beautiful filly Tenacious Spirit. We thought Tenacity had
stolen a foal from another mare then we realized it was hers!
Thinking back I had put her with Spirit as a companion a year prior.
I smile, Tenacity showed no signs of pregnancy, she has a very long
back. About a week before the birth. I said to her she was getting
fat and if I did not know better I would think she was pregnant. She
had the last laugh.
Unfortunately she lost her second foal, the
township dogs killed the foal as it was being born.
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Thumbelina
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Miniature x Friesian
Born: 31/08/05
Black
Sire: Poseidon.
Dam: Starlight.
Owner Luisa |
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Thumbelina came to us as a surprise. It was
not that we did not know her mother was pregnant, Starlight looked
like a beached whale, but rather who the father was. King Arthur, a
miniature stallion, was supposed to be daddy, but Starlight (90cm
high), wanted Poseidon, a huge Friesian standing 17.2hh, the result -
Thumbelina. At 2 yrs old she stood the height of a 3 day old foal
Spice. A cute real miniature Friesian filly bigger than Starlight.
A forward moving little lady that has awesome motion, attitude and
confirmation. A very flashy, showy mare that moves as if on a cloud,
tossing her long mane. A mare with her father’s nature, except near
food.
Thumbelina, loves children. She follows the
development children round like a puppy and wants to be ridden.
We put her saddle on and one of our
development kids jumped on her back and off she went like she had
been ridden all her life, keeping up with the front horses taking 4
steps to every one of the bigger horses. We laughed watching
September posting at the trot with Thumbelina’s legs moving in a
blur. She loved every second of her first ride and was reluctant to
have her saddle removed. However on the fifth ride she got
competitive, challenging the front horse for a race. We have not had
the opportunity to use her at the beach stables much since the
stallions are back in the working herd. |
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Thumbelina is not a child’s first pony. She is
forward moving, flighty, moving from A-B in a big competitive hurry to
keep up with the horses 4 times her size.
She was very happy to pass dogs, trucks and
wade in the sea but can spook at movement in the grass. Brave at what
she can see. She would make a competitive lead rein pony as she moves
so easily. We have plans to put her and her brothers in harness.
We are going to spend time with her as she has
huge potential and is as cute as a button under saddle. As she
matures she could well be used for less experienced riders but for
now only takes kids that do know how to ride.
Watch this space to
find out more.
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Topaz
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Part Arab
Born: 1/10/1998
15.2hh
Bay
Sire: Al Adiyat Shabah.
Dam: Torstone Starlight.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei |
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Topaz, a kind mare with beautiful eyes, a
gentle temperament, soft personality and perfect manners. A people
pleaser and has no vices. She is a surefooted, bold, schooled, solid,
forward moving mare that swims the sea or rivers with ease. A very
loved trail horse and is often requested for repeat trails, happy to
take the front or the back of a ride. She will go at any pace you
ask, no fuss no fight, and a pleasure to work with. A team player
that likes a good race on the beach. We use Topaz in the riding
lessons, and pony camps as she jumps with ease and works well in an
arena.
In 2008 Topaz came in from the field having
been caught in a wire snare just below the hock, dragging a huge
tree. The wire was so tight and imbedded that we battled to cut the
wire out of her swollen leg. We then struggled to get on top of the
infection, screwworm and proud flesh and to get it to heal.
Proud flesh is an excessive granulation of
tissue in a horse, the new tissue continues to rebuild itself
causing a disfiguring protrusion and is accompanied by inflammation
and can significantly lower the abilities and the value of the horse.
How we saved her leg was in itself a miracle, but how the tendon was
not affected we don’t know, and with no scaring. In desperation and
several ointments later we tried Aloe sap straight off the plant.
This worked to completely heal the wound and most of the hair grew
back. You would not notice if we did not point it out to you. Looking
at Topaz now one would never believe just how bad her leg was. She
has fully recovered and is back in work.
Topaz gave us a colt called Hermes, who will
remain a stallion, and a special very showy filly called Utopia with
an awesome flaxen mane. Both show huge potential.
We use Topaz with the equine therapy as she
is extremely easy to work with both on the ground and in the saddle
and thrives on all the attention.
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Utopia
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Part Arab
Born: 2/10/2006
15.2hh ++
Chestnut
Sire: Spirit.
Dam: Topaz.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Cheryl |
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Utopia a young mare with the kindest eyes
and intelligent face who decided Cheryl was the person she wanted
to bond with. She can be on the other side of the field but when
she sees Cheryl she makes her way to her side and muzzles her.
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Like her mother a mare that wants to please,
a mare who makes working with her on the ground easy.
Growing by the second this pretty chestnut
mare with flaxen main and tail is expected to be a stunning ride. A
half sister to one of the main stallions Hermes and the daughter of
Topaz she is destined to be a exceptional mare both as a ride and
later as a brood mare.
She will be backed in the next few weeks.
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Xena
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Friesian
Born: 19/11/2007
15.2hh++
Black
Sire: Poseidon.
Dam: Joan of Arc.
Intermediate-Experienced.
Owner Mkulu Kei
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Xena a half sister to Zeus has grown into a
big a friendly mare, it was not always so. She was born in the
height of a busy riding season, a week after we moved to a new farm.
At a week old she got screwworm in her ear and was man handled in
desperation to treat her between rides with no facilities at the new
farm which is not a ideal way to bond with a foal. Of all our
horses she has been the most differcult to connect to, proving what
we already knew the first week is the period that one needs to make
the connection with humans and that all memories need to be good
ones.
She will be one of the last mares to
back in this group giving us more time to work with her on the
ground.
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A Wild Coast horse riding trail with Mkulu Kei
Horse Trails & Riding Holidays is an
ideal chance to explore the scenic Transkei coastline on a guided
horseback adventure on a South African horse riding holiday. Tranquil
accommodation and adventure horse riding getaway giving you the
chance to relax, unwind and explore the very best that South Africa
has to offer. Travellers to Mkulu Kei horse riding holidays on their
journey along the secluded coastline cannot believe the natural
beauty, vast sandy beaches and the fact that there are so few people.
The magnificent Transkei Wild Coast South Africa’s
best-kept secret and nature lover’s paradise for those with a sense of
adventure. A fully guided horse riding holiday staying in beach hotels
on route, a premier horse back beach riding holiday a exhilarating exciting
way to explore our scenic underdeveloped coastline. With a chance to extend
your stay in South Africa working with horses at Mkulu Kei horse trails on
a working riding career break opportunity.
Ever thought you would like to
canter your horse along a beach, or play in the waves? The sound of the
horse's hoofs on the sand or splash of the water will live with you forever.
This unique South African horse trail offers
a total riding holiday experience, incorporating beach, rural life
and Safari riding, while giving you the chance to sample the
undeveloped beauty of the South African Wild Coast. An equestrian
adventure to remember. You could be here on your coastal safari horse
riding vacation, Mkulu Kei Horse Trails The best of equestrian
holidays.
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.
We at Mkulu Kei Horse Trails, the two and the
four legged would like to say a big Thank you to all our guests for
sending us their horse trekking photos, these are your holiday
memories. Thank You, Cheryl.
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
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See
You in the saddle soon!
