Posted: 11th March 2014 | Back to news feed
In September 2013, South African game reserve, stud and holiday destination Moolmanshoek suffered a terrible bush fire which swept across around 2,400-hectares of the 3,000-hectare conservation area. The fire devastated the once green, lush surroundings, leaving miles and miles of blackened scenery and sadly a significant number of deceased wildlife. However, the spirit and determination of owner Wiesman Nel and his family meant that a World Horse Welfare challenge trip, organised by In The Saddle, was still able to continue just a few weeks after the fire.
Surrounded by the vast Witteberg mountains, Moolmanshoek is not just ‘another riding holiday’ destination, it is home to two award-winning studs, the South Africa Boerperd horses and Arabian Endurance horses. The vast space in South Africa provides travellers with the opportunity to ride for hours and hours across varied terrain, from the plains that are littered with wildlife to tracks up and down mountains and through beautiful ravines.
World Horse Welfare challenges are organised to raise funds for the charity and offer people the chance to test their riding skills and stamina, whilst also helping a cause they feel strongly about. Seasoned equestrian traveller and In The Saddle client, Di Stark, was one of the riders taking part in the challenge and found the trip beautifully overwhelming. “We were given the option of visiting somewhere else but I don’t think any one of us even contemplated this – we were only too pleased that we could go and support Wiesman and his team, and in fact the fire damage simply added another element to the challenge.”
“There were many highlights of the trip, including some amazing wildlife sightings, phenomenal long canters and the chance to overcome challenges that we would never have believed possible at the start of the trip,” Di goes on to say. “It was hard to see photos of what the area looked like before the fire, the whole area was covered in black ash where there should have been trees and grassland, but it just made us want to go back again to see it in all its glory!”
Claire Gordon was the Charity representative from World Horse Welfare and she thrived on the challenge. “We were amazed by how luxurious our rooms were and the food was restaurant-quality at every meal,” Claire states. “The horses were incredible and we quickly learnt how careful they were! Everyday we said it was the best day yet and on arriving back at the farm after the last day there were a few tears and lots of laughter as we reminisced about the week. We definitely ticked the ‘challenge’ box and there were experiences that none of us have ever had before! Moolmanshoek is even more amazing in the flesh than it looks on paper and I would say it is a must for those looking to ride quality horses in stunning scenery.”
World Horse Welfare will be running their Challenge Ride at Moolmanshoek once again from 17 – 24 October 2015. For more information visit www.worldhorsewelfare.org
A holiday to Moolmahsoek with In The Saddle starts from £729 per person based on 7 nights full board, all riding activities and a game drive (flights not included). For more information visit www.inthesaddle.com or call 01299 272 997 to speak to our team of travel advisors.
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