The Northern Horse

26/05/2024

Autumn: perfect riding weather and the most beautiful colours!
Book your Drakensberg horsing adventure:
+27823378770

10/05/2024

The world has just become a little safer. Wilderness protects the feeds us all equally. One of the best ways of spreading wealth equally is to protect Wilderness. thank you from all of us here The Northern Horse

08/04/2024

The sun'll come out tomorrow...
and the team will be out with another group of Sunset Riders!
One of the best ways to end the day.

R880 per person, minimum 2 people: 2 hours of riding, drinks, and snacks included.

Book your sunset ride: +27823378770

17/03/2024

Cantering over the Drakensberg on a nice cool morning is a great start to a Sunday!

07/02/2024

This view never ever gets old.
Book your sundowner ride, guys: the weather is just getting better and better!

23/09/2023

Even the beginners' 1-hour trail includes a nice little river crossing!

Book your outing quick-sticks!

Call / WhatsApp: +27823378770

One-hour trail = R350 per person

10/09/2023

The perfect end to a sundowner ride!
The sundowner rides start between 15:00 and 16:00 depending on the season.
The 2 hour ride crosses beautiful mountain terrain.
Its just the best time of day to spend on a horse.
Cost: R820 per person, including snacks and drinks.

09/08/2023

Views for days as you ride over the plains of the Northern Drakensberg.
The beginners' 1-hour trail is a great introduction to the joy of horse-riding!
To book your next Drakensberg outride, phone or whatsapp: +27823378770.

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07/08/2023

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=736768921791423&id=100063749642906&post_id=100063749642906_736768921791423&sfnsn=scwspmo&mibextid=6aamW6

Love this post from Abbotts View Livery: Barefoot and Back to Nature, it really resonates with what we try to do here. We want our horses to be happy and healthy and we know that our horses are calm and happy. Our horses have friends and 24/7 hay, they run and play, which is not a behaviour you see in horses that are anxious and stressed.

The post reads..........

Your horse does not love his stable. Sorry.

A few weeks ago I shared this post and it went viral. It reached 1572985 people.
Due to this reach, unsurprisingly I saw alot of comments along these lines

"My horse loves his stable"
"He waits at the gate to come in"
"You don't know my horse, he hated living out"
"My horse would be dead if i didn't stable him"

For some of you, stabling is likely your only option. I understand how hard it is when you are on a livery with certain rules and management practices, and I also understand if you are doing it for welfare reasons. No horse should be stood in knee high mud, or subjected to lush grass when they are lami prone and a stable is a good way of preventing this.

However. Have you ever thought there might be a better way?

For me, shutting my horse in a stable without free choice is just not something I am ever willing to consider again.

This started when I was lucky enough to have my horses at home for the first time, around 2012.

I remember one night I decided to go out and see my horses in their comfy beds at around 10.30/11pm. I strolled over in my pajamas, opened the barn gate and was shocked to be greeted by neighs and empty haynets.

I didn't turn out till 6-7am the next day... That meant another 7-8 hours of standing in a square with nothing to eat. Horses only sleep for a few hours a day, so the time they spend in a stable is mostly stood still, staring at four walls.

Yes we can improve this by adding enrichment, slow feeder haynets, multiple haynets spread around the stall, a window to touch the horse next door etc, but is this really all enough?

No, its not.

There is no other large companion animal we subject to this kind of imprisonment too. Yes some of you might crate our dogs overnight, but dogs need even more sleep than us and sleep through the night. They aren't designed to move miles a day or eat constantly.

It's no wonder we have horses exhibiting so many stress behaviors in a stable. Weaving, cribbing, box walking or losing their minds completely and thrashing around. Arguably one of the worst coping mechanisms is shutting down, which is exactly what my horse used to do. He would stand, facing the back wall completely still and silent. Giving off the impression that he was fine, when he was far from it.
The humanizing part of me LOVED my horses in stables. They were clean, they had their comfy beds, and when I first brought them in they seemed happy to be there. Munching on their hay and standing quietly while I brushed them and changed rugs. They even waited at the gate to come in.

Ever thought why your horse waits at the gate?

Ever thought its because their field is lacking something? Or because they are very easy to get into a routine? Or because they are positively reinforced by food when they do come in?

Try putting the things your stable offers outside... Make sure there is ample forage, friends (other horses!!), shelter and give them their feeds outside. Leave the stable door open and give them the choice WHEN to be in, and how long for.

Often horses wait at the gate as there paddock lacks these things. They know they will get a feed and hay in their stable, but this does not mean they want shutting in there for hours on end. Horses don't think into the future, so they don't think 'if i come into that stable now it means I'll be in there for hours, better not'.

My mission is to educate people so they learn that stables are not enough and there is a better way. We are depriving these animals from how they are designed to live. Constantly moving and foraging and being with other horses.

Anthropomorphism is so dangerous. This means the apply human values onto an animal, and its exactly what people where doing in most of the comments on that post.

I don't want to hear your excuses for why your horse loves his stable or how its your only option, I want to challenge you to ask yourself why you feel the need to defend yourself? And challenge you to consider another way.

27/07/2023

Such a beautiful afternoon with Boxer and Janice!
Sunsets rides are an absolute highlight!
In winter the sunset ride starts at 15:00.
Summertime departure is 16:00.
Guests ride for 2 hours before arriving at the picnic with lovely snacks and drinks.
The ride home in the twilight is simply magical!
Book your sunset ride: 0027823378770
Cost R820 per person. Minimum 2 riders. Maximum weight limit 100kgs.

12/07/2023

How cute is Caymen in his fluffy winter coat?
Winter is definitely upon us and our natural living herd is comping well: they spend their nights foraging their huge grazing area and their quiet mornings dozing in the sunshine.
Book your next ride in their stunning mountain home:
📱 +27 82 33 78 770
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.drakensberghorseriding.co.za

15/04/2023

Last day to win with the Drakensberg Experience!

02/03/2023

How's this for an amazing encounter with some very special animals?

Roaming Media

Stunning footage of our beautiful Eland encounter. These antelope are some of the last free-roaming wildlife in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They were conc...

27/02/2023

The best of Northern Horse riding around the Montusi Estate. Accessible right from Montusi Mountain Lodge and within an easy drive from all the Northern Berg resorts. This is Berg riding at its best!
Mountain Lodge
Drakensberg Experience - Best of the Berg
Roaming Media

11/01/2023

A peaceful start to another stunning Drakensberg day...
Exploring the mountains atop one of the Northern Horse herd is an experience not to be missed!
Book your next adventure with these happy, healthy steeds: [email protected] / +27823378770

20/12/2022

28/09/2022

We're off into the wild with no signal.
Horse-rides are fully operational.
Please contact the Montusi Lodge office for bookings: +27725911210.
Happy trails!

23/08/2022

These animals represent what is left of the free game of KZN their existence has been documented by the first people dating back 8000 years BC. True African Heritage

21/07/2022

A pair of young equestrians enjoyed a huge adventure in the mountains today!
4 hours into the Drakensberg and they came home full of smiles!

29/06/2022

So lovely to take littlemiss_wright_ on a real Berg adventure with Jigjela: many rivers to cross after a very wet rainy season!

01/04/2022

Autumn leaves and cool mornings that turn into crisp, sunny days...perfect for riding!

07/03/2022

Stunning morning at Montusi Mountain Lodge
Shiny horses ready for another week on the trails...
Book your ride: 0823378770

26/12/2021

Inquisitive enough?

16/12/2021

A moody mountain day: just perfect for a swift stride along the dam wall and gallop out into the veldt!

26/11/2021

Choose wisely how you spend your time this weekend. Be safe everyone

05/07/2021

Riding off into the wind.
No matter the conditions, a horse ride is always a great idea!

22/06/2021

A queue at the spa today