Transylvanian horseman

More about Trail Riding and Training

I do appreciate the numerous helpful and thoughtful comments to my earlier posts regarding training-related issues.

I think that Anne is right that a major project may be brewing. I agree that most people are not going to read a book about riding before coming on a trip here. Nor do I want to make the trip seem off-putting. However I do want to get across the what to expect message in a way that is interesting and informative. People do still come without raincoats even though the printed information is simple to understand. Maybe a photo on a web-based guide will help them understand?

I want to explain to riders that, when going up a steep hill, they need to lean forwards and stand up out of the saddle. To take their weight out of the saddle when cantering. To ride on a loose rein. Things like that. This horsemanship-related material is going to be shown to all guests before they ride, whether or not they see it on-line. Since trail riding skills differ in important ways from arena riding skills, I will be giving guests information that may be new to them. Optimistically, I think that many will listen, partly because this isn't a dude ranch or a place set up to handle novice riders.

I can see that video clips are going to come in handy. They will help make the trip look like great fun, a message that I do want to get across to potential visitors. After all, the trips are great fun, it just helps to be equipped with the right techniques as well as the right clothes and equipment.

However, since I am in the midst of winter, I am going to have to be patient. I cannot start filming anything right now. What with preparing the horses, repairing the fences, checking the trails, and filming, Spring will be busy.

Luckily, whilst the terrain is mountainous, it isn't terrifyingly abrupt like, say, the Grand Canyon ride. For me, pictures of that trail are quite enough. I could not ride it. Knowing that I have limits helps me to appreciate other people's limits.

I think that the experience element may be quite marketable. A ride in a different environment like this can make a guest into a more experienced, knowledgeable, rounded rider. Just as a ride on a cattle ranch might, or in Mongolia. Presumably a great deal comes down to presentation. I think that I still have some way to go presenting these rides as experiential, both in an equestrian sense and culturally. This shift in presentation remains an overall objective.

Looking like we are experienced, that we actually try to pass on useful information, is a point in our favour. Especially if we are trying to cultivate a good quality clientele. Again, this may give us a marketing advantage if it is done well. However I don't want to make this look like an overly-regimented establishment where there is no fun to be had.

Anne's advice on being wary about interaction makes sense. At the least, comments will need to be moderated. I'm not especially concerned about competitors trying to sabotage my work, and then only by other expatriates. Copying would be more likely. There is very little trust between the handful of riding centres receiving international guests in this country. Poaching ideas and clients is not unknown. Disinformation has happened before, one rival travel agent putting the idea around that there are no medical services in this part of the country. (Rumours about the plumbing and outhouses might have been really damaging!) I haven't made my competitors or their friends aware of this blog, and I doubt whether any of them would think to look for it. I do try to avoid letting slip to anything that could be used against me. (Since few of my competitors are licensed guides or have tour operator's licenses, I doubt whether anyone would provoke me too far.)

The whole lack of trust between people in the same business does trouble me. Romania has an image problem right across Europe, meaning that tourism companies need to work harder than ever to attract clients, yet the local equestrian industry lacks the trust to combine forces to promote this country as a riding destination. I don't see a solution right now. Any ideas?

I've posted a photo of Doru, who came in damp from draught work on a grey day of intermittent sleet, wearing his sleigh bells. Whilst these bells are not as pretty as the exquisite sleigh bells that igallopon posted about recently, they do the job. Who knows, I could even sell them on Ebay for extra because they have been carried by a real Transylvanian horse.

Trail riding and training

igallopon raised the idea of my publishing training material in a recent comment. It is a good idea, if I can distill something relevant that doesn't just duplicate other material already in print.

A few years ago, I was involved in organising a training course to equestrian guides. At the time, I thought that I knew a fair amount. Now I see more clearly, as BarnGoddess commented, that we learn lifelong when we are around horses. So I don't feel quite so certain that I have something definitive to publish.

So I think that I will restrict myself to passing on things that I have learnt or observed with my horses, including good advice passed on by others.

One thing that did come out of those training courses was a realisation that some people think that they can become guides in a week. This may be a particularly Romanian misconception, but maybe not? The British system, where one needs a certain amount of practical experience before one can take the assistant guide or guide examination, seems like a good idea. However, the "take a course and be qualified" mentality probably is quite widespread. I find this disturbing.

I am turning over in my mind the idea of posting a gallery with information of potential guests, who need to know more about what to expect when trail riding, what to bring with them, and what techniques they will need whilst riding on the trail. Or perhaps a whole new blog with the information contained in posts as well as a gallery? This would be interactive, in that friends and guests will be able to post comments, and I will be able to update the information online.

Much of the information that trail riders need has already been published. My favourite source of wisdom is the 1941 edition of the US Cavalry Manual of Horsemanship. There is some interesting information in the Tellington-Jones Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding book. (I have an early edition, signed by Linda.) There are plenty of other books besides, we all have our favourites. There is even good advice in Xenophon's The Art of Horsemanship, including something that I tell all my guests: it is OK to hang onto the mane when you need to. I'm not sure that I have a whole lot to add to the works of these experts. I can, however, distill out the parts that my guests and I need out here and present them clearly.

There are also pieces of information that my staff need to heed. Keeping the horses and their tack clean is the most critical. It seems like the Cavalry faced an identical issue with its enlisted men. Just with their horses on campaign, as with ours on the trail, they need to be properly groomed before tack is fitted. Saddle blankets need to be clean, which is why we use blankets that can be refolded in numerous ways.

It is hard work making trail rides operate successfully week after week, and there are many details to attend to.

The photo shows a cart prepared to go out after hay. The long pole and chains are used to hold the load of loose hay down.

Photo gallery

Thanks to Danielle's labours, my blog has a new photo gallery. The first installment, titled On The Ride, can be found lower down on the left sidebar. Three further galleries are being prepared, covering the riding centre, local life and sightseeing, and will appear over the next week or two. I've just finished captioning On The Ride. It certainly was pleasant to look at views taken in warm summer weather. Summer seems far away amidst winter bleakness. However it wasn't long ago, and indeed my arms are still tanned from warmer, sunnier days. A few frozen snow-dusted apples hang on the trees in the garden, looking like a bizarre sign that our civilisation was caught unawares by an Ice Age. The seasons have turned fast.

The weather has warmed a little, and all day long snow slides off the smooth roof of the house. Every now and again, a curious whooshing confusing to the uninitiated tells of another few metres of roof that now lay bare. When icicles fall too, a crash follows as they shatter on the thinly covered hard ground below. All around the house lies a debris field of tumbled pock-marked snow and icy fragments.

This time of year makes me feel as if I am held in suspended animation. The main season is over, and the winter season is yet to begin. In contrast with someone holding a regular job, my rhythm of work is highly seasonal. There is plenty to do now, in that we have hay and firewood to haul. However there are no paying clients here. I have no guiding work. The lack of money coming into the coffers weighs heavily on me. The end of the year is always like that. I know that guests are coming soon, that I have bookings for next year, yet time seems to move so slowly.

In the afternoon, a watery sun shines obliquely. A winter sun that, if one gazes down from above, softly lights the rolling white landscape, giving it a scupltural quality like an artfully lit exhibit. A sun that glints mistily on distant rivers, as if one were gazing for the first time on a mysterious undiscovered land. Granting us a perception of the depth and beauty of that wilderness which so sustains the souls of those who love the outdoors.

Off to the hills

Our new and very energetic agent in the Irish Republic, Zara Stassin of Zara's Planet www.zarasplanet.com, has just sent us a group of 37 guests. Most of their tour was cultural sightseeing, travelling by train and bus. However, we also arranged a 20km horse cart trip today, taking the group to Hotel Castle Dracula at the Borgo Pass.

The group totalled 37 people, and took up pretty well every available bedspace in our village. We alone accommodated 18 guests here at the riding centre. It was the largest group that our cooks had ever catered for (this seems to be a season of record numbers for us), and they rose to the challenge, preparing a splendid buffet dinner. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed an evening of folk music and dance, with our usual band of local traditional musicians performing finely.

Four carts were needed for the excursion, each loaded to capacity. In the photo, the carts set off, with the guesthouse prominent in the background. The morning started grey, the sky brightening into a chilly watercolour blue as the day lengthened. The route winds up a narrow valley, emerging from the forest onto a plateau where an expansive view opens up to snow-dusted mountains. The excursionists will enjoy a scenic trip. Living here, I easily can forget how strange this horse-drawn world must seem to visitors. For these Dubliners, this must seem like a different world. It's good to be able to share the uniqueness of this wonderful place.

Thoughts on horses, riding business, and the Mongol Horde

Time has flown during the past week, however it has not been wasted.

Since I posted previously, there has been an interesting discussion on yard surfaces. Thank you, all who commented. The upshot is that I will surface the yards with crushed stone, a type of shale which we can find here. This will compact to a surface firm enough to be scraped clean, whilst draining adequately and, of course, being kinder to the horses.

I've also had the good fortune to be introduced to an American designer and constructor who lives only a couple of hours from here. Not only does he have just the right experience to help design and build the project that I am planning, he brings an excellent work ethic rarely found in the local construction industry.

Kimberly made a very interesting post on her blog http://www.igallopon.com/ The Horse Goddess and the Da Vinci Code regarding horses and the feminine. Certainly there is something about horses and women. Some 80-90% of my clients on trail rides are women. Something is drawing women to horses, even in a world were men still dominate the power, promotion and salary scales. However, as others have commented, horses themselves are neither masculine nor feminine. Some people just tend to project traits onto them. This reminds me of a picture taken a couple of weeeks ago, posted here. Animals can be cute and loveable, making them easy targets for our projected emotions. However they have other traits besides, animal traits based on survival in a hostile environment, when they are not so sweet and innocent. This became clear recently when I saw an adult mare try to stomp a puppy without provocation.

We keep an eye on the riding holiday market as part of our business strategy. One gets to know the salient points of our competitors. We were interested, if not actually surprised, to spot that one riding centre has been posting obviously doctored "testimonials" and "reviews" about themselves on holiday websites. Now, however good the riding centre may be (and we are looking at one that is "average"), if every testimonial and review awards maximum points and uses phrases like "the best holiday of my life", then one does smell a rat. Even clients with low expectations from a cheap trip don't post like that. In fact no group does en-masse. Is the owner short of trade, by any chance?

I'm away riding next week and the week after. It will be pleasant to catch the end of Autumn. The beech trees still have lovely colours, red, orange and gold, and often the days are mellow and almost warm. Next week's ride will explore some routes associated with the Mongols and Tatars. The middle prong of the great Mongol invasion of 1241 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hungary_1241.png) passed through the next valley a few miles north of here, on their way towards the Hungarian plain. The same route was used by their successors, the Tatars, who continued to harass Transylvania into the 18th century. Their route follows valleys, suitable for winter travel. (The Mongols defeated the Hungarians on 11 April 1241, implying a February or March mountain crossing. The mountains on either side of the route, still known locally as the "Tatar route", are treacherous in a snowy winter. Other historic routes, also linking Transylvania with Moldavia, follow high ground for defensive reasons. However, unlike the nomads, local people were unaccustomed to campaign in winter.) Latterly, it became a trade route, before falling into virtual disuse in the motor age. Nowadays, much of the "Tatar route" through the mountains is little more than a dirt track, barely passable by motor vehicle. It may yet look little different to how it appeared in those far-off days when vast armies from the Central Asian steppes passed through.

Hungarian horsemanship

Whilst at Opustaszer, I took the opportunity to visit a display of traditional Hungarian horsemanship. Based on the equestrian skills of the nomad riders who founded the Hungarian nation over a millenium ago, it was most impressive.

Four riders, two men and two women, gave a display of horseback archery, sparring with swords, target practice with the sword and javellin, and a traditional game where nomads competed to pick up a fleece off the ground and keep it from the others. The lattermost was especially wild, no-holds-barred, the riders pummelling one-another, pulling hair (it was not just the girls that wore long hair), pushing and shoving. The sort of thing that only friends can do together on horses that get along well together.

The riding was fast and furious, the riders agile, the horses athletic. They were energetic Hungarian breeds, based on the Arabian, and well suited to the vast, sandy plains that comprise much of Hungary. It wasn't a great leap of imagination to see these people and their horses galloping across the steppes, shouting with high spirits, seeking the next skirmish, as they carved a path of hoofprints all the way from Asia to Europe.

This is a very different sort of horsemanship to that with which I am accustomed here. Hungary is a great equestrian nation, whilst Romania is a land of draught horses. It was a pleasure to experience a riding culture again, and to be thrilled by these confident young people careering around a riding arena showing off their skills.

Towards the end of the display, the two male riders each selected a slight young woman from the crowd, lifted her onto his horse behind the saddle, and took her for a trip around the nearer part of the arena. It was good to see that the crowd can be involved in this spectacular display, shown in the third image, not just because of the excellent horsemanship, but because of the well-trained, sensible and wonderfully quiet horses.

Reader, if you have the chance, visit Hungary to experience the horsemanship. There are excellent places to see riding displays, Opustaszer and Hortobagy amongst them. It is well worth the journey to seek out these fine riders and their lovely horses. Just keep an eye on your daughter, when she sees these tall, handsome men on their fine horses.

Tim Cope's arrival at Opustaszer, Hungary

Yesterday, Saturday 22 September, I was privileged to join the party in Hungary that welcomed Australian long rider Tim Cope at the culmination of his ten thousand kilometre, three years and three months long, ride from Mongolia. On a warm, sunny Autumn afternoon, Tim appeared across the Great Hungarian Plain, riding one horse and leading two pack horses, accompanied by his Kazhak dog. Hungarian equestrians, diplomats from Hungary, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, and Tim's family and friends gave him a wonderful welcome befitting his arrival at the end of one of the great long rides of history. The location was appropriate too, for it was at Opustaszer, in the year 896, that Magyar nomads who had journeyed from the steppes of Asia established the first foundations of the Hungarian nation.

Knowing how it is to ride a thousand kilometres, I can try to begin to comprehend how it might be to ride ten times as far. However, given the hardships that Tim faced en-route, including extremes of heat and cold, deserts without food and water, and unmapped tracts, I know that his journey must have been far, far more than ten times as arduous. Having been on the trail travelling with a horse for two months, I can with difficulty try to comprehend more than three long years on the trail. In the end, though, my imagination is not equal to the task. Simply, I have never faced hardships such as Tim confronted and overcame.

What impressed me first of all, there at historic Opustaszer, was the good condition of Tim's three horses, glossy and carrying plenty of flesh, at the end of their epic journey. His other achievements take more time to sink in, since I can scarcely imagine what he has been through. I shall never make a great journey, however now I shall think twice before perceiving hardship in my relatively easy life. I shall appreciate with more gratitude every comfort that I enjoy as I remember the difficult lives of the nomad peoples of the steppes.

How wonderful that there are still great adventures to be made in this world, and that there are people like Tim, worthy to take on these staggering challenges.

To read more about Tim and his exploits, see www.timcopejourneys.com. It's a great site, with diary entries and photos that illustrate what Tim has achieved, with courage and resourcefulness, and just how difficult his journey really was.

Autumn, and the art of good riding

Autumn is upon us, and with it the harvest. It seems as if every field contains one or two horses, a cart, and a group of people gathering potatoes. The potato plants have been cut down and carted off, and the crop is being gathered by hoeing or ploughing. Mounds of light brown potatoes stand in contrast against the rich dark earth. On the roads, carts creak by, loaded with sacks of produce. Other carts pass loaded with firewood. It is a time both of labour and of reward.

I've just sent out a two-week ride. A group of fortunate riders are enjoying warm, sunny weather, and splendid views too in the soft, golden Autumn light. It is a lovely time to be riding.

As usual, Diane and I briefed the riders on the Sunday evening before departure. We explain what we expect of riders, and explain the various details that they need to know. Things like riding balanced with a loose rein, like leaning forward to attain balance when ascending a steep hill, leaning back a little when descending steeply, and do on. More widely travelled riders tell me that each outfitter gives them different instructions. Some instruct riders to lean back when going downhill, others (surprisingly) to lean forward. Some insist that riders take their weight out of their seats when cantering, and others insist on a deep, seated canter. Some require that a guide dismounts and holds a stirrup whenever a rider needs to dismount or mount (such as a rest stop in the woods).

Some of these requirements spring from taking every possible step to avoid risk of litigation. If a guide doesn't hold the horse when a client dismounts, and he or she slips and falls, that could mean a court case in some countries. That's a sad state to be in, both for the operator who is at risk of losing his livelihood to another's greed, and for the rider whose first thought is "what can I make from this?" It also makes such a charade out of a rest stop that some riders will be embarrassed to ask. Next thing, less assertive riders aren't drinking enough water, and problems with dehydration begin.

I've commented before on the way in which rising insurance premiums are putting up the cost of riding. There is a certain level of risk inherent in any activity. We can reduce risk by riding carefully, using safety equipment, having sensible horses, travelling on trails that are in good condition, not extending riders beyond their ability. However, even after taking due care, it is riskier to trot or canter than to walk. So do we restrict rides to the walk? It is riskier to traverse hill terrain than flat. So do we stay on level ground? One hears about frankly boring rides where risk levels are about as low as attainable whilst still on horseback. Others tell of fast, crazy, risky rides in places where it is difficult to sue in the event of an accident. The latter seem surprisingly popular, indeed worryingly so, and perhaps this is a reaction against the boredom of so much modern riding? I try to reduce unnecessary risks, those hazards caused by carelessness and impatience, laziness and ignorance, unsuitable horses and improperly prepared clients. However I try to make the riding interesting too, traversing a variety of terrain and travelling at varied pace. I believe that, taken as a whole, my way represents a justifiable compromise.

Other requirements seem odd. Leaning forward even when going downhill is very odd. A good way to "go over the handlebars", one would have thought. Sitting to the canter, irrespective of how the horse moves, does not seem right either. Some of my horses (the larger ones, in particular) are quite comfortable seated at the canter, whilst others are more comfortable with something of a forward seat and one's bottom out of the saddle.

It makes sense that there is a "best" or "optimum" technique to cross the landscape on horseback. There ought to be an optimal balance ascending or descending slopes. Either one leans forward going up hill, or one doesn't. If one does, one may keep one's body vertical, or lean forward further than that. (I plan to assess in more detail how Diane and I ride by having us filmed riding up and down slopes.) One adopts a loose rein, or maintains a contact. One sits all the time, or adapts one's seat to assist the horse. One has a very tight girth, or only a moderately tight girth. And so on. Style may vary, details of application too, however there ought to be a broadly optimum technique.

Diane and I do ask for good riding etiquette too. It appears that the concept of etiquette is dying out in Britain. When the guide dismounts to open a gate, the ride passes through the gate and stands still until the guide has closed the gate, mounted, and is ready to ride off. However, many riders nowadays simply ride off whilst the guide is still on the ground, unaware or not caring that the guide's horse won't want to stand still for mounting. Last week Diane faced a group (including a Pony Club instructor) who seemingly were unaware of this basic strand of good riding etiquette. If the Pony Club has forgotten good manners, how are young riders in Britain going to learn to become civilised riders? Not riding in standing crops, including hay meadows, represents another element of basic good manners. The evidence is that not all British riders understand this today either. Recently we encountered a group who took off across an uncut hay meadow, despite being told very clearly not to (though they should have known without being told!), leading to a problem with a farmer en-route. All were foxhunters, however I refuse to believe that most hunts tolerate such behaviour. Nor will Diane and I. Diane was guiding the group that trampled the hay meadow, so they survived to ride another day. I might have sent them home in disgrace. In fact, I think that I would have done so.

What the driver saw

I had my camera with me when we went to the station at mid-day today. So I managed to grab this shot from the carriage, showing the view forward over Sam the horse and away ahead down the village street.

We had to make two trips to the station, to meet the mid-day and afternoon trains. The first time, I travelled on the carriage. The second time, I rode Doru, my roan Belgian-cross stallion. The carriage travelled at a trot for most of the 2 miles (3km) to the station, whilst Doru accompanied mainly at an easy collected canter. Doru hasn't quite as fast a trot as the new horse (to be called Sam, I think - his new name is still under debate), so he cantered whilst Sam trotted briskly. The concrete road being a little slippery at the canter, Doru and I stuck to the verge of dirt and grass. Trotting is a more secure pace, with two feet on the ground at any moment, and Sam didn't slip even once. He is proving to be a great new horse for us. Meanwhile, Doru continues to impress us with his good manners. I do like his friendly, curious personality. He's a slightly larger horse than most of the others, too, and I appreciate the extra power when I need to get from the back of a ride to the front, lead canters, and so on.

Adventurous trail

Here's a photo that I might just show to all potential clients. Probably captioned: Beware! You might have to do this! [Thanks to John Smithies for the photo.] We faced this situation a few weeks ago, after a storm brought down trees across a narrow hillside trail. Trees had fallen across a depression in the ground, so we dropped down under the debris and scrambled up the other side. There simply wasn't headroom to stay mounted. It really was rather fun. Except perhaps for one rather careless lady, who slipped and sat down in a fresh horse poop. For the rest of the ride, I kept wondering whether I had stepped in something, before remembering that she was wearing the same jodhpurs (yes, really - ugh) and was upwind.

Well, that episode ought to scare off a few Princesses. Truth is, though, this kind of thing is what real trail riding is about. Coping with natural obstacles and finding a safe way through. Which is what we did, succesfully.

It wasn't all overcast, mud and ducking under fallen trees though, as the second photo shows. Here is Diane riding Arabella, our El Sbaa Arabian, in bright sunny weather. In fact this is rather closer to the norm on most of our trail rides. [John Smithies also sent me this memorable photo, thank you.]