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It’s gaited horses we go for, considering them a great asset for humankind. Horse riding being about the oldest form of fast travelling, riding a gaited horse always contributed much to the travellers comfort. Of course we want to include interest here for other domesticated equines: the donkey and various hybrids like mule and hinny,
as they are often enough gaited too. Not to forget other animals we can ride, doing a four-beat gait: camels and elephants.
As to how it all came to this being on the outlook for these gaits all over the world, here’s some personal history.
Born in the U.S.A., my parents soon gave
me a rocking horse. I enjoyed it then but it didn’t take
long for my folks to find out that I couldn’t be
pacified forever with a fake instead of the real thing!
It was living creatures I was drawn to, and as I was
told one of the first words I could say was “doggie”.
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Me and my rockin' horse!
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My brothers started riding early - fake
again!
Picture taken at Knott's Berry Farm, Ghost
Town, California
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After our move from New Jersey to the
Netherlands, vicinity of Rotterdam, I had to switch to
Dutch but I don’t remember that, I was too young. Then there were exciting visits to our uncle’s dairy
farm, with a dog and piglets to cuddle! |
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At our uncle's farm, the dog was a
favorite.
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Next move was to the beautiful town of
Middelburg, capital of Zeeland province. To my delight,
a much more rural region, and my brothers and I found
horses in the streets during the traditional tilting at
the ring competitions. The horses used were preferably the
heavy Dutch Draught Horses, of Belgian stock. |
We found horses in the
streets of Middelburg, with "Long John" in
the background, the tower of the "New
Church"
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My father was well acquainted with
another Dutch horse breed as his father favored them.
They were the Gelderlander type with Hackney influence
which evolved into the Dutch Tuigpaard of today. |
A family picture with a horse! My daddy with his father. |
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My
mother was a city girl from Utrecht and she had the idea
that horses were old-fashioned. Her father, I’ve been
told, was the first to start transport for delivery in
Utrecht city with trucks, instead of horse and cart. So
she was mightily embarrassed when the father of her suitor
came to fetch them for a visit with horse and carriage!
Whether he had a lively partbred Hackney with elevated
gaits in the harness or not, for my mother it was just
old-fashioned! |
In the backview, we are all dressed up |
Our Friesian mare Ant ready for tilting at
the ring |
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In Zeeland province we later participated in the tilting at the ring with
horse and cart. For this we had our Friesian mare
“Antje”, of another native Dutch horse breed. The cart
had to be decorated with live flowers so we plundered
our parents’ rose garden. Also, we had to dress up in
the traditional costume of the peninsula of Walcheren.
Actually, we went there as a married couple, because I
wore the cap reserved for married women! |
My first close encounter with a horse, a beautiful Dutch
Warmblood (KWPN) |
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Now I’m jumping into the future while I
should yet tell about the first horse. After our first
conquest was done - a dog at home - other wishes did
emerge. I had been riding horses at odd places, mostly
enjoying the bareback riding of a trader’s horses, but
after less than ten hours on horseback I decided to
start earning money in order to buy a horse. |
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Oriante ready for a drive
through the tiny harbour town of Veere, as a
tourists cab. Our Boxer dog is with me too.
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I was sixteen then and one year later I had earned
enough to buy my Norwegian Fjord mare. This breed
appealed to me because of it’s original looks, and it’s
size was just right for me. My mare “Oriante” was ridden already and I went with her to the rural riding
club, but I wanted to drive her too, and when a driving
course organized by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture
was offered, I became the youngest participant. We
learned the German Achenbach driving system, devised for
safety when driving horses single, as a pair or even a
four-in-hand or a tandem. I could use more safety,
as I had been driving the mare already, with less than
good results: her cart was too small, with the single
tree touching her legs. The horse went through and I
ended up in an apple tree, wounding my knee.
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This asked for more schooling of the mare
which she got at the livery stable of Jan Koppejan, who drove her paired with
another Fjord through the town of Middelburg with the
carriage crowded with tourists! This was hard work and
Oriante learned it well. Later we participated in tours
for wedding parties at the Koppejan stables.
...Continued |
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