Weens beperkte spasie, mag briewe verkort en geredigeer word.

Eerste uithourit

Elsabè Fouchè van Nietverdiend skryf:

So karring die oudste dogter nou al jare om uithouritte te ry. Steur my nie daaraan nie, want as boere wat uit niks uit 'n plaas moet opbou, het ons regtig nie fasiliteite, tyd of geld vir hierdie bedryf nie. Nou ken jy 'n kind ...

So breek daar 'n plesieruithourit aan op Klippan en Hennie Enslin voorsien 'n perd vir ons oudste! Sy moet kom 40 km ry. Beswyk ek amper. Sou die man weet hoe klein is my oudste, sy is net 'n meisiekind, het nog maar net hier en daar al op 'n perd gery, en 40 km lê darem wyd. Ja, ek weet, sy het die hart en die passie, die durf en daad, en sy sal hoogs waarskynlik op die ou end lewe en sterwe vir 'n perd, maar darem.

So leen ons die perd, uit die aard van die saak ook die saal en toom, en nou gaan ons kyk hoe daar uithourit gery word. Dis die eerste keer in my lewe wat ek dit sien. Kom die merrie daar aangelei, kliek sy en my oudste onmiddellik. Sy runnik en skuur, en ousus is sommer dadelik in haar noppies. Sonder om af te val of seer te kry, voltooi ousus haar eerste 40 km in gietende reën en 'n modderpad.

Ek en die pa was maar verbouereerd, want ons het niks geweet van bêffies, boekies of groom nie. Die volgende week was ousus se verjaarsdag en toe kon ons darem vir haar haar eie hardehoed en rybroek koop.

Die uithourit het vir my as 'n novice groomer glad nie goed verloop nie. Na die eerste been klim 'n vriendin van ons van die perd af en roep dringend vir 'n coolbox. Ek wat nie 'n voet versit sonder 'n padkossie nie, bied dadelik my inhoud aan wat wissel van toebroodjies, gekookte eiers tot frikadelletjies.

Groot was my ontnugtering toe ek summier uit die pad gedruk word om plek te maak vir 'n toolbox met hamers, hoefysters en spykers.

Leer toe ook die dag dat daar nie net skrapertjies is wat wortels krap nie – sponse het baie meer funksies as wat ek gedink het en kleintyd se gediggie van "koeitjies in die klawer en perdjies in die hawer" kry nou vir die eerste keer regtig betekenis.

Sedertdien loop ousus met sterre in haar oë. Koop die HQ asof dit die prys van 'n chappie is. Bekyk al wat 'n webtuiste is wat met uithouritte te doen het en 'n oom aan vaderskant maak haar dag toe hy die boek, The Arabian Horse, uit Dubai hier aanbring. So begin ons betrokke raak in hierdie sport, die gogga het ons regtig gebyt ... hoop nie dit is 'n perdevlieg nie.

Ranald Vise of Louis Trichardt writes:

I read the comments regarding bitless "Yay or nay", with much interest. This is a very emotional subject with frustration on the one side and defensiveness on the "old school" side.

Recently an experiment was done in USA with about 15 dressage riders doing identical tests first, with a bit and then bitless – most of the horses had not been bitless before. All the riders scored substantially higher when doing the test bitless.

Some bitless riders may be emotionally "over the top", but this is probably out of frustration at not being allowed to compete. Whatever their personal feelings about bits, with a few notable exceptions, bitless riders are not asking for bits to be prohibited, so it is difficult to understand why conventional riders obviously feel threatened – unless they are scared of being shown up in some way?

So let's let people make their own choices – if bitless doesn't work for you, fine, use your bit. If you and your horse don't like bits, go bitless. Hopefully in time there will not be separate classes for bitted and bitless horses so all can actually compete on the same footing.

I personally believe that in time even many die-hards will come to accept and use bitless – maybe everybody should experiment with both and let our horses make the choice?

Hey, let's all be allowed to do what works best for each of us and our horses – for the sake of our horses.

Liza Burger of Cullinan writes:

I'm not a horse owner, but like most people I like these animals. On a recent trip to the Netherlands, I watched a group of coach owners tend their horses. So I wonder ... Are coach horses, especially those operating in tourist capitals like Amsterdam and New York, usually well-kept? Their owners/drivers appeared to be caring and the horses never seemed spooked or stressed in their city environment. The shoes also seem different from the normal horse shoe. Can you comment on the condition of these horses?

Izak replies

Liza, I would say, on face value, that the horse in your other photograph (not published here) looks quite content. A lot would depend on how long his working shifts are. I don't think that his actual work would be too hard, but boredom might play a role. As for the shoeing (photo), it looks pretty straightforward to me. The shoes have toe clips to ensure stability. Thanks for the interesting pictures.