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Weens beperkte spasie is dit nie vir ons moontlik om al die briewe wat ons by SA Horseman ontvang, te plaas nie. Ons bedank egter ieder en ‘n elk vir hulle kommentaar, komplimente en opbouende kritiek. Briewe word ongeredigeerd geplaas, maar kan verkort word weens te min spasie.

Keen Caroline
Fiona de Villiers of George writes:

This experience for a six-year old with her loyal horse can only be amazing and special! (Photo by Pamela Denholme)

Recently there was a competition at the George Riding Centre that included “Practice Jumping” for the novices. There was no stopping my six-year-old, Caroline, from bringing her pony, Smokey, to participate.

Smokey and Caroline are both novices, so we thought the experience would be great both for the horse and rider, never thinking for one minute she would get around the full ten jumps on 50 cm.

Not only did she want to repeat the ten jumps of 50 cm, she went on to jump 60 and 70 cm and quite frankly would have been happy to carry on with some higher jumps. Luckily for her mother’s nerves, the jumps did not get any higher!

Die klein Fauresmith
Nelia de Lange van Calvinia skryf: (brief verkort)

Die Calvinia Uithourit – onder vaandel van Noordweste Uithouritklub – is hierdie jaar 25 jaar oud! Ruiters van wyd en syd trotseer elke jaar die winterkoue van die Hantam om hierdie rit by te woon. Hierdie rit is die sogenaamde “klein Fauresmith” omdat dit 'n twee-dag rit is, die baanoppervlak naastenby dieselfde is, daar 'n berg of twee op die roete is en almal 'n voorsmakie van Fauresmith se winterkoue kry!

Met die nuwe reël dat die eerste been van 'n rit 30 km of langer moet wees, het die rit se afstande, sonder dat ons kan help, verander van 80 km na 'n 87 km rit. op Een dag word 87 km gery. Met ander woorde, as jy albei dae ry voltooi jy 'n afstand van 174 km en dit is net 26 km korter as Fauresmith wat 200 km oor drie dae is.

Die rit vind plaas op 25 en 26 April 2008. Vir navrae, kontak gerus die sekretaresse, Louiza Frick, by 082 469 7641 of assistent Magriet Fourie by 076 1819 418.

Nice words from our readers

Baie dankie vir ‘n puik tweetalige perdetydskrif. Ek wag met opgewondenheid vir elke nuwe uitgawe. – Beatrice du Toit, Napier

Many thanks for a fabulous and relevant publication. – Geraldine Bennett, Groot Marico

I picked up a copy of your mag at De Ruyter, and all I can say is, “well done!” – Dawn Julyan-Larkins, Waterkloof Glen

I would just like to say a BIG “Thank you” to SA Horseman for your magazine. It has loads of information and details that are relevant to every branch of riding and horse care in South Africa. – Teri Smith, SA Riding for the Disabled, Cape Town

Ek het die Januarie 2008 uitgawe gelees en was baie beïndruk. Baie dankie. – Dominique Burger, Bloemfontein

Pos asseblief SA Horseman so gou moontlik aan my meisie! Sy kry onttrekkingsimptome – en dan loop ek deur!! – Josef Dreyer, Caledon

Saddler politics
Tarryn Collins from Assegay, KZN writes:

I read the focus on saddlers in the January issue of SA Horseman, and the comments made by saddler trainers, with great interest. I was not convinced and felt that they answered like politicians ... almost evasively. After reading all the pages, I am now more convinced in my negative opinion about Saddler training.

Some of the participants in the discussion denied using some methods (tail cutting) but also did not believe it was a cruel act as it was undertaken with anaesthetic, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. If I decide I wish to lop off both my horse's ears for the sake of the look, would they say, as long as the above medications are utilised, it would not be a cruel act? To me this would be the same act of selfishness.

Seeing the thickness of the shoes in the photo also didn't leave a great taste in my mouth. The champion farrier states: "There is no difference in shoeing the Saddle Horse to any other horse," but fails to add “except the EXTREME thickness of the shoes used”.

Tail sets and tail cutting are to free up the hind quarters. If the horses were so relaxed and happy, they wouldn't need operations and mechanical devices to free up their muscles. And girls have a choice of whether to wear a bra or not, horses don't. I know if my bra makes me uncomfortable, as soon as I can, I remove it, so once again I consider the comparison used – LAME.

I feel SA Horseman achieved its objective to allow the Saddler fraternity to give their opinions so that the rest of us, who are not close to the Saddler fraternity, can make a more informed decision about it.

Not a good effort
Mary Sadler from Mosselbaai writes:

The latest SA Horseman's focus on Saddlers made me think if AA Traveller/ Motorist had an issue devoted to minibus taxis and interviewed selected drivers, you'd get pretty much the same result.

“No sir! We don't drive on the wrong side of the road. No sir! We don't overtake on solid lines at breakneck speed. No sir! We don't stop in the middle of traffic to load yet another passenger into our already overstuffed taxi. No sir! Others may, yes, we've heard rumours, but we would never act so irresponsibly. Definitely no sir! Nothing wrong in our industry.”

I showed the issue to my husband who isn't au fait with the Saddler polemic and he didn't see any point, what's the fuss? If SA Horseman wants to educate without seeming biased, this, in my opinion, wasn't one of its happier efforts.

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