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Published: June 26th 2011
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Days 37 26th June Bekoice, Hungarian/Slovakian Border
Goodness, the nights are pretty cold here! We might even have to fire up the lorry central heating system at this rate. But it was a perfect day for riding, not too hot, slight wind (to keep the horse flies away) with wispy bits of cloud rushing across the blue sky.
We were introduced to our horses – Leo (Il P’s mount) & Pepe (my mount) and if the barred teeth and ears back were anything to go by, they didn’t like each other! Quarter Horses are small, standing no more than 15.3 , with an easy nature. Apart from being used to work with cattle, many ‘Quarters’ take part in shows where the prize money is about as big as the saddles. They perform certain manoeuvres that they would need when working but at great speeds, stopping on an exact spot, turning on a sixpence and so on. Neither of us have ever ridden ‘western’ and after tacking up the horses - VERY BIG saddle in contrast to the next-to- nothing bridle – we were given a few instructions: HO = STOP (dead stop that is not just slow
down!) is about the only word you need. Other than that it is ‘long lines’ (reins), neck rein and sit down in the saddle. Off we went….
Our ride took us up over the wildest of meadows and through small Beech tree woods. The farm is on the edge of the Bukk Hills, Bukk meaning Beech in Hungarian. The horses ambled along gently and I was certainly beginning to get the hang of it, with even the odd ‘Ho’ thrown in as and when a photo opportunity arose, when Nico decided it was time for a gallop. There IS a difference between canter and gallop and sitting down in one’s saddle at a gallop is pretty tricky when you are not used to it. The gait of the Quarters is quite different; their head goes right down and so….picture the scene……
Horse’s head is right down, nearly scuffing its nose on the ground (or so it seems), it is going lickety split along a rough track and I am trying to sit down and back into the saddle, but failing. I grip the ‘horn’ (that’s the part of the saddle that sticks up at the front!)
for dear life mumbling things like ‘relax’, ‘breathe’ and similar supposedly soothing and relaxing words, but to no avail. I cannot seem to sit down & back in the saddle so, in desperation, I attempt a stand-up action – a la John Wayne – this seems to work for a bit but sadly my muscles weren’t used to holding me bolt upright on a galloping horse…I bounce back down again and finally we slow up to a canter…….now, that’s no problem, I can sit this one out……..and then a walk. There seems to be little ‘trot’ involved. I have no idea how Il Piloto fared but he was singularly unhelpful with any form of riding hint …all I could hear was ‘Calamity Jane Rides Again’!
We had a lot of fun and saw so much more of the Hungarian countryside than we would have done by any other mode of transport. I commented on the amount of butterflies and the differing species that we could see, they flew around us like moths around a light, Nico told us that there were more species of butterfly here than anywhere in Europe – it certainly seemed so. We saw some
deer running through the fields, one stag highlighted against the sky as he took off over the hills, it was a perfect view. The wild flowers and the meadows that we rode through were littered with spikey little bushes that bear a blue berry, not sure what they are but apparently inedible. Every spring the farmers ‘burn off’ these meadows, even though it is against the law, and remarkably the flowers and the habitat they hold come back stronger each year. In contrast to the Great Hungarian Plain the farms are small; the farmers are poor and are only farming a few sheep.
We rode back through the village and saw a stork up a post feeding her three chicks. And finally we washed off the horses and ourselves and spent the rest of the day pottering around the farm.
Tomorrow we are borrowing Anita’s Trebant to go to Eger for the day. Yes, a real Trabant! The Trabant was without a doubt one of the main symbols of communism ……….but it’s a fantastic little run around and Nico has put leather seats in! Can hardly wait………….
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hollie
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Hi Clare and Duncan, im so jealous always wanted to do that . Looks very impressive . The Horses are abit different to Sultan and Daisy , they look lovely though . Glad your enjoying yourselfs , looks amazing . See you soon , wont be long now and you'll be back home .