TICKETS to RIDE
Claire Keeton and Marianne Schwankhart catch two lifts in one day — with horses and surfboards— in Chintsa, Eastern Cape
HORSE WHISPERERS ASHA Fourie gallops through the surf on her horse, spray flying onto her shorts and bare feet.
Asha, 25, and the rescued horses she rides may not look like champions — no jodhpurs or spurs or plaited manes — but when you see them leap through the waves, you see harmony in motion. She is the granddaughter of Georgie Dickerson, who, with her daughter Penny, runs Cintsa Horses, near East London.
“Horses come before anything else and we have been involved with them since we were kids,” says Georgie, who takes care of 42 of them at their Newhampshire Equine Rehabilitation Centre.
“Once a horse comes here, it never has to leave.”
About 80% of their horses were rescued after people notified them of abuse or they were given to them by the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
HORSES WORKING FOR HORSES The rehabilitated horses take part in beach and safari rides and support the rescue centre, where it costs about R1 500 a month to look after a horse. “Horses working for horses” is their slogan and a volunteer programme, attracting youngsters mostly from the UK and Australia, is another way the centre has sustained its work since 1998. Of the 42 horses under the care of Cintsa Horses, 22 stay at the rescue centre about 7km from the beach, two are out for adoption and 18 are available for rides. Marianne and I met our horses at their paddocks, within walking distance of the beach. I went on Kayla, a strong adult despite her being neglected as a foal; and Marianne rode Dusty.
WILD RIDES The two of us and other riders followed Asha, who is a registered trail guide, down to the beach on our horses at walking pace on a bright morning. We meandered over rocks, past rock pools and the wide lagoon. When we had gone far enough away from the surfers and dog-walkers, we picked up the pace to trot and canter along the shore. Those of us confident enough to gallop were allowed to give our horses free rein along the bay, which stretches more than 20km. The horses showed an exuberance running through the damp sand and racing each other. But this is risky and not recommended for riders who are scared to lose control. The minimum age for riding alone is five and the youngest rider, who joins the Saturday-morning rides, is only two — but she sits in the saddle with Penny. You can organise picnic rides, halfday trips and safaris, but our beach ride was short since we had plans to go surfing.
SOFT SURF
Chintsa beach break, like Nahoon beach break in East London, about 30km south, is a gentle place to learn to surf and has become increasingly popular among beginner surfers. The beach just past the lagoon has no rocks lurking under the surf. Even better is that the swells stretch across the bay for miles, so one can avoid the danger that arises at places such as Muizenberg in Cape Town, where overcrowded novice surfers — in other words, out of control with long, sharp boards — clutter the waves. I understand this risk clearly after putting the tip of a longboard through my chin and nearly knocking out my front teeth on a deserted beach with dumping waves, south of East London.
STANDING UP
Ryno du Preez was the surf instructor that day and he started a lesson for Marianne by talking about safety. “When you fall off, stay behind your board, cover your head and watch how you land,” he advised. Ryno then demonstrated on the sand how to get up and put your feet parallel on the board, keeping your shoulders back and your eyes ahead. After this short introduction, they paddled into the foamy breaking waves and Marianne caught her first wave. I stayed nearby on the foamies trying to pick up any tips to improve my non-existent technique. For an hour or two, we played in the waves and then surrendered the boards to Ryno for his next lesson. He does surfing instruction through the Chintsa landmark, Buccaneers Lodge and Backpackers.
PIRATES AHOY
Buccaneers, situated on 8ha of dune forest within walking distance of the ocean, is among the most popular backpackers in South Africa. It was awarded a certificate
Once a horse comes here, it never has to leave
of excellence this year by the popular travel website, TripAdvisor. To achieve this, Buccaneers scored an overall rating of four or higher out of five stars for at least 12 months. We have met travellers who regularly return to this backpackers, which has a wide range of accommodation with views of the lagoon and bay. The backpackers arranged our surfing and horse riding but we were guests of another establishment on our Chintsa trip.
CONTACT BOX
Cintsa Horses: It’s R300 for a beach trail, but they also offer pre-arranged half- or full-day trails and extended safaris. Phone 043 738 5141 or 083 459 6646 or visit cintsahorses.co.za. Buccaneers Backpackers: Rates from R85 per night camping, R120 per night for dorms, R695 per night for cottages. New en-suite rooms with sundecks and bay views are R520 per night. Phone 043 734 3012 or visit cintsa.com. Crawford’s Beach Lodge: Phone 043 738 500; e-mail chintsa@iafrica.com or visit crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za. Prana Lodge: Phone 043 704 5100 or 043 704 5119; e-mail info@pranalodge.co.za or visit pranalodge.co.za.