OUT ON THE TREKS
Over fifteen years of action packed High Country life we have amassed literally thousands of photographs, taken on the treks. This page will have a selection of these photos and some of the stories that have made us all giggle, whilst remembering, of course - that the customer is always right !!!
Parachutes Optional!
Happy Days!
In our very first year of doing the horse trekking there were quite a few memorable rides. The one that really stands out to this day was when we were booked to take Mum and Dad and their twelve year old son out for the one hour trek. The parents said they were competent riders and the son was a novice but a bright lad, quick to respond to instruction. Half way through the ride we used to turn right, climb down the bank into the river and then out again the other side, turning quite sharply right to find the track homewards. The customers were on Trigger, Wolfie and Halliday. I led through the river on Sparky and Rod was bringing up the rear on Toss. I turned right as per usual but looked back to find that none of the other horses had followed me. The Mum, on Wolfie, had been taken straight on, under the soft summer branches of a willow tree.. She could have turned him or stopped him, or just pushed the branches out of the way, but she chose to go over backwards, screaming, rolling over Wolfie's backside and landing in the long grass!
The son, who had done jolly well on Trigger, leapt off HIS horse and abandoned it while he rushed to his mother's side screaming " Are you alright Mummy?!!" The father, on Halliday, was quite enjoying all the activity, once he realised that no one was hurt, but as he was twisting round watching, old Halliday, who was a supersmart old horse, even then, sidled off to the left and deeply under and into a wild cherry tree. The father was sort of wiped off but with panache. He hung on to a convenient branch, removed his feet from the stirrups and just sort of dangled in the tree while Halliday strolled off and started grazing!
Rod and I were absolutely speechless. There is not really much one can say when one has witnessed the delight of ALL one's customers ending up on the ground! We returned to the spot the following day with a team of helpers and constructed a big barrier to stop the horses doing the same thing again. They had had ten minutes extra grazing by shedding their loads so successfully and I have no doubt they would have been happy to repeat the exercise if given the chance.
The son, who had done jolly well on Trigger, leapt off HIS horse and abandoned it while he rushed to his mother's side screaming " Are you alright Mummy?!!" The father, on Halliday, was quite enjoying all the activity, once he realised that no one was hurt, but as he was twisting round watching, old Halliday, who was a supersmart old horse, even then, sidled off to the left and deeply under and into a wild cherry tree. The father was sort of wiped off but with panache. He hung on to a convenient branch, removed his feet from the stirrups and just sort of dangled in the tree while Halliday strolled off and started grazing!
Rod and I were absolutely speechless. There is not really much one can say when one has witnessed the delight of ALL one's customers ending up on the ground! We returned to the spot the following day with a team of helpers and constructed a big barrier to stop the horses doing the same thing again. They had had ten minutes extra grazing by shedding their loads so successfully and I have no doubt they would have been happy to repeat the exercise if given the chance.
A Hot Summers Day Ride
