The Holiday of a Lifetime - African Horse Safaris (written by Steven Rufus)

My name is Steven Rufus and with my wife Lucy we own and operate South Africa Horseback Safaris based on the borders of Swaziland in SA, a company designed for clients to take their holiday on horseback moving with the Big Game in their own terrain. As an operator and guide I will try to prepare you for the holiday of a life time answering some of your questions and giving you an insight in to what you can expect.

The day before the start of safari is here, I sit on a log outside my house in the bush with a trusted friend (an ice cold beer!) watch the sun go down, and listen to the sounds of Africa. I start to ponder the arrival of my guest's who at this minute are sitting in airports all over the world anxious to arrive in Africa and start their holiday and what you expect to see and feel on arrival that automatically makes you realize you have chosen the right holiday.

The main ingredient of a horse safari holiday is of course the horses themselves, in some operations you will ride different horses each day and others you will keep the same mount for the duration. My operation is the latter as I like to see the guests settle in with their horses, create a bond and enjoy riding the same mount all week knowing how they will react to the situations as they occur. The most difficult part of the holiday for me is to ensure that you have the right horse for your ability, I have a depth of horses to suit all personalities (it is very important to note that I do not accept any riders below an intermediate level, so I do not have novice horses) and on the first day I will endeavor to place you with a friend you will learn to love throughout the week. To do this you will have first supplied a booking form and details of your riding ability, then on arrival I like to talk to someone before making the final decision, get a feel for the person and decide if they have been modest with their ability on their paperwork.

Once I have decided which horse will suit, the next stage is the all important introductory ride in a safe environment. This takes place where are horses are based, on a 2000 hectare private reserve with no dangerous game. Here I guide the ride and have a back up rider in place, surreptitiously we both take turns to view the guests and ensure that they are happy at all paces. The guest is never there to school the horse, all this must be done prior to arrival, they are here to have a good time and enjoy their holiday without feeling that the horse cannot do their job or require extra effort in transitions etc. My aim is that the rider is exhilarated, finds the riding challenging in terms of terrain and pace but confident they can control the horse at all times and accepts the rivers and game paths as something they can do rather than a scary experience that they would rather avoid.

I know I have achieved this when the guests at the end of the week want to take their horse home with them - this is the ultimate compliment as they have been way out of their comfort zone and still have loved every minute with their 4 legged companions.

To quote Harry Meade - International Eventer who rode with us last year - "Expecting to be unimpressed by the little horses in the bush, I couldn't have been more wrong! Steve knows exactly how he wants the horses schooled. They are all trained to a remarkably high level: they never jog or pull, they are not sharp or lazy. They can be ridden on a loose rein with total control, have a fantastic turn of pace and can be pulled upon a sixpence. As a type they are like polo ponies; they are tough, fast and as nimble as mountain goats..... I can genuinely say I couldn't have asked for a better ally for the week."

In addition it is important that we ensure your saddle is comfortable and fits you properly - it's a given that it should fit the horse too! - I use South African Stock Saddle's, with a number of amendments to ensure best performance. These saddles (whilst not as big as western saddles) have some of the same features, deep padded seat, high pommel and cantle, straps rather than buckles for girths and tying places for saddle bags. These saddles were originally created by the military and are designed for riding long hours whilst distributing weight evenly over the horse's back. As anyone who has ever owned a riding operation will tell you the horse's back must be protected as much as possible from un even weight so these saddles work hard to minimise impact and ensure both animal and rider are as comfortable as possible.

So we have the right equipment and the right horse for our new guests. Now can let them loose in the main game reserve with the Big Game? Before this happens I have to ensure that all my guests know what to do and what to expect should we encounter any problems with elephant, Rhino etc. For the guest this is the most important talk of the safari and will describe what actions you need to take to safely view animals and navigate through the bush. At this point I also explain the duties of the back up guide, in addition to helping me spot game their role is to remove the guests from any danger and allow me to deal with any potential problems. They are unarmed, whilst as lead guide I carry a rifle and a bullwhip (in some operations where lion is present the back up guide is also armed). Some time ago I pioneered the usage of the bullwhip to control big game, I discovered very early on it is incredibly difficult to fire your weapon from the back of a horse accurately, and as the whip creates a similar noise to a gun and is far less invasive to animals it has worked perfectly in stopping charges from elephant to inquisitive rhino. The whip is cracked from the back of the lead horse, and requires a certain type of brave horse and extra training before they will stand still to accept this violent noise.

It is also very important to note that prior to travel you as the client must be happy that your guide is qualified to lead guests in the African Bush. There are many exams you can take to achieve a qualification of varying degrees, but only 3 horse guides in South Africa (of which I am one) are fully qualified with weapons experience to take clients on horse back in this environment. As I stated you want to feel exhilarated, but not scared and the only way to achieve this is to choose an operation that is experienced and able to deal with potential problems.

The final ingredient of a great horse safari is the hosts themselves, this is a very intimate week and you will spend a lot of time together so you need to ensure that your hosts are 'people person's'. That they go that extra mile for you and interact where ever possible, e.g. does your guide just lead you through the bush or will he interpret the things he sees to enable you to gain more enjoyment from your week? Anyone can walk through a bush, but not everyone is able to track animals, explain what they have seen and have taken the time to research the history of the area so they can impart this knowledge to their guests. My safari is owner operated, which means that I personally guide every safari and with my wife Lucy we take extra care to ensure that everyone walks away knowing that little bit more about the country they have visited.

It's a holiday that can change lives, relax the most stressed of executives and bring intense joy and a sense of privilege to the weariest of people. Once you have ridden across country that has never been tamed, placing hoof prints on paths that only animals have trodden before, been close enough to Rhino to smell their scent, view the giraffes perfect eyelashes, and gallop alongside zebra across an open plain that stretches as far as the eye can see .........well life just doesn't get any better!

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