News / Blog Posts
What's Your Story?
Kathy at Southern Cross Horse Treks Australia loves to hear and share stories about your horse riding holiday experiences at the Kerewong farm.
If you have a story to tell, photos to display or just want to let people know about your adventure trip, let us know!
Horse Treks Newsletter
Subscribe for news & last minute horse riding tour places.
**Specialised multi-day horse riding adventures for experienced (intermediate to advanced) horse riders.
You are here
HomeEnd Of Year Reflections - 2016 - Horse Riding
2016 Year Review
2017 is well and truly on it's way and I better review 2016 so I have it all done and dusted.
First of all I wish you all a happy, healthy, successful and adventurous 2017! And of course lots of quality time with your horses and pets as this is what binds us all together.
2016 was a record year for Southern Cross Horse Treks: 21 Tours, almost all fully booked made it my busiest year since opening the business in 2004. Not sure if 2017 will be equally busy but we are having a nice break and rest at the moment, hiding from the heat because this summer is also breaking records on heat-waves and low rainfall. But the weather during the 2016 horse tours was good most of the time.
Guests came from Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Dubai. I had first time guests from Taiwan, Malaysia, Reunion Island, Colombia / Thailand, plus the fantastic group of 3 Norwegian friends who endured that long flight from Europe just to ride the Kerewong Arabian horses they heard about while riding Arabians in Namibia (thank you Okapuka Horse Safaris for recommending us).
Not many Aussie guests this year. Only a handful really, plus the lovely loyal regulars, who keep coming back.
I met so many new wonderful people and saw quite a few return travelers from Europe and USA again as well this year - always so special for me to see familiar faces. A highlight with a sense of achievement was that two individual guests (both UK residents living in New Zealand, and both with the same first name!) came to Kerewong several times this year, one twice and the other one a record holding 3 times! They both really love Aliya and I am starting to worry what to do when the little mare retires.
The best news of the year happened right at the beginning. My prayers were answered when a new farrier moved to the area - an excellent one and reliable too, from France! My life is now a lot easier in this department, almost uncomplicated and drama-free dare I say, thanks to Mr. Bertrand Sonneville.
All horses are well. Only Kuta can't help himself from going too fast and after 6 months off for a tendon injury in 2015 and 6 month back at work he injured the tendon on his other leg exactly 1 year after the first lameness. He had another couple of months off and will be ready to join us again in March, but less fast from now on please!
I had no intention for a new horse in 2016, but in August I received a phone call and a gift. The gift is called Dream, is very much Arabian and was in need of a new home. A 15 year old grey gelding who settled seamlessly into the herd and work, you’d never think he has been standing in a paddock doing nothing much for most of his life. I hope he will last me quite a few years to confirm the theory that late starters last longer. He already is part of the working herd and his horse profile is up on the website.
Not only guests came and went, there were also a few helpers this year who came and went. Because I now have a "Kerewong Helpers House". Some helpers stayed long, some short, they all needed to continue their travels eventually. I really want to thank some of my best helpers I ever had. Sandrine, the French crepe-baker, made history as my hardest-working and tidiest helper ever and Lea made history as Bowie’s second favourite person in the world (after myself) - I will never forget how his eyes lit up when he saw her. Dear Max is still around as well and his help is always invaluable.
November 2016 marked 15 years anniversary that I moved to Kerewong. I am not so sure what to think of this, the passing of time, so I will just let this remark sit here. I have never lived in one spot for this long, but I never owned so many horses before either. I guess it makes moving around a little more challenging. I will just leave it at that for now. Home is where the animals live. And I am told over and over again that I live in the perfect place anyways.
In October there was another anniversary: 2 years with Bowie. Hooray !?! I am very slowly starting to recover from the shock of realising what it means to adopt a special needs fearful and abused dog from the shelter. Working this dog out and keeping him safe has been one of the hardest things I have done (still doing!) in my life. And no, I did not manage to go away on holiday in 2016 (except I did go to 2 endurance rides and Bowie went too). This is actually the first time in my life that I have not travelled at all, not even once, during the full calendar year. I guess there is always a first time for everything. I hope I will have more exciting news by the end of 2017.
In November my friend, ex-guest and ex-helper Stefan, better known as Jedda's favourite person in the world because he is The Champion of Playing Ball, returned to visit. After 1 year it was so great to see that Bowie remembered Stefan and that Stefan remembered how to feed the horses. Especially because then the unimaginable happened: I was injured! Not by horses, horse riding, snakes or farm machinery. Just a silly little freak-accident while out on a bush walk with the dogs and friends. I did not even fall or stumble, but I am guilty of wearing the wrong shoes and ripped my foot open in a bad way. Complete healing will take several months. And so I learned a few lessons. That sometimes there are limits to how long you can keep going with ignoring the facts and "what happens if something seriously goes wrong with me?". Because I am the business. Without me, there is no Southern Cross Horse Treks. I was forced to stop and take a rest to heal my foot and it was a confronting time for me personally, alone in Australia, with a one-woman business, in the middle of the high season, fully booked tours with overseas clients who cannot change their travel plans and living on a farm with many animals who depend on me and in particular one dog who possibly cannot live without me. Having then to depend on the compassion of my horse riding guests to care for me and my horses was a very awkward experience which I hope not to experience ever again. Thank you Sharon and Arden - you are life savers, even on your holidays!
Some of the other things that happened this year:
Manni - the oldest Kerewong horse - decided to take up permanent residence in the garden,
Bowie learned how to stand on the rail of the Kerewong entrance sign so he can proudly pose with the horses and riders for the photos,
Both dogs now run with us on the rides, whenever it's suitable. Bowie even manages the 30 km loop up to the mountain top and back in summer temperatures! He wears a little backpack with first aid kit, water and the hand saw.
I went to two 40 km endurance rides and it was a success: one with Valentino in June and one with Toby in July. My guest rider and friend Eileen accompanied me and rode Jimmy on one occasion.
Southern Cross Horse Treks was featured with an article in the Australian annual book/magazine Arabian Studs & Stallions.
But enough now on 2016 and let's look forward again. 2017: I hope you will be kind. I continue to try to enjoy the little things. The most precious gift is the smile and look little Bowie gives me when he runs next to me, so full of love and happiness, just like little kids and dogs can live so completely untroubled in the moment. Jedda's eyes that light up as soon as I pick up the ball. Jimmy Jaws flicking his ears back and forward, the devil and angel in one. Toby 04, the gentlest soul. The new horse named Dream, living his own Dream, so happy with his new life. The oldies Manni and Copper, escaping from their boring retirement fields, visiting us in the house garden, refusing to be ignored. They all have spent so many years with me here and that is what I am most grateful for.
My chosen Photo of the Year makes me smile. The image of the happy horse rider on the beach embodies for me the happiness and freedom my horses can bring to people. Seeing the rider and the horse so happy in this moment. It was one of the moments this year I will remember for a long time, gallopping next to Jacqueline, her expressed happiness ad gratitude, the beautiful horse Jimmy so at ease and so magnificent, watching both horse and rider enjoying this moment to the fullest. It was a magical moment of pure joy and freedom.
Happy Riding!! Kathy, 2 happy doggies and the Kerewong 13