From Novice to Natural: Bill's Excellent Equestrian Adventure

From Novice To Natural:
Bill's Excellent Equestrian Adventure

Nicky Hoseck

Unlike many of our clients, who've been riding since childhood, Bill only climbed into the saddle much later in life and had to embark on a challenging journey to get to the point where he could comfortably join us on trail.

From Wyoming to the Wild Coast: An Unexpected Journey

Bill is by no means our average client. For starters, he's American which puts him into a small minority of riders from the US. Secondly, he was, before arriving in South Africa, more familiar with Western riding, which put him at a disadvantage on our trail-trained horses.

Although our horses aren’t ridden in a purely English style, they rely on similar aids, while our saddles are a special hybrid developed in South Africa specifically for trail riding.

It didn't take Bill long to adapt, however, and his journey from novice to natural serves as an inspiration to anyone learning to ride later in life or who's considering transitioning from Western to English-style riding.

A Late Start in the Saddle

Although Bill's dad grew up around horses, Bill only started riding at 61. When Covid hit, many of the dude ranches in the US were forced to close their doors - to their workers as well as their guests. Instead, they turned to friends and family to help out.

When Bill's buddy asked him to join him on a ranch in Wyoming, Bill says, "I thought I'd be bored. This was a working ranch without hot tubs, TVs, or tennis courts." Instead, Bill says, "I loved it!"

With no staff available, Bill and his friend did a lot of riding - "moving cattle and horses through vast open pastures with snow-capped mountains on the horizon!"

It certainly sounds idyllic and it didn't take Bill long to realize he wanted more.

Sights Set On New Horizons

Trail riding back home in North Carolina was fun, but it wasn't ticking all of Bill's boxes. Having been a pilot throughout his career, both in the military and commercially, he was used to travelling and missed the opportunity to "see new places, eat different foods and meet people from around the world."

The trouble was, nearly every trail ride outside the US requires riders to adopt an English style of riding and, at that point in his equestrian journey, Bill was only familiar with Western - a style he describes as "floppy."

Despite his limited riding experience, the horse-riding travel agency, Wild Inside Horse Safaris, was able to provide him with a list of riding trips that would, Bill says, offer "a riding experience I would both learn from and never forget."

Although his ultimate goal was to ride the Tuli Block horse safari, he first embarked on a 4-day, 5-night mini trail along the Wild Coast - a trip he believed "would prepare me for manoeuvring around the trail and wild animals we'd encounter in Tuli." The good news? It did exactly that.

Saddling Up After Surgery

Of course, Bill's preparations started long before he set foot on African soil in January 2024, and as soon as he recovered from shoulder surgery the previous November, he booked a few lessons with a local dressage instructor.

Bill explains that, throughout these lessons, "My focus was on balance and use of my legs, rather than the reins, to direct and communicate with the horse. I found that to be a challenge while posting around a small arena but it proved to be the best possible training I could get given the short time I had to prepare."

Sadly, however, "work, weather, and horse availability made finding riding time a challenge," so Bill came up with an ingenious solution. Instead of sitting on a seat, he built himself a mobile saddle stand so that he could spend some time getting his bottom saddle ready!

The Horseman in the Hangar

As Bill was building an aeroplane at the time (as you do!), he moved his saddle stand into his hangar and "rode" as he worked.

"Simply standing in the stirrups for a minute at a time helped develop my balance and strength. I also "posted" in my saddle. I started posting for 30 seconds and built up to 5 minutes. This really helped my leg balance and strength."

While Bill admits, "it's not a substitute for riding," it proved surprisingly effective at getting him ready for his African adventure. So effective, he recommends it to anyone in a similar position, saying, "$200 for a used saddle, $25 for the lumber and two hours of build time is a no-brainer" - especially when you consider the cost of trail rides in the US!

The Wild Coast Challenge: Finding Stability in the Saddle

When Bill arrived on the Wild Coast, his stability in the saddle was still something of a concern, so we gave him one of our steadier horses and trusted her to give him a smooth ride. While that wasn't always the case, Bill proved himself more than equal to the task, sitting some serious spooks with the balance of a pro!

We weren't the only ones harbouring some concerns, and Bill admits he was worried about "keeping up with more experienced riders cantering and galloping in unknown terrain without falling off."

While his lessons had prepared him to some extent, riding in a small arena left little room for attempting a fast canter, let alone a gallop. As a result, Bill explains, "While I'd made good progress in English riding, I knew I'd have to rely on my Western canter and gallop experience until I became accustomed to the English saddle in open terrain. The first day at the beach ride I was thinking "Oh no, canter time" but by the last, I was thinking "Yeehaaa, gallop time!"

Bill was only with us for five days, but during that time proved to be a model student, happily taking tips from his fellow riders and quickly putting them into practice. Riding as the backup guide on that trail, I went from nervously watching him bounce about during the first canter to encouraging him to go faster in the last.

A Passport to the World on Horseback

Another concern for Bill was the knowledge that, before he was approved to participate in the Tuli horse safari, he'd first have to pass a basic horse-riding test. Would his skills be up to the challenge?

The answer was a resounding yes! Just as Bill had predicted, "The beach and trail ride prepared me well for the bush riding and the tips and encouragement from the guides and other guest riders gave me were very helpful."

Now that Bill's conquered both English and Western styles of riding, the world's his oyster. He's already been on a trail ride in Barcelona and has lined up another one in Morocco for later in the year. His goal, he says, is to take a week-long riding vacation every three months although when I ask where in the world he'd most like to ride, he laughs, saying "My backyard, if I had more space."

Bill's transformation from a novice to a natural in the English saddle serves as an inspiration to anyone looking to open up their horse-riding horizons. As Bill says, "Being proficient at both styles of riding has opened up opportunities for riding around the world."

Even though he started his journey in a Western saddle, it looks like Bill may well end it in an English one which, he says, "is more comfortable," although nothing can beat a Western saddle for "ranch work and riding in difficult terrain."

Conclusion: Be Like Bill

So, if you're a Western rider dreaming of an African adventure, be like Bill and while you're at it, take his advice, which is "GO! Don't wait. Buy an old saddle and stand for the days you can't get out to ride."

"If you haven't spent much time in an English saddle," he says, "take in the beach and trail riding before heading to the bush. The riding is worth it even if you're experienced."

Clearly, the horse riding holiday bug has bitten Bill hard, largely because his first experience was such a success! About his African adventure, he says, "The accommodations and food were terrific! The horses were well-trained and easy to handle. The guides and other staff were very professional, friendly and helpful." All in all, it was "Just perfect."

So perfect, in fact, that Bill's already planning his trip to the Wild Coast, when we hope to encourage him even further on his riding journey by giving him one of our spicier mounts! I'm sure he's up to it and if he is, the chances are that you are too!

After all, Wild Coast Horses offer a unique hybrid of English and Western riding styles. While we post to the trot and adopt a light seat in canter, at a walk, our horses respond to neck reining aids just as a Western-trained horse would. In other words, trail riding is the perfect stepping stone between Western and English riding styles. Why not give it a go?