Why Your Wild Coast Experience is Unique

It’s the beginning of a ride you and your bestie have been looking forward to for months! Finally, you’re on the Wild Coast, about to experience the ride of a lifetime! 

But even though you might be riding side by side, maybe even riding two horses that are so closely related they’re hard to tell apart, that doesn’t mean you’re going to have a carbon-copy experience of the ride.

As your friend gazes between her horse’s ears, she may be experiencing something completely different to you, even though the view is the same. Maybe she’s mesmerised by the sunshine catching the white horses on the peaks of the waves, while you’re still trying to figure out if that extra slice of toast at breakfast really was a good idea! We all know we see things differently, but just how differently can come as something of a surprise.

How Your Brain Shapes Every Experience

Our brains don’t just passively experience the Wild Coast, receiving information about the stunning views, the empty beaches and the drama of the technical terrain. Instead, they do their own thing (much like our horses from time to time), creating a unique version of reality that only you and your brain can experience. 

Maybe you’ve ridden a horse on the beach before, and memories of that experience shape your perspective of the Wild Coast. Maybe you’ve heard stories about Arabian horses, and now that you’re riding one, those stories are influencing your experience.

How Our Perspective Changes Everything

All sorts of things shape our perspective, from past experiences and expectations to our concerns, our confidence, our mood, and even what we had for breakfast that morning. For some, that second cup of coffee can make all the difference in brightening the day!

You and your friend may approach the very same river, on very similar horses, yet experience it in completely different ways. You might be exhilarated and excited, while your friend is so nervous she simply can’t wait for the ordeal to be over. The horses don’t change. The river is exactly the same. But the experience, and the memories that linger afterwards, are forever shaped by that difference in perspective.

The Psychology Behind Everything You See

Psychologists say this all comes down to perception. Our brains aren’t digital cameras, faithfully recording everything around us. Instead, they’re storytellers, filtering the thousands of pieces of information they receive every second. They discard some details, assuming they can safely be ignored, while bringing others into the spotlight. They fill in the gaps, interpreting our experiences through the lens of everything we've seen, learned and experienced throughout our lives.

That’s why one rider might spend the whole beach canter grinning from ear to ear, while another is concentrating so hard on keeping their balance, they don’t even notice the dolphins playing in the surf. Neither experience is wrong. They’re just different. 

What Horses Teach Us About Living in the Moment

And of all the things that influence our perspective the most during a trail, the most notable is the horse. Horses have an uncanny ability to bring us back into the present moment. To encourage us to breathe deeply and look inside ourselves to see who we really are. 

Horses don’t care if you’re wearing the latest Ariat boots, or a pair of old gumboots. They have no interest in the fight you had with your mum last week, or the mistake you made at work before you left. They only care about what’s happening right now. 

They’re focused on your breathing, your balance, your rhythm, and your focus. And hopefully, as the trail continues, you start focusing on those things too. 

And little by little, the mental chatter fades into the background. Leaving you with a completely different perspective. 

Suddenly you're no longer thinking about work, emails or whether you packed enough sunscreen. You're simply there.

Why Horse Riding Feels So Therapeutic

It's one of the reasons so many riders describe a horseback holiday as therapeutic. The scenery certainly helps, but it's not just the Wild Coast that's changing your state of mind. It's the unique partnership between horse and rider that gently shifts your attention away from everything else.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you’ll all go home feeling the same. On the contrary, some might go home with tales of endless beach canters, while others can’t stop talking about crossing the Kobanqaba River and still others are still getting over the challenge of rock climbing on horseback. 

The Wild Coast may be the same destination for everyone, but no two people ever ride exactly the same trail.

And perhaps that's exactly as it should be.

Because the most memorable part of any horseback adventure isn't simply the place you visit. It's the version of yourself that you discover while you’re there.