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Horse Riding- Way Out West
Think Pembrokeshire and images of cowboys don’t necessarily follow. The benign, green rolling hills are hardly the place to set your mind free with images of arid planes, gunfights and Boot Hill. In fact, it would take a rather grand and imaginative leap to find any common ground at all between America’s Wild West and Wales’ south-west.
But all this may be about to change if the team at Sycamores Ranch have their way. Nick and Elaine Evans have started a ‘western’ style riding school behind the picturesque village of Llawhaden, near Haverfordwest.
“The countryside around here is fantastic for equestrian use – the gate of our farm opens straight on to a network of lovely bridleways,” Nick Evans told me. “So the logical thing when we bought the farm was to start a pony trekking centre, but there are many in the area. So we had to look for and offer something different, something more exciting. We also wanted to attract experienced horse riders who were perhaps looking for the unusual.”
Certainly, this is what attracted Vicky who has been riding all her life, but never in a western saddle. The tack – that’s the saddle and bridle for the truly uninitiated – is different for traditional or ‘English’ style riding and the John Wayne kind. Also, the way you ride is distinguished in two key ways and it is these which make western riding look more relaxed than English – just like you’re riding home on the range.
Firstly, in a western saddle (which has no knee rolls and a ‘roping horn’ instead of a pommel) you ride ‘long’, in that the stirrups are low and your legs are almost straight. This means that you do not rise in the trot and walking or cantering is preferable to a bouncy and uncomfortable trot. Secondly, the reins are held in one hand for ‘neck reining’. Rather than pulling the left rein to go left as you would with an English bridle, you pull both reins across the horse’s neck to the left. At this point you may be tempted to pick up your ten-gallon hat and scream “Yee-hah!”
“What is interesting,” Nick continued, “is that the horses take to it very easily. We haven’t really had to teach them anything. Because it’s a more natural, less strenuous way of riding, the horses don’t even sweat up on the sides.” There are currently 15 horses at Sycamore Ranch – a mixture of Welsh cobs, Arabs, thoroughbreds and old hunters. American bred ‘quarter’ horses are to come in the future. The horses are named after the states of the USA, and on a blustery autumn morning, Vicky was introduced to Alabama.
The countryside around the ‘ranch’ is wonderful. To the north, there are views over the Preseli Hills, whence came the famous bluestone that was used to construct Stonehenge. South, the land drops away to the Cleddau Valley and the river that winds its way past Pembroke Castle to the Atlantic.
History is woven into the land here: there are three Bronze Age forts on the farm itself and in the nearby village of Llawhaden stands the romantic ruins of a Norman castle. The castle was part of a chain of strongholds built in the 11th Century following the Norman invasion of west Wales. The line, called the ‘Landsker’ kept the native population north of the land that became known as “Little England beyond Wales.” A short ride out of Sycamore Ranch crosses the Landsker, and a longer ride might also take you on to the Knights Templars Way, past the historic Black Pool Mill and through ancient woodlands.
While I was having my tour of the historic sights over a map and a cup of coffee, Vicky was saddling up Alabama. “We only take people who can ride,” Nick explained – the reason why I would be following with my camera in a car. “And we try to get them involved as much as possible in the whole day, so they tack up for themselves, with a little help from one of our staff.”
When they were ready to go, the first shower of the day had swung in from the west, dumping cold rain on us. Wh
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oever said being a cowboy was easy, I thought, as the riders passed out of the farm gate and on to a bridleway. But by the time I caught up with them on a path overlooking Llawhaden castle, the sun had broken through, illuminating the green fields. It was turning into a perfect day for a horse ride. Pembrokeshire is beguiling when the weather is like this. The most miserable day transforms into a heavenly one in the time it takes to zip up an anorak.
As we passed the medieval church in Llawhaden, the riders were well into their stride. Vicky, who was on a horse for the first time this year, looked happy: “I may regret saying this later, but it feels very comfortable so far.”
This is one of the draw cards of western riding. The low stirrups mean that the riding position should be more comfortable. Nick explained: “We have found that it particularly helps people who have bad backs or knees. We once had an 86-year old rider who hadn’t been on a horse for five decades. It took years off him.”
In terms of technique, western is more instinctive than English style riding. So, confidence is the key. As Nick said: “Our horses know exactly what to do. If the rider is bold enough to let the horse do it, then it’s easy.” This was reassuring, but I was still on my own two feet when we reached the castle at the top of the village of Llawhaden. The horses were tethered in the moat while we had a picnic in the sunshine among the ruins – this is a great spot.
The rides can last from two hours to a full day, but all routes pass through the castle at some point. In the summer, Sycamore will organise a barbecue to round off the day. There are usually no more than eight riders, including the leader. Less is better, as the lanes are narrow and as Vicky said: “You want to feel the space a bit sometimes, and have the chance to break into a canter.” But Nick Evans is careful not to put novices in with experienced riders. “This just doesn’t work,” He said. “All our clients book in advance – we get no passing trade – so we can ask the questions and gauge people before they come.”
And come, one suspects, they will. A day out on the Llawhaden range may not be enough to transport you to the ‘altiplano’ or the desert wastes of New Mexico, but it is something different – and a great change for experienced riders.
Ride on, cowboy !
Words & Pictures: Rob Penn
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