Lyrene Zimmerman is the head of Sales & Marketing at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, owned by the well known Oppenheimer family and offers exclusive and private accommodation in the Kalahari Desert in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Horse riding has become exceptionally popular at Tswalu and the stables were very busy this festive season, with a wonderful giraffe sighting on the Christmas morning ride, followed by buffalo sightings a few days later.
Guests loved the thrill of being out on horseback, part of their natural surroundings.
The Tswalu stables now have15 horses varying of size, colour and breed. The breeds include Shire, Arab X, Appaloosa X, Saddler X, Boerperd, Friesian X, Quarter horse X and Pinto. We also have some retired racehorses from the Oppenheimer stud farm. Their sizes vary from 146cm (14.3H) to 172cm (17.1H).
Most of the horses are suitable for any type of rider but we do have a few that need more experienced riders. In December we welcomed Cindy to Tswalu, who will be assisting Almeri as Assistant Stable Manager. Cindy completed her Equine Science degree in South Africa and has worked with Arabian and Thoroughbred horses. She also worked at Saldannah Military Equestrian Centre where she was a Stable Manager and ran the eco-rides on the beach. She is looking forward to learning about the Kalahari and becoming a field guide.
This week we also welcome 2 new arrivals to the Tswalu stables. Levi and Lex are beautiful Shire carthorses, originally from England. In the past, this soaring breed was used to do farm work and pull carriages. Levi is 3 years old and already standing at 172cm (17.1H). Lex is 2 years old and is standing at 164cm (16.2H). They will continue to grow until about the age of five and will mature around 180cm (18H). Both horses are undergoing training and will be used for guests as soon as training is complete.
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