An Eastern Cape resident is crossing South Africa on horseback to raise awareness about African Horse Sickness (AHS) which has affected many horses in the Eastern Cape.
Nearly 300 horses died from AHS in the Cacadu district in December 2007. Lloyd Gillespie has taken many equine strides to complete the 2 502km he has covered so far and the hoof beats still continue.
An Eastern Cape resident is crossing South Africa on horseback to raise awareness about African Horse Sickness (AHS) which has affected many horses in the Eastern Cape.
Nearly 300 horses died from AHS in the Cacadu district in December 2007. Lloyd Gillespie has taken many equine strides to complete the 2 502km he has covered so far and the hoof beats still continue.
In an initiative called Riding for Horses, Gillespie is aiming to generate information about AHS so that the
government will notice that that a medical solution needs to be found.
AHS is a viral disease affecting horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. Only horses die from the disease,
although donkeys, mules and zebras can carry it. It is transmitted by the culicoides midge, which acts as a carrier.
Gillespie started his journey on 10 July last year in Durban and he is now on a stopover in Kleinemonde in the Eastern Cape to change horses.
It’s now possible to travel with and transport horses in the Eastern Cape after a long period of restrictions in the Eastern Cape because of AHS.
They have already been travelling for seven months and by the time they return to Durban to complete the
journey he will have mapped 7 000km.
On Saturday Gillespie will go back to the Limpopo River to resume his journey in Limpopo province which was interrupted when one of his horses contracted biliary.
He will make his way down the west coast to Cape Town. “There is no deadline to complete the journey but
in Cape Town and Durban we will generate the most support as we will have travelled approximately 5 000km by the time we get to Cape Town and we will plan more activities to generate support in these big
cities,” Gillespie said.
The media is the primary source for raising awareness of the initiative as the journey progresses. “We have been on SABC television news, CNN news, in national and local newspapers and radio stations along our route,” Gillespie said.
“Riding for Horses is aimed at not only generating public interest in AHS but to initiate the development
of new medical approaches which are funded by the government just as rabies vaccines are,” says Gillespie.
He has first-hand knowledge of how horses suffer from AHS because two of his horses contracted the sickness last year but managed to survive.
Gillespie has been joined on horseback by a companion Isabel Wolf who drove the supply truck for the first part of the journey.
“Now the supply vehicle is moved forward on our journey by members of the public,” Gillespie said. The
supply vehicle carries necessary supplies such as food, water, clothing and equipment for both horses and riders.
Gillespie and Wolf alternate between eight horses in total but at any one time they each ride one horse followed by the supply vehicle.
The supplies will be much needed especially in the extreme heat of Limpopo Province, he says. “Accommodation remains a difficulty as we have to find accommodation for ourselves and a fenced off area for the horses,” Gillespie said.
The two have found themselves staying with friends, members of the public they meet on the way and sometimes just sleeping under the stars.
With four to five months of further travelling, the Riding for Horses team is prepared to complete their journey, making sure their AHS awareness message comes straight from the horses’ mouth.
