First Horse Drawn Caravan Ride. Many more to come

The first horse drawn caravan ride after two years of preparation and planning. Yesterday we left our car behind with our son Niels. For the first time in 10 years without a car because we are the lucky owners of a 2 HP horse drawn caravan. This morning we said goodbye to the people of “Nooit meer Haast”, (never in a hurry again) a community of alternative bohemians living in Gers and Yurts. They gave us a shelter in the last three months and a place to stay and work on our caravan.

We wanted to leave early in the morning but somehow John lost his keys and we have searched for more than two hours. We did not find them and hopefully others will find them and return them in to us. Nevertheless, a bit of stress and upcoming nervousness could not spoil our happiness and fun sitting on the box heading the unknown. We have a short video on that one.

Unknown?

Well it wasn’t really an unknown destiny. We arranged a place to stay for the first night on a spot close to john’s work. Just to be in case and to get used searching for shelter. In our ignorance, we planned also to meet John’s friend on our way, around noon. After two hours of searching key’s and another two hours, hitching up the horses it was no longer an option to be on time.

Some promises we can’t hold while traveling our first horse drawn caravan ride. The first village we pass is Baarle-Nassau, a small bordercommunity. The streets are small and narrow and our fear comes true: we hit a picket besides the road. Only a minnor damage on the wagon, phu!

We also take some time to enter a weighbridge. Finally we are able to weight everything and we are not happy. It’s too much and more than expected. We weight it earlier on when the caravan was empty but now with all the supplies and personal stuff it’s to much. We have to do something about that.

Than we have our baptism of fire when we approach a sandy road full of pits and holes and the caravan almost fall to pieces. The entire kitchen equipment is on the floor not to mention books and clothes. The caravan shaft is dancing in between the horses and we are in fear of serious damage on animals, people and car. A farmer along the road cant't close his mouth anymore after seeing us, we happily wave him goodbey.

With a lump in our throat and shaky knees, we arrive at our place to stay. Jan and Annie Kools, two sweet elderly people welcoming us with warm words. The next five days we are living in a fine atmosphere. Clients from Johns work are visiting us. We do some laundry and our kids visiting us, twice.

Than unfortunately Isabella gets sick. She has colic and the vet is necessary. With paraffin and lots of walking in the woods, she gets better.

Fall Silent

At the end of the week Jan and Annie, ask if we have time to give their autistic grandson a ride. We have never done that before, but for everything there is a first time. It’s a twelve year old boy, used to sit once a week on a horseback. With great pleasure, he sits on Aysha’s back and something amazing is happening. The boy is completely one with the horse. Every movement Aysha is making he follows with great suppleness and flexibility. A big smirk on his face. We all fall silent about that and with great thankfulness that we can do that for him we walk a round through the wood.

After all a great first week after our first horse drawn caravan ride.

End of Horse Drawn Caravan ride. Back to horse drawn caravan journey 2007