Tschiffely Memorial Ride 2013
Tschiffely - Memorial Ride 2013
I had heard a lot about Aime Tschiffely, unfortunately this was after my after my "ride around the world with two horses." Maybe I would have been better prepared and would have made more intense thoughts about my plan, if I had known the story of this man before.
Today I admire this man, who walked with his horses through areas that were certainly even less accessible than those were I traveled through.
But what kind of a man was he? What did he think, when he hung his horse on a rope with two belly straps and pulled them across an inaccessible valley and led them across a narrow, swaying suspension bridge?
He had probably strong nerves and an unshakable confidence in the nature and the horses like Alfons Cotti I just met at the Alp Flix south of Savongnin in Graubünden?
He led me and other Long Riders on his horses through the mountains in a proverbial adventure ride.
Well, you could choose whether you would rather go the easy way or the more adventuros way, yes. The 51 riders of Tschiffely - Memorial ride were divided into four groups and who got Alfons and Alexander as their guides needed strong nerves. I realized this later.
Unbelievably steep trails and declines, hair-raising narrow paths of breathtaking precipices where taken in stride. And on one such paths, there was an obstacles in the form of a rushing stream and boulders of different sizes, fixed and loose. And the horses had to climb over them all to get through the watter.
Despite all of my experiences on my four and a half year ride around the world with countless hairraising experiences, I am very impressed by such an alpine ride in the company of people who will inevitably become friends. And of course, these horses that are able to do things, that will astonish many seasoned horse people. Things that we humans think not possible. We modern day horse owners, with our penchant for coddling our horses. One should not understand me wrong: I am myself find myself growingly attached to my horses and I am probably one of the biggest coddler of my horses. I think that's not so bad, when one is nevertheless aware, that it is horses with a very different feeling.
My conclusion from this ride is: Respect to the horses in the mountains (and any other of course) and of the horsemen who trust in the abilities of their horses. Hats off to Alfonso and Alexander, thanks to Peter and Phillip in commemoration to Aime Tschiffely.
Manfred Schulze Weltumreiter
I had heard a lot about Aime Tschiffely, unfortunately this was after my after my "ride around the world with two horses." Maybe I would have been better prepared and would have made more intense thoughts about my plan, if I had known the story of this man before.
Today I admire this man, who walked with his horses through areas that were certainly even less accessible than those were I traveled through.
But what kind of a man was he? What did he think, when he hung his horse on a rope with two belly straps and pulled them across an inaccessible valley and led them across a narrow, swaying suspension bridge?
He had probably strong nerves and an unshakable confidence in the nature and the horses like Alfons Cotti I just met at the Alp Flix south of Savongnin in Graubünden?
He led me and other Long Riders on his horses through the mountains in a proverbial adventure ride.
Well, you could choose whether you would rather go the easy way or the more adventuros way, yes. The 51 riders of Tschiffely - Memorial ride were divided into four groups and who got Alfons and Alexander as their guides needed strong nerves. I realized this later.
Unbelievably steep trails and declines, hair-raising narrow paths of breathtaking precipices where taken in stride. And on one such paths, there was an obstacles in the form of a rushing stream and boulders of different sizes, fixed and loose. And the horses had to climb over them all to get through the watter.
Despite all of my experiences on my four and a half year ride around the world with countless hairraising experiences, I am very impressed by such an alpine ride in the company of people who will inevitably become friends. And of course, these horses that are able to do things, that will astonish many seasoned horse people. Things that we humans think not possible. We modern day horse owners, with our penchant for coddling our horses. One should not understand me wrong: I am myself find myself growingly attached to my horses and I am probably one of the biggest coddler of my horses. I think that's not so bad, when one is nevertheless aware, that it is horses with a very different feeling.
My conclusion from this ride is: Respect to the horses in the mountains (and any other of course) and of the horsemen who trust in the abilities of their horses. Hats off to Alfonso and Alexander, thanks to Peter and Phillip in commemoration to Aime Tschiffely.
Manfred Schulze Weltumreiter