Haflinger Tales

Haflingers in the Wilderness

School holidays are coming up and no one feels like going too far afield. Somehow we have managed to avoid any family commitments and there is no work on the farm that is urgent. There are some horse shows on this weekend but we are all are in need of a break. Looking out the kitchen window, the paddocks are looking very green and all of the cattle and haflingers are very forward in condition.

The three mares Demi, Orissa and Roseamber look like they could use some exercise and just working in the arena and up on the trail is not enough of an adventure. My camping gear isn't looking too bad and I just bought a small portable camping cooker that is the size of a rockmelon. I was reading about some trails near Barrington where you can ride for days along the river and camp. It's settled then, we are going for two and half days. Water for the horses is not a problem because of the river and there are also green pickings along the way. There is a loop trail and an old timber shack that has some shelter. Sometimes you get lucky and there is a pile of firewood but you have to restock it when you are done. The plan is to ride 5 hours to the camp site and set up a semi-permanent campsite. The next morning, we will ride up the track in a loop for another 5 hours before returning to the campsite for dinner. The last morning, we will pack up and ride back to the car and float. Simple!

We are taking the Wintec stocksaddles because I don't mind if they get wet. We have two swags, an old pack saddle and some waterproof bags and covers. For breakfast we will have porridge, dried fruit and coffee that we will boil in our little coffee maker. I'll bring fruit and nuts for morning tea and we will have cold chicken sandwiches for lunch and billy tea. For the evening, we will have a big bowl of pasta, red wine and a dessert of apples and potted cheese.

I have packed a medical kit for the horses and people, a farrier kit and some spare reins, a girth and leather straps. I have also packed a flash light with an extra set of batteries and our phone for emergencies. I have two pairs of pants, two T-shirts, one long sleeve jumper, a dry as a bone coat with a hood, socks, hat, helmet,rubber boots and a pair of fleece lined track pants and undies. I also have a small bag for toothbrush, towel, hairbrush, sunblock and Aeroguard. My husband carries less clothes and feed for the horses in pre-made portions in feed sacks that have been tied off. Yeah...we are almost ready to go! I just have to tidy up the float and finish packing and then stack everything by the door. I am ready for the quiet, serene forest with the sound of water rushing over the rocks into deep pools.

The problems start when my daughter decides at the last minute she is coming. Which in itself is a good thing. But suddenly there is a phone charged with credit, an Ipod, a GHD hair straightener, skinny jeans and a selection of fashionable tops that she wants added to the packs. She doesn't have a swag so someone will have to sleep on a foam mat. Sorry...no burnt chop syndrome for me....I am not sleeping on it and I don't care how much she complains. "Hey Mum, you have forgotten toilet paper and drinking cups!" My husband has noticed that one of the tyres is low on the float and starts pumping it up with the little generator. He starts loading the float with food bins, saddlerly, plastic feed buckets and some 2 litre water bottles. 'Hey Mum, I don't want pasta", "OK", I say, " you can have beef noodles instead, that's it".

It's starting to get frustrating but we push on to leave by 8 am tomorrow morning. At 10 pm, we have finally packed the car and the float and have the horses in the yards so they are easy to catch. We fall into bed and set the alarm for 6 am but I know I'll be up at 5 am anyway and wont even need an alarm! We all fall sound asleep. I wake up at 5:30, make some coffee and start putting the food together. I really don't think 2 bottles of wine is enough so I slip another one into the pack. It's one thing to go on holiday and sleep under the stars but if it rains, the red wine will come in handy.

At 6 am my husband gets up and we have coffee and then it starts to rain. We look at each other across the table and I can see the first traces of doubt cross his face. I suddenly remember that I have forgotten matches and firestarters and slip those into the waterproof ziplock bags. I quickly get up from the table and start packing things up. The rain is getting harder and my daughter calls out for me to come to her room. I know what is about to happen. She suddenly doesn't want to commune with nature anymore and has developed stomach cramps. Oh yeah, I forgot to put in the Panadol! "Sorry" I say, "you are coming and that is the end of it!" She reluctantly gets out of bed, gets dressed and straightens her hair even with the rain and then starts crying. " OK", I say, " you can stay at Maddy's but you have to make sure they can pick you up".

Finally I have everything packed and down by the front door and we carry a few of loads to the car. We are in the car and ready to back down the hill, when my husband realises he has left his wallet and we drive back up so he can get it. I say "What the hell!" and get out of the car and check for forgotten items. The rain is getting a little harder but we ignore it.

We finally drive down the hill, put on the float and load the horses and it's still only 7:50 am. Not bad! We have a nice trip up through the Hunter and stop at a little shop for coffee and bacon and egg rolls. My daughter rings and says that she can stay with her friend but wishes she had come along. I suspect she had already been invited shopping but secretly she would have been happy to come along with Mum and Dad and miss the shopping trip but needs her Mum to be the bad guy to get away with not going. I guess I should have insisted that she come... mothers never get it right!

The horses are travelling beautifully. If you feed haflingers, they will do anything for you. We drive down a two lane highway and turn off on an old forest road. About 10 k down the road there is a farmhouse and then another turn off up to a state forest. Along the way there are some amazing valleys and a view of the river. We find a cleared area in a stand of trees and park the truck. We unload the horses and tie them to nearby trees so they can have a green pick. They have already had breakfast and a snack in the float but hey...they are going to be carrying us so why not?

We saddle the horses and put on the saddle bags. We pile the feed, water, food and clothing on the pack horse and tie down the weatherproof sheet. We each carry a swag, a small backpack with maps, water, medical kit and food.

The horses are very well behaved and Orissa only tries to rub the backpack off on a tree a few times while Roseamber or Little Rose as we call her, tries to eat and kick out at Demi. They all settle beautifully after about 15 minutes. We pass a few campers before angling off down a trail into the valley. There are a few long abandoned farmhouses and sheds along this old logging road then the road narrows to a rough track. We travel for about an hour before I can hear the river cascading over rocks and into deep pools. It flooded here about a month ago and the river is still running well but there are still some shallow crossings. The horses are loving the river and sometimes kick at the water as if they are planning to roll. I kick them up a little more to discourage this as it would be a disaster for our little holiday break.

The rain has almost stopped now. About 3:00 we arrive at a clearing near the river. About 15 metres back from the river is the old timber hut. We tie the horses and erect a fence with electric tape around a stand of trees. We unsaddle the horses and let them drink their fill and then let them graze before putting them in their makeshift yard.

We erect the small tent near the hut just in case it rains but we will probably sleep under the stars in our swags. Firewood is easy to find and we make a camp fire near a rock face. There is an old tub for boiling water. Some of the timber cutters used to stay here but I suspect now it is only used for bushwalkers or riders. I boil the water on my little stove and make the pasta. We have some wine and a few cheese biscuits before polishing off a nice bowl of chicken pasta.

We keep the fire raging as the night cools off and we crawl into our swags and have one last look at the southern cross before falling fast asleep!