Cart Horse owners (“Carties”) head out daily (on average six out of seven days per week) onto the modern Cape Town road system endeavouring to eke out an existence by hauling scrap metal, vegetables or any other profitable load that comes their way. This activity encapsulates so much of what the amazing city of Cape Town represents: an historic, culturally diverse past. The City was a global melting pot in the 1600’s and much of this is still evident today: its’ charms drawing people from all over the world. The “Carties” and their unique working-horse culture represents one of these charms, reminding us of the rich, albeit often violent history and the importance of supporting an industry that represents survival for a large portion of the City’s population.
Both the “Carties” and the horses themselves come from communities marginalized and displaced under Apartheid: communities that were forcibly removed from District Six in Cape Town and relocated to the Cape Flats. This relocation not only up-rooted families from their homes and historic neighbourhood but also distanced the “Carties” from traditional sources of income, therefore imposing an even heavier physical burden on the horses. A cart horse can cover 40 to 50km at a trot in a day’s work. The Western Cape community of “Carties” and their horses face an uncertain future but with the support of the CHPA they can go about their work with some dignity knowing that they have the infrastructure, knowledge and direct intervention of the organisation as a safety net and platform to keep their horses on the road, and food on their tables.
The encouraging thing about the motivated staff and volunteers at the CHPA is the way that they approach their work: they look at it as a partnership with the cart horse community, offering the services needed to operate at reasonable rates while keeping their horses healthy. Accepted is the fact that the horses work hard and that livelihood of the “Carties” depends on these animals being able to work.
The Ride, as a platform, through its’ association and partnership with the CHPA, is committed to raise awareness of the “Carties” and their horses in Cape Town and on its busy roads.
Most people don’t realize that many of the roads we use today were originally laid out for horse and ox drawn vehicles. Imagine how different the sound and smell of our city, our world, would have been a century ago. Travel on horseback seems romantic but in reality it is tough, tiring, bumpy, slow work, and it made the world a smelly place. Imagine the sound of a city reliant on horses to haul both man and goods compared to our world of the internal combustion engine. Barry and The Ride Team have had more experience than most attempting to navigate modern traffic on horseback so this charity resonates in a special way with them.
The CHPA supports an historic industry in post apartheid South Africa. These hard working, committed people who have been drawn into it through the sheer undeniable worth of its work, deserve our support spiritually and financially to preserve and take this cultural treasure into the 21st century.
The Cart Horse Protection Association is a registered charity. Further information can be seen at www.carthorse.org.za. We ask anyone visiting The Ride website and inspired by the work that the CHPA does, to donate what they can to this very worthwhile charity and improve the lives of working horses in Cape Town. Big money, small money or some unused tack, tools or hands, it all helps!
You can make a monetary donation by clicking the DONATE button at the top of this page. To donate time, or anything else, please contact the Cart Horse Protection Association directly.
