Sultan - A Cloete Boerperd

So, I was a bit hesitant to write Sultan's story, because I had to let him go after 12 years and it breaks my heart to remember.
I got Sultan as a 20 month old Boerperd Colt and from the beginning he was The King. We had two other colts (therefore 3 boys!) on the property, but Sultan established himself as the Top Ranking Official in no time. He then set about to assert himself over his humans too, but that caused some sparks, some laughs and some sore bones!

When you have an unruly stallion for twelve years, there will be amusing stories to tell! Like the time he decided to go visit the other paddock as it contained a very old mare, but he was very interested, just like Twister had been (Alida's Black Beauty!). Sultan promptly started to literally climb over the railing and more or less got stuck with the wooden pole pressing up against his abdomen. During his adventure, he also opened up a huge gash above one eye, so we had to get the vet out to stitch that up and to advise us about what to do with this naughty boy hanging over a pole! We had to take the pole down, as it was pressing into his stomach, which could end up causing a lot of internal damage! And so, Doc Dobie gave him a shot to quiet him down, and I held his big head in my lap while he was falling asleep and the doctor could stitch him up. Doc Dobie splashed a lot of sterile solution onto Sultan's head, which splashed down my front as well, and he jokingly told me that I had just been sterilized too!

No matter how serious a situation, we could always laugh about something!

I trained my big boy. This I can mention with Great Proudness today! Even though he was a stallion and I had more or less no idea what I was doing, I trained him to accept a rider, go through his paces and also to back up. Sultan was never treated harshly, he was not 'sacked out' as some people to this day do to horses, apparently to ensure they become 'bombproof'. Sultan was a stallion, ladies and gentleman, and he was not bombproof, but he was a gentle ride, always taking his cue from his rider. We had lots of kids on his back and he ran along with me leading him on, to reassure the kids.

Then I had a scare with him one day, but even the scare was not his fault. I was riding him on an outride, which is what I like to do with my horses, no showjumping or dressage as my horses and I only enjoy hacking out. I let them be horses and I enjoy them allowing me on their backs as they carry me safely where we want to go. That is the essence of my relationship with these noble and magnificent creatures. They are So strong, yet they gently carry us about.
So anyway, along came this big truck and as he passed us, the driver thought he was oh so funny, and he honked his horn at us. Sultan had a huge fright, as did I, but he only shied slightly. I, however was not amused and had a huge fright and so I got off, to stand by his head and calm him down. Apparently, the truck was dumping rocks at the quarry and so he soon returned, and as he passed us, he honked at us again! I was on the ground and because of this, Sultan had no reassurance and he bolted away, into the nearest veld. Luckily I had chosen a quiet day, so the traffic was more or less zero, but I had to whistle to Sultan to turn and run back to me, which he did, at top speed! To have a big horse run straight at you, is rather a daunting sight and feeling, but I knew he was running to me for his reassurance. He was shivering when he got to me and I had to calm him down, again!
Needless to say, we walked back home that day.
After that, I took him out once more, and for the first time ever, a dog that jumped up suddenly and barked, spooked him. Yet, he only started a quick run to the side and forward and as I was on his back, I could stop him and calm him down, which he did easily. Not long after these incidents, I had to move the horses to the farm in Groblersdal, as I had to move and could not take them with me where I was going.

Sultan and Czar stayed on the farm, in the bush, for two years. As I mentioned in Czar's story, I then could go and fetch Czar to bring him back to Johannesburg, but I could not bring Sultan and so I had to let him go. He went to a farmer in Groblersdal and he works on the farm on a daily basis.

I often wonder how my boy is doing and with the terrible horse sickness season we have had, I was too afraid to ask, but on Tuesday I found out that Sultan is alive and well and happy, the farmer enjoys him tremendously. He is a wonderful riding horse, so much so, that the farmer is now teaching his son to ride, on Sultan!

When I heard this story, my heart literally swelled up and I knew that I could now tell his story with a happy heart! Sultan is safe and happy! Still a stallion, still a naughty boy, still trying his luck, but to date still has had no riding accidents or casualties! I am so proud of my boy!