Today, I started the day at 6 am with an early morning ride (lots of cantering in the bush) with Gill and her new mare that just came in from the bush.

You see, the family (who took on Maya as a mount for their daughter) got so into horses that they wanted a second one so they’d be able to ride out together, like Anette and I always do. It is one thing to ride in the bush, but a totally different one to ride with company - and the horses respond differently too. Gill had asked around for a mare but not found one, and so Ali helped her out. On his last mare-hunt (when he was looking for a horse for Jmackie and came back with Maya), he had spotted a very tall mare. And since that was exactly what Gill wanted, Ali went back to buy it.

The horse arrived yesterday and true - she is by far the tallest Nigerien barb I have seen so far. The funny anecdote in this story is that she’s also a relative of Sahara & Maya (same family though not siblings), which you can tell from the markings and the shape of her body. Although she’s way too skinny for her size, she has the longest legs I have ever seen and trots like a camel. Gill was thrilled after her ride today, and we are all convinced that with a little bit of time and good feed, this mare is going to end up just fabulous.

Here is what Sahara looked like in November 2006 when she just arrived from a long walk in the bush, and I remember not being all that exited about what I was seeing. To me, she looked more like a merge between a donkey and a hyena, but that was before she started eating for three and adjusting her growth…

I would never have thought that this once skinny & underdeveloped thing would end up the second most beautiful mare in Zinder, but I’m so glad she did! And I am sure Gill’s horse - although she is older - will end up looking gorgeous too. After all, she is related to Sahara!