A Wee Canter in Scotland

from Horsemen's Corral June 2022

The Cowboy Perserverance Ranch

by Allison Black Goldberg

When it finally came time to start making travel plans again, and to celebrate our first month making money, my business partner Rebecca and I decided to start with Scotland. Both of our families originated in Scotland, and I had raved about my riding trips to Scotland for years so I convinced her that she could do it. Of course, it helped that we didn’t choose a Border Ride to start with, but instead, a nice leisurely riding trip, at a glorious 16th century castle in Lauder. I wanted to celebrate my birthday in Scotland and Rebecca saw an opportunity to promote Brave Horse overseas. So, ignoring the fact that April weather in Scotland can be rather iffy at best, we signed up.

But let me back up a bit. I mentioned the Border Rides. Honestly, I wish I could plug in a link to a video in this article, but instead I must try to explain. Many centuries ago, the Scottish clans of the Borderlands, the area that borders England, would organize the strongest fighters of the villages to periodically ride the perimeter of their lands. Their mission was to protect their own borders, engaging and repelling any and all marauders from stealing their sheep, their crops and of course, defiling their women. Bear in mind that Scottish warriors of that time were ruthless in battle and took no quarter, especially from the English. These guys meant business. Every clan in the region had their own ‘ride-outs’, accompanied by deep traditions and ceremony. These efforts served to protect the clans until the 18th century when England finally conquered Scotland and dissolved the clans and took their lands. But fast forward to the late 19th century when several villages in the Borders decided to revive their ride-outs, also known a Common Rides, as a ceremonial ride, otherwise known in Scotland as an excuse to ride fast horses, listen to bagpipes and drink. Each Ride is part of a village festival where all are welcome to join in, even women. Even, Americans! Now here’s where the video would help. Try to imagine three hundred riders mounted on huge Dutch warmblood/draft crosses thundering across an open field and up a hillside at flat-out gallop, stopping only for a sip of whisky from a requisite hip flask, for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours or more. I have found nothing in the States or anywhere on earth as exhilarating or terrifying as the Border rides of Scotland.

So that said, that is not what we did. We did ride the same horses, which all came from Kailzie Equestrian Center (pronounced “Cay-Lee”), owned and run by a wonderful woman, Suzanne McIntosh. Suzie runs a top-notched operation and along with her lovely sidekick, Gemma Harkness, together they provide horses for many of the Border Rides. This trip was booked through a company called ‘Globetrotting’ and if you have never heard of them, you should take a look. Owned by Kate Pilcher of Australia, Globetrotting organizes riding trips all over the world from Australia to Patagonia and beyond. When I saw their flyer for a Castle Ride in Scotland, I was intrigued. They paired up with Suzie and a lovely couple who happen to own a castle in Lauder, Scotland. Edward and Sarah Maitland-Carew are the 19th generation of their family to live in Thirlestane Castle. They moved into the castle in 2012, and began serious renovations, including outfitting an entire wing as five luxury vacation suites. Edward and Sarah are both experienced riders and wanted to keep the equestrian theme of their estate alive. Kate at Globetrotting currently organizes four rides a year at Thirlestane Castle, hosted by the Maitland-Carews.

We arrived in Scotland on the first of April, happily to nice weather and mild temperatures. Satisfied we would be just fine weather-wise, we headed south for Lauder and Thirlestane. Our first glimpse of the castle was breath-taking. BuiIt in 1590, it is an immense red-brick and stone structure with strong French influences, surrounded by acres and acres of lush, green pastures. Inside, the accommodations did not disappoint. I always judge a room by the comfiness of the bed and appointments of the bathroom. Let’s just leave it that I was blissfully happy. We had a quick lunch and then changed and headed for our first ride of the trip. I was paired with a beautiful black and white Dutch warmblood named Rocco. We spent our first easy hack getting to know each other. It took me a few minutes to get reacquainted with the launching rhythms of a warmblood trot, but I settled in quickly and soon loved his steadiness, and his cute mischievous personality. The ‘wee canters’ were just as much fun as I had remembered and all went well, until shortly before our arrival back at the castle, when my boy threw a shoe on the last trot and got to spend the next day at the barn. No worries, though, as I got another lovely mount and spent the next day riding across the estate, through the forests and crossing streams, punctuated by long canters across the fields. That night we had dinner in the Estate Dining room, hosted by Sarah and Edward, where we were escorted to the dining room with a wonderful bagpiper! It felt like we had stepped back in time! Every day that week, we rode in a different setting. One day was a ride across the windy beaches of Dunbar, another was a long ride across the magnificent moors of the estate to the Maitland family ‘bothy’, a small cabin where the family goes to get away. On the last day of our riding, the plan was to ride the entire route of the Lauder Border Ride. When we started out, it was cold, but we’d been riding in cold most of the week, so that was not a big deal. But then the snow began, which was soon joined by an icy gusting wind and sideways slicing sleet and hail. Before long, our guide Gemma realized we were all freezing and made the decision to head for home. Understand that Gemma is a seasoned professional guide, not to mention a native Scot, and knows the Border lands like the back of her hand. But I must admit she did not instill a lot of confidence in us when she said that she ‘thought’ this path would get us back to the castle. Honestly though, Gemma could have gotten us back blind folded, and we followed her down off the mountain, all of us, including the horses, with our heads tucked in against the wind and sleet. We were all cold and tired, but our horses just kept going, nice and steady down the mountain. At one point, I felt like I was hypo-thermic and could not stop shivering, so I just leaned over Rocco’s neck and let him have his head. After 20 minutes, his body heat warmed me up enough to finish the ride upright. Believe when I say that I gave him a tearful kiss on the neck when I left him that day.

Rebecca and I had worried that we might be, shall we say a little long in the tooth to be doing this ride, but surprisingly, the women and one man in our group were all our age or older. It was wonderful to meet these amazing people from Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, California and as far away as Australia. Many were traveling by themselves but Globetrotting truly caters to the single rider and I cannot imagine anyone would ever feel alone. After all, we all know that horses bring us together. Between the amazing horses and the incredible women and men we met, this was a holiday never to be forgotten. Scotland is in my blood, and I will always go back to ride those incredible animals across the moors and fields and up the highlands and to meet the other people from around the world who share my crazy passion.

Anybody up for a Border Ride?

For more information on the Common Rides, visit https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ riding. For more information on Globetrotting, please visit https:// www.globetrotting.com.au. To drool over gorgeous horses, please visit https://www.facebook. com/people/Kailzie-EquestrianCentre/100054466599512/. And as always please visit us at Brave Horse at www. bravehorsecbd.com.