History of Horses in East Africa
Written by Tony Church

Horses are not indigenous to Africa south of the Abyssinian Highlands and the Horn of Africa. In the past, any horse which ventured southwards from Kenya's arid northern region was soon an unfortunate victim of the fatal African horse disease or Trypanosomiasis.

When European missionaries, pioneers and hunting parties penetrated the interior, they travelled mostly on foot or by ox-wagon. One of these early adventurers was Lord Delamere, sometimes known as the Red Baron from stately Vale Royal in Cheshire. He later became the flamboyant leader of the British settler community. Delamere first visited what is today the highlands of Kenya in 1897 by way of Berbera in Somaliland and south across the baking hot Chalbi Desert. His main purpose was to hunt big game. His caravan of bearers, trackers and askaris (guards) were supported by tough little Somali ponies indigenous to the Horn of Africa and the highlands of Ethiopia. Ponies that survived the long journey and reached the crisp, clean, disease-free air of the Kenya highlands were among the first horses to be brought to East Africa.

Subsequent Europeans who ventured to East Africa to take up land brought their thoroughbred horses from the British Isles, only to have most of them succumb to a host of African diseases. So settlers soon cross-bred imported horses with hardy, sure-footed Somali ponies and started what was to become a substantial herd of resilient country bred horses, adapted to conditions prevailing in East Africa.

At the outset of the World War in 1914 the British found themselves facing German settlers on their southern border with German East African (now Tanzania).  When the colonial authorities realised the declaration of war in Europe was a serious matter they hurriedly sent requests to the South African government for horses. These were shipped to the port of Mombasa to help the war effort.  Settlers formed the East African Mounted Rifles, a Cavalry regiment, to patrol the border and pursue General von Lettow Vorbeck, the elusive and cunning German pioneer of guerilla warfare. Thousands of horses perished in this campaign as described in Charles Miller's 'Battle for the Bundu'. But horses were obviously the most reliable source of transport during the Great War. Some early pioneers thought they could capture and harness wild zebras, but this was a failure since zebras have weak hearts.

After the Treaty of Versailles in 1918, another wave of settlers under the Soldier Settler Scheme emigrated to the young colony. By now horses were firmly established on colonial farms for pulling pony traps, checking long fence lines and scaring away lion and other predators which in those days were regarded as vermin. Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed big game hunting from horseback during his visit to East Africa in 1913 despite the fact that horse flesh was known to be a favored delicacy for a pride of hungry lions.

As motor cars became more popular, the horse as transport gave way to these machines. Horses were bred more for the race track, polo and as hunters.  Cross-country journeys on horseback were seldom undertaken except during the long rains (April and May) when roads became a quagmire, or when following up a gang of cattle rustlers. Nomadic warrior tribes, particularly the Maasai and Samburu, relish cattle raids on a moonlit nights as all cattle are considered a God-given right of the tribe. European farmers, who were the target of most of these raids, used their horses to follow up the marauders.

Mass tourism got under way in the mid-1960s with the advent of jet passenger aircraft. Fashionable safaris for the rich now came within the reach of anyone with a love of the wild. No longer were expensive mobile deluxe hunting camps the only accommodation available in the game lands of Kenya. Shooting safaris with cameras, rather than rifles, became one of the most talked about experiences. Safari lodges and tented hotels were established at intervals along various tourist circuits.

Horseback trips were organized in the mid-1960's using Somali ponies and zebroids (a hybrid cross between wild zebra and a horse) as pack horses for parties climbing Mount Kenya. But long distance riding safaris set up on a commercial basis were only started in earnest in 1972, with Tony Church pioneering some amazing trails across the game lands of Kenya.

To outfit and escort safaris into the heart of game country for visitors from America or Europe was not easy. Horseback riding was regarded as a dangerous sport and carried with it real responsibilities and grave consequences should anything go wrong. Limited rides began on a daily and overnight basis across the Kitengela Plains and up on to the Ngong Hills on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley. These wooded hills contain bushbuck, mountain reedbuck, eland, kongoni, Cape buffalo, colobus monkey, waterbuck and the occasional lion and rhino.

With picnic lunches carried in saddle bags, these early rides proved a great success. Riders returned to their Nairobi hotels after an exciting day in the saddle away from other tourists in minibuses. Horseback safaris endow an amazing sense of being on even terms with wild animals - no other sounds or smells except those of the bush. Of course, to enjoy such a riding experience riders must be fit, mentally tuned in, able to face unpredictable situations and most important be confident on horseback at all paces.

As these safaris gained popularity, longer and more ambitious routes were pioneered by Tony Church. In 1972 a five day trail was forged from the Athi Plains, over the southern shoulder of the Ngong Hills and into the Great Rift Valley, dropping into the Loodariak lugga (dry stream bed) and beyond to the Kedong River. Then across the great Akira plain between extinct volcanoes, Mounts Suswa and Longonot, finishing with a spectacular day through Hell's Gate Gorge to the shores of Lake Naivasha.

Tentage, camp gear, groceries, horse grain and safari staff are carried by truck along bush tracks while riders go cross-country covering between 25 and 40 kms a day. Picnic lunch and water bottle together with a few personal effects are carried in saddle bags strapped to cavalry saddles.