Breaking racial barriers of horse riding in tiny African country of Eswatini

By Phathizwe Zulu

MANZINI, Eswatini (AA) – Horse riding can be a fun hobby, but Bandile Baartjies, 27, from Madonsa, in the landlocked southern African Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, has taken it as a serious career.

In Eswatini, where horse ownership is attached to wealth, status, and the white race, with only elites participating in recreational activities, Baartjies has popularized it and broken the racial barrier of horse riding.

He has set up a center to impart horse riding skills to people across the board and race.

Bordered by Mozambique and South Africa Eswatini is one of the smallest countries in Africa, but with a diverse climate and topography, ranging from a cool and mountainous to a hot and dry lowland.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency coinciding with the World Youth Skills Day, which is being observed on Friday Baartjies said he is imparting skills of horse riding to youth across the board and is also using the skills to highlight social causes.

His love for horses forced him to sacrifice a white-collar profession to learn horse riding and then impart skills to people.

“I would have gone to South Africa to look for a lucrative job because I’m a level two trained civil engineer. But upon serious consideration, I decided to follow my heart. I preferred taking horse riding and using it to change the lives of disadvantaged Swazi people,” he said.

To help those who completed sentences in the prisons to assimilate into society, Baartjies employed them in his horse-riding school, provided them training in horse riding and they made them instructors. The facility hosts a skill development center that promotes permaculture and carpentry as well.

- Horse riding gives confidence

Ndabenhle Vilakati, a Swazi parent, enrolled his children at the Baartjies’ school so that they learn horse riding and then attend to horses at his rural home at Mafutseni, in the low-lying areas of Eswatini.

“I think horse-riding sport infuses confidence among children. I have seen my son gaining more self-confidence since started his classes. I am grateful to Baartjies for training my horses to tame and discipline. They arrived here as ordinary natural horses,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Rejecting the myth that horse riding is for elites and the rich, Vilakati said this national sport should be made accessible to every Swazi irrespective of location, race, and social status.

“Majority of Swazi kids are not exposed to horse riding because the sport is perceived to be a fort of the white and for the rich. But, through Baartjiest that will change. His initiatives have made horse riding accessible to locals and even to rural areas,” he said.

Losing his father at the age of 12 and experiencing a difficult childhood, Baartjies has developed an affection towards the downtrodden in society including children, ex-prisoners, and the destitute.

“That is when I developed the concept of introducing horse riding to rural developing communities to help drug addicts, and ex-prisoners return to society and accommodated children with special needs. Accommodating people from all walks of life in horse riding and upkeep of horses became my nature,” he said.

In Baartjies’ stable, young recruits are trained with basic horse-riding skills. Adults are trained and equipped with horse management and riding skills. He and his team visit horse owners and those who have an interest in taming horses at their homes to teach them skills.

- Need for horse academy

“If you have horses, we do equestrian outreaches for people who own the equestrian species just to equip them with knowledge and adequate skills in handling and leading the horse the correct way and give them tips on the overall maintenance of horsemanship,” he said.

Vilakati proposed that the sport be given national priority and a horse-riding academy be established to make the sport commercially viable and train kids to compete at global professional levels.

“Maybe one day will see my son or kids in my community compete in Commonwealth games, Olympics or even represent the country in regional horse-riding sporting activities,” he said.

Vilakati said the development of this sport can create employment and tourism opportunities to alleviate poverty in the kingdom.