The Maties Equestrian club did its bit to make the Coetzenburg trails a little bit safer during National Women’s Month, when it launched a patrol of the Klein Bergpad.
The aim of the initiative, which ran during August, was to enhance Coetzenburg’s safety, serve the Stellenbosch community, and to encourage greater enjoyment of the trails, said Professor Sandra Swart, head of the Maties Equestrian club and chair of the history department at Stellenbosch University (SU).
The Maties Equestrian club operates from the stables by Coetzenburg mountain. The club runs a variety of initiatives and events, including a horse therapy programme. The Coetzenburg patrol initiative was a way for the club to serve the Stellenbosch community, said Professor Sandra Swart, head of the club. PHOTO: Britannie Hohls
The patrol took the route of the Klein Bergpad up to the cross above the rugby fields and comprised between two and six people, often accompanied by dogs, said Swart.
“Our mounted patrols are a visible security presence on the mountain. There is something reassuring about seeing several riders and horses moving along the trail,” said Swart.
“Mounted patrols can be very effective for crime prevention, increasing police visibility and can deter criminals,” said Captain Natalie Martin, the communications officer for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Stellenbosch.
“From horseback, riders can see further and see more. They are elevated above the field, with a much wider field of view, allowing them to spot people, movement and potential problems well before someone on the ground might,” said Swart.
In the past, the club has rescued injured hikers, searched for lost hikers and dogs and spotted veld fires, said Swart.
A section of the route in Coetzenburg that the Maties Equestrian mountain support initiative takes. “Our horses aren’t only providing a visible sense of security – they’re also creating positive, unexpected interactions between the university community and Equestrian club,” said Professor Sandra Swart, head of the Maties Equestrian club. PHOTO: Britannie Hohls
“In addition to Campus Security’s own patrols and security measures in the area, the university welcomes additional initiatives such as the Mountain Trail Patrol by the Maties Equestrian club,” said Martin Viljoen, spokesperson for SU.
Although not directly linked to the initiative, there have been no security incidents in the area in the past few weeks, he said.
The club plans to extend the patrol into quieter periods, during the December holidays, and potentially bi-weekly in the evenings, said Swart.
The Maties Equestrian Club mountain patrol initiative seeks to provide people on the Coetzenburg trails with reassurance. Hikers have expressed gratitude to the riders for the added security, according to professor Sandra Swart, head of the club. The patrol isn’t just about preventing incidents, but being a protective presence. PHOTO: Britannie Hohls