CATTLE DRIVING

---

Spring and autumn horseback riding program for experienced riders in Ópusztaszer.

We offer interested individuals the opportunity to participate in cattle herding / driving at the Ópusztaszer Akhal Stud.

In the autumn, when the leaves start to turn yellow, and in the spring, when nature awakens, at Ópusztaszer, at the memorial site of the Hungarian conquest, the Cseppentő family herds 80-90 Hungarian Grey cattle, including young bulls, cows, and heifers, from the summer pasture to the winter feeding area, and back.

During the summer occasions, we hold practice herding sessions on the large pasture by the Tisza floodplain, which ensures that the herd can be managed during various interventions, such as illness or separating calves. The total number of animals there, including the calves, is about 120.

These events allow us to experience episodes in today’s world that connect us with the distant past, when animal-herding people still tended and moved their livestock on horseback. These moments have touched us as well, those of us who regularly share in this experience, and we thought we would share it with visiting riders for whom it might be even more exciting.

We want to share this experience with those who have only been able to watch similar events on screen until now!

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Prerequisite for participation: Stability in all three gaits, with particular emphasis on the collected trot and collected canter!

Gathering at the riding hall: 9:30. (Please arrive 15 minutes before the program starts). Putting on riding gear, getting to know the horses.

10:00: Mounting the horse. A short warm-up in the riding hall. Then our route leads from the central pasture of the Ópusztaszer Akhal Stud across forest trails, wide fields, and natural paths to the pasture of the 60-70 strong herd of gray cattle and Charolais between Pusztaszer and Ópusztaszer.

12:00-13:00: Short break, picnic lunch. The lunch is prepared appropriately for the occasion from the Cseppentő family’s own bred cattle.

14.00-16.00: After lunch and a rest, the most exciting part of our day begins: rounding up the cattle and driving them to the other pasture. This is when the rider can truly feel a connection with their horse, working together like the old herding peoples, moving as partners after the cattle. After that comes the ride home and settling accounts with those left behind. 🙂

The price of the program: 37,000 HUF per person.

For application please contact: cseppentoopuszta@gmail.com

Minimum number of participants: 5 people

Mandatory equipment to bring: riding-appropriate leather boots, if available leg protectors, raincoat, sun protection, and a helmet (if you have one).

Horseback riding is a dangerous sport! Horses are prey animals by nature and can be startled by sudden noises or movements, may leap or run away, and riders who fall off their backs can get injured! Horses can react similarly to being stung by bees, wasps, or horseflies, and the sound or movement of wild animals in the forest can also frighten them! Unfortunately, we cannot eliminate these external factors, so everyone rides at their own risk!

For more information and registration: cseppentoopuszta@gmail.com