Mouton transforms horse ownership

Limba Mupetami

WINDHOEK



Attending horse racing events years ago at communal farm Schlip with her family ignited qualified beauty therapist Chantelle Mouton's love for horses.

In 2016, her family become heavily involved in the industry and purchased their first thoroughbred from South Africa.

While some children receive their first horse at the age of five or come from a horse racing background, this was not the case for Mouton, who just this year received her first horse, Satin Rock, as a gift from her father, George Mouton.

Her family belongs to the Khomas Turf Club, where her father is the chairperson.

The club recently took part in a racing competition in Okahandja and had planned to participate in another this Saturday, however, the event was cancelled due to Covid-19 regulations.



No limits

“I think it's good that I have that different background, because it helps and brings to the fore the realisation that one should not be limited by not having a background in horses or not being raised on a farm,” Mouton said, who likes to call herself a farming enthusiast.

She said the most valuable lesson she received was that you need to show horses love.

“You need to show them a lot of affection and to build a special relationship with the animals. This, of course, doesn't matter whether you are male or female,” she added.

While she still gets the occasional glare from certain male horse owners, she said she doesn't let it bother her. “Stereotyping is still present, as the discipline is still dominated by men. However, I'm a firm believer that women can do this equally well. So, I don't really pay much attention to other people's perceptions,” Mouton said, adding that she would rather work on positively impacting the field at a local level as well as influencing the next generation of female horse industry professionals.



Growth in the discipline

She said the sport is growing in Namibia and one can notice the willingness from sponsors. “However, there are still few shortcomings in the development of the discipline, but I'm ready to go the next level.

“We aim to breed more horses locally, rather than to import them, because it is quite expensive to do so.”

Mouton said horse prices vary.

“You get farm horses, called a boer perd, then you get Nambreds, which are the offspring of two thoroughbreds. “There is no fixed price for a horse as the value of the horse depends on genetics. But most expensive breeds are thoroughbreds imported from South Africa,” she explained. She added that the best way to get into the discipline is by becoming a member of one of the horse racing clubs. “The club management will best give advice on how to become a supporter and if you get the feel of it and would like to own one, they would assist and give advice.” “Horse racing is a sport that's very well-liked by everybody, but when you win a trophy, it's not about the trophy, but about how you pushed your horse to reach its optimal level of performance.

“I aspire to be able to train any horse to reach the top and to bring the best out of it, even if it has a bad record,” she said.