Johan van Meer is getting ready for the second day of the Horse Four Days Zorgvlied. He and his group are one of the 153 participants, but they are one of the few who have to put in four horses. “It is something you have to learn. And you do about a four -in -hand way with several people. You really have to be three, four people to do that well.”
The Van Meer team comes from Wernhout, a village between Breda and Antwerp. For the eighteenth time he makes the trip to the Drents-Friese Wold for this Horse Four Days. “The area is actually one of the nicest environments in the Netherlands for driving. Many beautiful sandy paths. Beautiful routes. And it is a quiet life here.”
The four ponies from Van Meer are behind a wolf tracting at night. “You can also see that, five threads and enough power on it.” But more and more participants are looking for a covered storage, see Chantal Wijntjes, from the organization of the Horse Four Days. “But at some point those stables are full. And then the participants will not come. So there is certainly a fear because of the wolf.”
The organization also suspects that due to that fear the number of participants in the Four Days Marches is now less than it has been. “Of course you don’t know that at all, but our suspicion is that the wolf will take back the number of participants, yes.”
And that is a shame, because, according to Brabander van Meer, Drenthe is also the perfect province for horses. “Because the area is one of the nicest in the Netherlands to mix. Lots of beautiful sandy paths. Nice routes. And you can go on holiday with your horse here.”