Klaarstroom’s only horse gets her first shoes

- Jeremy Witts-Hewinson -

Klaarstroom nowadays is known as a sleepy little village tucked away behind the koppies a stone’s throw from Meiringspoort. In the 19th century, and indeed up to the 1920’s, Klaarstroom was a popular stopover for travellers who over-nighted in one of the various ‘hotels’ that the village offered.

Some old-timers relate vivid accounts of Klaarstroom as a popular venue for wild parties to which revellers flocked from as far afield as Oudtshoorn. Time, and the 20th century, overtook Klaarstroom and soon much was gone. Eventually the only Smithy closed as the last horse to be shod was made obsolete by the motorcar.

A visitor to the Guest House was heard to exclaim, “Klaarstroom is so quiet, it’s not even a one horse town!” Not so any more! Last year Francisca Gavin, daughter of the local General Dealer, acquired a horse - and Klaarstroom was, officially, a one-horse town!

Residents were delighted to note that on the recent television feature, “Searching for Mermaids in the Karoo”, Klaarstroom was noted publicly as “an official one-horse town”.

Tara is her name and she can be seen cantering about her paddock next to the General Dealer or taking a gentle stroll down the road under Francisca loving guidance. Now Tara walks down the tar road with the same distinct clatter-ty-clop made by the horses of London or Cape Town’s Metropolitan police! The reason for this is that Tara has acquired her first pair of shoes!

The farrier, who introduced himself only as Piesang-from-Beaufort-West, was charged with the task of shodding her. He explained that he is kept pretty busy shoeing horses all over the district, but this is the first horse he’s shod in Klaarstroom and it’s agreed she’s probably the first in Klaarstroom in a long, long time!

Images of Piesang the farrier clanging away in the early hours of the morning against an anvil with the bellows wheezing at a pile of white hot coals in his Smithy back in Beaufort West were soon dispelled as he explained that he simply purchases the shoes at the Co-Op!

In six months, Tara will require another set of shoes and Piesang will once again be helping Klaarstroom take another precious piece of our past into the future.

When next you visit Klaarstroom, stop for a moment - soak up the tranquility and have a chat with Tara over the fence. It will probably be the most therapeutic thing you will have done in ages!