Saddletramp: Riding from Ottoman Hills to Offa's Dyke

by Jeremy James

In the depths of winter, Jeremy James began a horseback ride from central Turkey to his hometown in Wales, a journey which was to take him eight and a half months. First he had to find his horse, an unlikely old and weary Arab stallion who eventually rose to the challenge with equal spirit to that of his new master. With uncertain mastery of their route, the two of them crossed rivers and mountains to reach the Greek border. Here their close bond had to break and Jeremy was forced to buy Maria, an unbroken filly who he then rode to the Italian border and changed her for Gonzo, who took him on the idyllic stretch through Umbria and Tuscany. Crossing the Alps together, they rode through late-summer France to reach their destination, Wales, in November.   Jeremy writes with humour and sensitivity about the people and places this journey takes him, but it is his bond with his horses that makes the thread which binds the narrative and infuses the whole adventure.

Genres: Nonfiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

JJ has spent his life working in developing countries with cattle and horses, and once, with Rendili, Masai, Samburu and Somali drovers walked a herd of 86 camels from Somalia to Tanzania. In the 1990s, during the last stages of the Balkan Wars, he ran the State Lipizzaner Stud in Bosnia. He has worked with horses of burden in economically deprived communities across the world: from the rubbish dumps of Mexico city to the gharry horses of Ethiopia, from the horses of the Hmong people of Northern Vietnam, the working horses of the Fijian tropical interior, the tonga horses of Lahore, to the village horses of Eastern Turkey and of Morocco. He has travelled on horseback, writes about horses although from a different perspective from the norm. He has contributed material to broadsheets, magazines, television, film and radio embracing within his interests, art, history, vernacular architecture and more abstract matters, usually with some rural slant. Having had the great good fortune to have been born and brought up in Kenya and having worked with rural peoples and their animals all around the world he has developed his own outlook on man's association with the natural world, which both informs and is reflected in, his work.

Reviews

[Soad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saddle tramp is one of those classics that get lost in history.My mother bought me my copy secondhand.When I first laid eyes I instantly knew it would be a wonderful read .

Jeremy James the narrator of the tale,filled your mind with stories and legends of great cultures and extinct civilizations with every step he and his horses took. Although he leads you to believe that he is a "thick headed" blok, he is quite the opposite an intellectually cultured horseman, highly educated and experienced in sociology, philosophy, and all the things that make a normal down to earth English chap a true gentleman. 

The love and compassion that James shared with his horses are the most memorable in the book. Each horse had its own characteristics which instantly lead you to feel has if you knew them personally. I fell in love with Ahmed Pasa hands down, he is so to say "first owned". Gonzo is the leader everyone looks up to and wants to be. Marie is the little sister everyone loves and Simsek is that little brother that will follow you everywhere. The farewell of each horse found my eyes moist with longing, I missed them just as if I had traveled with them. 

In conclusion Jeremy James takes the reader on a journey of love compassion and respect for animals and nature. With humour and a few scraps and bruises and a couple four letter words that were unwritten this book is a keeper. Thank you for allowing us to join you on this journey and I hope I can find more of his books in Iraq.

He also offers a great reading list ranging from The Fusus by Ibn Arabi to The life of the masters by Spalding which I hope to get to one day!

[IG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem of a book from Jeremy James. This chronicles his travels on horseback from Turkey to Wales, an almost 9 month trip that takes him through Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, and Great Britain.
His writing is very sincere, and gives you an interesting look at the rural countryside, the people, the wonders and horrors of traveling on horseback, the close relationships with the horses and the love and heartbreak that can come of that, and a spark for that great adventure.

[Mark Mcbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Barbara Gregorich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully written, heartfelt book about the author's journey on horseback from Turkey to Wales. The journey took almost nine months and involved four different horses. It's inspiring to read about people taking in strangers and feeding them and their horse, often wanting no payment at all. Likewise it's inspiring to read about the countryside and the people of every country James and his horse walked through. Most of all it's inspiring to read about the antics, courage, and horse sense of each of the animals.

[Dave Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have scored this an easy 4 stars if the author had continued the descriptive depths of the Turkish leg of this odyssey with the Greek, then Italian and French sections.
Whilst the European section felt rushed the adventure itself is grand enough to keep the reader trekking along with him … petering out at the end in an industrial estate in southern England…whilst being honest about the reasons why.

[Iany Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book.

[Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great story a long distance horseback ride through southern europe - both funny and touching.

[Duck Hollow Farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compares favorably with the travel books of the 1920s and 30s, including Tschiffely's Ride<\i>.