Horses in the city

Peter… the horse is here, in North Adelaide to be exact. 

Did you know that a bunch of horses roam around a park in North Adelaide? I sure didn’t! I’ve always thought you could only find them in a farm on the hill or somewhere further into the countryside – 19 minutes from the city was the last place I’d think to encounter them.

So upon learning this new and intriguing information, I set my heart and my feet to find them. I began my 45-minute walk from home with a bottle of water and a book in hand. I made my way past the Convention Centre and over the Torrens River where the reflection of the sunlight bouncing against the water blinded my eyes ever so slightly. The view was beautiful, nonetheless. I felt good.

Then about halfway through my walk (somewhere between the Adelaide Oval and Saint Peter’s Cathedral), I felt the spirit chipping away as the afternoon heat began to consume me. My water offered little comfort to talk me out of quitting but then I saw a sign that promised the park would only be 8 more minutes away, so I persevered. Also, I just really love horses and I haven’t seen nor petted them in ages. Before you ask, yes, I am an ex-horse girl.

Fuelled with ice water and my fondness for horses, I continued my walk to Lefevre Park (Nantu Wama). Before long, I saw the grazing plains and green trees not too far away, but I underestimated just how big the park was. No horses were seen from where I came in, so I turned right and began to circle the park. The clouds began to shield me from the sun, offering a rather pleasant walk. I came across a group of people playing a round of footy on the field, an empty tennis court, two women training their horses and a section of the park filled with makeshift jumping poles meant for horses, so I was definitely getting close.

Eventually, I stumbled upon those gentle giants in a nearby field. They were munching away on the grass – it was 11:30-ish at that point, so lunch was due – before coming up to greet me at the fence. They looked really healthy and were super friendly. Once they got bored of my company and realised that I didn’t have any apples or carrots to offer, they moved back to their grass. Taking it as a sign to say goodbye, I continued with my walk. I stumbled upon more horses further up, said hello, gave some pets and finished circling the park. The elevation and the vast plains made me feel like I was in the hills. 

If you fancy petting some lovely horses and going for walk, I highly recommend this park! Just remember to not feed them and be really gentle with them – the multiple signs hanging on the fence said they bite.