Kaapsehoop bids farewell to Makkie, the wild horse
Hundreds of heartfelt tributes have poured in for Makkie, the wild horse, well-known and loved by Lowvelders fortunate enough to come into contact with the gentle mare at the Kaapsehoop Horse Trails.
Born to a wild herd at the Kaapsehoop Horse Trails almost two decades ago, owner Rudi du Plessis said he made the “very tough decision” to euthanise her in mid-November following a large wound on her back that was not healing.
“She was a once-in-a-life-time kind of horse,” said an emotional du Plessis.
“She was just such a different horse from day one. She was naturally affectionate toward people. Every horse has its own personality and Makkie was just so special.”
Du Plessis said he was so upset by Makkie’s death that he cried for a solid two days.
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“It was not a premature decision to euthanise her. I think if we had left her any longer she would have started suffering and we did not want that for her. She had an excellent life and I will cherish the memories I have of her.”
Du Plessis said hundreds of tributes from people across the province had come in for Makkie. He said people had been posting tributes across various social media platforms, with several people leaving lengthy, poignant posts about their experiences with Makkie.
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“It just shows how special she was, everyone who met her has a story to tell about Makkie. I think everyone who knew her will miss her. Things will just not be the same without her. There will never be another horse quite like Makkie,” said du Plessis.
Alita Steenkamp, who lives in Kaapsehoop, posted a long tribute to Makkie on Facebook, ending the post with: “Rus sag, Ounooi. Jy sal altyd deel van Kaapsehoop se storie bly. Verlies is ‘n woord met sewe letters wat nou maar eenmaal oneindig swaar aan betekenis dra.”
Du Plessis also posted a tribute to Facebook with several comments from locals paying their respects and expressing their condolences.
