Have you seen pictures of covered wagons or gypsy caravans? Have you wondered what it would be like to travel in one? In Wicklow, Ireland you can rent a gypsy caravan for a holiday and take to the road.
Clissmann Horse Caravans rent out four-person horse-drawn caravans with cooking and sleeping facilities and you get to drive them!
Sound like fun? Let’s check it out and find out how it all works.
Brittas Bay beach
When you first arrive, you’ll learn about the attractions and features of this area. You could follow coastal roads along Brittas Bay, or drive through the forests of Wicklow Mountains National Park.
Once you decide your route, you are provided with a marked map and written details of the locations you intend to visit.
Morning horsemanship lesson.
The first night of your holiday is spent sleeping in your caravan, parked in a field at the Clissmann farm. Seventy percent of wagon renters have no equestrian experience, so the first morning is a training session that includes how to harness, yoke, and drive your horse.
1. Out of every 100 people, approximately how many would have no experience with horses?
Cocoa & Carrie
All of the Clissmann horses are Irish Cobs, also known as Gypsy Cobs, a native breed known for their docile and hard-working traits. The farm currently has 25 horses ranging from 4 years old to 30 years old (the retired ones).
The average height of this breed is 13hh-15.2hh.
2. Where is a horse’s height measured from?
3. How many inches tall would a 15.2 hand horse stand?
Holidays last anywhere from three days to a number of weeks.
4. If you went on a two week holiday, how many nights would you sleep in the caravan?
The caravans have daytime seating for four to six and night-time sleeping accommodation for four in two double-beds or in one double-bed and bunk beds (one over the other).
There is a small kitchen area with a twin-burner butane gas cooker with grill. Cooking pots, a frying-pan, a kettle, a teapot, water container, crockery and cutlery are all included in the caravan. There is hanging space for full-length clothes as well as four shelves for storage.
The caravan is 136 inches long inside and has a front platform outside which is 30 inches long. It also has a 15 inch external box at the back for storage.
5. What is the total length of the caravan excluding the black shafts?
6. What is the total length in feet?
The interior 136 inches of the caravan is made up of approximately 6 inches for the front and back walls, a back bed which is 43″ long, chest of drawers 30″ long, a wardrobe 17″ long and a kitchen.
7. How long is the kitchen?
From the floor of the caravan to the roof is 78″ high and from the floor to the ground is 26″ high.
8. How high is the caravan from the ground to the roof?
The caravans weigh three-quarter tonnes.
Math Talk – tonne: A metric tonne equals 1000 kg
9. How many kilograms do the caravans weigh?
It is useful to know how to read a map!
From the starting point at Cronybyrne, the main overnight stops on the routes the caravans take are:
- Garryduff – 3 km
- Rathdrum – 11km
- Ballinaclash – 17km
- Meeting of the Waters 21km
- Glenmalure – 26km
- Greenan – 21km
- Arklow – 31km
10. How far is it from Garryduff to Ballinaclash?
11. How far is it from Rathdrum to Meeting of the Waters?
The distance one can expect an average horse to travel pulling a three-quarter tonne caravan averages daily at about 12 miles or 20 Km. A typical travelling time for this distance is about four hours, taking into account rest-stops and harness checks. The Clissmann’s have found that most of their visitors actually average 8 miles (12 Km) daily and sometimes choose to spend two days at some favourite location.
12. If you were travelling 12 km daily, how many days would it take to travel from Garryduff to Meetings of the Waters?
Many people don’t want the trip to end!
Horse-Drawn Camping Trip – Answers:
1. Out of every 100 people, how many would you estimate to have no experience with horses?
Answer: 100 x 70% = 70. Approximately 70 people out of every 100 would not have any experience with horses.
2. Where is a horse’s height measured from?
Answer: A horse’s height is measured from the ground to the withers.
3. How many inches tall would a 15.2 hand horse stand?
Answer: Background knowledge: 1 hand = 4 inches; the ‘.2’ stands for 2 inches.
(15 hands x 4 inches) + 2 inches = 62 inches. A 15.2 hand horse measures 62 inches at the withers.
4. If you went on a two week holiday, how many nights would you sleep in the caravan?
Answer: 2 x 7 = 14. You would sleep 14 nights in the caravan.
5. What is the total length of the caravan excluding the black shafts?
Answer: 136 + 30 + 15 = 181. The total length of the caravan is 181 inches.
6. What is the total length in feet?
Answer: 181 ÷ 12 = 15.08. The total length of the caravan is 15 feet.
7. How long is the kitchen?
Answer: 136 – (6 + 43 + 30 + 17) = 136 – 96 = 40. The kitchen is 40 inches long.
8. How high is the caravan from the ground to the roof?
Answer: 78 + 26 = 104. The caravan is 104 inches from the ground to the roof.
9. How many kilograms do the caravans weigh?
Answer: 3/4 x 1000 = 750. The caravans weigh 750 kilograms.
10. How far is it from Garryduff to Ballinaclash?
Answer: 17 – 3 = 14. It is 14km from Garryduff to Ballinaclash.
11. How far is it from Rathdrum to Meeting of the Waters?
Answer: 21 – 11 = 10. It is 10km from Rathdrum to Meeting of the Waters.
12. If you were travelling 12 km daily, how many days would it take to travel from Garryduff to Meetings of the Waters?
Answer:
Step 1: 21 – 3 = 18.
Step 2: 18 ÷ 12 = 1.5. It would take a day and a half to travel from Garryduff to Meetings of the Waters.
Common Core:
4.OA.A.2 – Divide by 2-digit numbers: word problems
4.OA.A.3 Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations.
4.NF.B.4a – Multiply unit fractions by whole numbers
4.MD.A.1 – Compare and convert metric units of weight
5.MD.A.1 – Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system, and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
6.RP.A.3c – Percents of numbers: word problems
Photos:
All photos courtesy of Clissmann Horse Caravans
LOL can i come?
btw is that a gypsy vaner?