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It’s easy to create a horse riding holiday out of any vacation, or create a vacation around a horse riding holiday!
If you’re like me, you like to get on a horse whenever you can. Since I don’t own one at the moment, sometimes the only chance I get is when I go on vacation. So when I know where I’m going on vacation, I start looking at the area to see where I can ride, at least for a few hours, and create a horse riding holiday out of any vacation!
There are so many possible horse riding experiences while on vacation. I’ll try to cover as many as I can so you can start dreaming, then start checking them off your bucketlist. If you’re anything like me, however, your bucketlist will keep growing even as you check things off! Here is a basic checklist of things to ask yourself when planning your dream horse riding holiday. I will go into detail on each of these below.
- What kind of ride am I looking for? Day? Out and back? Overnight?
- My riding experience
- Where in the world do I want to experience first?
- Horses & tack
- Weather/time of year
- Terrain
- Food, Drink & Lodging
- Safety
- Communication
What Kind of Horse Riding Holiday Do I Want?
For your first (or next) horse riding holiday, there are several things to consider. What kind of ride are you looking for? Day Trip? Out & Back? Overnight? Rough it? Pampered?
Day Trip/Horse Rental
A day trip can be a great way to start out on your journey of exploring the world on horseback. I, myself, usually try to find a tour company that can take me out for a few hours wherever I visit, so I can experience the area via horseback. These horseback rides can be pretty much anywhere, depending on the area you are visiting. Here’s an article on Horse Rental Excursions.
For example, I always wanted to ride a horse on the beach in South Africa, so when a couple of friends and I planned a trip to South Africa, I made sure I planned out a place to ride horses! We didn’t have a lot of time, and my companions were not horse people, so I just did a day ride at Wild Coast Horseback Adventures at Kei Mouth Bay in South Africa. I set this all up ahead of time, and my friends dropped me off for a ride of a lifetime! You can’t take away that amazing experience that I will remember all my life!
That was truly a dream come true for me! The ride was a few hours and we raced along the beach. My horse, Rio, had just retired from being a racehorse and boy did he like to RUN! It was so much fun!
Out and Back Horse Riding Holiday
What do I mean by out and back? Well, these horse riding vacations are usually a few days (2-7) long, but you stay at the same place every night, or few for a few nights, then maybe change to another hotel. But every day you ride out and come back to the same place. You just see different trails and terrain every day. One day may be beach riding, the next, tackling the jungle!
This is a great way to ride horses while on vacation, because you are usually staying somewhere close to a town or city where you can explore after the day of riding. So, you’ll go over to the stables in the morning (either they pick you up or you get there yourself – it will be clear when you book the trip), ride the gorgeous trails around the area with a guide – or not (again, this is clear at booking), then back to the hotel to clean up and hit the town for some exploring and/or nightlife! There are many of these trips in Ireland, for instance, and you ride during the day and play in the town at night. It’s kind of the best of both worlds!
Overnights with Horses
A total immersion horse riding holiday; this can be done in a couple of different ways! One way is you will be riding during the day and stopping at various B&Bs along the route, discovering new little havens along the way. Usually, the tour group will have brought your luggage to the stopping point (again, all this is known at the time of booking).
Another way is you will be actually camping out in tents the guides set up every night or stopping at actual camping sites that are semi-permanent. Both ways are full of riding and usually beautiful scenery (depending on where in the world you are!). HOWEVER, if you are a gal who likes her amenities (like a shower every night), and likes to make sure her bed is the comfiest, these options may not be for you.
There are, however, luxury horse riding vacations that may include stopping at upper-class type hotels. You’ll have to make sure you find out everything you need to know before booking your trip!
Western Pack Trip
A western horseback pack trip, however, is super fun, and definitely a total immersion horse riding vacation! You’ll have a guide, and usually a couple of wranglers, and the other guest, and you’ll head into the mountains for a few days of off the grid living! You’ll be crossing rivers, seeing wildlife, generally seeing the outdoors as the early day cowboys did.
However, the wranglers take care of your horse when you arrive at camp, and camp could be a regular tent! So be prepared to squat behind the bushes for a few days, and rinse yourself with water from a cold Rocky Mountain stream! The wranglers and/or a cook makes your meals and prepares picnic lunches. Along with the horses are some pack horses or mules, that are packing all your meals! Although meals won’t be “plated” as you would get at 5-star restaurants, you learn that grub cooked over a campfire can be even better!
You’ll get to see all sorts of nature’s beauty…
Dude Ranch Vacation
Another type of vacation which is REALLY popular is the Ranch horse riding vacation, or Dude Ranch vacation. I recently wrote an entire article about Dude Ranch Vacations. This is usually an out and back type of riding vacation, where you actually stay on the ranch, usually in bunkhouses, or various kinds of western-themed lodging. A ranch vacation is actually a great family vacation! Since you are on the ranch, it’s generally all-inclusive and you eat all three meals with the other guests. There are usually lots of things to do for the folks who don’t want to ride horses.
When I was 18-19 I worked at a dude ranch in Wyoming. Best work experience of my life! At that ranch, every week we would load into the vans and meet another dude ranch at a central location in the mountains – a softball diamond! We had a friendly competition going with them all summer, every year! Another day of the week we would head into town – Cody – and experience the Cody Nite Rodeo, which was held every night of the summer. Also included was white water rafting and a day in Yellowstone National Park! What fun!
You can book an awesome Dude Ranch Vacation here.
My Horse Riding Experience
Ahhh… this is such a personal thing! I mean, ok. I showed horses growing up.; I did every kind of riding, except dressage, including high school rodeo, western, English, jumping, bareback riding…I was GOOD. HOWEVER! I’m a bit older now! I haven’t ridden a horse (except on vacation at least once a year) for about 5 years, since I had to sell my horse. So, my knee jerk reaction when someone asks me is, YES! I’m an EXPERT!!
Ok, I really am, but I’m also out of shape! AND, I don’t WANT to land on the ground for any reason (something I never used to be afraid of doing). Case in point, last spring, I rode a horse on the beach in Riviera Maya, Mexico. I have no problems riding, great ride, handle the horse “expertly”. But then I go to get off! And my “good” left knee buckles as I swing my “bad” right knee over the horse’s back to dismount. I fall forward onto the saddle – not bad, but embarrassingly! The little guide comes running over, thinking he’s got a situation here. Fortunately, my knee recovered quickly and I was able to dismount the rest of the way. BOY! Was I embarrassed! I felt like the overweight, over-the-hill woman who has never been on a horse and didn’t know how to get off one.
So you see, you MUST be truthful when gauging your horse riding expertise and experience. And make sure you tell your guides about any injuries and ailments you may have BEFORE the ride, so they can be prepared to help in any circumstances.
That being said, you want to be happy all around with your horse riding holiday and the horse rental. The pace – do you want to walk all the time, or do you want to gallop sometimes? Frequently? All of this should be thought of as you are rating your experience.
Universally Accepted Levels of Riding Experience
Most horse riding holiday tour companies prefer you err on the side of caution and if you are unsure of which level to choose when booking, drop down one level. That way they can make sure you are happy and comfortable.
Please note: even if you have ZERO experience riding, don’t let that deter you in fulfilling this lifelong dream! Most tour companies can accommodate even the most novice of novices. Just make sure you tell them ahead of time.
One thing else I need to mention here – ladies, we hate to do this! – but make sure you give them a correct weight, when you book the trip. They need this to pair you up with the right horse! This will be best for both you and the tour operator, believe me. You don’t want to get a horse that can’t carry your weight, because you fudged 20 pounds. Now THAT would be a lot more embarrassing than telling them your weight straight out!
Where in the World Do I Want to Go on My Horse Riding Holiday??
Wow! The world is my oyster and all that! Where oh where should I go? Well, lots to consider here! Money, time, terrain…oh my!
A lot of thought should go into this, as this is your dream come true! Your horseback holiday you’ve been waiting for! The best thing to do is first decide what kind of horseback ride you’ll be wanting. If it’s just a couple hour trip that you can add onto an existing vacation, that’s easy! But if you are wanting a more involved, longer horse riding vacation, you’ll have to decide on one of the previously listed types of trips based on your experience, what you want to see, and of course, how much money you want to spend. You can pretty much ride anywhere in the world – except maybe the Antarctic!
Horse Riding Holidays on my Bucketlist:
Horses & Tack
Not all horses are created equally – neither is their riding equipment. Chances are, you are more acquainted with one type of horse and equipment more than others, and one type of riding more than others. Overall the majority of horseback riders across the world use some type of English saddle, with some variations. So if you have ridden only western saddles, with a horn, you’ll need to be prepared to ride without one! Even Australian saddles, which are much like Western, are hornless.
If you’ve never ridden horses without a saddle horn, you might consider getting some lessons before you go on your vacation!
I have heard that some people take their own saddles on their horse riding holidays, but I think that would be cumbersome and expensive, so I prefer to ride with the tack the tour operators provide. That way I know the saddle will fit the horses that are provided. After all, we want them to be comfortable and have a good time as well, don’t we? If they’re not comfortable with the saddle, they’ll make sure we aren’t, either!
What Kind of Horse Should I Ride on my Horse Riding Holiday?
Horses. There are so many variables in this one area. For example, if you have it on your heart to a certain type of horse – say, and Icelandic horse – you would be safe to go to Iceland for your horse riding holiday. If you’ve heard of the regal Marwari horse of India, you may want to look into a vacation in India. What about the Irish Sport horse? Or the Maremmano from Tuscany? The Paso Fino or the Andalusian, both from Spain? Or the gorgeous Gypsy Vanner from Ireland and Britain? If you have an inkling to specifically ride a certain horse, I would look up the region they are from and see if there are horseback tours there.
Weather/Time of Year
Are you a fan of the cold? I’m not! However, that’s not going to keep me from exploring the world on horseback! You must decide how much cold you can handle and then dress accordingly. The same goes for heat, although there’s not much you can do to limit how hot you get, except for changing the time of year you want to travel to that particular region. So make sure you do your homework and research that. Remember, if you are in North America or the UK reading this, that some parts of Africa, South Africa, and other countries below the equator are on opposite seasons than us, so if you are wanting to get warm in February, I’d suggest going south of the equator for your equine vacation, rather than…Greenland!
Terrain
Would you rather climb high into the mountains? That’s definitely a harder ride, so make sure you get in riding shape for that, because there may be times you have to get off and lead your horse up or down a treacherous trail. Believe, me, horseback riding in the mountains of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, where I’ve lived most of my life, I’ve been on some doozie trails! So please, take that into consideration again ask ask ask before you book your horse riding vacation!
Do you want to ride horses on the beach? Does that include swimming? Make sure you do your research before you go to a beach because a lot of places have limited or banned riding on the beach for various reasons. Some are soft and are very dangerous to you and your horse, as they might have spots that will act like quicksand. Some, they must preserve the beauty of the beach and don’t allow riding.
So if you go somewhere, expecting you can ride on the beach, please ask first. Also, not every beach ride allows swimming with the horses. It may have a drastic drop-off and is unsafe for horse and rider alike.
When I went horseback riding on the beach in Jamaica, the section of beach we rode on was great, because it had lots of sandbars that the horse would swim in between and they knew where they were. It was so much fun! I grew up swimming with my horse in the pond where we lived, so it brought back great memories!
Horse Riding Holiday: Food & Drink/Lodging
Lodging
Choosing your lodging type for your horse riding holiday will also make a difference in price, of course. You’ll have to pay more for more amenities! Do you like to be pampered, with 5-star luxury accommodations? With your own room, no roommate? Or are you ok with sharing accommodations with a new best friend? Sleeping in B&Bs or cabins where you are staying amongst the community you are visiting? This must be taken into account before and during your research and booking process. Most tour companies should provide you with decent lodging, but make sure you check this out with them first, especially if are picky about where you stay!
Food
If you have food preferences, are on a particular diet or have things you must stay away from, make sure you tell the tour company before your trip. Some may only offer indigenous food so you get a real taste of the country you are visiting, and they may not offer vegetarian or gluten-free options. Make sure you discover this before you book your trip!
For those of you who like to imbibe a little on your horse riding holiday, there are even tours that take you through wine country so you can sample different wines while you take in the beautiful scenery.
Safety First with Your Horse Riding Holiday
To be sure, safety is of utmost concern, and most horse riding tour companies tell you that from the beginning. If they don’t, I’d stay away from them!
Some places are more dangerous than others, but I think it would be safe to say that overall, most places you will visit around the world may be more dangerous to you and me than, say, our local strip mall. If you don’t have many adventurous bones in your body, you may want to ride strictly in the US. Not to say it can’t be dangerous here, either!
The guides are, for the most part, from the country you are visiting, or have been there for some time, so they know the terrain and the people who live there. They know where the dangerous places are and stay away from them. They also know the native language so they can talk to anyone who crosses your path.
Riding horses, of course, can be dangerous, too! So there is a lot of gear that you can buy to protect yourself in the event of a fall off your horse. I’ll cover that in an article of its own!
I always advise buying some kind of travel insurance to protect yourself from losing luggage, having to cancel your trip, or getting injured while on vacation.
Communication
In most places you will visit around the world, English is NOT the primary language. However, tour companies know that communication is key with their clients so they will normally have someone who speaks English, as they want to do business with North American and the UK! Make sure of this as you choose your tour company, or take someone with you who knows the native language and can interpret for you.
Cell Phones
Nowadays, you can get coverage from your normal cell phone company in a lot of different countries. If not, you can buy a cheap cell phone when you get to your destination, to have for emergency purposes. But my advice is to not worry about people at home; take this time for yourself and take lots of pictures to show your friends and family when you get home!
In conclusion, there are a lot of things to consider when planning your dream horse riding holiday, and exploring the world on horseback. I will do my best on this blog to help alleviate some of the pressure and help guide you to the best places to go, and to the best tour operators.
Let’s go explore the world on horseback!
