Horse riding

Horse riding in Africa is a magical experience; imagine galloping alongside herds of zebra and wildebeest or cantering across wide-open savannahs with elegant giraffes.

You could be splashing through the watery Okavango Delta with the sitatunga, or cantering along pristine white sandy beaches – in Africa you can swim in rivers or the sea, explore coves, forests and gorges and get closer than you can ever imagine to the animals, they don’t see you as a human but as one with your horse.

There are several dedicated riding safaris in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Botswana, and Tanzania where you can ride from base camps or mobile camps. But, you don’t have to be experienced to enjoy the beauty of Africa from the saddle as there are lodges with horses for all abilities of rider.

Did you know?

• There are horse riding safaris for a wide range of ages and experience levels.
• There are many itineraries for experienced riders, from 3-10 days, some where you travel between camps and ride between 4-6hrs per day.
• You must be riding fit to join a dedicated horse safari and be able to control your horse out of a difficult situation.
• Non-riding partners can be accommodated on some horse safaris, going out on walks or drives, and meeting riders at lunch.
• Quite a few lodges have horses where you can do half or full-day rides as one of your activities, these are for any level of rider.
• Farside can arrange riding working holidays for up to 3 months.