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From beach rides in the Caribbean to crossing the desert on an Arabian breed, travelling on horseback certainly offers a different perspective Words: Sophy Grimshaw > Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Yves Stranger launched his 12-horse-strong riding business Equus Ethiopia (www.equusethiopia. com) just a few months ago, with rates available by the hour and for day or [...]
From beach rides in the Caribbean to crossing the desert on an Arabian breed, travelling on horseback certainly offers a different perspective
Words: Sophy Grimshaw
> Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Yves Stranger launched his 12-horse-strong
riding business Equus Ethiopia (www.equusethiopia.
com) just a few months ago, with
rates available by the hour and for day or
weekend treks. Local places of interest include
the monastery of Debre Libanos, roughly a
100km ride. The Equus stables are located in
surprisingly lush countryside, 30 minutes from
Addis Ababa. “The areas we frequent look more
like Mongolia than the stereotypical images
of Ethiopia,” says Stranger. High standards
of animal welfare make this business a good
choice for riders.
> Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Equestrian Council of Jeddah promotes
the breeding and riding of Arabian horses, one
of the world’s oldest breeds, with characteristic
chiselled faces and high tails. Their strong
constitution evolved via desert-living with
Bedouin nomads. One of the city’s newer riding
stables is Home Of The Finest Arabian Horses
[+966 2 (0)50 360 7616] which offers rides
into the desert. You can also have conventional
riding lessons at the Mersai Village Equestrian
Club (+966 2 225 0003). To learn more about
Arabian horses, visit www.alaadeyat.com
> Antigua, West Indies
Sit atop a horse’s back as it wades into the
warm waters of the Caribbean, on a beach trek
with Antigua’s Spring Hill Riding Club
(+268 460 7787; www.antiguanice.com/
springhill). The school also offers rides (starting
from $50) to historic island sights like the fort
at Monks Hill, built by the British in 1680, and
the Bounty advert-esque beach at Rendevous
Bay. “The two-hour trip to Rendevous Bay
is our most popular ride by far,” Spring Hill’s
manager Laurie Branch says. “It takes you down
to a secluded, undeveloped coastline with only
one road in and out. We play on the beach for
a bit and swim the horses.”
> ON HOME TURF: Windsor, Great Britain
There’s no need to wait for an invitation to play polo from Wills or Harry,
now that Equine Adventures (www.equineadventures.co.uk) is offering a
two-day Introduction To Polo course between May and September this
year, at Fifield Polo Club near Windsor (about a 30-minute drive from London
Heathrow). It costs from £375 and doesn’t require previous riding experience
– or a posh surname. “You don’t need to be an experienced rider – you just
need a sense of humour and a desire to give polo a try,” the company insists.
