Intermediate

Even as a novice rider you can experience wonderful riding safaris in Africa getting up close to the game

Riding safaris in Kenya with Ride Africa
Riding ability is notoriously difficult to define, but below we have tried to give you a good indication of what we mean by certain terms. We always urge you to call us and ask us whether we think you might be suited to a certain ride or not - we can tell you more about your guide, the terrain you will encounter, the type of tack you will be using and the type of horses on which you will be riding.

We understand that there is nothing more miserable than being on a riding holiday where you are not happy with either the pace of the ride or the horse and so it is vitally important to make the right choice at this stage so that you have fun on your holiday.

Intermediate Riders

This is quite a general term, but we would usually class an intermediate rider as one who is able to mount and dismount unassisted, happy at walk, rising trot and canter on a steady horse for a sustained period of time. You will be happy riding out in the open country with other riders and you may have your own horse or have owned one in the past.

Beginner/Novice

There are some rides in Africa that can offer the beginner or novice rider a marvellous taste of riding in Africa. They offer quiet horses/ponies that are excellent at their job, well-schooled and calm. The horses used on the rides are often brought up in the bush and therefore used to the sights and sounds of their surroundings thereby giving the rider lots of confidence.

At some of the lodges, specifically in South Africa (see Horizon Horseback Adventures) & Namibia (Desert Homestead), even as a beginner you can experience riding with game, though not dangerous game!

A beginner will ideally have had a few lessons at a riding school at home prior to embarking on a riding holiday in Africa. This will mean that your riding muscles will be more used to riding and this will increase your overall enjoyment of your holiday.

A novice rider will have a little more experience than a beginner (but not quite as much as an intermediate!), will be happy riding at walk, rising trot and canter on a steady horse and may have even been on a riding holiday before or at least been hacking out a few times for a few hours.

Booking information: to talk to someone about riding safaris and holidays for experienced riders please email us or phone us on 0207 622 5114.