Kenya Horseback Safaris, We believe in horsepower! Not the mechanical or automotive kind—the Secretariat kind, the Hi-ho Silver! kind, and even the Mr. Ed kind. We are so enthusiastic about the excitement that horsepower contributes to African safari experiences that, quicker than you can say “Mount Kilimanjaro,” we can arrange for you to be cantering through landscapes and landforms in two different settings in wildlife-rich Kenya.
That iconic peak is a constant presence when you and a small group of like-minded enthusiasts explore on horseback the 1.4 million acres accessible to Patrick Stanton and Nicola Young, the owners of Ride Kenya. They and their team of grooms, trainers, and 25 superbly trained horses have perfected the art of the multi-day mobile horse safari.
Patrick and Nicola want you to experience the joy of observing wildlife at very close range, astride a close cousin of the zebras quietly grazing several hundred yards away (both species share the genus Equus). You can expect to spend four to seven hours in the saddle exploring diverse environments with unfettered access to elephant, buffalo, lion, hyena, and many antelope species. Then at day’s end, you will be welcomed into a camp that provides every amenity the weary you craves—reviving shower, refreshing drinks, delicious food, and a comfortable bed for the kind of dreams that only occur in the African bush. (Ride Kenya also offers half- or full-day rides to the guests of Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge, their home base.)
If your preference is for an excursion on horseback in the Maasai Mara of southwestern Kenya, the renowned Maasai guides of Offbeat Safaris will introduce you to the region’s wildlife from their own very informed perspective. All are well-credentialed naturalists, excellent horsemen, and like guide Joseph Leposo Njapit, are dedicated to the conservation and protection of the environments they know in such detail.
Luxury mobile safaris are tailored to suit your preferences, but all include crossings of the Mara River where wildebeest in the hundreds of thousands have trod, and climbs up and descents from the Soit Olololol Escarpment, where the vistas are endless. Prepare to ride for four to six hours a day, and prepare for adrenaline rushes—elephant herds and sleeping lions can do that to you.
Shorter horseback rides are also an option at a handful of camps throughout Northern Kenya’s Laikipia. Spending even an hour on horseback at a leisurely walk offers a terrific alternative to game drives, regardless of skill level.
Winston Churchill, known for his love of horses, remarked that “no hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” We would love to help you enrich many precious hours during a riding safari in Kenya.
