How the horses spend the rest of the day
You are with a horse for about an hour. That hour matters, but so does everything on either side of it, and that is the part no guest is there for.
Matching comes first
Nobody is handed the nearest horse. Riders are matched by build and by how much riding they have genuinely done, and those two things do not always point the same way — a light, anxious beginner is a different problem from a heavy, confident one. The matching is done at the centre by people who know which horse is patient and which one is not.
It is also where the recommended maximum rider weight of around 100–110 kg comes from. That figure is written for the horse rather than for the rider, which is why it is a recommendation with a reason behind it rather than a rule at a door.
A horse that is not fit does not work
The working string is not fixed at the start of the season and simply run. A horse that is off, sore or tired is left out of the day and either another goes in its place or the group goes out one horse smaller.
That is the plain version of a welfare policy: not a sentence on a website, but a horse standing in the shade while the others walk.
Rest, water and the heat
- Horses are rested between rides rather than sent out back to back through the day
- Water is available to them off the trail, not only when the day ends
- In summer the standard departures keep off the hottest part of the day, which is as much about the horses as about the riders
- The route itself can change on the day — ground conditions, weather, safety, what the group can handle, and the horses' welfare all move it
Feeding, and the vet
Bring an apple or a carrot if you would like to. Ask the riding staff before you hand anything over — they know which horse can take it and which one should not, and feeding at a stable is controlled for a reason rather than out of fussiness.
The horses are under veterinary supervision, with care provided in line with the requirements that apply, and each one is individually identified and documented. That is as specific as this page will get, and deliberately so: the detail behind it is the operator's record to hold, not a line to decorate a sales page with.
If you want to thank a horse and have nothing with you, the neck is the right place and a flat hand is the right way. Ask the staff first anyway.
Ready to ride?
One ride to book, three to request, hotel transfer included, nothing charged online.
1-Hour Side Horse Safari €40 per rider Book the horse safari