Okavango Horse Safaris

Okavango Horse Safaris in Botswana

Being on the back of a horse allows you to get much closer to wild African animals than you would have ever imagined. The horse safari camps in Botswana offer one of the ultimate safari experiences for horse riding enthusiasts. Nothing can possibly describe the feeling you get galloping at full speed alongside a herd of giraffes or peacefully observing a herd of elephants passing silently across the endless plains of the Okavango Delta. You will  become immersed in this unique ecosystem, cantering and splashing through lagoons or watching the setting sun whilst listening to the calls of lion and hyena. Without a doubt, this will be one of the most exhilarating and exciting things you have ever done in your life.

The rides are lead by very experienced guides and the camps aim to keep the group sizes small, with usually no more than 8 people on a ride. Each ride out is accompanied by a lead guide and a back up guide, both armed for safety reasons.

A long and harder ride will be done in the morning and a shorter, more relaxing one in the afternoon. Riders need to be riding fit and strong as well as confident of their ability at all paces, as about four to six hours a day are spent in the saddle.

As a general rule beginner riders are not permitted to ride at the camps. However, most camps offer plenty to do for non-riders, including boating, game drives, mokoro excursions and fishing. So if you have a mixed group of riders and non riders you should not be put off staying at one of the riding camps!

The horses are well taken care of and are especially chosen for the unique terrain in Botswana. The camps have a good range of horses in different sizes. The choice is between Thoroughbreds, Namibian Hanoverian and Kalahari-Arab crossbreeds, with a range in size from 14 to 17 hands (140-170cm). So do not worry - there is a horse for everyone and a choice of English or Trail saddles for western style riding. 

If this sounds like something you would enjoy, drop us a line with more questions and we will be happy to advise! We have on our team, Jen Weimann, who has over twenty years of experience in the horse safari industry. Jen has worked in the Delta with horse safaris for many years and owns her ow horse safari business, so you will be in good hands!