Horse back riding in Costa Rica

[henke]

I plan on horseback riding in Samara Beach. Do I need to bring boots and jean’s?

[Andrew]

And clean underwear, the Costa Rica immigration authorities are VERY fussy about that …

Scott

[jasman]

Come on, Scott, there have got to be places where you can ride “bare-back” (both you and the horse, if you know what I mean.) 😀

[Andrew]

I don’t believe there is a Lady Godiva horse back riding school here 🙂

Although that would be an interesting but somewhat “itchy” idea.

Scott

[jasman]

Don’t knock it till you try it! 😉

But seriously, folks,

I would also like to get some information about horseback riding in Costa Rica.

There is something that I have seen many times in movies, TV shows and TV commercials that always looked like it would be a lot of fun, but I’ve never met anyone who has actually done it. I’m talking about riding horseback on a beach, with the hooves splashing through the incoming surf. Do you know of any places on the West Coast of Costa Rica that have stables where you can rent a horse for a few hours and ride along the beach? That would absolutely be a dream come true for me. I used to ride horses all the time when I was a kid. My family used to take summer vacations at a ranch in the mountains of Eastern Arizona, where I would ride horses every day, and my Dad owned riding horses also, so I grew up riding almost every day during the summer. But I haven’t been on a horse in over 30 years. I would absolutely love to get back into riding again.

Edited on Mar 11, 2006 15:44

[kfidei]

Sounds fun, but be careful. I train horses as a hobby (including my own guy) and have trained horses using natural horsemanship in both Arenal and Monteverde (friends with the former cr jr rodeo champion). I’ve found most cr horses are trained in the “old way,” basically through fear and often getting hit on the head. This just scares a horse and makes him/her more dangerous / apt to shy. So when you go, ask for a calm, confident horse (un caballo calmado con confianza), and see if you can gently rub the horse on the neck and then on the head, esp around the ears. If the horse tosses its head, it’s scared or disrespectful, and ask for another one. Go with someone else, and take a cell phone in case you end up on the ground while the horse runs back to the barn. Enjoy! Kelly

[jasman]

Thanks for the information, Kelly. As I said, I haven’t ridden in a long time, so I’ll need a “dude” horse. If you train horses using more modern, gentle methods, you may have a potential business, supplying horses to gringo dudes!

By the way, I just found this:

http://www.equestrianvacations.com/horseback_riding/costarica.php

Very expensive, though. I’m sure I can make cheaper arrangements locally!

[bertnspike]

I’ve heard many times that Equus Stable across the road from Tulemar Bungalows just north of Manuel Antonio is the best place to go. I understand that their horses are well treated & well behaved. They advertise beach rides also.

Susan

[peterup2]

I have only been to Costa Rica once and had a great time. We took a guided tour in Manual Antonio right on the main street and had a very nice tour. The horses were not in the best shape but the guide made up for it. We took a great jungle tour up a mountian. He showed us 3 toed sloths “stoping to shake the tree a little so we could get a better view” and tons of other wildlife. We finished galloping through the waves on the beach. Our horses didnt seem to keen on running but our guides was flying. All in all It was great and would recomend it to all.

Pete

[jasman]

Thanks, Pete, that sounds like a good place to start. How long was the horse tour? A couple of hours, or a half-day or all-day ride? And do you remember about how much it cost?

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