AFRICA IN THE SADDLE - Mara Horseback Safari

Offbeat Riding Safaris are one of the leading horse back safari companies in Africa....riding horses across the savannah with large numbers of wildlife and big game is what we do best!

Type of Riding
We ride in big game country, on open plains interspersed with bush. The short grass plains are
ideal for riding (although you must look out for holes) and long canters are taken. We ride for 4 – 7
hours per day with 1 1⁄2 - 2 hours lunch stops, and on our longest moving day we stop for breakfast
on route. Walking on foot is sometimes necessary over rough terrain.

Riding Ability Required of guests
In order to enjoy the safari and for the safety of all the riders and horses, guests should be
experienced riders, comfortable at all paces (walk, trot, canter, gallop) and able to get out of trouble
calmly and at the necessary speed. You should be balanced with an independent seat and fit
enough to ride 4 – 7 hours per day. We have a strict maximum weight limit of 210lbs/15 stone/
95kg, due to our horses in Kenya simply not being very big and carrying the rider for 40+km per
day. On booking, we will require details of your riding experience, plus your age, weight and height,
so that we can match you to suitable horses.

Horses
Our horses are based at Deloraine House, and are trucked to each safari destination ahead of our
guests. All our horses are thoroughbred and thoroughbred cross and have excellent stamina as a
result. They are well schooled and some play polo and event. They are therefore responsive,
tough and fit. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Tack
We ride in English General Purpose Wintec saddles and leather saddles. Some Australian stock
saddles are available on request. Seat savers are available. We mainly use snaffle bridles.

Non Riders
We often have non-riders join our safaris, when their spouse or friends are riders but they are not.
We can cater very well for anyone who does not wish to ride and have an excellent team of guides
and spotters who take them out by vehicle, meeting up with the rest of the group for meals, picnics
and sundowners. All our guests enjoy game drives, night drives and walking, as well as riding, so
the non-riders are still very much part of the group. Game drives are always available, even for the
riders, if they prefer a break from the saddle every so often.

Riding Hats
It is strongly recommended that you wear a hard riding hat on safari. Offbeat Safaris do not provide
hard hats or chaps. If you wish to wear a riding hat, please bring your own.If you choose not to wear
a hard riding hat this is at your own risk. Please check your holiday/medical insurance covers you
in an accident if you are not wearing a riding hat.

Whilst on safari we have a full fleet of custom designed 4x4 safari vehicles so that guests can also view game from vehicle, sometimes getting closer than we do from the horses and also allowing better photographic opportunities. We can also drive into the Masai Mara Reserve (where we can't take the horses)...whilst this is a busier area of the Mara that we normally avoid, it is where one can hopefully see the wildebeest cross the Mara River during the migration months.

With long established relationships with the various conservancies that we ride across, many allow us to game drive at night with a filtered spotlight to see the nocturnal species, including lion who we often find hunting.

As well as riding and game drives, our guides all hold gun licenses and can take our guests out to stretch their legs and see the smaller details of the bush from foot.

Our guests love to spend a morning or afternoon visiting a local Masai village which gives a great insight into local African life here. It is also an opportunity for guests to purchase some authentic, hand made Masai gifts, such as beaded jewellery and carved ornaments.

We eat out in the bush as much as possible. When riding between camps we will ride to a picnic lunch under a shady tree on the way. As long as the weather is good we always have breakfast and lunch outside, and bush dinner under the stars, listening to the sounds of hyenas and lions calling.