How To Go Horse Riding In Egypt

We are going to be sharing why Egypt needs to be on your horse riding bucket list, some travel tips and highlights that you don’t want to miss as well as of course where you can actually ride and book your trip to ride horses in Egypt.

Author: Hebe Webber

Watch our Video “How to Go Horse Riding in Egypt”

And make sure you like it and share it with your friends! It really helps others to find our content and get these tips, too.

I’m going to be discussing things that are found in our World Travel Guide for Equestrians. Egypt is in there. If you don’t already have it, get yourself a copy on Amazon worldwide or you can also grab a free eBook version.

It has listings of horse riding places in a variety of different countries. Additionally there are lots of useful tips and information. It talks about safety phrases or words in the local language and the local dress code in Egypt. Or if you’re searching for budget friendly trips or something a little more luxurious, I would definitely grab a copy of this book today.

Horse Welfare is Priority

Before we get into horse riding in Egypt, I just want to make a disclaimer. Please, please check the health & welfare of the horses at the place you will be riding before you go there. Do your research when you’re booking horse riding vacations! You want to make sure you’re booking places where the horses are treated nicely and animal welfare is priority.

Choose Carefully When You Go Horse Riding in Egypt

I do want to give a warning that there are a lot of stables near the pyramids and the horses are not very well cared for. There’s a lot of charity organizations that try to help the horses there. So if you are looking for some kind of charity or you want to do a good deed while you’re planning a trip to Egypt, I suggest that you get in touch with the charities. You could even bring some gear or saddle pads. Anything they might need. 

You Can Make a Difference Too

So even if you just go and just drop off a bag full of saddle pads, probably the charities will be more than happy to accept those. Also vaccines or different medications can be very helpful to bring. Try to avoid the local pyramid tourist-vibe horses. They are a bit skinny, and the owners don’t necessarily know which tack fits their horses. They don’t really care for them very well.

I’m not going to be covering those stables in this article, I’m going to be talking about stables that have well cared for horses. But just be careful and cautious when you are booking trips abroad! Make sure that horse welfare does come first. Like I said, try and contact some charity organizations and see if there is something that you can donate or bring. That way you can do a good deed while having fun and exploring this wonderful country! 

Ignorance can be Negligence

Most of the locals don’t realize or know that they’re mistreating their horses. They actually love their horses. But they just have no idea what kind of tack to use and how to fit it. Even just helping the locals with simple small gestures can make a world of difference. I think that’s one of the great things about travelling, is that you can help other cultures. You can be an ambassador and present horses in a very powerful way. I would definitely encourage you to do so!

I will add a quick resource, if you aren’t already a member of our Equestrian Adventuresses Facebook group, I would definitely go and check it out. You can search for past posts or you can make a post. Or have a look at pictures from women that have actually been and travelled to Egypt before. You can hear from them about their experiences, advice and recommendations. The Facebook group is definitely a great place to start and get some information.

Land of Pharaohs and the Red Sea

Egypt is the land of pharaohs and ancient Egyptian history. EQA Founder Krystal has personally lived in Egypt twice. Both times for about a year and she loved living in Egypt! She speaks some Egyptian Arabic and she worked in a variety of different stables. Krystal worked mostly with show jumping horses but also with polo ponies. She really enjoyed Egypt and lived mostly in Cairo. So I’m going to share with you some of her must-see places and of course where you should go and book your horse riding in Egypt trip.

I feel like everybody should visit Egypt at least once in their lifetime. And yes, the pyramids are something that everyone should see definitely! But there’s a whole lot more to this country than just the pyramids. There is beautiful, magic architecture from ancient Egyptian times in Luxor, you have the Red Sea. The Red Sea has some of the most pristine waters Krystal has ever seen! It’s actually a super popular destination for scuba divers or snorkelers.

Krystal isn’t really into scuba diving, but she did try snorkeling. There were SO many colorful fishes. How clear the water is, you just won’t believe. Luckily, The Red Sea is also where you can find one of the places you can ride horses in Egypt!

Horse Riding in Egypt – Experience the Arabian Desert Dream

The great thing about Egypt is that you are going to experience Arabian horses. And let me tell you. If you’re a horse lover, you have to at least once in your lifetime gallop on an Arabian in the desert. That is where they thrive and the horses are amazing! It’s so fast and in the desert you can just go, go and go and it’s just nothing but horizon for miles and miles. That is what horse riding in Egypt is all about.

It is recommended that you visit between mid September and April. That way you’re missing out the heat of the summer. In the wintertime in January and February the desert can be quite cold. So if you are visiting at that time you definitely want to bring some jackets. Generally you will need to be an intermediate to experienced rider as you are going to be galloping around on Arabian horses.

Arabian horses are actually a bit small. So for that reason some places may have a weight and weight limit (usually 90 kg/190cm). Most people are fine on an Arabian horse. They’re very quick and very intelligent animals. Krystal actually owns a part Arabian mare who is super smart! She really enjoys working with her. Krystal never runs out of things to be surprised with by her. She’s a lot of fun. I can vouch for this as well, having owned a part Arabian mare for 11 years. The entertainment is endless.

Respect the Local Culture

Knowing from her own personal experiences as a solo blonde woman travelling the first time, Krystal went to Egypt at 21 years old. She was nervous because it was a Muslim country and she had a little bit of a fear. Krystal was going alone… was it safe? Is she going to have an issue because she’s blonde and white and I stand out? It’s Muslim, so did she need to dress really respectfully? Does that mean she had to cover her hair? How does that work?!

Definitely when she first went to Egypt, Krystal didn’t know what to expect. Egypt, it is Muslim. You do definitely want to dress modestly if you were out in public. Obviously if you’re just in a resort and swimming around or at the Red Sea of course you can wear a bathing suit. However, if you’re exploring the pyramids or if you’re walking around in public places, it’s a must.

Krystal suggests that you wear a polo shirt or something that covers your chest area. Not anything v neck. Wear something that has an actual t-shirt neckline. You’ll also want to cover your shoulders. You can have a normal t-shirt (which would cover your shoulders and neckline) but definitely no tank tops or singlets. Nothing like that. 

We Know It’s Hot, But You Need to Cover Up

As far as your legs go, I know it can be a bit warm if you’re visiting there in the summertime, but even still you need to wear pants or breeches. You can buy breathable cotton breeches so you’re not going to get too hot to be honest. So if you’re outside of the resort and you’re in a public place definitely don’t wear skirts or dresses unless they are full length.

They need to actually go down to your ankles. You can wear flip-flops or sandals when you’re walking around. There is nothing strange about exposing your feet or toes. 

Just try to dress a little bit more modestly and respectfully. Then that way the local people will see you as respecting their culture and they will be more friendly and more kind to you. Plus they won’t stare as much.

Nervous Traveller? Here is the Solution

You’re keen to go horse riding in Egypt, but you’re a little bit nervous. You don’t really know where to start. I would definitely recommend checking out our online courses. We have courses on women’s travel safety, goal setting and of course horse riding. The courses will teach you how to have a sticky butt and ride any type of horse. No matter what the situation! It’s going to give you a lot of skills and confidence in and out of the saddle. It’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

Locations Not to Miss in Egypt

As far as some highlights, the things that Krystal says you must see are the Red Sea (as previously mentioned) and of course the pyramids. There’s another pyramid that not as many people know about. It’s the step pyramid in Saqqara. It’s not that far from the pyramids of Giza. It is actually older than the pyramids of Giza. Usually it’s not as touristy. There are less people there and you can see a lot of hieroglyphs. Krystal really enjoyed her visit there! 

Another thing is the museum in Cairo. Krystal strongly recommends visiting as there is SO much stuff in the museum. You’re going to be overwhelmed by it all. So don’t feel like you have to go see each and every single piece. Because it’s just impossible. Spend a couple of hours in the museum just wandering around and appreciating all the cool stuff that they have. Especially the animal room. They have a mummified horse. Which was kind of interesting to see. That somebody actually wanted to bring the horse, their precious mare, to the afterlife. It’s very interesting and I would definitely recommend the museum.

And of course you have to see the Nile. There are some places where you can hire a felucca boat for the day. You can go up and down the Nile, which is quite lovely. There’s also quite a few hotels and restaurants on the Nile. You can sit in the evening time and drink your Egyptian tea (which Krystal also definitely recommends). You can just kind of watch the boats going by. 

And as an equestrian horse riding in Egypt in the desert, on an Arabian horse… you’ve got to do it. You just have to.

Hungry for More as an Equestrian Traveller?

If you’re looking for other places that you can ride our World Travel Guide For Equestrians has a whole variety of countries. It has lots of information, tips, highlights and things that you should do. Definitely grab a copy. 

If you want a list or a whole bunch of different stables where you can go horse riding in Egypt. Then I would recommend that you get our Horse Riding in Every Country catalogue. This is basically like a phone book directory. It literally lists a whole bunch of stables in almost every country. It’s got 180 countries covered. This is something that I like to have on my desk because I think it’s a really useful resource to have. Then I can just grab it, look up the place I want and go check out their website.

---

More Awesome Content About Horse Riding in Egypt

Read a personal story about one adventuress’ holiday horseback riding in Egypt. She reignites her old passion for horse riding after 12 years out of the saddle, soaking in the Egyptian culture.

Love being a part of the Equestrian Adventuresses Tribe? Get adventure ready in some of our signature apparel.