How to Choose Your Perfect Wild Coast Horse Trail

Nicky Hoseck

You’ve seen the videos of riders cantering along stretches of deserted beaches, you’ve imagined the thrill of splashing through the waves and conquering towering cliffs and steep coastal dunes, but now you’re spoilt for choice.

Would our shorter 4-night, 5-day trail suit you better or should you commit to a whole week of exploration?

In this blog, we’re going to turn the spotlight onto our four overnight horse adventures and give you some insider tips on how to choose the perfect Wild Coast Horse Trail for your budget, ability, and sense of adventure.

Stay and Ride

This flexible option is ideal for riders embarking on their first beach horse-riding holiday. There are no challenging river crossings and as the entire experience is lodge-based, no expectation that you must spend a fixed number of hours in the saddle.

Guests coming to experience our stay-and-ride package can opt for a dinner, bed and breakfast experience or enjoy a relaxed self-catering stay at one of our guest houses. Guests can select their ideal package from a selection of options that offer as much or as little riding as they’d like.

For those less confident about their fitness levels or riding ability, shorter riders are ideal for getting into the saddle and the swing of things. Take an hour-and-a-half meander along the Kei Mouth beach, and the next day take a faster-paced two-and-a-half hour ride over the Morgan Bay cliffs before experiencing your first (and most unforgettable) canter along the picturesque shoreline.

Full-day rides give more experienced riders the chance to test their abilities and explore a little further afield. Options include a relaxing ride through the village of Morgan Bay to a local eatery, Yellowwood Forest, where you can enjoy a light lunch under a canopy of indigenous trees.

Our other two full-day horseback adventures see you traversing the Great Kei River by ferry before cantering up the coast to one of two lunchtime destinations. The one option is to enjoy a sit-down meal at one of the nearby seaside hotels. The other is to head to the Gxara Falls where you can splash in the pools and picnic while listening to your guide tell tales of the site’s cultural and historical significance.

The average guest embarking on our stay and ride experience stays between two and three days, meaning they can squeeze in all our day rides and discover the highlights of our shorter rides. However, if you’d like to extend your stay, we’ll happily accommodate you for up to seven days, during which you can connect with our horses on a deeper level and explore more of the Wild Coast and its unbeatable beaches.

4 night 5 day Mini Beach Trail

Our mini beach trail is short enough to accommodate a range of riders with different goals. It’s perfect for riders who are new to trails or who are embarking on their first overnight horseback expedition.

It’s also great to add on for those about to embark on one of South Africa’s other top horse-riding holidays. Over the past year or so, we’ve seen an ever-increasing number of overseas guests using our mini trail to warm up for a horseback safari through Botswana’s Tuli Block and the Waterberg while others use it to prepare for a fast-paced ride through Namibia’s desert landscapes.

While exhilarating, our mini beach trail isn’t as challenging as our signature Wild Coast Horse Trail and gives guests a bit more flexibility. As you’re not moving to a new location every day, there’s less pressure on you to cover long distances daily, making this trail option more suitable for those with less experience in the saddle or a little less fitness than they might have hoped for!

We expect riders joining one of our mini trails to be able to post to a trot and enjoy a nice controlled canter. In other words, if you’re an advanced novice or intermediate rider, you’ll find this ride pleasantly challenging but by no means overwhelming.

Qolora Trail

This 8-day horseback adventure is a great way to ease yourself into the saddle and into the swing of an overnight horse trail. A bit more forgiving than our signature Wild Coast Horse Trail, our Qolora Trail stops for two nights at each destination, meaning you can always opt for a day or afternoon off if your saddle sores are getting too much! The shorter distances also mean we can travel at a more relaxed pace, reducing some of the longer canters to a more manageable length.

The Qolora Trail is a family-friendly option as it allows riders enough time out of the saddle that they can spend quality time with non-riding family members. While riders enjoy their horseback adventures, non-riders can self-drive between hotels and meet up with the group along the way. This flexibility means that families can strike a balance between riding and other activities.

The Qolora Trail's more relaxed pace and built-in rest days also make it an excellent choice for those who want to experience a longer trail ride but may be concerned about their stamina or comfort in the saddle over multiple consecutive days. It means you get the chance to build your confidence and endurance as the week progresses.

The itinerary for the Qolora Trail begins with a two-night stay in Kei Mouth, during which you’ll enjoy several shorter rides in the local area, giving you the chance to familiarize yourself with the tack and make sure you’re compatible with your allocated horse.

After that, you’ll head to Seagulls Hotel where you’ll enjoy beachfront accommodation and local hospitality - not to mention some fast riding along the beach and sojourns into the coastal hinterlands.

The furthest point on this trail is the breathtaking Wavecrest Hotel, where the scenery is so stunning, that it’s easy to waste a day simply staring into the distance. Here, you can go kayaking, enjoy a therapeutic massage or treat yourself to a soothing facial.

As with any good horse-riding adventure, we save the best for last and your penultimate day will see you ride the whole way back to Kei Mouth, giving you plenty of opportunity to show off your newly found confidence in the saddle.

Wild Coast Horse Trail

If you’re the kind of rider who’s been there, done that, then this is the horse-riding holiday for you! Traversing the southernmost part of the Wild Coast, this trail sees you cantering through the surf, crossing rivers, clambering over rocks and scaling craggy headlands that tower over the crashing waves.

Each new day brings a new experience, from long, leisurely canters along winding sandy paths to quick bursts of speed over hard-packed sand on the edge of the ocean. The terrain changes rapidly as you cover nearly 200km of coastal wilderness. Coastal forests, rolling grasslands, craggy rocks, and pristine beaches all feature on this trail, offering a widely varied and fully immersive riding experience.

As challenging as it is, the Wild Coast Horse Trail is not for the faint-hearted, but geared towards confident, experienced riders who’ve already got one or two of South Africa’s top horse-riding holidays under their belts. If you’re up for a challenge and comfortable with long hours in the saddle, however, this trail promises to surpass your expectations.

The ever-changing terrain demands adaptability and a good level of fitness from both horse and rider who develop a deep bond as they navigate the challenges of the Wild Coast.

The Wild Coast Horse Trail isn't all about the riding and each night you’ll discover a new destination, complete with breathtaking views and warm hospitality.

For those seeking the ultimate equestrian adventure, the Wild Coast Horse Trail has it in spades. It's a journey that will test your skills, push your limits, and reward you with unforgettable memories of one of the world’s top beach riding holidays.

Conclusion

Whatever your riding ability, availability, and budget, Wild Coast Horse Trails have a horseback adventure to suit your needs. Even if you can only spare a weekend, we’ll make it feel like you’ve been here forever, but if you can free up an entire week, we’ll be happy to fill it with great adventures and unforgettable memories.

Our sure-footed, responsive horses and comfortable saddles will make you feel at ease from the moment you step foot in the stirrup. Whether you’re just getting started in the saddle, returning to riding after a long break, or see yourself winning the Mongol Derby, we’ve got a trail that will tick all your boxes and leave you wanting more.

Thank you to Tony Marshall for the stunning images!