Travel & Tourism
Welcome to Travel & Tourism. There's lot of resources for your travel plans if they involve a horse!
Need time away and want to spend it with horses? Our Vacation page offers a range of resources from around the world! Taking your horse with you? Find a variety of places that accomodate you and your horse in our section on Horse Motels and Overnights.
If you are sending your horse by trailer, plane, or even boat, see our Shipping section for a directory of listings.
Searching for a place near you or a place near you to rent a horse and ride? Look at our Trail Riding section.
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Royal Ascot: Time To Dress Up
A day at the races comes with connotations of elegant outfits, fascinating fascinators and a glass of champagne in hand and as we embark through the race season, we’ve seen plenty of it all. From flowing skirts and bodycon marvels, to three-piece suits and a top hat or two, Royal Ascot is one of the most well-known events for an elegant outfit or two. Dressed to the nines, attendants of Ladies Day, the royal procession or frankly any day at the races, come together to celebrate some of the most intense horse racing around while sporting top fashion from across the country.
With King George Weekend just around the corner, we’re taking a look at some of the best fashion from Royal Ascot, and what we can expect to see the future event.
The Style Guide
For anyone attending Royal Ascot, the main website publishes a style guide every year that covers the expected dress across different parts of the racecourse. From the Royal Enclosure to the Millinery Collective, each has its own suggested style of dress. For example, the Royal Enclosure requires:
- Ladies: Dresses of a moderate length and with straps one inch in width or wider, all midriffs must be covered and while trouser suits are welcome, they should be full-length and of matching colour.
- Gentlemen: Morning dress of a black or grey colour must be worn, including a waistcoat and tie (no novelty designs), a black or grey top hat and back shoes with socks.
- Girls: The dress code for girls should follow that of the women, however, they are allowed to wear a fascinator as opposed to a full hat.
- Boys: Young boys can choose to follow the same dress code as the gentlemen or opt for a black or grey lounge suit. In the Village Enclosure, however, the dress code is a little laxer but does include:
by DeAnn Sloan
If you’ve ever wanted to visit the sites of your favorite movies from the back of a horse, Tony Daly offers this definitive guide of where to go.
Whether we watch them on the big screen or the small screen, movies don’t just broaden our perspective; they also inspire us to see more of the world, set-jetting — one of the latest buzzwords in travel.
Long before the term came into being, Western movies stirred a passion in many of us, some hooked on horseback riding by those first few brushes with the real Wild West. Take Tony Daly for example, whose initial stay at Arizona’s Tanque Verde Guest Ranch lead to a complete career change.
Now Managing Director of riding holiday specialist, Ranch Rider, Tony is taking the reins with his set-jetting inspiration for 2019. His list covers everything from live-action modern-day Westerns to Disney’s CGI remake of The Lion King.
by Cari Klostermann
Before heading off on vacation, make sure your horse is prepared for your absence.
Taking a vacation with the family always sounds like a great idea, but as a horse owner, the anxiety of leaving your horse behind can quickly take the fun out of it. Sure, we want to take our horses everywhere we go, but sometimes it’s just not possible. Don’t let that stop you from exploring the world!
We have composed a detailed checklist to complete before you leave town to lessen your worry so you can actually relax on your vacation.
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Find a trusted caregiver. It’s important that you trust the person you leave to care for your four-hooved friends to meet both their physical and emotional needs. If they simply toss some feed over the fence, sure, your horse will survive, but then you will feel guilty about your horse being alone while you were away. Find someone who will give your horses some love, plus recognize horse-health signs that indicate it’s time to call the vet.
by Pam Zubeck
It’s as much about safety as courtesy when it comes to knowing how to control your horse on the trail, says Debbie Bibb with Friends of Equestrian Skills Course.
Bibb is one of about 20 regular volunteers who have been building an equestrian trail obstacle course on 15 acres near Norris Penrose Event Center, 1045 Lower Gold Camp Road.
The nonprofit was formed after El Paso County officials approved a new master plan for Bear Creek Regional Park in 2014 and 2015 that included space for the skills course, though county officials warned they couldn’t fund the course itself.
“They said, ‘We can set aside the land for it and provide some materials here and there,’ but for the most part all the money has come from what our group has raised,” she says.
Read more: Equestrian Group Forms Obstacle Training Site for a Safer Trail
by DD Kingscote
It's hard to describe the little bit of magic that happens for me when I put my foot down in Africa, especially Kenya, the land of my birth. It's like taking off a heavy winter overcoat and revealing the skin underneath. There are places in Kenya that are so “right" that they bring comfort to one's very soul. So you can see that I am biased before I even begin to tell you about "my kind of therapy".
I am a rider and for many years was a competitive rider and that was my "skill." Later, due to my enduring love of Africa, I became a small, personalized tour operator and it gives me great pleasure to enable others to feel that "little bit of magic" too.
Imagine my delight when asked to arrange a "proper" luxury tented mobile safari in Kenya. It had to be the real deal.An "Out of Africa", “Karen Blixen" type Safari; high quality, with a dashing guide and well prepared horses, and importantly, "off the beaten track in beautiful areas where wild game roams."
I knew just the outfit, Gordie and Felicia Church of “Safaris (Un) Limited Africa" who would deliver all of the above and more. I approached others who had expressed an interest and so gathered a team of 9 interested riders and myself. They weren't going without me.
Most riders/ travelers have only heard of the famous Maasai Mara as a place to see big game in Kenya. This is a justified and excellent game rich choice and wonderful for both riding and vehicle safaris. I wanted to show off MY favorite part of Kenya so I chose the “Lollboran ride” in Laikipia, a beautiful area resting under the shadow of Mt Kenya. Thankfully my group trusted my judgement and the dates were set.
Jane Common heads to Morocco to find about ethical animal tourism and SPANA - a charity providing care for working animals.
Hailing a horse-drawn carriage (or caleche to give the striking green, red and gold vehicles with lanterns on the side their traditional name) is easy in Marrakech when your companion is Hassan Alyakine. Hassan is country director of Morocco for SPANA, the charity for the working animals of the world, and well-known among caleche drivers.
Since 1988, SPANA vets have been tasked with granting licences to the 148 caleches on the basis of the health of their equine engines, which, day in and out, tread the city streets pounded by their forebears for well over a century. The horses are given MOTs three times a year, as well as spot-checks, and, if passed fit and well, adorned with a SPANA band on their fetlock.
And, by offering Hassan a comfortable ride, the drivers perhaps reckon to boost their chances at the annual Caleche of the Year Awards, hosted by SPANA since 1996.
by Bonnie Marlewski-Probert
As more and more of our forested areas and parks are being shared by bikers, hikers and horses, it is more important than ever that all horsemen understand the rules of the road.
Below are some tips that will make your next trail ride safer and more fun for everyone:
- Invest in a good fitting helmet for the sake of your horse. For the die-hards out there who refuse to wear a helmet, answer this question; In the event that you get dumped and hit your head, who is going to keep your horse from causing a problem for other trail users or worse, from getting hurt? Frankly, I don’t think wearing a helmet is as much about keeping you safe as it is about keeping everyone else, especially your horse.
- Never ride alone on the trails and be sure to choose riding partners who are safe, responsible and considerate. I have always told people that I will horse show with Jack the Ripper, but I am very picky about my trail-riding companions. The reasons are simple; horse shows are designed to be a controlled environment wherein the ring is dragged, fences are in good repair, the ring crew is there to make sure all is well, and there is a judge watching everything, but on the trails, anything goes. It is because of the unpredictability of nature that I only trail ride with people I trust.
There are crazy things to do – and then there’s the Mongol Derby. Featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest and toughest horse race, this is the 11th year that 45 men and women from the four corners of the earth will race 1,000km across Mongolia on semi-wild horses, next month.
They range from a 56-year-old Texan cowboy to a helicopter pilot from Alice Springs, a paleo-botanist from The Netherlands and a management consultant from South Africa, via a host of saddle-hardened (they’ll need to be) girls and boys from the racing world. All think they are fearless and ready for the most extreme adventure of their lives – we’ll see… Some will crash and burn.
2019 Mongol Derby Details
August 4-6: Pre-race training
August 7: Start gun of the 2019 Mongol Derby
August 16: Final riders expected to finish
2019 Mongol Derby Competitiors
AUSTRALIA
Sam Chisholm, 31, Alice Springs
Sam is a helicopter pilot who grew up riding horses on a cattle station in the Northern Territory. Sam has ridden a motorcycle from Argentina to Alaska and did the Mongol Rally in 2015 with two mates. He’s “on a mission to finish the race and locate the car they blew up on the Steppe in 2015.”
by Heather Wallace
I am a self-styled “Timid Rider.” I love horses, ride often, but lack confidence in my own abilities. So those who know me were shocked when I announced that I would be participating in The Gobi Desert Cup to camp in Mongolia and document the equestrian endurance race across the steppe. Beyond being a self-described “timid rider,” I’m neither a risk taker or a camper for that matter.
This was not an impulsive decision. I did my research before accepting the position as the writer and photographer who would be covering the event. In particular, I was concerned about horse welfare and traveling to an undeveloped country with people that I do not know. For those who may not know, Mongolia is a smaller country sandwiched between Russia to the north and China to the south. Compared to either of its neighbors, Mongolia would be considered a small country. My trainer asked me, “You aren’t riding, are you?” to which I scoffed because of course, I would not be riding in a 300-mile endurance horse race on Mongolian horses across the Gobi Desert. I barely have the stamina to jump a course without needing a beer and a nap afterward.
After speaking with the Co-founder and Ride Director Camille Champagne via Skype at great length, the 3* endurance rider set my mind at ease. A seasoned international rider, Camille’s passion for Mongol culture and the race was incredibly contagious. While only going into its second year, Camille had competed internationally and even completed the Mongol Derby, which gave her the opportunity to meet with and fall in love with the Mongol culture. It was clear that she wanted to support the local nomadic community and invite a select few riders each year to experience it with her.
Read more: Gobi Desert Cup - Equestrian Adventures in Mongolia
By Jenna Arnett
The Gobi Gallop is the longest annual charity horse ride in the world. As Jenna Arnett explains, you think you’re ‘ride fit’ until you tackle 700 kilometres on horseback in twelve days.
I didn’t start to panic until the Chinese Airways flight took off from Sydney. I was lucky to have a good seat with space, so my adrenaline-fuelled panic attack went fairly unnoticed. I had met up with the two other Australians — Kylie Gracey from Darwin and Anita McNamara from Hughenden, Queensland — earlier at the airport. I felt as though they were my spirit sisters; there is a certain sort of kinship that forms automatically between those about to undertake an adventure such as ours.
My fascination with the Mongolian horses began in my early twenties. I was riding for an endurance stable in southeast Queensland with a large number of international workers. The Mongolia horses’ endurance, stamina and the ancient culture of the nomadic herders that shepherd them is famous across the world and I had been looking for the opportunity to experience this for myself.
The Gobi Gallop is the longest annual charity horse ride in the world, covering more than 700 kilometres across the Mongolian steppe and Gobi Desert. Run by the Veloo Foundation, in conjunction with Horse Trek Mongolia, the Gobi Gallop raises money and awareness for the children of the Peak Sanctuary.
BY MIKE GRUDOWSKI
Beyond luxury accommodations, great food, and first-rate service, these resorts are a Southern equestrian’s dream Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
“Make no little plans,” said the architect and city planner Daniel Burnham more than a century ago, and the owners of Casa de Campo, a sprawling seven-thousand-acre complex on the Dominican Republic’s southeastern shore, seem to have taken that creed to heart. The resort’s manicured grounds—so spread out that guests are issued golf carts at check-in—contain a yacht marina, three waterfront golf courses designed by Pete Dye, 1,800 private villas, many of them built in opulent Mediterranean or Balinese style, and 185 hotel rooms and suites. The long roster of famous names who have passed through ranges from Oscar de la Renta and Beyoncé to Clintons and Bushes. Little wonder, then, that Casa de Campo’s equestrian opportunities are also writ large. Guided rides along grassy trails provide postcard views of the Caribbean, and visitors can sign up for lessons in riding, show jumping, or even rodeo stunts. The showstopper attraction: They can also take part, as spectators or students, in polo. With three playing fields, fifty ponies, and frequent matches and tournaments, the resort has staked a claim as the sport’s Caribbean epicenter.— casadecampo.com.do
The Fork Farm and Stables, Norwood, North Carolina
Tucked away in the gently undulating hills of North Carolina’s Stanly County, east of Charlotte, is a horse lover’s gem. The Fork—situated at the junction of the Pee Dee and Rocky Rivers—boasts plenty of serious equestrian cred: a fifteen-stall main barn, a lineup of riding camps and clinics, two all-weather arenas, and facilities worthy of hosting eventing trials. (One this April will attract medal-winning international competitors for a spectator-friendly, three-day triathlon of sorts, combining dressage, cross-country, and show jumping.) The stable staff also gives instruction, for novices and seasoned riders alike, and provides boarding for those who bring their own steeds. Even if you’re content to leave the riding to others, the nine-room Fork Lodge makes for a pleasantly restful getaway. Its welcoming interior, done up in lots of knotty pine, complements a spacious rocking-chair porch that overlooks idyllic fenced pastures. Additional draws for guests of the inn and day-trippers: thirty-five miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking, duck and quail hunts, and a shooting center that includes five-stand and trap along with one seven- and two fourteen-station sporting clays courses.— forkstables.com
The Inn at Dos Brisas, Washington, Texas
It’s food that put Dos Brisas on the map. Forty-two of its more than three hundred rolling acres, on a onetime cattle ranch an hour west of Houston, are organically farmed, and fresh-picked heirloom vegetables anchor the kitchen’s lauded “pitchfork to plate” menus. (It’s the only restaurant in all of Texas to capture Forbes Travel Guide’s highest five-star rating.)
by Wendy Murdoch
Step back in time when life was simpler. Where your day begins with coffee served in your tent, the sun rises over the edge of the earth and a full-monty breakfast is served before the morning ride.
Be surrounded by Kenyans who treat you as honoured family with no pretense and who genuinely care for you, their country and each other, while sleeping in the loving embrace of your canvas tent under a moonlit sky protected by Masai Warriors.
Ride on the vast open plains with only your horse's hooves between you and the earth. Feel your heart beat a little faster when you ride up on a herd of elephants and gallop with the wildlife, as they undulate through tall grasses.
Feel the warmth of the sun, the wind on your face and the breathtaking sights and sounds of the Masai Mara (Kenya-Africa). Leave all the stress of a hectic modern world behind and be rejuvenated by this magical land as you watch herds of impala, wildebeest, topi, gazelles and birds pass by you.
A riding safari holiday with our owners/guides, Gordie & Felicia Church of Safaris Unlimited, takes you back in time to experience the true Safari of old where your crew and horses are your family traveling over 200 km across the Mara. The memories of adventure, the game and horses stay with you, and the experience of belonging strikes a deep chord in the human soul that lasts a lifetime.
Established 1971 and Celebrating 45 Years, Safaris Unlimited is located in Nairobi, Kenya. Visit them online at www.safarisunlimited.com.
