Horse Safari


Horse safaris are an awesome way to see the wildlife around Mihingo Lodge. Without the noise of an engine you can hear so much more and you really feel part of nature. Riding a horse means you often get the chance to see the more timid animals. If you are very lucky you may see eland and buffalo. Ralph and Iddy were even lucky enough to see 2 leopards on a horse ride! However, this was a very rare sighting. You will nearly always see a mixture of warthog, topi, impala, duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck and zebra. Of course the time of year and the weather do affect the number and variety of animals that you see, as the animals graze where the grass is the most delicious.Watching animals from a horse is so peaceful and a totally different experience from being on a game drive; zebras come towards you to check out the strange relative without stripes. Even the eland that are usually very shy, look curiously at the horses without running away, but keep their distance.

We carefully adjust our rides according to your riding ability; for beginners and inexperienced riders we recommend that you only walk. If you are an advanced rider there are lovely stretches for trotting and cantering. Mihingo Lodge has been operating horse safaris since December 2008 outside Lake Mburo National Park. In November 2009, we received a concession to operate horse safaris inside the Park where we found some fantastic routes.

The most exhilarating ride in the Park that we recommend for more experienced riders is a 4 to 5 hour ride which takes you onto the grassy Warukiri range of hills that are situated in the middle of the park. From high on the Warukiri ridge there are stunning 360 degree views of the surrounding hills and valleys in the Park. On the furthest hill you will find a waterhole, where you just might see a herd of buffalo enjoying the cool air. There is a magnificent view onto 9 of the 12 lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park. This ride changes the whole feeling of Lake Mburo National Park as it is absolutely spectacular.

The maximum weight that you can be to ride our horses is 100 kg, but most of our horses cannot carry more than 85kg. Please do not be offended if we have to weigh you as we must ensure that our horses are not damaged by carrying people who are too heavy as this can seriously damage their backs.

 We provide fully adjustable helmets in all sizes as well as riding chaps. We ride with English style saddles. We recommend that you wear long trousers and strong shoes if possible with a heel, but trainers are also fine. At the moment we can take a maximum of 6 guests at a time. All our rides are accompanied by at least one experienced horse guide, but in most cases there are 2 guides accompanying each ride.

Our Stables

Our stables currently house a variety of Thoroughbred, Ethiopian, home bred and Kenyan. Our thoroughbred is the strongest horse in the stables who is able to carry the maximum 95kg. The thoroughbreds and ponies all originated from Kenya. One of the ponies, Bahari, is our little stallion who has successfully sired four youngsters. He also is one of the best ponies for children to ride on their safari experience.

The stables themselves are very open aired with larges boxes for the horses. Numerous paddocks surround them and reach down in to the valley affording the horses a large space to run around in. Only in the evenings do the horses enter their stable boxes for dinner and protection from the hyenas otherwise spending their day out grazing on fresh grass often alongside zebra and impala.

Our stable team lives down at the stables with the horses. This team is led by Nicholas. Nicholas has worked with our horses since 2008. He grew up not far away from Mihingo Lodge and learned most of he knows from our previous horse expert.