Horse Riding in Antigua
If you’re looking for somewhere to ride horses in Antigua, Springhill Riding Club near Falmouth Harbour is the ideal place. We visited as part of our 2020 trip and were lucky enough to experience a two hour ride, along with swimming in the sea with our horses. We both ride horses at home so were able to enjoy cantering along the deserted paradise beach of Rendezvous Bay, but there are also options available for more novice riders or complete beginners.
Springhill Riding Club – Antigua
Springhill Riding Club is located in the south of the island, close to Falmouth Harbour, and getting there from anywhere on the island should only take a maximum of 40 minutes. The easiest way to reach the stables is to rent a car, and as you’ll find yourself trying to dodge around multiple pot holes as you drive there it’s best not to hire anything fancy! For more info on driving in Antigua read our blog post here. If you’re arriving on a cruise ship or only have a limited amount of time on the island you could also book a taxi to get you to the riding club, either way make sure you get there at least 15 minutes before the 8:30am ride departure time.
Trail Rides
As we both ride horses at home and are confident in the saddle, we booked the two hour ride to Rendezvous Bay. For less experienced or even beginner riders, the riding club offers a one hour trail ride to the closest beach where you will be able to swim in the sea with your horse. Upon arrival to the stables we filled out a rider information form, borrowed a helmet each, and were given a bag to put our belongings in that would be carried by our guide on the trail.
Great Horses & Stables
Next, we were introduced to our horses – Gandalf and Judy. The staff at the stables are friendly and helpful, and will assist you while mounting your horse and getting comfortable. Both Gandalf and Judy were gentle and easy to ride (I’m pretty sure they have the trails memorised and could easily have done it all without us!) Some of the tack is pretty old and in need of replacing but it’s clear to see the horses are very well cared for.
Riding on the Beach
The two hour trail takes you up and over a steep hill, before winding down to Rendezvous Bay. Our guide, Kent, allowed us to walk our horses up the beach and canter back, which meant he was able to take some great photos for us. After riding along the beach we unsaddled our horses and rode them bareback into the sea for a swim. The waves were fairly big and our horses were soon off the sand and swimming, which was a really special experience. After a short time chilling on the beach and drying off, we saddled our horses and took the same trail back to the stables.
