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Last Update: 16 Dec 2010

Riding Holidays | Egypt

Egypt is a land well known for its ancient civilization and monuments such as the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple near Luxor, plus the Nile river including the Aswan dam and the Nile Delta.

Arabian horses have been in Egypt since ancient times, at least as far back as 1580 BC. Prized by the pharaohs for their beauty, courage and loyalty this desert horse was also famed for its nimbleness and speed. Modern Arab horses have all these characteristics and are popular the world over, especially for endurance riding and racing. Often presumed by riders unused to hot bloods to be difficult to handle due to their sometimes highly strung and energetic nature, Arab horses are actually very versatile and have a naturally gentle and sensitive character. They are suited to a huge range of equestrian sports including dressage, eventing, general riding and hacking to carriage driving and harness racing.

Arabian stock has been used to improve other horse breeds for centuries. Within the Arabian breed itself there are many different strains and a straight Egyptian Arabian horse is known as one who has kept pure desert bloodlines.

The strong horse culture in Egypt means there are many riding stables offering half or full day rides for riders of all abilities. The Giza area particularly is a good place to visit for longer horse riding trails, with overnight and week long horse riding holidays available for experienced riders taking in sites such as high sand dunes, rocky valleys and of course the extremely impressive pyramids.

Travel to Egypt is straightforward with many airlines flying to Cairo. This is a modern bustling city and a great gateway to start your adventure. Giza, Alexandria and Luxor are also popular interesting cities to explore. The best times to visit for horse riding are the Spring (February to April) and Autumn (September to November).

We are always looking for new riding destinations and regularly update the information on this site. If you have information about horse riding or trail rides in Egypt please do contact us.