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Last Update: 16 Dec 2010

Riding Holidays | Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a small African country surrounded by South Africa. Originally called Basutoland and an old British colony it gained independence and became the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966. The whole of Lesotho is mountainous, with the lowest point at 1,400 metres being the highest 'low point' of any country in the world. Its capital is Maseru. Horses are tremendously important in rural Lesotho as vehicle transport is difficult due to the mountainous terrain and steep rocky paths.

Lesotho is famous for its native Basuto pony breed. These are really small horses standing up to 14.2hh. They characteristically have a large head, a short neck, strong wiry body and small hard hooves. Originally bred from Arab and Barb horses and with similar origins to Boerperds, the Basuto pony became smaller and hardier due to the tough mountain conditions of its homeland Lesotho. They are extremely surefooted, brave and have great stamina. Basuto ponies are normally kept just for riding with cattle used for draft work.

A horse riding holiday in Lesotho allows travellers a fantastic opportunity to explore remote parts of these incredible mountains. Stay at a mountain lodge and have daily centre based horse treks through the area, or opt for a full on Lesotho trail riding holiday, moving from base to base over a week, taking pack horses for your luggage. When not horse riding these mountains provide the perfect environment for scenic hiking, mountain climbing and bird watching. Horseback riding in Lesotho is a great way to see the local Basuto culture. Ride up steep mountain passes, past high waterfalls and across open highland grassland. See bushman paintings and traditional rural villages.

Due to its high altitude Lesotho has a temperate climate all year. Summers are cooler than in the majority of South Africa and rains come in the form of summer storms. Winters can be very cold and snow is common in the mountains between May and September. Getting to Lesotho is easy with daily direct flights into Maseru from Johannesburg.

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 Lesotho please do contact us.