Home / Africa / Nigeria
Last Update: 16 Dec 2010

Riding Holidays | Nigeria

Nigeria is one of the larger countries in western Africa, located on the Atlantic coastline between Cameroon and Benin. It has a very ancient culture with evidence of human settlements dating back to the 8th Century BC. This area is thought to be where the Bantu tribes originated before spreading into the southern Africa.

Historically horses were very important to the tribal kingdoms in Nigeria and ownership of a good horse dictated wealth and a high position in society. The tribes of Northern Nigeria are still known for their horse breeding. Nigerian horses are related to Barb horses, agile and surefooted with a light but strong build and great stamina. At festivals in northern Nigeria you will see processions of horses with highly ornate ceremonial tack, particularly at the Kano Durbar festival. Kano is also known for its Polo and horse races are popular too. In contrast the tropical climate of southern Nigeria is not ideal to raising horses and nowadays there are not many horses to be found here. As a result horses are not really used in everyday life in southern Nigeria.

There are no known horse riding holidays in Nigeria. However we are always looking for new riding destinations and regularly update the information on this site. If you have information about horse riding in Nigeria please do contact us.

Nigeria is a country of contrasts. It has one of the world’s biggest river deltas and mangrove forests at the Niger Delta in the south of the country. Many rare primates live in the Nigerian rainforest and the Calabar region is famous for its huge diversity of butterflies. The county has an amazing amount of wildlife and rainforest wilderness, a rich aromatic cuisine and traditional culture, combined with the peoples passion for film making, literature and music. However Nigeria is also known for its problems and travellers here should be cautious and do their research well before visiting the country.