The 4-Day Summer Escape
A relaxed summer riding holiday combining morning and evening rides with the comfort of staying at historical sugarcane farming estate. Ride through sugarcane fields and into the surrounding reserve, exploring rocky trails, indigenous bush, wildlife, dust roads for cantering and beautiful viewpoints.
The days follow an easy summer rhythm, with plenty of time between rides to relax beside the pool, read or enjoy an afternoon nap. The experience captures the abundance of a KwaZulu-Natal summer: the old-world elegance of a historic sugarcane estate, horses grazing nearby, long lunches and relaxed afternoons, all surrounded by rolling cane fields and wild African bush.
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Itinerary
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Food
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Alcohol
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Riding
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Accommodation
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Horses
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Tack
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Lifts from the Airports
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Insurance and Safety
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Luggage
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Tacking up and Horse Care
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Our Values
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Experience Required
Itinerary
Day 1 - Settling into Summer
Arrive at Fountain Hill Estate in time for lunch at approximately 13:00.
Spend the early afternoon settling in or relaxing beside the pool before meeting your horse.
Later, we head out for a gentle introductory ride through the estate and surrounding countryside.
This first ride gives you time to become comfortable with your horse, begin building a relationship and settle into the landscape and pace of the days ahead.
Each evening: sundowners, a campfire, and horses grazing nearby.
Estimated total riding time: 2 hours
Accommodation: Fountain Hill Estate
Day 2 – Bush Trails and a Sunset Ride
After breakfast, we set out on a morning ride through the reserve.
Rocky trails lead us through the bush, with opportunities to encounter wildlife and explore the varied landscape surrounding the estate.
We return for lunch and a leisurely afternoon beside the pool. Swim, read a book or enjoy the simple pleasure of an afternoon nap before saddling up again for an afternoon ride.
In the cooler evening air, we head out for a relaxed sunset ride. The softer light brings a different atmosphere to the reserve and another opportunity to see wildlife before returning to the estate for an evening braai.
Estimated total riding time in the morning: 2 - 3 hours
Estimated total riding time in the afternoon: 1 - 2 hours
Accommodation: Fountain Hill Estate
Day 3 – The Gorge and a Wild Sundowner
This morning, we venture farther into the reserve, following rocky trails through the bush and exploring its quieter corners.
Our route takes us through the gorge and along its edge, revealing beautiful views across the surrounding wilderness.
Along the way, we continue searching for wildlife and discovering the reserve’s changing landscapes.
After lunch and an afternoon at leisure, we drive to a spectacular viewpoint above the waterfall.
Drinks and snacks are served as the sun begins to set over the valley—a beautiful place to pause and reflect on the journey.
Estimated total riding time: 2–3 hours
Accommodation: Fountain Hill Estate
Day 4 – Riding the Horses Home
After breakfast, we saddle up for our final journey and accompany the horses home on the bush veld farm.
The route descends through the countryside, with some fun stretches of riding along the way. Arriving at the farm offers a chance to see where the horses live together as a herd and brings your partnership with your horse to a natural conclusion.
Estimated total riding time: 2–3 hours
Please note: Riding times, routes and the order of activities may be adjusted according to summer weather, trail conditions and the needs of the horses and riders.
Food
Our meals are inspired by the rich flavours of KwaZulu-Natal, blending traditional South African-style cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Every dish is designed to be healthy, filling, and delicious — giving you the energy you need for long days in the saddle.
We provide snacks, tea, and coffee between rides, keeping you fueled throughout the day.
Dietary needs:
We happily cater for vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and no-red-meat diets. If you’d like to see an example meal plan before your trip, just get in touch.
Please note: We do not cater for some diets such as zero-carb or carnivore-only.
Ethical and Local sourcing:
We take pride in supporting our community. Meals are made with ethically farmed ingredients, sourced from local chefs, farmers, cake-makers, free-range egg producers, and veld-raised beef farmers. A single ride can directly support up to ten local businesses.
Drinks
A basic selection of alcoholic drinks will be available throughout your trip and charged at cost price. If you have any particular preferences or special requests, please let us know in advance and we will be happy to source them for you, subject to availability. These will also be charged at cost.
Riding
We will be riding across varying landscapes: cantering through grasslands, wandering through forests, and carefully navigating winding, steep rocky pathways into gorges.
We walk about 60% - 70% of the distance, the rest of the way is either a trot or canter.
Estimated riding times per day vary throughout the trip (see our itinerary for more info).
Accommodation
We will be at Fountain Hill Estate, a historic German farming estate transformed into guest accommodation. Nestled on the border between wilderness, conservation area, and agricultural sugarcane fields, our location features a pool, stables, and a charming dining room. This is a truly unique and exclusive stay
Horses
Our horses are hardy South African crossbreeds, with influences from Boerperd, Friesian, Nooitgedacht, Basotho, and Appaloosa lines. They range from 14.3 to 15.2 hands and are all fit, well-trained, and experienced on the trail.
These horses are accustomed to open country, wildlife, and varied terrain. Each horse is carefully matched to its rider using information from your Rider Information form.
Tack
We ride primarily in lightweight trail saddles, designed for comfort on long rides and stability across varied terrain.
Every rider has a personal saddle bag to carry essentials such as water, a jacket, sunscreen, or snacks.
If you are using the shuttle service we will try to link you up with other riders to make the shuttle more affordable for you.
Insurance and Safety
All guests are required to complete and sign an indemnity form before participating in any ride.
Helmets are strongly recommended; if you choose not to wear one, you do so entirely at your own risk.
Riders must provide their medical aid or health insurance details prior to the ride. International guests are required to hold valid and comprehensive travel insurance.
We have a backup vehicle is always on standby during rides to assist with riders or horses if needed.
Luggage
Your luggage will be transported in the support vehicle. Please bring regular sized bags.
Tacking Up
Your horse will be tacked up and untacked for you.
When we arrive at a new location, you may assist by taking the bridle off the horse, putting the halter on, loosening the girth and typing them up.
What types of animals are you likely to see?
Prepare to encounter an array of wildlife including giraffes, eland, kudu, nyala, ostriches, zebras, blesbok, wildebeest, impala and many, many bird species. Additionally, sightings of the African rock python, crocodiles, jackals are possible.
The section of the valley we ride through is free from large predators.
Where can I put my stuff during the ride?
There will be saddle bags available for your water bottle, jacket, sunscreen etc.
Our Values
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Healthy and happy horses
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Ethically farmed products
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Supporting local businesses (a single ride can directly support up to 10 local businesses)
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Respecting the environment
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Using as little plastic as possible and reusing when possible
Experience Required
Our safaris are designed exclusively for competent riders. For the safety of our horses and the enjoyment of every guest, we only welcome intermediate and advanced riders.
To help you know where you fit, here’s how we define the different levels:
Not Suitable for Our Rides:
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Beginner – Learning the basics: walk, stop, steer, and rising trot. Balance and control are still developing.
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Novice / Strong Novice – Comfortable at walk and trot, and canter, but only in a controlled environment. Not yet fully secure or confident in open country or for long hours in the saddle.
Welcome on Our Rides:
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Intermediate – Secure, well-balanced, and in control at all paces (walk, trot, canter, gallop). Comfortable riding for several hours and confident in open country and varied terrain.
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Advanced – Experienced and very well balanced, with soft hands and an independent seat. Fit enough for long hours in the saddle, comfortable with spirited horses, and able to manage fast, sustained canters and unexpected situations.
If you are unsure, contact us for a Rider Information form and we can make an assessment from there.
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