FAQ

Riders arrive from all over the world to begin our rides. Because of this, we do not include international airfare in our prices. We have an awesome travel agent if you’re interested – OR – if you’re a real DIYer, ask us for our tips on good airfare sites!

It’s important that you receive the most accurate and up-to-date travel health information for the region you will be visiting. We can offer our “two cents’ but the only one qualified to provide you with specific advice for you personally is your family physician or a specialist from your local health department.

Requirements for travel visas vary widely depending on your nationality and your destination. And while most of our destinations do not require a visa, if yoru unique situation does require a visa you can arrange them yourself by contacting the consulate or embassay for your destination country. If you need any help -just ask us!

We always recommend packing for all types of weather (you can be in arid Spain and it might still rain….) however the specific requirements for your ride will vary depending on where and when you are traveling. Our ‘Trip Details’ document includes a suggested packing list and these can be downloaded from each individual trip summary page. The checklist is tour specific and based upon the experience of our guides and staff.

No worries – that’s fairly easy! But you can rest easy as before we book you on any of the riding trips, we’ll have a nice chat with you to discuss all of this and ensure you are picking the right trip for you. But in a nutshell, here’s how we look at it:

Beginner: You are entirely new to riding or just beginning your journey with horses. You have no or very little experience working with or around horses and have ridden little if none. But don’t worry! We’ll have you acquainted, familiar and mounted in no time. The best trips for you are any of our lesson programs – they cater to all ages and all ability levels.

Intermediate: You have more experience with or around horses. You’ve ridden presently or in the past and are confident at the walk and trot and canter on a steady horse or some extended faster cantering on easier terrain. Most of our rides are yours for enjoying – as they have at minimum 50% walking and 50% trotting/cantering.

Advanced: You are an experienced horse person, are comfortable and confident around horses and all aspects of tacking/untacking as necessary as well as all riding at gaits including long and fast canters and even some galloping. Some of our advanced rides may include optional jumps along the way. The best rides for you are the safaris, the ones with longer days in the saddle or the ones with the most varied terrain, such as Scotland, etc.

Great question! And here’s the easy answer – call us at 800.973.3221 – we can have a quick chat with you, ask some questions and then help guide you to rides that are best suited based on our personal experience. BUT – if you don’t quite want the pressure of speaking to us live (we get it, connecting in person can sometimes mean a commitment when we are just looking for info – and we don’t want any salesy type person calling us to follow up) you can check out our blog post on this exact topic HERE: https://activeridingtrips.com/how-to-pick-a-trip-5-simple-steps/

INDEED! While the majority of our riders are friends traveling on their own or with friends, we have a very nice section of rides that cater to families – both of varied ability or varied interest level? So if you’ve got some that want to sleep on 24/7 on horseback and others that want to see horses in the distance (or anything in between) let us know and we’ll send you all the details on trips that would work best for your family!

What a question!?! But all kidding aside – here’s the “deal” on both sides of that question. Starting with the upper range – it’s more a question of fitness and health than of “the number”. Our founder Stacey always cites one of her longtime clients and friends who is 73 and can still mount from the ground (when Stacey cannot). So let’s not focus on the number itself – again, shoot us an email or give us a call and we’ll recommend the trips that would best strike your fancy! On the lower range – that’s a bit more tricky. Kids, and especially those that have grown up riding are fit – and fearless! (Oh to be them or channel some of the courage they don’t even know they have!) Our youth camp programs are tailored just for them and for all abilities. But let’s say you want to take your child/niece/nephew/special young person on a ride – many of our rides can accommodate kids from 12 and up, and some from 8 and up – it’s really all based on ability and stamina – because don’t forget, the pace of the ride is determined by the weakest/slowest rider. So again, reach out by phone or email and let us get some ideas coming your way for some great memory making rides!

We are (beyond) blessed to have an amazing range of clients – and they are diverse.

85% are women – traveling solo or with a friend(s)

They range in age from 35-78

They have a passion for horses and riding (or learning to ride)

They hail from North America primarily, though our extended global family is growing fast!

80% take a trip annually or every 2 years

10% take 2 or more trips per year

100% make new friends on a trip and stay connected via email, social media, etc. afterward

Not to worry – that’s easy peasy! We’ve got loads of ideas for you that range from fun rides that will entice YOU without scaring the bejeezus out of your partner (appropriate horse pairing is our specialty). We also have incredible options for your totally non riding companion – think fishing, world class golfing, motorcycle touring – you name it – we’ve done it! Ask us…..

The short answer to this is YES. But to elaborate – the horses ARE the crux of our business. Without them, we’d have nothing. Pretty scenery, nice hotels, good meals – those are all the icing on the cake. We go for the horses! And we won’t compromise on the quality of this item – not ever. You can rest assured that the horses are top notch, good citizens. Like your own, they come in a variety of sizes, colors and temperaments – but they are all well taken care of and happy in their lives. They may not all be perfect, or beauty queens/kings, but they love their jobs and are happy to show you. And if you do find that you aren’t seeing quite “eye to eye” with your horse – just tell your guide on Day 1 and you’ll be switched out post haste! (Unless your horses’ name is Smart – ok, that’s an inside joke – ask us!)

Hmmm, now that’s not so easy. On some trips (think African safaris, Peru’s Machu Picchu Ride) yes – in fact you do – it’s obligatory. On many other trips, it’s at your discretion. The choice is really yours. But as professionals in the industry – just like wearing a helmet – we STRONGLY encourage you to buy travel insurance every time. We’ve used it to cancel our trip due to illness or a sick parent (in fact one of our clients slipped on a coffee spill at her home town departure airport and found herself riding an ambulance to the hospital for a broken elbow vs. riding a horse in Ireland) We’ve used it to claim for travel or baggage delays and also for broken pottery that we hand carried back on a plane (well, to be clear, we aren’t sure where it broke – but it was broken when got home, and not when we bought it). And if you should, on the off chance, happen to become sick or injured on a trip – the insurance will often pay for someone to travel over to be with you and assist you in getting home. The policies have all manner of options. And as mentioned previously, not only do we ride on vacation, we ride at home – and horses are horses. Even a broken toe can impact a vacation…..so think about it. The investment is small compared with the coverage.