Horse riding vacations in Jordan

The Arabian – or Arab – horse is famously elegant, with a high tail carriage bouncing around as it moves like a young gymnast performing his or her floor display. King Hussein of Jordan set out to preserve the breed in 1960s by extending his family stables to accommodate over 150 Arab horses and maintain the breed in the way that was true to Jordanian history and culture. The King was aware that the breed was in danger of being lost because of the world’s increasing demand for racehorses, meaning that the Arabs were being crossed with thoroughbreds to increase their speed.

There are lots of myths and legends about the Arab horse, the most common being that they ward off bad spirits, but also that they possess an innate courage to protect the ones they love. According to Bedouin legend, Allah created the horse from the four winds. He gave them the Arabian spirit from the North, strength from the South, speed from the East and intelligence from the West. On a horse riding vacation in Jordan, you will not only experience this sense of human connection, but you will also be carried through many compass points on Jordan’s map.

You will think that Petra is hard to beat, and yet the big adventure still awaits, meeting your Arabian horse and then riding off into either the mountains around Petra or Wadi Rum. Petra is located in the Abarim Mountain range which stretch east and south east from the Dead Sea, to the desert in the south. When you ride up into the hills you can take in magnificent views of Petra; Jebal Al-Medhbah, the mountain into which Petra is set; Little Petra, also known as Siq al-Barid; and various wadis and pink sandstone terrain. You will find some lovely oasis to stop and picnic, by a traditional village such as Taybet or Rajev or at a stunning viewpoint such as Dilagha where you can take it all in. When you visit Petra you just visit the Rose City. When you go horse riding, you visit a rose empire.

You will come across small Bedouin villages, cross arid mountains and have lunch at shady spots such as ‘The Three Trees’. Cross the Desert Highway into the northern Kharaza region of Wadi Rum which boasts the country’s famous U-shaped rock formations and vast expanses of desert for canters and gallops. The light of the setting sun soon segues with that of the rising moon over the desert, as you watch your horse take a sand bath to cool down and rest. Everything will start over again at sunrise.

Wearing a hard hat is a must and they will be provided by the tour operator but many guests may want to bring their own. It is worth noting that your insurance may not cover you if you suffer an injury when not wearing a hard hat, and we always recommend them for health and safety purposes. Your expert Berber guides will have plenty of valuable tips on riding safety and etiquette, such as concentrating when you are on rocky landscapes, keeping a metre apart from your fellow riders and always looking out for your fellow riders too. Never take off in a canter or gallop without checking in with your leader, and always look after your Arabian. Use your western intelligence and the northern spirit; southern strength and eastern speed will be with you and protect you all the way.