Fun Things to Do In Cabarete:

Horseback Riding

Lessons, Tours, and Tips

Galloping across golden sandy beaches with the wind rustling through your hair sounds like something off of a hair care advert or the cover of a romance novel, but in Cabarete, you can make those types of scenes a reality. Whether you want to learn to ride horses or just explore our beaches from a different point of view, horseback riding in Cabarete is the perfect day out with friends and family. You can rest assured the facilities, guided tours, and extra tips we have included in this post will make your experience a safe and unforgettable one.

Cabarete Horseback Riding Lessons

Located just west of Cabarete, Sea Horse Ranch Equestrian Centre has a sprawling 7 miles of fairytale bridal paths and beaches. The facility also boasts of indoor and outdoor riding arenas that incorporate a hearty range of show jumps and obstacles. With a mix of well schooled and patient Paso Finos, Tennessee Walkers, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and ponies, the ranch has a horse that suits your level and needs. The experienced instructors provide lessons for beginners, novices, and even more advanced in dressage and jumping. They also offer specific courses for children, teaching them all about horse care, safety, and their first steps to becoming a competent rider. For more info and reservations, you can visit the Sea Horse Ranch website.

Cabarete Horseback Riding Tours

Rancho Luisa y Tommy is proudly owned by 25-year-old Tommy Bernard. Having lived on his family property with horses most of his life makes him incredibly knowledgeable about the beautiful animals, the ranch, and the Dominican Republic. Located in Sabaneta, not too far from Cabarete, Rancho Luisa y Tommy offers stunning scenic tours through the mountains, rivers, and beaches. Various times and lengths of tours are available including full day excursions, afternoon sunset tours, full moon rides accompanied by fireflies, and 2 or 3-day horseback journeys where guests stay the night in a quaint mountaintop hotel next to a picturesque waterfall! Tours can include transportation and a hearty Dominican lunch if you so desire. With 22 lovely horses at the ranch trained for all types of riders, from kids to beginners and even professionals, you’ll relish in the experience of a lifetime. For more information, reviews, and reservations, head over to the Rancho Luisa Y Tommy Facebook Page.

“In riding a horse we borrow freedom.” Helen Thomson

Horse Health Tips

You will see many people offering horseback rides on the beaches of Cabarete. The following tips will help you to inspect your horse to ensure it is healthy before you shell out any cash:

EYES – You can tell a lot about a horse’s health by its eyes. They should be clear, bright, and fully open with no discharge.

LEGS – A horse should never be limping. Not even a little. You’ll be able to tell a horse has a limp because it will drop one side of its hip or shoulder. You can also quickly detect the dreaded ‘stiff’ leg during a trot because it doesn’t move as freely as the other legs. The stiff leg is also noticeable while the horse is standing still. At the end of the day, a healthy horse should be capable of distributing its weight evenly across all four feet. Some horses do rest their hind legs while standing still, but resting a foreleg is not typical.

CONDITION – A healthy horse should have a glossy coat since this indicates a sign of good nutrition and health. Keep an eye out for sores or rubbed-off areas of fur around the tack, as this is a sign of an ill-fitting tack and can make the horse extremely uncomfortable. Also, look for cleanliness. A horse that’s dirty or covered in dry sweat shows that it’s not well looked after and probably overworked. Finally, the obvious one, if it’s rib cage and hip bones are clearly visible, then the horse is malnourished. The grass here in the Dominican Republic, isn’t very nutritious, which makes it difficult to have plump horses, however, it is still evident, even to the layman, when a horse is too skinny.

GUIDE – If all these factors seem in order, the next step is to ask yourself, is this tour guide knowledgeable and capable? It’s also worth mentioning of a big, heavy guy is riding a small horse, that’s another sign to steer clear.

Remember, a healthy horse is a happy horse, and a happy horse is going to keep you safe. If it’s a matter of price, always pay the extra for someone knowledgeable and reliable!

*DISCLAIMER: We realize there are several other options for horseback riding tours and lessons near Cabarete, so feel free to leave your suggestions and experiences in the comments.