The importance of horse welfare on safari
For those who love horses, the question is never just where you’re going; it’s who you’re going with. At Aardvark Safaris, we believe that a truly exceptional riding safari isn’t just about the landscape you ride through or the wildlife you encounter along the way; it’s about the horses beneath you. Their temperament, their fitness, their happiness. Because a horse that is genuinely well cared for makes for a better, safer and more meaningful experience for everyone.
We work exclusively with operators who share this belief, and whose standards of horse welfare on safari go far beyond the basics. We asked two of our most trusted operators to share exactly what that looks like day to day.
Okavango Horse Safaris – Lodge-based riding safari, Botswana
Farriery
The majority of the Okavango herd, around 75%, are barefoot, and several of the team’s grooms are trained to trim hooves to a professional standard. Trimming is carried out on a rolling basis, with a handful of horses seen every few days to ensure each one is attended to every five weeks. For those who do require shoes, as well as any corrective work or more complex issues, specialist farrier Jared travels in from Maun on the same five-week cycle.
Veterinary Care
The horse team, guides and management are all highly experienced in handling a broad range of conditions – from hoof abscesses and mud fever to colic, biliary and African Horse Sickness. For anything beyond routine care, they have the support of Maun-based vet Rob Jackson, who is on hand to advise remotely or visit camp when needed, and who draws on a wider network of vets across Southern Africa for more complex cases. All horses are regularly wormed and vaccinated against African Horse Sickness. Each animal is groomed and checked over twice daily, morning and evening, with a further check and feed at midnight by the camp’s night watchman.
Schooling and Training
During the quiet season, every horse is given a well-earned rest of one to two months, tailored to their individual temperament and condition. They are then brought back into work gradually, following a structured programme of lunging, schooling and exercise rides before rejoining the guest safari schedule. The head grooms are all trained to lunge, and horse manager Elen has a particular talent for developing the younger horses. Volunteers also join the team periodically to assist with schooling.
Offbeat Riding Safaris – mobile riding safari, Kenya
Dentistry
Every horse receives an annual dental check-up and any necessary treatment, carried out by specialist equine dentists who travel out from the UK specifically for the purpose – a level of care that speaks for itself.
Farriery
Farriery is handled in-house by a team of senior grooms, all trained to a high standard in both shoeing and trimming. Shoeing is tailored to each horse’s individual needs – some carry four shoes, others just fronts, and several are now going exceptionally well barefoot. A farrier always travels with the safari, ensuring horses stay on their regular schedule no matter where the ride takes them. A loose or lost shoe is never a cause for concern; the team is fully equipped to reshoe in the bush without missing a beat.
Veterinary Care
Day-to-day veterinary care is carried out by the grooms and overseen by horse manager Cindy Voorspuy at Deloraine House. The team is supported by a network of vets both locally and overseas, who have visited the farm to perform scans, surgeries and specialist treatments when required. Given the mobile nature of Offbeat Riding Safaris, every groom is trained to handle injuries and illness out in the bush. A comprehensive vet box travels with the team across the Masai Mara at all times. Should a more serious situation arise, horses can be transported back to Deloraine House, or a vet can be flown in directly to the bush.
Schooling and Training
Between safaris, the horses return to Deloraine House, where rest and recovery are treated as seriously as fitness. They are brought back into work gradually and methodically through arena schooling, the exercise track, and mountain rides that build strength and condition the horses before rejoining the safari schedule. Several of the horses also compete in eventing, with Cindy piloting them across dressage, showjumping and cross-country, a testament to just how well these horses are developed and cared for.
What strikes us about both Okavango Horse Safaris and Offbeat Riding Safaris is that exceptional horse welfare isn’t something bolted on as an afterthought – it is woven into everything they do. From the midnight checks and the bush farriery to the quiet season rest periods and the youngsters carefully brought on by experienced hands, these are operations run by people who genuinely love their horses.
For us, that matters enormously. When you ride with one of our recommended operators, you can do so knowing that the animals making your safari possible are as well looked after as you are. And that, we think, makes the whole experience richer.
If you’d like to find out more about riding safaris in Botswana, Kenya and beyond, our team would love to help you find the perfect fit.
What next?
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