Horseback Safari

There are some South African experiences I hear or read about that I store in my memory vault until the right person comes to visit for whom it would be a perfect match. Such an experience was the Ant Collection of Ant's Nest and Ant's Hill in the Waterberg.

Jill riding in Northern Ireland

They were just waiting for my niece Jill to come visit from Colorado. Jill is an equestrienne who has been riding since she was about three years old and the Ant Collection offers the best horseback riding safaris in South Africa.

Jill watches Alyssa ride her horse in Colts Neck, NJ

(So is my niece Alyssa, so pay attention Aly! I want to take you to Ant's Nest too someday!)

me in Bryce Canyon, Utah

Needless to say both of them are much better riders than me. I didn't start riding until my sophomore year in high school and I really enjoyed it until a freakish accident occurred in college involving the mare I was riding and her newborn foal. The little tyke got loose, mama horse got spooked, and I got thrown. 25 stitches later I didn't get back on a horse again until adulthood and by then it was too late. I never regained my confidence on horseback. After that, I only got on a horse for guided trail rides under the most supervised of conditions.

So I must admit I was a little nervous about taking on a serious horseback safari in South Africa with wild animals roaming about, but I knew Jill would love it so I put aside my fears and got back in the saddle one more time.

Jill brought all her own riding equipment to SA

We had to fill out a lengthy riding questionnaires in advance for Ant's Hill to determine our riding ability. (I was brutally honest.) The stables at Ant's Hill used our responses to customize our experience, making it a perfect fit for both Jill and I.

There were four other riders staying at Ant's Nest with us. Two Brits and two Canadians, all expert riders. They had their own guides and went out on horseback as their own group. That left Jill and I and two more guides for our private horseback safaris.

Most of the time the four of us stayed together and rode at a leisurely pace. We were first and foremost there to see African animals on safari after all!

But whenever Jill got bored with just walking and cantering along with me, she and Moses, our lead guide, would go off into the open bush and get up a good gallop. Then they would join back up with us a little further down the trail. Everyone was happy!

Jill and her giraffe

You are able to get amazingly close to the animals on horseback and they were not at all bothered by our proximity.

me and my rhinos

well-deserved sundowners

... and a well-earned massage in the lapa!

 We love Ant's Nest!