Horseback riding in Samana

[SomeWoman]

I tried to book the horseback riding excursion through the cruise line (NCL), but they are already full. Does anybody know of a reputable company through which I could book horseback riding on my own?

 

I found one tour company that seems un-shady, but they are nowhere near the Samana peninsula. Should I just give up and book a different excursion through the cruise line?

[WaldosPepper]

I can't help you with regard to locating a specific operator, but I can tell you that while were there, we saw literally dozens of locations with horses corralled and waiting for riders. Most are used to transport folks to the falls - which are spectacular!

 

Click on my daily blog link below for more info on Samana and how much fun we had there! :D

[SomeWoman]

Thanks!

[Nickymjw1]

I have read Peppers incident, but it seems this was not isolated. I met a young couple on our cruise that took the horseback riding trip.

 

She also mentioned the dangerous conditions on the trail. She told us the horses were emanciated (sp?) and weak. Her horse kept on stumbeling and falling due to exhaustion. They kept on hitting the horse to keep on going. The last fall the horse had threw her off the horse. She said the people were very nice, and helped wipe the mud off and carried her down the hill. She said she was crying because she was scared and it was very sad to see the horses like that.

 

She says she rides horses at home and these horses were not healthy and you could see their ribs.

 

And she took the excursion through the ship! We also did an excursion through NCL that was not as expected. I will write about it tomorrow. (Discover Samana tour with a guide who did not speak English!)

[WaldosPepper]

There are literally hundreds of horses on Samana, many of which are utilized for these horseback riding excursions. We were fortunate to locate a group that were far healthier then some others!

 

It should be noted that these animals are not necessarily treated the way we treat animals in our country, and on occassion I did witness a guide giving a horse a slap on the rump to encourage movement - a practice which made me sick. That said, we must understand that their culture is entirely different from ours, and hopefully someday soon their economic conditions will improve, and their treatment of animals will also improve.

 

I mentioned to several people in Samana that it would be wise for their government to spend a bit of money on improving the condition of the trail, not only for the safety of the horses, but the guides and tourists as well!

 

I'm sure over time things will improve, as our tourism dollars begin to infuse that entire area. ;)

 

Below is a shot of the group of horses we rode, and in the foreground is my guide, Julianna, and the horse I rode in on. :p

[SomeWoman]

And she took the excursion through the ship! We also did an excursion through NCL that was not as expected. I will write about it tomorrow. (Discover Samana tour with a guide who did not speak English!)

 

Also good to know. Given that this is my first cruise, and that I am very unfamiliar with the Dominican Republic, I was looking at alternative excursions through NCL. It might be kind of fun to have a tour in Spanish, but I probably wouldn't understand half of it. Hmmm... maybe we'll just go to the beach. :^/