Horseback Riding to Monteverde

About Riding in Costa Rica and Our Horses

La Fortuna Info offers a number of horseback tours in and around Monteverde. We offer rides suitable for any level of experience.

Monteverde - HORSEBACK RIDING
This is one of the most interesting tours in the Monteverdea area as it allows travelers to ride their horse through the Mountains of Monteverde, reach the Arenal Lake and view the Arenal Volcano. Combining forest, hills, and lake, the Monteverde to Arenal tour is one of the best horseback riding tours in Costa Rica.

Details
This tour takes in total approximately 5 ? hours depending on the riders and the hotels where we will be picking up and dropping off.

1 ? Hours by car from Monteverde to Rio Chiquito.
3 ? Hours by horse from Rio Chiquito towards the volcano.
? Hour boat ride across the lake.
And finally a car ride from the Arenal side of the Lake to your hotel.

Along the Lake Trail there are many tropical birds, views of the volcano and scenic jungle parts. This is a suitable ride for any level of experience.

Duration:
approximately 5 ? hours.
Available: Daily
Departure times and location: Morning departure approximately 8:00 am.
Return time and location:
This tour ends in Arenal approximately 5.5 hours after beginning in Monteverde.

Excellent horses and guides have given our company a reputation for quality horseback riding in Costa Rica. Check out our unique trail to the Arenal Volcano, the only horse ride of it's kind being offered!

Many people are skeptical about riding horses in Costa Rica due in part to negative press on the subject, not all of it unfounded. The reason to be weary is that some people only see short-term profit and to them a horse is just a means to make money. The more tours the horse does the more money they make. This practice by some has given a bad reputation to the horse industry of Costa Rica. There were cases of horses collapsing from exhaustion and people riding trails covered in mud that were not in a condition to ride upon. These neglects tainted the image of horseback rides.

monteverde horse stable

Now that you have been forewarned let us tell you that this does not mean you should not go for a ride on your visit. There are many responsible horseback tour operators in Costa Rica. Some of the ways you can decide if a company caring properly for it's horses as well as its customers is to visit their stables. You do not have to be a vet to see if the horses look healthy. You can tell a lot about how people treat their horses by seeing where they live and eat.

Other things to look for:

Can they provide veterinarian records?
Is there any method of rotating the horses so they are not overworked?
How is the condition of the tack and are the horses shoed?
Are you offered horses to your level of experience - does anyone even ask?

The positive side of the issue is that many companies have improved the condition of the horses and improved the quality of their tours. Hopefully people will inquire into the well being of the horses before booking a tour. It is not too difficult to ascertain and by doing so you are going to have a much better experience. To read an article on the pros and cons of different trails between Monteverde and Arenal follow this link, "To ride or not to ride?"

We have around 55 horses divided between our stable in Monteverde and on the Arenal Lake. Most of these are of Quarter Horse / Criollo descent, a breed we find very suitable to the trails of this area. They are a good size and solidly built. We have some mixed types of appaloosas.

The saddles used in Costa Rica are an adaptation of a western variety. There are lighter than normal western. There is often a good size pommel.

Our local Monteverde local area rides are on the trails of our farm, which is located a short distance from Santa Elena. There are views of the Pacific, secondary forest and pasture, with many panoramic views of the valleys and mountains.

foal centella at play

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