Location: Wild Coast, South Africa
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights / 3 riding days
Accommodation: Local hotels
Dates: Set dates
Riding Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Accompanying non-riders welcome

An abbreviated (though no less scenic or exciting) version of the 8-day Wild Coast Trail.

Explore the rugged, unspoiled natural beauty of the Wild Coast of South Africa. Miles and miles of empty beaches, remote rural villages, spectacular country side and fantastic riding!

A malaria-free area, the Wild Coast offers unparalleled riding experiences over rocky headlands, through the rolling hills of the former homeland of the Transkei and along vast tracts of unoccupied golden beaches.

This trail takes riders along the coast from Kei Mouth into the southern region of the Wild Coast, staying at coastal hotels along the way which provide comfortable, unpretentious stop-overs for horse and rider alike! The ride is carefully planned to ensure an optimum riding experience balanced with rest periods for our hard-working horses whose responsiveness and enthusiasm are complemented by their fitness and stamina.

The late Leon Liversage was not only a South African saddler, but was also something of a legend in the world of long-distance riding. One of the first people to explore the possibility of offering commercialized trail rides and horse safaris in Southern Africa, Leon started developing his own saddles in 1979. His aim was to create a saddle that moved with the horse and adjusted to the shape of his back, rather than trying to force the horse to fit an immovable tree. As a result, Leon created the Trail Rider saddle, complete with two flexible panels that replace the more traditional “skirt” of a Western or English saddle. These panels sit between the horse’s back and the tree, absorbing the movement of the latter and preventing friction on the horse’s back.

To create more stability, particularly over steep inclines and declines, Leon introduced a double girth system similar to that used on a Western saddle. Rather than having two straps together towards the front of the saddle, our trail saddles have one girth strap behind the horse’s elbow and the other located at the back of the saddle. This secures the back of the saddle to the horse, making it and the rider more secure over technical terrain.  

We have a range of Liversage saddles in our tack room, including some of the original saddles purchased 21 years ago — a testament to their durability. We find Liversage’s Enduro saddles provide a better fit for our wider horses, while the Bushwacker and Trail Saddles are more versatile, fitting a broader range of horses from narrower Anglo-Arabs to stockier crossbreeds.