Rhodes Horse Riding

Rhodes horse riding takes small groups along beaches and country tracks. Rhodes is an island in the south-east Aegean Sea. Rides pass the sea, pine woods and olive groves. It is one of the horse riding trips in Greece on Greece VIP.

This post covers what a Rhodes horse riding tour includes, where it rides and rides on the beach. It also covers the nature on the way, safety for beginners and the history of horses on Rhodes. What to wear, the best season and common questions come last.

Each section ends with a Rhodes horse riding trip or a nearby tour that can be booked online.

What does a Rhodes horse riding tour include?

A Rhodes horse riding tour is a trail ride on horseback. In Europe, this kind of outing is called horse or pony trekking. At a walk, the horse keeps two or three feet on the ground. The ride stays calm and steady at this pace.

The classic trail for riders is the bridleway, also called a bridle path. Motor vehicles cannot pass on it, or they are banned from it. Quiet tracks like this suit Rhodes horse riding far better than busy roads.

The trot averages about 13 km/h. A very slow trot is called a jog. At faster trots, riders post: they rise and sit in rhythm with the horse to avoid jolts.

Riders new to Rhodes horse riding also meet terms from other styles. Western riding calls the canter a lope. The gallop averages about 40 to 48 km/h. Horses seldom gallop more than 1.5 to 3 km before resting.

Rhodes horse riding carries on an old Greek skill. Ancient Greek riders had no saddle and no stirrups, the loops that hold the feet. Around 350 BC, the Athenian Xenophon wrote a work on choosing, caring for and training horses.

Greece officially recognises six horse breeds. Three of them are the Andravida, the Messara and the Thessalian. In 2011 the country had about 30,000 horses. The majority of Greek breeds faced a risk of dying out.

Scenery is a big part of Rhodes horse riding. The island’s plants and animals mix Mediterranean and Asian elements. In the Kameiros forests, Turkish pine and the closely related Aleppo pine are the main trees. Olive groves fill the valleys.

• Skyros pony: It stands 92 to 115 cm high and ranks among the world’s rarest breeds.
• Pindos pony: Bred in the Pindus range, it averages about 132 cm at the top of the shoulder.
• Peneia pony: This Peloponnese breed learns a smooth gait, the aravani, which makes riding more comfortable.

Along a Rhodes horse riding trail, the ground keeps changing. Farmland, orchards and dry grassland sit beside garrigue and maquis, two types of low, thick scrub. Rocky coasts, cliffs, wetlands, rivers and streams complete the island’s habitats.

Where do Rhodes horse riding tours ride on the island?

Rhodes horse riding tours ride through the farm villages and low hills of the north. Pastida is one of them. It sits at the foot of Mount Philerimos, slightly inland from the west coast. The village had 3,643 residents at the 2021 census.

Ialysos, also called Trianta, lies right next to the capital. At 16.7 km2, it is the smallest municipal unit, or local district, on Rhodes. Until the mid-1980s it was a village of around 2,500 people.

Maritsa sits in Rhodes horse riding country on the west side, about 17 km from the capital. Its old airport was built in 1938, south of today’s international airport. Local clubs now race cars and motorbikes on the runway.

Damatria lies on the west coast as well. The village is believed to date back to the 11th century BC. That was the Doric era, the age of the Dorian Greeks.

Koskinou lies 6 miles from Faliraki, and even closer to Rhodes town. Riders who pair Rhodes horse riding with a motor trip can book a jeep safari on Rhodes.

On the east side, Rhodes horse riding reaches Afantou, 18.5 km from the city of Rhodes. By the best-known account, the village takes its name from its spot between hills. The hills keep it out of sight, and afanto means unseen.

• Kalavarda: The village lies about 28 km from the city of Rhodes and 52 km from Lindos.
• Eleousa: It lies 34 km southwest of the city, at 250 m in the Mount Profitis Ilias foothills.
• Archipoli: This mountain village of 582 residents lies west of Afantou.

Soroni, on the northwest coast, links Rhodes horse riding to local custom. Outside the village, the Agios Soulas chapel holds the feast of Saint Silas from 20 to 30 July. This best-loved island festival has included horse and donkey shows.

Can a Rhodes horse riding tour ride along the beach?

A Rhodes horse riding tour has to stay off the sand at Blue Flag beaches. Blue Flag rules ban domestic animals from the beach and the bathing area. Dogs that lead blind people are the one exception. Pets can use only parking and walking areas off the beach.

Where mounted police patrol a Blue Flag beach, steps must make sure no droppings stay behind. In 2023, the municipality of Rhodes had 57 Blue Flag beaches. These rules shape Rhodes horse riding by the sea.

Afantou beach lies east of its village, about 22 km from the city of Rhodes. It runs 2,300 m along the bay of the same name and is 65 m wide on average. Pebbles cover the shore, over a sandy seabed.

The beach faces south-east, and its shape shelters it from the prevailing winds. Records from 1955 to 2001 show the main wind on Rhodes blows from the west. North-westerly and south-westerly winds follow at low or medium strength.

Traounou beach sits at the north end of Afantou bay, 15 km from the capital. Its other name is Spilies, which means Caves. High rocks ring it, with a cave on its northern side.

Tsambika is the sandy choice for Rhodes horse riding fans. Sand covers both the shore and the seabed. The beach is 1,300 m long and 55 m wide. Its water reaches 5 m deep only about 370 m out.

Rhodes horse riding on the west side runs near one long beach. It stretches about 10 km from Kremasti to Theologos. Theologos, also called Tholos, lies about 19 km from the capital. European Environment Agency records rate the water there excellent.

• Kolymbia: Sand and pebbles cover this 1,050 m beach, 24 km south of the city.
• Stegna: This sandy, east-facing beach is 790 m long and lies 29 km south of the city.
• Vigla: Pets are not allowed on this 480 m pebble beach in Afantou bay.

Soroni beach lies about 25 km southwest of Rhodes and runs for 3,200 m. It faces north-west and has no organised beach services. The prevailing winds reach it, except the south-westerlies.

What nature does a Rhodes horse riding trip pass?

Rhodes horse riding trips pass pine forest, old olive groves and quiet hill paths. Riders share these places with wild deer, rare orchids, birds and snakes. The island keeps a rich mix of plants and animals. Each ride shows a new side of it.

Rhodes horse riding trails cross wide pine woods. The main tree there is the Turkish pine, which grows 20 to 35 metres tall. Its trunk reaches up to 1 metre across. Its needles are 10 to 18 centimetres long and grow in pairs, or rarely in threes.

Pine cones on these trees ripen from green to red-orange. They mature two years after pollination, when pollen lands on the young cone. White, cotton-like wax in the bark cracks hides a sap-sucking insect called Marchalina hellenica. Rhodes horse riding groups can spot these white patches.

Rhodes horse riding routes also pass olive trees. An olive tree grows to about 10 metres and has grey bark. Its leaves are grey-green on top and whitish below. Cold under -10 °C can harm even a mature tree.

A Rhodes horse riding trip can cross paths with wild fallow deer. Around 400 to 500 live on the island, at risk from poaching, or illegal hunting, and wildfires. They are smaller on average than deer in central and northern Europe. Only the males, called bucks, grow antlers.

Profitis Ilias, a wooded mountain on Rhodes, holds its own bee orchid. This flower, Ophrys fuciflora subspecies oreas, grows nowhere else. The large orchid Limodorum abortivum, a parasite, also grows in its pinewoods. Rare snakes there include the leopard snake and Dahl’s whip snake.

• Birds: Rhodes has 257 recorded bird species, and 80 of them breed on the island.
• Mammals: Rhodes horse riding trails cross the home of 33 mammal species.
• Peony: The Rhodes peony grows wild only on Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes, with scented white or pink flowers.
• Crab: The freshwater crab Potamon rhodium is common at Petaloudes.

Rhodes horse riding moves at a calm pace, so riders have time to look around. A quiet group stands a better chance of seeing deer before they run.

How safe is Rhodes horse riding for beginners and children?

Rhodes horse riding suits beginners and children when basic safety rules come first. A fitted helmet, a calm pony and a steady instructor lower the risk of harm. Knowing how a horse sees and reacts helps young riders stay out of danger.

Rhodes horse riding safety starts with one fact: horses are prey animals. Their first defence against a threat is to flee. A frightened horse can freeze for a moment before it runs. If it cannot escape, it can bite, kick, strike or rear up.

Every horse on a Rhodes horse riding trail sees about 350 degrees around itself. About 65 degrees of it uses both eyes together. It has two blind spots. One sits in front of its face. The other runs from behind its head, over its back, to behind its tail.

On Rhodes horse riding trails, sudden movement at the edge of its view can make a horse run. Both ears pinned flat against the head can signal pain or anger. Aggressive behaviour frequently follows that sign.

Horses are herd animals, and a horse kept alone can become anxious, flighty and hard to manage. A calm group of horses suits Rhodes horse riding beginners. Riders mount from the near side, which is the horse’s left.

A thrown rider whose foot stays caught in a stirrup can be dragged. Plenty of English saddles have safety bars that let the stirrup leather fall free. A riding helmet has a soft brim that gives way if the rider lands on it. A harness keeps it on.

• Helmet: EN 14572 is the European standard for high-performance riding helmets.
• Weight: Riding bodies advise a limit of 20 percent of horse weight for rider plus gear.
• Ponies: Properly trained ponies make good mounts for children who are learning to ride.
• Ages: The British Horse Society says riding suits everyone from tiny tots to riders in their seventies.

Rhodes horse riding stays safest with a calm horse, a fitted helmet and a rider who listens. Beginner riders tend to sit less balanced. An unbalanced load is harder for a horse to carry.

What history ties horses to Rhodes?

Rhodes horse riding follows a story that goes back to ancient Greek times. Islanders raced horses at a great religious festival and honoured gods linked to horses. Knights of the Middle Ages later relied on horses and mounted fighters on the island.

The Halieia was a main festival of ancient Rhodes for Helios, the sun god. It included horse races and chariot races. Winners received a wreath of white poplar, a tree sacred to the god. Rhodes horse riding has roots in these old games.

On the 24th day of the summer month of Gorpiaeus, Rhodians made a sea sacrifice. They drove a chariot with four white horses into the sea. The horses stood for the sun sinking into the sea at sunset. In Lindos, Poseidon was worshipped as Hippios, the god of horses.

In myth, the sun god drives a golden chariot pulled by four horses. Their names are Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon and Phlegon. Across mainland Greece, the oldest horse bones date from the Middle Bronze Age, no earlier than 1800 BC.

In the Iliad, King Nestor treats captured horses as precious prizes, a mark of wealth and rank. Xenophon’s horse books were the oldest known works on the skill of riding until 1931. That year, a Hittite text by Kikkuli, from about 1360 BC, was published.

Rhodes horse riding also carries a link to the Knights Hospitaller, a medieval order. Their Marshal, third in command, supplied armour, weapons and mounts with full horse gear. After Acre fell, surviving Turcopoles, local light cavalry and mounted archers, followed the knights to Rhodes.

• Saddles: Hospitaller rules kept the knights’ heavy war saddles apart from lighter Turkish saddles.
• Defence: The Turcopolier, head of the English branch, ran the coastal defences of Rhodes.
• Wills: In the 1120s, knights in western Europe left their horses and weapons to the Hospitallers.
• Skyros: The Skyros pony, a rare Greek breed, was declared critically endangered in 1991.

Rhodes horse riding today crosses an island with a deep horse past. Race horses, sea sacrifices and knights’ mounts all belong to it. Each ride adds a new page to that old story.

What do riders wear on a Rhodes horse riding tour?

Rhodes horse riding calls for long trousers, closed boots with a small heel and light gloves. A classic riding boot reaches high enough up the leg to stop the saddle leathers from pinching. Modern riding boots keep the heel under one inch.

Paddock boots are short boots that stop just above the ankle. Riders wear them mainly for pleasure riding. Half chaps are gaiters, or leg covers, worn over paddock boots. They give the lower leg the protection of a tall boot.

Rhodes horse riding works well in jodhpurs, close-fitting riding trousers. Their name comes from Jodhpur, the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Riding jodhpurs carry their leg seams on the outside. A patch, sometimes of leather, can cover the inside of each knee.

Breeches are riding trousers that end about mid-calf. Riders pair them with long stockings and tall boots. For western riding, close-fitting jeans with no heavy inner seam are the preferred choice. They help keep saddle sores away.

A saddle sore is a skin problem on the buttocks caused or worsened by riding. It can move from a scrape to folliculitis, an inflamed hair root. An abscess, a pocket of pus, can follow.

Rhodes horse riding in summer heat makes fabric choice matter. Dried sweat leaves salt on the skin, which raises friction and chafing. Cotton clothes and thick seams tend to rub. Polyester, nylon or spandex can reduce that rubbing.

Friction blisters form where pressure and friction meet, such as on the hands. Heat and moisture raise the risk. In dressage, a form of precise show riding, less-experienced riders tend to choose black gloves. White gloves make unsteady hands easier to notice.

Rhodes horse riding shares its kit list with horse riding on Crete. Horse flies are one reason to cover the legs. Only the females bite, and they prefer sunlight. Large Tabanus horse flies fly low and bite ankles, legs and the backs of knees.

• Water: A loss of just 1–2% of body water counts as mild dehydration and can dull thinking.
• Sun: UV exposure rises by about 4% for every 305 m of extra height.
• Insects: Horse flies stay inactive at night.
• Horse gear: A standard fly mask stays off during rides, since its stiff mesh clashes with the bridle.

Rhodes horse riding kit comes down to firm boots, fitted trousers and light gloves. Synthetic fabric cuts chafing, and covered ankles reduce horse fly bites. Water and sun cream round out the list.

When is the best season for Rhodes horse riding?

Rhodes horse riding suits spring and autumn best. April brings 35.7 mm of rain at Rhodes airport and 13.0 hours of daylight. September adds 307.7 hours of sunshine and just 1.5 rain days on average, with 12.0 hours of daylight.

Rhodes horse riding can start in March, when the airport averages a daily high of 17.4 °C. March brings 55.3 mm of rain and 228.7 hours of sunshine. Cool air helps both horse and rider stay fresh.

Rhodes horse riding in July meets warm nights, with an average low of 24.5 °C at the airport. The July record high stands at 38.0 °C. Horses and humans both sweat to cool down, which is rare among mammals.

Horse sweat holds latherin, a soap-like protein. It carries sweat through the waterproof coat and shows up as lather. Heatstroke strikes horses more easily in hot, humid weather. Unfit, overweight, thick-coated or overworked horses face a higher risk.

HNMS, the Greek weather service, averaged wind at Rodos for 1955-2010. Mean wind strength peaks at 11.5 knots in July. By November it drops to 6.0 knots. November also brings 97.1 mm of rain over 9.5 rain days.

Rhodes horse riding in October gets shorter days of 11.0 hours. The average UV index drops to 5 that month. January turns wet, with 130.3 mm of rain at the airport.

• Humidity: Relative humidity peaks at 72.4 percent in December and falls to 58.5 percent in June.
• UV: The average UV index on Rhodes is 7 in April and September and 9 in August.
• Rain: Rhodes averages 608.8 mm of precipitation a year.
• Horse health: A horse with hypohidrosis, a reduced ability to sweat, needs to avoid exercise in warm weather.

Rhodes horse riding fits the spring and autumn months best. Those months pair moderate heat with long daylight and little rain. Summer rides work best in the early morning or the evening.

What do travelers ask about Rhodes horse riding?

Rhodes horse riding raises questions about horse care, gear and arrival. Water makes up 62–68% of a horse’s body weight, so water stops matter. A saddle spreads the rider’s weight away from the backbone and onto the ribs.

How much water do horses need on Rhodes horse riding trails?

Under hard work, a horse can need up to four times its normal water. A working horse can drink its fill at regular stops. An overheated horse can react badly to extremely cold water, though. Losing 8–10% of body water leaves a horse dangerously dehydrated.

Can bad gear hurt horses on Rhodes horse riding tours?

Yes. Saddle sores on horses form on both sides of the withers, the ridge between the shoulder blades. Girth galls are sores behind the elbow, under the strap that holds the saddle. Ill-fitting or dirty gear is the common cause.

How do horses show their mood during Rhodes horse riding?

A horse points an ear toward whatever it is looking at. Both ears forward means it is focused on something ahead. Slight tail swishing brushes off biting insects. Hard swishing can signal irritation, pain or anger.

How do horses eat and rest between Rhodes horse riding outings?

Horses eat about 2–2.5% of their body weight in dry feed each day. They cannot vomit, because the gullet meets the stomach at a sharp, one-way angle. They need about two and a half hours of sleep in 24 hours.

Which airport serves Rhodes horse riding visitors?

Rhodes International Airport, codes RHO and LGRP, serves the island. It honours Diagoras of Rhodes, a 5th-century BC boxer with two Olympic wins. Its home village, Paradeisi, takes its name from exotic flowers that made its slopes look like paradise.

Featured photo: Kremasti sunset horseback ride on Kremasti Beach, via GetYourGuide.