We had a free day in Wanaka on our vacation to New Zealand, and saw a flier for the Cardrona Horse Riding Tours. We called and Sarah was able to book us for the very next day, even though it was a holiday. The horses were beautiful and in fantastic health - you can tell they are well loved! And our guide, Kelly, was phenomenal. She is clearly an expert with her horses, and knows their different personalities so she can match you with the right horse. After a short tutorial on horse riding, she took us through the mountains/steams/sheep, giving us some interesting regional and historical information along the way. We were able to cantor with the horses as well (or not, if you aren't comfortable - she will tailor the experience to your riding abilities). And, an added bonus, we stopped at the historic Cardrona hotel for a drink (included) 2 hours into a 3 hours ride (a welcome break!). Afterwards, we were able to help feed the horses their dinner, and spend time petting them and feeding them apples.
Kelly even took pictures of us along the way, and sent them to us after the ride (for free!!), which allowed us to sit back and enjoy the experience without trying to take pictures and balance a camera with horse reins.
I highly recommend this activity - it was the highlight of our trip! read more
