Learn horse riding in and around Cape Town

Cosmopolitan Cape Town has it all: beaches, mountains, wild life, sports, quality restaurants, theatre, museums, art galleries, world class shops, walks and hikes with beautiful views ... and horse riding.

Nestled under the majestic and beautiful Table Mountain, the City of Cape Town has spread in various directions over the centuries – in the direction of Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Franschoek in the Boland; to Somerset West and Gordons Bay to the south east; and Milnerton, Table View and even further, to Malmesbury in the north west. Behind the mountain, heading back to the sea, there's Hout Bay on one side and Noordhoek and Simonstown on the other. All have their special features and offerings for locals and tourists alike. While some of these districts have their own local authorities, the contemporary City of Cape Town is now huge, and the lines for those exploring the region have become blurred.

One of the great attractions for those visiting Cape Town nowadays is that you can travel for more or less an hour to get to all these historic towns and country villages, and to long white beaches, nature reserves, game reserves ... and establishments that offer horse trails and horse riding lessons.

Whether you live in Cape Town or are visiting on holiday, there are a number of establishments that offer riding lessons for various ages and abilities.

When looking for a suitable venue, make sure you check out not only who will be giving you lessons, but also what the opportunities are for out-rides. Once you know the basics of horse riding, this is a wonderful way to explore parts of the country where trail rides are on offer.

Generally there are more options about an hour's drive from the city centre – in all directions – although the historic suburb of Constantia (which is a quick drive outside of peak traffic hours) does still have sufficient open space to enable riding schools to continue operating. The most popular of these, the highly successful and popular Lane Stables, caters largely for children and competitive young adults, rather than casual riders.

Alassio Stables in Constantia is in a glorious setting and offers all levels of riders the opportunity to ride through vineyards and experience the stunning views.

The Riding Centre in Hout Bay [seet at Facebook] – just a little further afield – was established by a former top Western Province event rider Kim Wallace, two decades ago on open land spanning the Disa River. There are a number of instructors at the centre (including Kim) who teach riding to all ages, and people with a range of abilities, from novice to varying competition levels. Unfortunately Hout Bay has become incredibly built up and there are fewer and fewer out rides available; riding is no longer allowed on the beach.

Sleepy Hollow Horse Riding in Noordhoek offers horse riding lessons and superb beach rides along an 8 km length of pristine shore. While they cater for both regular individual and group lessons, Sleepy Hollow is also happy to arrange one-off lessons for those visiting the area on holiday. Their instructors have South African National Equestrian Federation (SANEF) qualifications.

Spier Equestrian Centre is located in the heart of the Western Cape winelands, about an hour's drive from Cape Town city centre, on the award-winning Spier Wine Estate [ http://www.spier.co.za/what_to_do_at_spier/horse_riding/ ]. Run independently from the estate itself, the equestrian centre offers riding lessons as well as trail rides on the estate for anyone, irrespective of age or experience. This establishment, which is run by one of the Western Province's top event riders, Inge Hansen, offers riding lessons catering for the eventing Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping and cross country.

Bon Affaire Equestrian Centre in Gordons Bay is located on Broadlands Farm, on the Firlands Minor Road. Once part of the historic Broadlands Stud owned by the legendary racing trainer and heiress, Pat O'Neill, the equestrian centre utilises the stable block once used for stallions that were standing at stud. Run by another top Western Province event rider, Kate Szymanowski, the centre offers lessons to a range of pupils of all ages and abilities, including casual lessons. Kate is also involved with Riding for Africa, an international initiative (that began in Holland) that provides free riding lessons for disadvantaged children and teaches them about horses and ponies. She only takes out rides if organised well in advance.

While some riding establishments do not require prior appointments, it is best to make arrangements for riding lessons ahead of time to ensure that they will be able to meet your needs in terms of timing.

Penny Swift is a seasoned writer who has worked for newspapers, magazines and has produced numerous books on many different subjects. She also writes long-distance courses and tutors for a correspondence college.