Near Otahuna Lodge, local guides offer private horseback riding excursions to suit any level of experience. 

Guests who are new to horseback riding learn basic skills such as how to mount and dismount, hold reins in an English saddle and communicate with the horse before departing on a leisurely one to three hour ride through local farms and woodlands alongside the scenic, braided riverbed of the Waimakariri river. 

More experienced riders will enjoy crossing the tributaries of the river and the challenge of steeper inclines with plenty of wide trails and spaces to canter or gallop.  Or they may opt for a full-day adventure along spectacular stretches of the wild Pacific coastline.