Horse riding in Cairo by the pyramids of Giza

I had the pleasure and joy of riding in Cairo, Egypt in October 2022.

I rode at FB stables and KFB stables, both in Cairo but around 30 minutes apart. This post is about the stables that are closest to the famous Pyramids of Giza, called FB Stables. You can check out their website here.

FB Stables - Giza

The ride I went on, the sunset ride was not as near to the pyramids as I would have imagined, and what some of the photos look like on their website, however you can still get an amazing view of them and it is spectacular to gallop past them in full view. I think there had been some changes lately where you can no longer ride right up to them.

I opted for the sunset ride and checked with KB stables beforehand whether it would be suitable for my brother and mum to ride as well, they are both beginners.

My mum and my brother loved it so much! They really enjoyed the experience. I feel like I was more worried about them than they were.

We arrived at the stables which is a little tricky to find, it was off a side road, but then you end up on this road which is just purely horse stables for more than a mile.

I immediately bonded with Karen, she is such a kind soul, and a British expat so I felt super comfortable with her and really enjoyed talking to her about her journey and experiences in living in Egypt and ending up being business partners with an Egyptian for a riding stables by the Pyramids of Giza!

We tacked up and initially they put me on a very spirited dappled grey horse, who was beautiful, but so, so Arabian. She was snorting and had her tail up, and as soon as I got on her I knew it was a mistake, as she reared a little bit. I was obviously a bit put off, especially as I always get anxious riding in new places and on a horse that I don’t know!

Karen and Karim were really kind and got another horse tacked up for me. I feel like it’s always better to express yourself and be honest, and end up enjoying your ride on a horse that you feel safe on, rather than spending the whole time worrying and feeling uncomfortable.

They said that the grey Arabian had a very sensitive mouth, maybe I was pulling back too much on her when she started rearing but there’s just something about Arabians for me, they’ve just got a bit of a crazy streak. I know some people love that, but I’m so used to riding sensible and bombproof cobs. Every time I’ve ridden an Arabian something quite lively has happened! I don’t know if that’s just me or if anyone else has had this experience…

So the other thing was, that when we started riding out towards the entrance to the pyramid zone, I saw a dead horse on the side of the path amongst what looked like rubbish and other things that had been dumped. I talked to Karim about this later, and he explained to me that along this road there were so many horse stables and when a horse dies, they get put there and are collected by the government service the next day. Still, I could not get that image out of my head after I saw it, and it is one of the things that slightly lets down what would otherwise be a perfect memory.

Still, of course, in other countries sometimes these things are the norm and I suppose I also have to accept that not everything is done perfectly where I come from too. We rode along some small crowded lanes with lots of other horses passing by us. After that we came upon the entrance to the sort of ‘pyramid park’, where everyone just goes wild on their horses! There were kids and adults and teens all just riding at different speeds, different directions and generally having a good time. I had a canter which turned into a little gallop and I had no idea where I was going, the horse took me to this sort of break area where everyone was hanging around.

I think I’m just quite used to British safety standards so anything that is even a little bit different freaks me out, but I am learning to accept different styles of riding around the world. I had another little semi-controlled canter around with the guide and then we headed back to the stable. Overall it was a lovely sunset evening and a great way to spend some time in Cairo seeing the sights from a different perspective. I would definitely recommend Karen and Karim, they will help you choose a horse and a ride that is right for you.