Are u looking for a way to escape from the concrete jungle of Jakarta ? or feeling tired with daily routine and hoping to unwind the stress by being closer to nature? If the answer is yes, then we’re the same. I often find myself feeling trapped hence I constantly looking for ways to escape the city on weekends. I’ve been hiking in Puncak, had a short escape in Bali, or relaxing in Karimunjawa islands. But this time, I wanted to try a different activity. Since I’ve been dreaming to learn horse riding for a long (want to be like Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones hahaha), and I’ve been joined a horse riding class before, I decided to continue the class. That long weekend, I took a train to experience horse riding in Indonesia.

Indonesia is known for its stunning islands and beaches, therefore most people choose to visit its islands and tropical resorts for vacation. Horseback riding during holidays isn’t very common tho. But speaking of horse riding in Indonesia, the country also has some quality horse riding clubs, an avid and competitive riding community, and also some high-end equestrian vacation centers. I’ve found some stables and horse riding centers around Jakarta. But since I went out of town for a long weekend getaway, I choose to continue the horse riding lesson in Bale Kuda Stable in Yogyakarta.

HORSE RIDING IN INDONESIA : HOW TO GET THERE

Yogyakarta or Jogja can be reached by both air and land. You can take a flight for 1 hour from Jakarta or driving for 6 hours via the toll road. I took the train from Gambir station in Central Jakarta. The journey was a bit longer compared with the car, took 8 hours, but along the way I could see the beautiful Indonesian countryside scenery. To take the train, you don’t need to take a PCR or antigen test, but need to take the Genose test instead. More information about the Genose test can be found here. When I got to Tugu station, Yogyakarta, my brothers pick me up then we headed toward Sleman, where Bale Kuda Stable located.

HORSE RIDING IN INDONESIA : IN BETWEEN JOIN THE SCHOOL AND HORSE RIDING ON THE RIVER

The main reason why I chose to ride a horse in Yogyakarta is that I want to breathe the fresh air and enjoy prettier scenery. I found Bale Kuda Stable on Instagram last year and had joined its horse riding class once. Bale Kuda Stable is located in Karang Kepanjen, Trimulyo, Sleman regency, very close to the famous Jejamuran restaurant. Once you spot a colorful Joglo (Javanese traditional house) on the left side of the road, in the middle of ricefields, you’ve arrived. Behind the Joglo, you’ll find a small stable and field next to a river. The setting felt so natural and relaxing even just by looking at it. This place can be reached by 30 minutes driving from Tugu station.

Before I pick the class, the owner of Bale Kuda Sable told me that all 4 horses here are mare, as they are calmer, easy to train, and easy to tame compared with stallions. Mine was Putri, a mixed Australian and local mare. I remember the first time coming here I was a bit afraid of being close to the horse as it’s my first time taking the class. But with the guidance from the owner, I could manage to learn basic lessons to ride a horse, while Putri’s calmness helped me to enjoy the session. I was a bit surprised turned out horse riding in Indonesia wasn’t as hard I imagined.

There are a variety of classes you can pick. If you intend to join horse riding school, it’s available both on weekdays and weekends. The class runs for 45 minutes for every meeting, while the costs are Rp. 100.000 on weekdays and Rp. 125.000 on weekend. For a more fun horse riding in Indonesia experience, you can opt horse riding on the river (Rp. 75.000/ 15 minutes and Rp. 150.000/ 30 minutes).

On my first visit, I took the horse riding school. At the time, I got basic lessons from the trainer such as how to ride, make the horse run faster and make the horse stopped. It took some time to adjust and make myself feel comfortable riding the horse. I also worried if I hit my leg too hard or pull the reins too tight, the horse would have felt pain. Or worse, she will push me to the ground. But the trainer explained to me that Putri has been experienced in horse racing thus already got used to humans. By the end of the session, I’ve found myself able to make Putri run faster circling the paddock.

On the second visit that long weekend, I came with my brothers. The sun was scorching hot at that time since we came in the afternoon, so we opt for riding the horse on the river. If you want to avoid the sun, it suggested coming in the morning or after 3 PM. Since I’ve been learning the basic lessons, my second encounter with Putri felt easier. She followed nearly every of my order and I didn’t feel as worry before. The session was started with we’re circling the paddock a few times. Then she took me to a small path leading to the river. It was so cool riding the horse on the river haha…sometimes we run slowly but at the other times, I told her to run fast. Although the weather was quite sunny, I didn’t really feel the heat as the river was shaded by trees. The session was ended by Putri took me back to circling the paddock then heading back to the stable.

Horse riding in Indonesia is so fun! Next time I got a chance to escape Jakarta, I’d like to join a horse riding around the village and river. For this 1-hour experience, the cost is Rp. 250.000,00. Besides individual riding horse classes for adults and kids, Bali Kuda Stable also provides group classes for a minimum of 20 people, both for family and school field trips. During the field trip, participants will be taught how to care for a horse, introduced to horse riding equipment, and riding horse on the river.

Horse riding in Indonesia is a perfect choice for myself who want to be closer to nature during the weekend. I can’t wait to get another chance to improve my skills in riding and controlling the horse. If you’re interested in horse riding in Indonesia, you should definitely come to Bali Kuda Stable. The horse is well-cared and the guide will never leave your side until you’re ready to ride the horse by yourself, and you also got pretty scenery as a bonus. But, if you prefer to do it closer to Jakarta or horse riding in Bogor, check this selection of equestrian vacation centers in Jakarta & beyond out!

Curious about my adventures in Europe and America ?. You can click the following links to see my traveling videos that have aired on Net TV :

1. Desa Hallstatt, Desa dengan Arsitektur Klasik di Pinggir Danau
2. Imutnya Park Guell, Dunia Fantasi Ala Gaudi di Barcelona
3. Ada Turki Mini di Bosnia Herzegovina
4. Nyobain Makanan Khas Bosnia, Kaya Rasa dan Pasti Halal
5. The Bean, Seni Kontemporer yang Ada di Film – film Hollywood

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