A decade of equestrian adventure, built on trust
Impact Travel Group is proud to mark ten years of African Horse Safaris, the specialist equestrian travel company founded by Isabel Juby and now one of the most trusted names in horse safari travel worldwide. What began as a passion project, born from Isabel’s conviction that Africa is best experienced from the back of a horse, has grown into a company that has taken riders across some of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes and expanded well beyond the continent that inspired it.
The milestone was celebrated in London on 2 May, when over 160 people gathered for an evening that raised more than £8,000 for conservation and community partners. Operators flew in from across Africa. Guests arrived from across the UK and Europe, some of whom had ridden together in Tanzania, Kenya or South Africa, others who had only ever spoken on the phone or over email. Two of African Horse Safaris’ very first clients from ten years ago were in the room.
10 years of specialist equestrian travel
160+ guests at the anniversary celebration in London
£8,000+ raised for conservation and community partners on the night
10 special hosted rides taking place throughout the anniversary year
Built by people who ride
African Horse Safaris is a small, close-knit team of riders, explorers, conservationists and storytellers, all based in Africa. Every safari they recommend has been ridden by the team. The horses have been met in person. The guides have been sat with around campfires. The routes have been road-tested in the places they describe.
That depth of knowledge is the foundation of the trust the company has built over a decade. Clients return not just because the riding is exceptional, but because they know the recommendation behind every trip has been earned rather than assembled from a brochure.
What ten years teaches you
One of the most consistent patterns across a decade of African Horse Safaris is this: the rider who books their first trip convinced it will be their only one is rarely right. Africa from the saddle has a particular quality that is difficult to describe before you have experienced it and almost impossible to forget afterwards. The dust, the light, the wildlife encountered at eye level rather than from a vehicle, the feeling of genuine immersion in a landscape that most people only see through glass.
What stays with riders is not really the dust or the riding, though both have a way of getting under your skin. It is the feeling of being completely present in a place that feels wonderfully wild and untamed. Africa, as many of African Horse Safaris’ clients will tell you, never really leaves you.
It’s the people you meet, the horses you fall in love with and the wildlife encounters you’ll talk about for years. Long after the suitcase is unpacked, a part of you is still out there somewhere, cantering through the Namib Desert, riding alongside elephants in Botswana or watching the sun set over the bush from horseback. The pull to come back is almost impossible to ignore. And for many of our riders, the challenges waiting at home feel a little less intimidating for having been there.”
— Isabel Juby, Founder, African Horse Safaris
Ten years, ten rides
To mark the anniversary, African Horse Safaris is hosting ten special rides throughout the year, bringing together clients, friends and members of the team. The series kicked off in Patagonia and has since taken in Egypt, Kenya and Morocco, with Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia still ahead. Each ride is a hosted experience, designed to celebrate ten years of the connections that have defined the company as much as the destinations.
Many of the people who have joined these rides have been travelling with African Horse Safaris for years. Some have ridden across multiple countries together. Watching those relationships develop, between the team and the riders and between riders themselves, has been one of the defining parts of the journey.
Taking the standard further
Ten years of operating in Africa has generated a consistent question from riders: where else meets the same standard? That question has led African Horse Safaris to expand into new destinations through Worldwide Horse Safaris and South American Horse Safaris, carrying the same criteria into Patagonia, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Slovenia. Exceptional horses, knowledgeable guides and landscapes that earn their reputation from the saddle.
“After ten years, it feels like we are only just getting started. The destinations are new but the standard is the same, and so are the people. The same riders, the same trust and the same belief that the best way to experience any place in the world is from the back of a great horse.”
— Isabel Juby, Founder, African Horse Safaris
About African Horse Safaris
African Horse Safaris is Africa’s leading specialist in horse riding safaris and equestrian travel. Founded in 2015, the company works with carefully selected safari operators across 12 African countries, creating exceptional riding holidays that combine world-class horses, spectacular landscapes, wildlife encounters and authentic cultural experiences.
Based in Africa and run by passionate riders, African Horse Safaris offers expert advice, personalised trip planning and first-hand destination knowledge, helping riders from around the world experience the continent in a unique and unforgettable way. Through the African Horse Safaris Foundation, the company also supports conservation initiatives, community development projects and responsible tourism projects across Africa.
