Arabian Horse Club

The club offers Basic riding training courses each of which contains 8 lessons which can be taken at any rate of time needed, provided that the lesson duration is 30 minutes/lesson cost 40 JDs each, Membership price for the club is 100 JDs for individuals and 200 JDs for family memberships/year. Membership is paid at the beginning of every year, and is billed to those who board their Horses in the club

Boarding costs are as follows:
- 180 JDs for small breed Horses. i.e., local breeds, ponies, etc.

- 200 JDs for large breed Horses. i.e., Dutch, selle francais, Holstein, etc.

In many ways, the ideal way to visit Wadi Rum is on Horseback. The classic 4x4 tours tend to stay on the beaten track and - even more important - you are to a great degree insulated from the desert when riding in them. Few 4x4 tours go further than 20kms from the village of Rum, the majority of them not as far.

On a Horse you realize much better just what the desert is like. You cover the ground at a pace between a walk and a canter and you are far more aware of the terrain, the towering mesas, the beautiful valleys, the steep cliffs. You rarely venture into "touristic" Wadi Rum; few people except the Bedouin themselves penetrate into the routes used by the Horses. Even a one day trek out on a Horse will cover some 30 kilometers, and you may well see nobody except your party during all of this distance.

In general most tourists do not realize just how big Wadi Rum is. The maps available to the public only cover the area immediately close to the Rest House: this doesn't represent 1% of the total area! The usual maps don't even give an idea of how far they are from being complete; they just stop at the edge of the most visited part.

So you can see that even a week's trek on Horseback doesn't begin to explore the area. One has to select the best and the most picturesque routes and try to reconcile this with the time available. For this you do need to be with people who know the ground intimately. You should know that there are only two permanent operators in Wadi Rum. They are experienced in the desert conditions; and have an excellent knowledge of the best routes and places of interest, whether riding for a few hours or any number of days.

The main season for Horse trekking in Wadi Rum is from September through to May- after which time it really gets too hot to trek comfortably in that area. The Horses used are locally bred Arabian or Anglo Arab mares or geldings with English saddlery. Other saddles you may come across are the old fashioned cavalry style with a variety of bridle designs & bits! Riders should have reasonable previous experience. (A term open to wide interpretation!)

Obviously the more experience you have of riding, the more you will get out of a trip, even if it is just for one day. These short trips are entirely possible PROVIDED you give a certain amount of notice to the stable you are using. It does take a couple of hours to prepare the Horses and any necessary back up. In fact the more notice you can give, the better, but a phone call a day or so beforehand is fine.

Equipment : You can perfectly well ride in jeans if you have them with you, the two stables in Wadi Rum can provide a limited number of some half chaps, helmets and some riding trousers.

Be careful about seasonal variations and be prepared for COLD if you come in the winter. In the sun there is no problem, but once you and your Horse are in shade, you realise that the temperature is likely to be less than 10-12?C with a wind factor to be taken into account. Bring a good pullover for the evening, but also a lighter one and/or a light jacket for riding, and don't forget your windproof gloves. Believe me, you will be glad of them. You might consider a track suit to cut down on luggage weight, it comes in handy at other times as well. If you are camping out for several nights, then a sleeping bag (-5?C) is also recommended - check with the stables about this. In normal circumstances, blankets are provided, but in the winter, you are best served by yourself!

if your knowledge of riding is limited, then perhaps you shouldn't take on a long trip, but limit yourself to two or three days maximum or even just one day. You can always come back another time and go a bit further!

Be sure that you are honest with the stable when you arrive - you don't want to find yourself mounted on a fire eating, seething, hot blooded Arabian stallion - much as the romantic image may appeal! A friendly grey mare is just as romantic....

It is quite important to remember that these are NOT riding school Horses, accustomed to novice riders, but working Horses, more accustomed to giving their maximum to experienced riders in the desert. They are wonderful companions, but need to be treated with respect.

Horses and camels are never hired without a guide This is in order to protect and care for both the Horses AND the riders. Any experienced guide will see a problem before it arises and take the appropriate action - probably with no one in the least aware that anything untoward may have happened - and this may mean anything from an errant plastic bag to clients who don't realize they have the beginnings of heat exhaustion.