Ras Al Khaimah is one of the few places in the UAE where you can ride a horse straight into the sea in the morning and across red desert dunes by late afternoon. The emirate has two proper equestrian operations: a beach riding club in Al Jazirah Al Hamra and a desert centre inside the Al Wadi Nature Reserve, and both teach complete beginners and kids. Here is everything you need to plan a ride, a lesson or a full pony-mad family outing.
Where to Ride Horses in Ras Al Khaimah
RAK keeps it simple. There are two verified places to saddle up: Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club on the coast for beach rides and the Al Wadi Equestrian Adventure Centre in the desert for dune rides. Between them they cover beach hacks, desert trails, riding lessons, kids pony sessions and even swimming with horses, so the only real decision is sand or surf.
Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club: Beach Rides Into the Gulf
If you have searched for the RAK Horse & Beach Riding Club, this is it: Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club in Al Jazirah Al Hamra, a few minutes from Al Hamra Village, Al Marjan Island and the old pearling town. Its signature experience is the one everyone comes for, a guided ride along the shoreline that ends with your horse wading into the calm water of the Gulf. On the right day you will get salt spray, a happy horse and the kind of photos that make the family group chat go quiet.
The club runs sunrise and sunset trail rides, beach rides with ocean immersion and a swimming-with-horses experience for the brave. It is genuinely beginner friendly: rides are guided, horses are matched to your level and helmets and safety gear are provided. Beyond the fun rides there is a full riding school with certified instructors offering group and private lessons, from first-timers through to jump training for riders with competitive ambitions. The club also offers livery if you own a horse and want it stabled by the coast.
Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club (RAK Horse & Beach Riding Club)
Al Jazirah Al Hamra, minutes from Al Hamra Village and Al Marjan Island. Beach rides with ocean immersion, sunrise and sunset trail rides, swimming with horses, group and private lessons, kids riding, vaulting and livery. Book via equestrianclubrak.ae or Instagram @aljazeerahclub.ae.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: Sunset beach slots are the first to go in the cooler months, especially on weekends. Book several days ahead and arrive 20 minutes early so the kids get time with the ponies before you mount up.
Al Wadi Equestrian Adventure Centre: Desert Rides Among the Oryx
For the desert version, head inland to the Al Wadi Equestrian Adventure Centre, set inside the 500-hectare Al Wadi Nature Reserve at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert in Wadi Khadeja. This is riding with a wildlife documentary playing in the background: the reserve is home to Arabian oryx, gazelles and desert foxes, and you will often spot them from the saddle as you wind through the terracotta dunes.
Beginners ride with a horse lead while experienced riders can open up across the sand, and lessons run year round in the paddocks and horse-walking arena with instructors who teach everyone from children to advanced riders. Younger kids can join pony experiences where they learn to groom, wash, walk and ride. The centre operates independently from the hotel, so book your ride directly and in advance: the resort sits inside a gated nature reserve and turning up unannounced will get you a polite no. We covered the centre’s Equestrian Desert Adventures package in detail in our earlier write-up. And if horses feel like too much commitment, the same centre runs camel rides, which is your one and only camel mention in this guide.
Al Wadi Equestrian Adventure Centre
Al Wadi Nature Reserve, Wadi Khadeja, at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert. Desert rides for all levels, riding lessons year round, pony grooming and riding experiences for kids, camel rides. Runs independently from the hotel, advance booking essential via the resort’s Experience Concierge. Details on ritzcarlton.com.
Lessons and Riding for Kids
Both venues take beginners and children seriously rather than treating them as an afterthought. At Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club, kids get their own riding lessons on calm ponies with patient instructors, plus pony rides and vaulting, and the club’s family beach rides are pitched so that mixed-ability groups can ride together. At Al Wadi, children start with hands-on pony care, learning grooming, washing and walking before they ever sit in a saddle, which is a lovely way to build confidence in a nervous first-timer.
For adults starting from zero, both run structured beginner lessons with certified instructors, and Al Jazeerah’s riding school progresses all the way to jump training. If you are after more family-friendly days out beyond the stables, our guide to family things to do in Ras Al Khaimah with kids has you covered.
Beach Ride or Desert Ride: Which One to Pick
Honest answer: do both, they are 35 minutes apart by car. If you must choose, pick the beach if your dream shot is a horse splashing through the shallows, you want the option of actually swimming with your horse or you are travelling with kids who would enjoy the club’s pony add-ons. Pick the desert if you want wilder scenery, a chance of oryx sightings mid-ride and that classic Arabian dunes-at-golden-hour atmosphere. Experienced riders who want to move faster tend to prefer the desert, where there is more open space to push on.
Practical Tips Before You Saddle Up
- Best season: October to April is prime riding weather in RAK. In summer, stick to sunrise slots or arena lessons, both stables keep teaching year round.
- What to wear: long lightweight trousers, closed shoes with a small heel if you have them and sunscreen. Helmets and safety gear are provided, leave the flip-flops at home.
- Book ahead: both operations work on advance bookings. Al Jazeerah takes bookings through its website and Instagram, Al Wadi through the resort’s Experience Concierge.
- Pick your light: sunrise rides are cooler and quieter, sunset rides win on colour. Photographers should request sunset, early risers get the beach almost to themselves.
- Prices: neither operator publishes a fixed public price list, rates vary by ride length, group size and season, so confirm the current price when you book.
WOW-RAK Expert Tip: Going in the water on the beach ride? Wear quick-dry shorts under your riding trousers and bring a dry bag for your phone. Wet jeans on the drive home is a mistake you only make once.
Make a Sporty Weekend of It
Horse riding slots neatly into an active RAK itinerary: a morning beach ride pairs well with an afternoon on the water at Al Hamra or a hike up Jebel Jais the next day. For the full menu of gyms, courts, tracks and trails, start with our pillar guide to sports and fitness in Ras Al Khaimah, and if you are building a longer trip around it, the big list of things to do in Ras Al Khaimah will fill every remaining hour.
Horse Riding in Ras Al Khaimah: FAQ
There are two verified options: Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club (the RAK Horse & Beach Riding Club) in Al Jazirah Al Hamra for beach rides and lessons, and the Al Wadi Equestrian Adventure Centre inside the Al Wadi Nature Reserve at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert for desert rides.
Neither operator publishes a fixed public price list. Rates depend on ride length, group size and whether you choose a ride or a lesson, so confirm current prices directly with Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club or the Al Wadi Experience Concierge when you book.
Yes. Both venues teach complete beginners with certified instructors. Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club runs kids lessons, pony rides and vaulting, while Al Wadi offers pony grooming and riding experiences for younger children plus lessons for all levels.
Yes. Al Jazeerah Equestrian Club in Al Jazirah Al Hamra runs guided beach rides along the coastline, including rides into the sea and a swimming-with-horses experience. Sunrise and sunset beach rides are both available.
October to April offers the most comfortable riding weather. In the hotter months both stables continue operating, with sunrise rides and arena lessons the smarter choice over midday outings.
The equestrian centre operates independently from the hotel, but it sits inside a gated nature reserve, so all rides must be arranged in advance through the resort’s Experience Concierge rather than on arrival.
