Make your dream of riding a horse with confidence and ease a reality at NIHI Sumba. Whether you’re new to riding or returning after years away, NIHI’s equestrian team at Sandalwood Stables will meet you where you are.
Private sessions begin on the ground — developing trust and feel before anything else. As the connection builds, lessons naturally move from the arena toward the shoreline and along Nihiwatu Beach.
At Sandalwood Stables, every lesson starts with understanding. Our team builds the foundation first — developing feel and confidence on the ground before you ever reach the saddle.
Helmets and boots are provided; leggings or long trousers recommended.
For younger guests, see Children’s Horse Riding Lesson and Kids’ Pony Club.
DURATION
1 hour
NOTES
Weight Limit: 85kg.
Additional fee required for photographer
Horses are integral to the soul of Sumba and NIHI®’s exceptional equestrian facility, Sandalwood Stables, offers a range of exceptional equine experiences for horse lovers, beginner through to advanced riders. Our team has handpicked our beautiful herd of local horses, ready to carry you off into the sunset and beyond. The original breed of the local Sumba pony comes from Mongolian and Arab bloodlines, brought to Sumba for trading in exchange for sandalwood and spices. Though a small breed, their genetic makeup makes for an extremely agile and highly spirited horse.
Simple quiet mornings at NIHI. Everyday life unfolds along the beach, with horses wandering the shoreline against this incredible landscape. A genuine glimpse of Sumba in a truly magical setting.
The magic of Nihiwatu Beach lies in the local life that unfolds before your eyes. A meeting place for hundreds of villagers, the beach is a source of food, a place to fish in the morning and hunt for squid at sunset, to wash ponies in the ocean, walk buffalo along the shore and race horses with friends.
Raw and unfiltered. It is simply life in Sumba, natural and shaped by traditions that have lived on here for generations.
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#nihigram @alifeiimagined @tarashupe @lina_jyoga
Not just an ordinary hotel.
Wake to uninterrupted ocean views from your bed, where morning light dances across the water, mist rises from the hills, and Nihiwatu’s white-sand beach awaits below. Discover an island shaped by deep-rooted culture, soulful traditions and the warmth of its people.
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#nihigram by @lucaspinhel
A wellness experience unlike any other awaits at Nihioka Spa.
Five kilometres from the resort, the journey begins on foot, horseback, or by safari Jeep through traditional villages and rolling hills. Your first glimpse awaits at the Nipi Lima Wishing Hand, where NIHI Spa appears between the rice fields and the ocean below.
Set across 100 acres of Nihioka, this is wellness shaped by nature. Design your own experience with open-air treatments that unfold over hours, carried by ocean breezes and skilled hands.
Equine massage, reiki, hidden coves, and even a private villa stay are all part of the magic awaiting you at NIHI Spa Safari.
Sunset scenes at NIHI Sumba. Local boys bathing their horses in the ocean, surfers catching the last waves of the day, palm trees silhouetted against the sky and the water glistening in the golden light. The soul of the island, at its most beautiful.
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#nihigram by @scottybauer_
If heaven was a place on earth, it might look a little like NIHI.
There is something endlessly beautiful about watching horses roam free, running the shoreline and swimming in the ocean, life as it was intended. These majestic creatures are woven deeply into the culture of Sumba, companions to its people and part of the very soul of the island.
Enjoy the quiet life at NIHI Sumba.
Peaceful mornings, the sounds of nature, space to slow down and disconnect.
This is the magic of NIHI, the soul of the island felt in every breeze, every wave and every still moment. A place where the wild beauty of Sumba seems to soften time itself.
Reformer Pilates with @wearetpp comes to NIHI Sumba until 20 October.
Known for expert coaching and a highly personalised approach to Pilates, The Pilates Project brings private Reformer sessions to The Edge of Wildness™️.
Combining strength, stability, mobility and control, each session is tailored to the individual, overlooking the Indian Ocean as Sumba’s horses wander along the shoreline below.
Expert-led Reformer Pilates in a setting unlike any other.
Our 2027 Healing with Horses Retreats with Candice Webster are now open for bookings, and places are filling quickly.
Following the extraordinary energy of our retreat in June, we return with two intimate five-day experiences, bringing together the wild beauty of Sumba, our Sandalwood horses and Candice’s intuitive approach to equine healing.
1–6 June 2027
8–13 June 2027
Each retreat is an invitation to slow down, reconnect and experience the profound relationship between horses, nature and self.
Spaces are limited, with availability already filling fast.
Full details and enquiries are available via the retreat page, linked in our bio.
Reformer Pilates has arrived at @nihi, as part of a very special new partnership.
Move to the sound of the ocean, right on the beach, as NIHI’s horses wander past.
Possibly the best view you’ll ever have from a reformer.
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