Your Wishlist

MORE EXPERIENCES →
Day 1

Drag experiences here.

Horse Riding Lesson

Add to wishlist

Build Confidence in the Saddle.

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.

Collage featuring an aerial view of NIHI Sumba’s Sandalwood Stables with golden Easter eggs nestled in lush greenery near the white sand beach — created to promote the resort’s Easter 2025 Program and festive family celebrations.
Wall-mounted wooden saddle rack inside Sandalwood Stables at NIHI® Sumba, displaying an organized collection of numbered leather saddles used for a variety of equestrian activities.

Overview

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

Get in touch

For reservations or more information, please contact our

Travel Designers

E. [email protected]
W. +62 811 3821 2910

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*

Ride & Recharge

Exploring Sumba’s Equine Heritage with these experiences packages

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.

VIEW PACKAGE


More Experiences

Nihigram

NIHI is a place that feels almost like a dream, surrounded by the raw beauty of the island, untouched nature, wild beaches and a culture that remains deeply rooted in tradition.Days are spent watching horses along the shoreline, taking in dramatic landscapes and looking out across the Indian Ocean from the privacy of your own villa.The kind of place that belongs on a bucket list. A journey worth travelling across the world for, and a dream you never quite want to wake up from.
Discover polo, the NIHI way. For a limited time, join Sebastian, a professional Argentinian polo player and coach, for an introduction to the game.Whether you’re trying polo for the first time or looking to refine your swing, balance and horsemanship, Sebastian will guide you with the ocean as your backdrop.Weight restrictions apply.
Some mornings feel as though they belong to another world.Move with @nihi and @wearetpp to the sound of the ocean, looking out over Nihiwatu Beach as NIHI’s horses gallop along the shore.Reformer Pilates, in a setting almost too beautiful to be real.
Today, we bid a heartfelt farewell to one of our original Sumba sea horses, Hanna.Hanna was our very first healing horse, the one who showed us the way. She spent her days at Nihioka Spa Safari, living peacefully beneath the palm trees and grazing on the hillside.Through her gentle nature and intuitive energy, she brought comfort, connection and healing to so many. She touched the lives of everyone who had the joy of meeting her. Today, her herd honoured her in the water with a final farewell.Her spirit will forever run free along the shores of Nihiwatu Beach. Thank you, Hanna, for the healing, love and cherished memories. You will always be a treasured part of the NIHI herd.
Start your day with a friendly game of tennis at NIHI’s new Ride & Racquet Club. Listen to the sound of the ocean as you play, while horses wander freely past the court, a morning that could only happen at NIHI Sumba.
We are deeply honoured to share that NIHI Sumba has been awarded the prestigious Michelin Three Keys for the second year in a row, recognising NIHI as an extraordinary trip of a lifetime stay, the ultimate in comfort, service, style, and elegance..We are proud to be one of only three hotels in Indonesia to receive this prestigious accolade..Our heartfelt thanks to our incredible team for their dedication, passion, and spirit.
No, this is not AI. This is NIHI.Here, horses are at the heart of the culture, carrying generations of tradition, ceremony and an enduring sense of freedom.Across the island, local Sumbanese people bring their horses to the sea to bathe and swim. At NIHI, our horses also enter the ocean daily, swimming or simply standing in the shallows as the cool water washes over them.One of the comments we receive most often is that these scenes must be AI. But no, everything you see on this page is real, authentic and unmistakably Sumba..
Arrive at NIHI by helicopter, just 17 minutes from Tambolaka Airport. Take in the beauty of Sumba from the air and see the island from an entirely new perspective. Soar above rugged coastlines, rolling savannahs and untouched landscapes on the way to NIHI.To explore even further, private helicopter tours and picnics in some of the island’s most remote and beautiful locations can also be arranged on request.
Reformer Pilates has arrived at @nihi with The Pilates Project.Move to the sound of the ocean, overlooking Nihiwatu Beach as NIHI’s horses gallop along the shore. A morning that feels almost too magical to be real.Probably the most beautiful place in the world for Reformer Pilates.

Instagram Logo Follow us on Instagram @nihi

+