UMgeni River Horse Safaris

Name: UMgeni River Horse Safaris
Address: Wartburg, ZA
Telephone: +27725003680

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UMgeni River Horse Safaris

Unique horseback adventures through the uMgeni River valley. Multi-day safaris for experienced riders. KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Horseback adventures into the uMgeni river valley.

08/05/2026

Lucky to see an African rock python from the back of Red this morning.

21/04/2026

Life with lately.

20/03/2026

Let’s talk about the incredible Fountain Hill Estate, one of the reserves we ride through on our rides.

The estate began as a Lutheran mission station and school in the area. One of its oldest historical structures is the Georgenau Chapel, which was built in 1907.

In 1967, Ernst Taeuber — a descendant of early settler Hermann Reiche (1877) — purchased and consolidated several fragmented farm properties in the district to recreate a large classical estate.

The estate had become environmentally degraded in parts due to over‑grazing and erosion before Taeuber’s involvement.

Taeuber was a visionary conservationist. Rather than focusing entirely on farming, he mapped and rehabilitated the land — especially marginal and vulnerable areas — to balance productive use with ecological integrity, beginning in 1969 and continuing through the 1970s.

A central idea was a philosophy of “Farming in Harmony with Nature.”

Because of these efforts, in 1985 the Hlambamasoka Gorge and surrounding conservation areas on the property were declared a South African Heritage Site.

Today the estate spans around 2,200 hectares, with roughly 780 hectares used for commercial agriculture (mostly sugarcane and avocado production) and most of the rest set aside for biodiversity conservation, especially along the uMgeni River.

In 2016, Fountainhill Estate was placed into a non‑beneficiary trust whose mission includes community engagement through research, environmental education and training.

The estate has also become a place for academic and conservation research, engaging partners like the University of KwaZulu‑Natal and hosting research symposiums focused on landscape, biodiversity and sustainable land use.

But that’s not all – Fountainhill is a window into the distant past. Ongoing archaeological digs show humans have lived here for up to 35,000 years, connecting us to the ancient rhythms of this land.

And is part of a conservation corridor of protected areas spanning over 3,300 hectares along the uMgeni River.

Wow, what a privilege to ride here 🙌

11/02/2026

2026 Dates

1 April - 5 April (SOLD OUT)
30 April - 4 May (1 spot available)
21 May - 25 May (SOLD OUT)
25 June - 29 June (5 spots available)
16 July - 20 July (4 spots available)
6 August - 10 August (SOLD OUT)
3 September - 7 September (SOLD OUT)
1 October - 5 October (3 spots available)

27/01/2026

5 reasons why we think you should ride with us 🙌

20/01/2026

The most incredible birdlife; noticed, documented and appreciated through the lens of in 🙌

15/01/2026

We are looking forward to an incredible year of riding.

Great horses, open country, good people - what more do you need?

10/01/2026

It’s not just about getting from A to B.

It’s about healthy horses, ethical choices, supporting local businesses, and respecting the land we ride through.

Learn more about us on our website:
https://www.umgenirivervalleyhorsesafaris.com

18/12/2025

Send this to the friend you want to go cruising with 👉

If you’re interested in riding with us in 2026 there are still some spots available, you can email us at [email protected]

29/11/2025

Dezemba came a week early 🙆‍♀️

Ride with us? Email [email protected] for more info 🐴

19/11/2025

Let’s talk about the places we ride through on our 5-Day Epic journey.
 CUMBERLAND NATURE RESERVE.

On Day 3, we jump off the horses, paddle a short distance across the river, and step straight into CUMBERLAND NATURE RESERVE.

Cumberland is KwaZulu-Natal’s best-kept secret. We’ve taken clients here who have asked, “Is this place famous?” And yet it sits quietly hidden in a nook of the landscape — tucked between the deep uMgeni River valley, dramatic gorges, and sugarcane, avo, and orange plantations.

The Behn and Bure families rehabilitated this land from what was once a cattle farm and then an extensive and damaging sand-mining operation.

When they purchased the property in 1982, they began years of restorative work: filling in mining pits and dongas, planting star grass to stabilise the banks, clearing widespread alien plants, and slowly bringing the ecosystem back to life.

Today, Cumberland is a well-maintained, ecologically balanced reserve. It’s full of beautiful, trails for hikers, birders, runners, cyclists — and now horse riders — while still holding onto its privacy and sense of exclusivity.

Alongside the abundance of game, birds, wildflowers, and indigenous plants, you’ll also meet the Nguni–Ankole cross cattle who help with bulk grazing and ecosystem balance. Their horns are enormous — always creating a lot of interest for riders, it seems impossible for them to move or run and yet they do so with ease.

There is also a full wilderness section, set aside exclusively for animals (with the occasional researcher or wandering horse rider). It’s a place where wildlife moves with almost zero human disturbance, letting animals roam in peace.

Incredibly, Cumberland forms part of an established Central uMngeni Protected Area (CUPA), conserving a +3,300 hectare corridor along the river of savanna, woodland, and wetland across several properties.

We’re lucky enough to ride through parts of the corridor and are proud to support such a progressive, sustainable initiative.

We are impossibly lucky to ride here!

If you’ve ridden in Cumberland with us, we’d love to hear your experience! Please leave a comment.

Address

Wartburg

Telephone

+27725003680

Website

https://www.umgenirivervalleyhorsesafaris.com/

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