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The place to
ride horses in Ethiopia' DIRECTIONS: once
off the ring road to the west of Addis Ababa,
follow the new Ambo road for roughly 16 kms. You'll
then see the first sign for the Menagesha Cheshire
Centre on your right (before the first
greenhouses). At the second Cheshire sign, turn off
the main road and follow the little asphalt track
which winds up towards the Cheshire Centre. As soon
as you enter the gate, Menagesha Stables is the
whitewashed building to your left. GENERAL
PRESENTATION OF THE MENAGESHA
STABLES Menagesha Stables
is the creation of Yves Stranger, a Franco-British
graft on the old soil of Ethiopia. Yves has been
working as a teacher in Ethiopia for five years and
has been riding since the age of ten, when he
developed a passion for all things equestrian. He
is also a free lance journalist and photographer,
with credits in CNN Traveler, African Geographic
and The Guardian. Having developed a passion for
Ethiopia, Yves Stranger has decided to combine the
best of both worlds in these stables: horse riding
at the heart of Ethiopia. At Menagesha
Stables you can go for a two hour jaunt in the
surrounding countryside, among the local people at
work with the cycle of the seasons and their crops.
You can also come on our two day rides to the
forest of Menagesha Suba, founded by the 15th
century emperor Zara Jacob, or ride out to the old
imperial capital of Ancobar on the edge of the
Ethiopian escarpment during one of our week long
treks. The stables, just
twenty kilometers from the capital, but already
embedded in the rolling Ethiopian countryside, are
housed in the grounds of the Cheshire polio centre
for children. The children ride with Menagesha
Stables several times a week. This is a fun
activity for them and also a time in which they can
forget their legs and be proud of striking out, two
meters above ground. The Cheshire centre is a
superbly run place in a superb setting, which you
can also visit when you come to the
stables. Menagesha Stables
mean to become a centre of excellence in
horsemanship as well as a breeding centre, and the
place to go for equestrian tourism in Ethiopia. The
Stables have ten permanent horses, all of which are
well cared for, well fed and well trained. They are
a mix of Abyssinian Pony and of Emperor Haile
Selassié's stables in which one found a
cocktail of Lipizzaner, Arab and race
horse. Whether you prefer
a short ride to see Ethiopia at a leisurely pace,
or you'd like the charm of an overnight in a
century old forest, or the adventure of a week long
trek to Ethiopia's 19th century capital on the
escarpment, if you want to mix horses and Ethiopia,
Menagesha Stables is the place to go. • Short
horse rides These horse rides
are taken in the rollicking hills around Menagesha
town, just twenty kilometers from Addis Ababa.
You're only thirty minutes from the capital on a
good asphalt road but already in some of Ethiopia's
most beautiful countryside. The volcanic plug of
Menagesha, with its orthodox churches, juniper
forest and wildlife &endash;much easier to get
closer to on horseback- is one destination. The
lake of Gefersa and its migrating birds, even the
Entoto hills above the city, are all a short gallop
away. And then, there are the unlimited vistas of
the highlands, perfect horse riding country, where
you can ride out to a cattle market or take a break
in the local version of the country pub. AVAILABILITY:
immediate and on-going; a phone call or email is
recommended. RECOMMENDED RIDING
LEVEL: beginner to proficient. • Two day
treks, with an overnight in the medieval forest of
Menagesha Suba Ride out over the
Ethiopian Highlands above the small town of Holeta,
through fields of teff, corn and barley. Stop to
chat with peasants plowing and harvesting their
crops and have a drink of tella &endash;local
brewed beer- or a munch of kollo &endash;roasted
barley grain: you'll discover the passing of the
seasons that govern people's lives at the suitably
slow pace of a horse. We'll be spending the night
in one of Ethiopia's best kept secrets: the forest
of Menagesha Suba. The forest is part
commercial plantation &endash;dominated by
Eucalyptus- but the core of the forest is made up
of century old junipers. It's Ethiopia's medieval
conservationist, the 15th century emperor Zara
Jacob, alarmed at the deforestation of his realm,
who planted its first saplings. The forest has an
abundant wildlife with Giant African Forest Hog,
Vervet Monkeys, baboon, leopards and antelope. It
also boasts a diverse birdlife with several
Ethiopian endemics. We'll spend the
night here &endash;getting up at the crack of dawn
for those who'd like to try to spot some animals-
before setting of over the ridge of an ancient
volcano and setting our sights on the church of
Menagesha Maryam, where we'll have a picnic, before
reaching the stables in the afternoon. AVAILABILITY:
available on demand or by program. Please email or
phone. RECOMMENDED RIDING
LEVEL: proficient or some knowledge. Total
beginners not advised. • Long
treks Our long treks will
take place between Menagesha and Ancobar. This is
the route 19th century travelers took as they made
their way up from the Red Sea by way of the
Sultanat of Tadjourah, through the Danakil
Depression, before reaching the crisp heights of
Ancobar, only to discover that the emperor…
had moved his capital: first to Entoto, then to
Addis Ababa proper, as we now know it. The route will take
us over hill, along river, and across plains where
everybody goes on foot or horseback to this day.
This has to be some of the most perfect riding
country in the world, similar to the plateaus of
Mongolia in their depth, vastness and ever changing
light. Vast plains of grass, full of vaster herds
of cattle, will be the atypical Ethiopian landscape
to which we'll set our hoof beat. We'll pitch our
tents under the Abyssinian skies and set off at
dawn for the ever expanding horizons. The horses, a hardy
mix of Abyssinian Pony and of Emperor Haile
Selassie's stable, are well accustomed to the
altitude &endash;close to 3 000 meters high- and
energetic and brave horses with a good heart. On
the way, we'll see orthodox churches, and the
rhythms and mores of the true Ethiopian countryside
with its inhabitant's simple life. The horse, here
the most normal form of transport, is the ideal way
to slowly penetrate the aged beauty of a millennia
old way of life. AVAILABILITY: first
one week treks starting in January. Around the 22nd
of January (exact date to be confirmed; please
email or phone and enquire). RECOMMENDED RIDING
LEVEL: proficient. ADDRESS AND CONTACT
DETAILS Menagesha
Tours Contact person:
Yves Stranger Tel: (251 1) 09 11
10 26 09 Tel: (251 1) 09 11
10 26 18 Email:
Menagesha_tours@yahoo.com Po Box 409 27,
Addis Ababa |
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