haris'horses

Of course we cannot expect all reviews to be nice with us!In this particular case Sami contacted us 1 month before coming. His messages to Hari's horses were for reserving a 3 hour tour for 18th February. We do not know why he then wrote at finca montania sagrada changing date. We have a bed&breakfast and we have horse riding tours. The activities are separated, we have different email addresses for them. Anyway I did ask Sami to send us a message a few days before the tour to confirm it. Many people who reserve months before change their mind.We did not receive a confirmation message from him. Just on the 19th morning he sent a message saying he was kayaking and would come in the afternoon for the horse riding tour. I immediately answered saying that we received no confirmation message and the tour was not possible. Hari was not at the finca and I had no guide for the tour. Plus some of our horses needed to be shod and some needed rest. If Sami remembers I was alone at the finca and had other 2 set of persons that needed my attention. I did not shout at him but, being Italian maybe I raised my voice and was hasty. It comes natural to us. I am sorry if this disturbed him.Our horses are not overpriced. We take a lot of trouble to have them shod, have good saddles that do not hurt their backs and most of all we feed them very well, plus we pay all the taxes that the Municipality asks us. Of course horses that do not really work and for which nobody pays taxes for are cheaper. In addition to this to have Hari as a guide and not someone that cannot even speak English and does not teach you how to ride properly makes a difference. Sami cannot judge our horses without having seen or ridden them. He would have noticed the differenceBy the way, I am not Hari's wife but one of his partners.marilena

I just love that - very exciting, must do. horses are bit short, but this makes it even more exotic.

The horses are well treated and looked to be in good health (although I'm not an expert). It was our first real ride on a horse but it was awesome. Nothing to be afraid of. Valentino guided us and showed us the jungle with e.g. beautiful birds, howler monkeys and stunning panoramic views. Be careful with bringing your camera. It's a bumpy ride and some other guests lost their camera while riding. Check also the Finca Montania Sagrada, where Hari's Horses is part of. Great place to stay!

These horses have a good life. They know where they are going, and are very sure-footed. We've ridden many places. This one was one of the more challenging because we rode up a mountain trail to visit a waterfall. We had a great time.

Horses were very healthy, well cared for and gentle. There was still a decent hike up to the waterfall itself. Our guides, staff from Finca Montania Sangradia, were very helpful. We enjoyed it a lot.

Hari, who looks like a former rock star is really good at what he does, whilst carrying off an air of coolness. I hadn't ridden before so he gave me a wonderful horse to ride with.Our guides were Carlos and Sarah who were both extremely lovely and helpful- Carlos adjusted my stirrups during the hike and Sarah have us some useful tips on how to handle a trotting horse. We did the four hour trek to the San Roman waterfall. It was quite a challenging trip for a beginner with steep inclines and declines as well as it being very rocky in parts- we even had to walk with the horses at one point.The waterfalls were extremely impressive and beautiful. The horses are left towards the top of the waterfall and we hike the rest of the way (around 20 mins) which is quite a tricky hike for someone who hates hiking. My only complaint would be that the hike wasn't really explained to us. I would have liked to have been told we would have to hike in parts and that there is a $3 entrance fee to the waterfalls which was kinda sprung on us.Overall, I thought it was a great trip and an exciting experience to take part in. My bum and legs, however, are in absolute agony right now!

I am so impressed by everything that Hari and his business partners have created in this little tropical paradise. The animals are all healthy and happy (which is a great selling point for me), the views never stop being breathtaking, and the hosts are all delightful, welcoming and helpful. Many thumbs up!

See my review of Finca Montania Segrada it should provide as much information as I could provide here. Additionally, you can go on rides without staying at Finca Montania Segrada. All the horses here are well kept and looked after.

Hari is an animal lover...he isn't so much a people person...but I say that fondly: I liked Hari, I just never got the sense that Hari necessarily liked me. If you are someone who requires coddling or positive affirmation- he's not your guy. HOWEVER: What he does provide is a great ride with well-cared for horses and a huge knowledge of riding and the island itself. He's excellent at pairing the rider with the right horse and the one thing you can be certain of: he loves and takes great care of these animals. Our group took the longer ride to San Ramon Waterfall which, if you haven't been riding in a while: will hurt both during the ride and for two days afterwards no many how many times you adjust your stirrups. The pain, however, is worth it. It's a great way to see the island and the waterfall is amazingly beautiful. We galloped on the way home which was totally exhilarating. Ometepe is, unfortunately, filled with a lot of horses (and dogs) that are not particularly well cared for. Any animal that isn't destined for a future menu is underfed. Hari's animals were a welcome contrast to that and I am so glad that there is someone providing a great riding experience with a humane approach towards the horses. I had a great time and I would definitely take another excursion with him over any other company on the island!

I was looking for a place to ride in Nicaragua and Hari's Horses kept coming up as the place to go, and after a couple of rides I know why! I stayed at the farm (Finca Montania Sagrada--check it out if you want a nice place to stay) and took a couple of rides while I was there. Hari is clearly knowledgeable and wants to make sure you have a good experience (picking out an appropriate horse, asking about what kind of ride you want), and the horses were all really well trained and taken care of. The terrain is a bit rough (keep in mind that it's a island formed by two active volcanoes) but the views are amazing--we saw petroglyphs, monkeys, tons of butterflies, birds, as well as both volcanoes and lots of gorgeous beaches and farms. Even if you aren't a rider, if you are coming to Ometepe I highly recommend doing a ride with Hari as it is a really wonderful way to see some of the amazing things the island has to offer. A few tips to make sure you have a great time: make sure you wear long pants and close-toed shoes, put on plenty of sunscreen, and if you bring a camera (which I recommend since the terrain is gorgeous) make sure it's waterproof or put it in a ziplock bag (in case of a sudden shower). Also, don't be afraid to speak up during the ride if you want to go faster (or slow down) as Hari (or whoever is guiding) is very kind and wants to make sure you have a good time!

I took the 4-hour horse ride to the waterfalls. Carlos was our guide, and although he didn't speak any English, we had a really enjoyable experience. For two people who have had virtually no riding experience, we didn't experience any problems with our horses. They are all very friendly and well taken care of, which is a nice change from most of the horses I have seen on the island. My butt was incredibly sore after the trip. Just sayin'. Also, don't forget to wear pants.

So much to like about Hari's Horses. The location is amazing, quiet, and the cleanest place we have stayed in Nicaragua. Everyone is really nice, warm, and accommodating in so many ways. We (family of 5 with kids ages 12 and 8) took the horse ride to the falls and it was amazing. We had no real horseback riding experience but loved it; however, I would not recommend this ride for anyone who is afraid as it may be too long and too steep for some. The horses are great and about the best I have experienced. Key is to go early though as you do not want to ride in the dark as it gets really, really dark. The only concern I had was one of the dogs (pitbull/boxer/no hair mix) as it is scary, clearly aggressive, and put us on edge a few times, in particular when it was growling at our 8-year old in a territorial, scary kind of way. Although we are dog lovers, this is not a dog for the public.

We did a two hour ride with a guide. The guide and the horses were nice, but I'm thinking the other reviewers must have a lot more padding on their behinds than I have. There was a lot of trotting involved on very rocky trails. I own horses, but am used to riding in grassy fields or wooded trails. I would still recommend Haris', but don't expect it to be like a "walk in the park."

Hari is an excellent and extremely knowledge guide. He knows his horses well and can perfectly match a rider to a horse. We took a 3 hour ride to see Petroglyphs that were carved on rocks near the lake. Both of us being new to horse riding, Hari took us through all of the steps. He made sure that we were comfortable on the horse, gave us instructions on how to direct the horse and even got to gallop! I would recommend Hari's and his horses to anyone that would like a one of a kind experience while visiting the beautiful island of Ometempe.

We had the most incredible time with Haris and his crew. We stayed for 3 nights on his property and I could have stayed longer! The views on his land are breath taking and his staff is wonderful! We took a 3 hr horse ride with him and never felt safer, as I am not a horseman. He also paired us up with a guide to hike the volcano and it was amazing! Stay with Haris, you will not be disappointed!