Ecuador provides enthusiasts riders with a surprisingly rich variety of opportunities. You can ride high in the Andes through the grassy páramo plains with glaciated volcanoes as a backdrop; through lowland tropical rain forest; or even through the many unique ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands.
Ecuador's specialty is the combined horseback riding/hacienda program. The country's extensive hacienda system makes it possible to ride through quilted pasture land from one hacienda to another, many of which now operate as country inns and send riders out with scrumptious country picnics.
Ecuador has a number of stables which rent good horses, and if you know where to look you can find pure Peruvian Pasos, Andalusians, and Arabs. Beginner riders are advised to hire the tough, mixed-blood "Criollo" horses. A warning: even healthy horses will generally look thin in the Sierra - at these altitudes the horses cannot afford to carry extra weight - so you will rarely find "bonnie", well-padded mounts.
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