We want to go horseback riding in Hawaii. We do not want a slow boring tour. Do you have any suggestions?
We are also interested in rides on the beach.
Thank you!

We had a boring experience horseback riding in Big Sur, CA.

We went horseback riding in Cabo San Lucas right on the sand, the horses ran, it was a great experience.

Any suggestions for fast riding horses on the beach would be appreciated.

There's horseback riding on the beach at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu.

Kamahinaohoku,
Did you horseback ride at the Turtle Bay Resort? If you did, was it worth the $$?
Thanks.

We wanted to ride on Maui last year and while we didn't require two hours of galloping, we didn't want a nose-to-tail trail ride. What I found in my research was that most of the scenic rides were up or down rocky mountainsides, so it was not safe to gallop the horses. You might do better on Oahu.

We did ride with Makena Stables and it was a wonderful experience, but mostly walking and a little trotting.

donnae_b - Sorry no, unfortunately, I haven't been riding at Turtle Bay, I just know that you can ride on the beach there.

My favorite stable on Maui closed, so I can't recommend it (Adventures on Horseback). But many years ago I did go riding with the hotel Hana Maui stables, and we were able to gallop for a while if we wanted to. I'm not sure if they're still open or provide the same ride. You might check with them.

kamahinaohoku -
Thank you for your insight.

Any other ideas on places in Oahu?

I worked as a concierge at the Hyatt on Maui for a couple of years and was able to try out every single horseback ride on Maui. In my opinion, the best horseback ride on Maui is Piiholo Ranch. Here's why... They are the only ride on Maui where the horses (and Wranglers) are trained in Natural Horsemanship. The approach is based on mutual respect rather than dominance and their care for their horses is the best I've seen. Unfortunately, so many of the other tours I've experienced don't treat their horses very well. One company actually handed out sticks to the riders to hit their horses with! Another company allowed their guide to smoke a cigar in front of us. You won't find that with Piiholo. There is no smoking (or cell phones) allowed. The terrain and views are awesome!!! The ride takes place on an 800 acre private ranch over 2000 ft. above see level. (Which also makes for a much cooler more comfortable ride then those found by the shore line). Groups are limited to 6 riders and Piiholo is the only horseback riding company on Maui with a Natural Resource Manager on staff. The ranch even has an endangered species protection program with a Nene (Hawaii's state bird) sanctuary and protected Koa trees on site. The ranch also has an extensive family history to it dating back over 100 years. It's great fun for the whole family, as they allow children as young as 8 years old to participate in the ride. The tour is worth every single penny!!! Their website is www.piiholo.com if you want any more info. on the ride or the company.

Yea, spam.

There is horseback riding on Kualoa Ranch on Oahu. I've never done it and don't know how it is.

www.kualoa.com

On Maui, there is horseback riding on Haleakala. Don't know anything about that either.

We went horseback riding for 2 hours at Kuoloa Ranch in October,2005 and loved every minute of it. The scenery is incredible and the terrain we covered was quite varied. The staff is energetic and helpful. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Oahu. We stayed at Turtle Bay Resort and it was about a 30 minute drive to Kuoloa Ranch.

As a local, I have ridden at a few places around the island(s) and can suggest:

Big Island: Dahana Ranch
Paniolo Adventures

Maui: McKenna Stables

Oahu: Happy Trails
Kualoa Ranch

I've seen folks ride on the beach, but I was told by my uncle (police) that it's not allowed and they can be fined if caught. I tried Turtle Bay but it was too hotel resort for my liking.
have fun in our islands!

We thought Makena Stables was wonderful. They did a great job matching the right horse to each rider and the guided tour was very good. You go up the slopes of Haleakala and cross over lava flows.