Ostia Antica: Horse Sanctuary Trail Ride & Roman Ruins

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Free cancellation

1/12

Duration3h

GroupUp to 9

LanguagesEN · IT

Mobile ticketAccepted

Ride rescued horses through Ostia’s pinewoods and Roman ruins

You’ll help care for rescued horses near Ostia Antica before riding through pinewoods and past ancient Roman ruins with a local guide. Taste simple local food along the trail and soak up that rare sense of calm you only find on horseback just outside Rome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Horse sanctuary and trail ride

Arrive at horse sanctuary
Help feed and groom horses
Receive short riding lesson
Ride horses through pinewood
Visit Roman ruins on horseback

The Experience

We started by stepping into the sanctuary outside Ostia Antica, where the air smelled a bit like hay and old leather saddles. There was this gentle chaos — horses snuffling pockets, someone (I think her name was Marta) showing us how to brush their manes without getting nipped. I’m not a horse person at all, but honestly, the way these animals leaned into your hand made it hard not to feel something. Our guide kept switching between Italian and English, sometimes both at once, telling us how each horse ended up here. Didn’t expect to get attached before we’d even mounted up.

After a quick riding lesson (I was nervous — my boots definitely weren’t “riding boots”), we set off under the umbrella pines. The sunlight came down in stripes and you could hear cicadas buzzing over everything. Riding through the natural reserve felt weirdly peaceful — just hooves in the soft dirt and the occasional shout from one of us when a branch got too close. At some point, our guide pointed out crumbling Roman walls half-hidden by wildflowers. I tried to picture what this place must’ve looked like centuries ago; it’s hard to imagine chariots here now with all these horses wandering free.

There was a stop for food tasting — nothing fancy, just local bread and cheese with that salty tang you only get near Rome. We swapped stories with the staff (Li laughed when I tried to say “grazie mille” with my mouth full). It wasn’t rushed at all; nobody seemed in a hurry to get back on the trail or back to real life. The ride back felt slower somehow, maybe because I knew we were leaving soon. I still think about that quiet stretch under the trees where it felt like time paused for a minute.

What’s included

Your day includes meeting rescued horses at an Ostia Antica sanctuary, learning basic grooming and feeding habits with staff guidance, use of helmets for safety during your trail ride through pinewoods and Roman ruins, plus a relaxed local food tasting along the way before heading back toward Rome.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for back problems

Operated by Cavalieri di Gaia