I discovered Salty Cowboys by chance when I was looking for a place to go horseriding on my 30th birthday. Little did I know this would lead to a much bigger adventure… but more on this at the end of the post!
The first time I went to Salty Cowboy was August 2021 in the middle of the pandemic when the whole island of Bali was extra quiet and devoid of the usual hustle and bustle.
The Location & how to get to Salty Cowboy
Kedungu is a small village about 90 min away from Denpasar Airport and 20 minutes away from Canggu. It’s a lovely part of the island – a mix of traditional Balinese houses and new cafés and residents.
It’s very easy to get here with a driver (I recommend Made, Whatsapp him at +62 821-4529-5152) or with Gojek.
Facilities
Salty Cowboy was founded by native Dutch horsewoman Simone Hoppenbrouwers and opened to the public in 2019. It includes covered stabling for 16 horses, a covered 20×40 arena, a wide washing area and plenty of access to rice fields and beach trails.
The facilities are rustic and built using upcycled and recycled materials in true Balinese fashion. It’s a lovely mix of Indonesian and Western inspired decor. Simone used to be a graphic designer in her previous life and you can see the touches all around the place.
Horses
The horses at Salty Cowboy are a wide mix of breeds, sizes and colors. They have all been rescued from malnutrition, abuse or owners who just couldn’t keep up with the horses training and upkeep. As such, don’t expect huge European warmbloods!
The team at Salty Cowboy is very dedicated to horse care: horses are trained using natural horsemanship methods and very well looked after. Some of the grooms used to be jockeys before moving to Bali into a more relaxed life, so you can trust their knowledge on all things horses.
They use mostly English tack with comfortable hybrid saddles and basic snaffle bits.
Experience
My first time riding at Salty Cowboy was spectacular. I booked the 90 minutes rice field & beach ride. When I arrived, Simone welcomed me into the stables and helped me pick out boots and a helmet that would fit me.
Then, she gave me a tour of the stable area and introduced me to the horse I was going to ride: Lumpia. Lumpia is a super cute Sumba pony, the first rescue to arrive at Salty Cowboy. After a slow walk in the indoor arena to test my riding abilities (beyond rusty at this point!) I was off to the beach with Aep.
Let me tell you… the view of the sprawling rice fields that extend all the way to the ocean is a sight for sore eyes! As soon as I saw it, I decided I was going to move to this part of the island to spend more time with the horses.
The 90 minutes flew by while walking on the beach, and I immediately booked a second ride for the next day after reaching the stables.
So yes… highly recommend booking a ride at Salty Cowboy when you’re in Bali! You’ll be supporting a rescue operation that doesn’t exploit horses and gives them a second chance at life.
What else to do in the area
Head to Little Ripper Café for a coffee, croissant or brunch stop before or after your ride.
Flying to Bali? My favourite airline is AirAsia. Affordable flights, tasty in-flight meals, and great service – not to mention lots of routes across Asia.
Contact info
Whatsapp Salty Cowboy: +62 812-3731-2248
Website: Salty Cowboy Bali