There are few places left in Indonesia where you can still feel genuinely off the beaten path.
Southwest Sumba is one of them.
Imagine roads disappearing into rolling green hills, where traditional villages continue to live according to customs that have changed little for generations. It’s a place where time seems to slow down, where children still spend their days outdoors, and where the landscapes feel almost tailor-made for exploration. And for horse lovers, Sumba offers something even rarer.
Small, sturdy Sumba ponies continue to play an important role in ceremonies and local traditions. These horses are deeply woven into the island’s identity and remain an integral part of everyday life. For Steffi Feder, the inspiration behind Horse Riding Sumba, they became the motivation for an entirely different kind of tourism experience.
While many riding operations around the world have become highly commercialised, Horse Riding Sumba takes a very different approach. Based in the Lamboya region of Southwest Sumba, this small, privately run stable offers intimate, by-request trail rides through some of the island’s most spectacular scenery.
Horse Riding Sumba isn’t a resort activity or a quick sunset Instagram ride. It’s a small, by-request operation built around adventure, horse welfare, local communities, and a belief that time spent with horses can reconnect people with something they may have forgotten.
As Steffi puts it, it’s a chance to get “back to pony days.”
We sat down with her to talk about Sumba’s remarkable horses, the philosophy behind Horse Riding Sumba, and why some of life’s greatest lessons can be learned from spending time in the saddle.
Q: Let’s start with your story. How did you end up in Sumba?
Steffi: I’m originally from Munich, and I started riding when I was six years old. I’ve been horse crazy ever since.
Nobody in my family rode horses, so I don’t really know where it came from. I think I saw some advertisements for riding holidays and became fascinated.
As I got older, horses became a huge part of my life. They taught me responsibility, patience, and confidence. They also gave me a sense of freedom that I’ve always carried with me.
Eventually, I found myself living in Indonesia, although that wasn’t exactly the path I expected to take. I did everything the “normal” way first: university, a career in the media industry, the kind of life that most people would probably recognise. But I reached a point where I wanted something different, and in a sense, turned my life upside down, by following my passion for horses, and that journey eventually led me to Sumba. The moment I arrived, I knew I’d found somewhere special.
The landscape is incredible, and the horses here are unlike anything I’d experienced before.
They’re small, incredibly sure-footed, and so calm. They can climb mountains, cross rivers, and travel over terrain that would challenge much bigger horses.
At some point, I realised there was an opportunity to share this experience with other people.
Q: For someone who’s never been here before, what makes riding in Southwest Sumba so special?
Steffi: The landscape is everything. You can ride through forests, across rivers, into valleys, and into parts of the countryside that still feel completely untouched. And the views are extraordinary.
Some of the places we visit simply aren’t accessible by scooter or car. That’s one of the things I love most about horses. They allow you to experience a place completely differently. You’re not rushing through the landscape, and you don’t feel like you’re a tourist.
You notice the birds, the trees, the smells, and the sounds. You meet local people along the way and sometimes stop for coffee or coconuts in villages.
Every ride feels like a small adventure.
Q: Most people think of horse riding in Indonesia as a beach ride in Bali. How is Sumba different?
Steffi: It’s completely different.
Those rides have their place and people enjoy them, but that’s not really what we’re doing. This isn’t really a tourist attraction as such. We’re not taking people up and down the beach for an hour and then sending them home with a cool sunset shot for their social media.
We’re offering genuine trail riding.
You get to spend time with the horses. Prepare them, learn a little about them, spend quality time grooming them, and then we head off on an adventure and explore the landscape together. Afterwards, we’ll often sit together with fresh coconuts or coffee and simply enjoy being there.
I want people to feel like they’re reconnecting with something rather than simply buying an activity.
Q: You talk about getting “back to pony days.” What do you mean by that?
Steffi: I think most horse people understand it immediately.
When we are children, we simply love horses. We don’t care about the expensive equipment or competitions, or who owns the nicest horse. We just enjoy being around them.
As adults, we often lose that feeling. Everything becomes organised and complicated, and nowadays there’s so much pressure to compare ourselves with other people, especially on social media. Horses don’t care about any of that. They remind us to be present, enjoy the moment, and reconnect with that simple joy we had as kids.
Sometimes the best moments are just sitting in the stable, brushing a horse, or walking through the countryside together.
Just spending time with horses is already magical.
Q: What kind of people are attracted to Horse Riding Sumba?
Steffi: We get all sorts.
Some are experienced riders looking for a real adventure. Others haven’t ridden in years and want to reconnect with horses. We also get complete beginners who simply love animals and want to experience something different.
A lot of people are also looking for a break from busy lives. They want nature, fresh air, and a slower pace.
Interestingly, many of our guests are also people who don’t normally enjoy traditional tourism. They want to do something meaningful and a little bit different.
Q: What kind of experience can guests expect?
Steffi: It depends entirely on the rider.
We always get to know people beforehand. If someone is a beginner, we’ll lead them and make sure they’re comfortable. While experienced riders can have much more adventurous experiences and explore deeper into the countryside.
We don’t mix complete beginners with advanced riders because nobody enjoys that. So, we try to match every ride to the rider’s experience and comfort level. Every person and every horse is different. Everything is personalised.
Q: Have you seen horses change people?
Steffi: Absolutely.
I’ve seen nervous people become incredibly confident. I’ve seen people arrive stressed and leave completely relaxed.
Horses are very honest animals. They react to your energy and your emotions, and when you spend time with them, you often become much more aware of yourself.
I think you learn patience and trust, and the fact that you can’t force everything.
Sometimes people come here thinking they’re going on a horse ride and end up having a much deeper experience than they expected.
Q: The horses almost sound like teachers.
Steffi: In a sense, they really are.
I think horses teach us a lot about being present. Being in the ‘now.’
They don’t worry about yesterday, and they’re certainly not concerned about tomorrow. They’re completely in the moment.
As humans, we’re often thinking about a thousand things at once, but when you’re with horses, especially out on the trails here in Sumba, all of that tends to disappear.
I think that’s one reason why so many people find being around horses so therapeutic.
Q: Horses are deeply woven into Sumbanese culture. What do they mean to local people?
Steffi: Horses are everywhere in Sumba.
They’re woven into everyday life here. They’re used for transport, feature prominently in traditional events such as Pasola and local horse racing, and are an important part of many families’ lives. Children often learn to ride and care for horses from a young age, so there’s a deep understanding and respect for them within the community.
I think one of the beautiful things about riding in Sumba is that you’re not only experiencing nature, you’re also experiencing an important part of Sumba’s traditions and history.
Q: Sustainability seems very important to you. How does Horse Riding Sumba support local communities?
Steffi: At the moment, almost everything goes back into supporting the family that helps care for the horses.
The money we make pays salaries, maintains the stable and creates opportunities for local people. We also try to include local communities in our rides whenever possible.
Sometimes we’ll stop for coffee at a local house with an amazing view or visit villages along the route.
I love the idea of creating multi-day adventures where people stay overnight in villages and experience an even deeper connection with Sumba.
To be honest, none of this really started as a tourism business. I bought my pony because I wanted my own adventures in Sumba. I was already riding with local friends and my boyfriend, and then other friends started asking if they could join us. Little by little, it just grew from there.
Including local families was never a conscious business decision; it was simply how it had always been. In many ways, Horse Riding Sumba exists because of them. Without their knowledge, support, and friendship, I probably wouldn’t even have my pony, let alone a riding business.
Q: You’ve deliberately kept the operation small. Why?
Steffi: Because I don’t want the horses to become machines.
At the moment, we have three horses, and they’re all privately owned.
It’s important to know nobody is doing this purely for money. Sure, we need money to keep the operation running, but the bottom line is we genuinely love the horses.
If they don’t work for a week, that’s completely fine. I never want to reach a point where the horses are under pressure to perform every day, and as we grow, I want to keep that balance.
Q: You seem particularly passionate about horse welfare.
Steffi: Very much so.
The horses here deserve good lives. One thing I’d love to see change in Sumba is that horses are allowed to have longer and healthier lives.
Don’t get me wrong, people here aren’t intentionally mistreating their horses. It’s more a lack of knowledge or resources, not a lack of care. The horse racing industry is also growing in Sumba, and like horse racing anywhere in the world, that brings some welfare challenges.
I actually see tourism as part of the solution. Riders who visit from other countries often have different experiences and perspectives on horse care, and those conversations can be incredibly valuable. If we can learn from each other, that’s good for everyone, and especially good for the horses, because it means they have longer and more productive lives.
If local people see that horses can be cared for properly and still provide value for many years, perhaps that will help create a different way of thinking.
That would make me very happy.
Because ultimately this isn’t just about riding horses. It’s about caring for them, learning from them, and sharing a little bit of the magic of Sumba with other people.
Q: You have plans for longer adventures in the future. What does that dream look like?
Steffi: I’d love to create multi-day trail rides across parts of Sumba.
There are so many beautiful places that most visitors never get to see. I think there are people looking for this kind of adventure: riding through the hills, staying in villages, and really experiencing the island at a slower pace.
It’s becoming much more than just an idea now. We’re already planning the routes, we’ve found a couple of places where both riders and horses can stay overnight, and this August, I’ll be taking a friend on a trial expedition. If everything comes together as we hope, we’d love to start offering multi-day horseback adventures in Sumba in the near future. I think it will be an amazing way for people to experience parts of the island that very few visitors ever get to see.
Q: You’ve also mentioned the idea of people owning a Sumba horse and keeping it here. Is that something you’d consider?
Steffi: Yes, definitely.
A few people have already shown interest. In fact, that’s already how our stable works.
Every horse belongs to a different owner, and together we’ve created this little community around them. We look after the horses here, and the owners come back whenever they’re in Sumba to ride and spend time with them.
It’s a lovely model because everyone shares the responsibility and, most importantly, the horses benefit too.
Q: For someone thinking about booking, what do they need to know?
Steffi: The biggest thing is making sure the horse is the right fit for the rider. My horses are Sumba ponies, so for them I have a weight limit of around 70 kilograms.
Other stables may have larger horses and work with limits of 80 or even 85 kilograms, but I always tell people it’s better to ask first. Every horse is an individual, and I think it’s important to put their well-being before anything else.
Also, bring long pants! Seriously!
I like to speak with every guest personally beforehand. I want to get a sense of how much they know about horses and what their expectations are, because the riding experience depends on your ability level and your fitness.
I usually recommend visiting between April and July. This is the dry season, which means you’re likely to enjoy clear skies and very little rain, while the countryside is still lush and green after the wet season. It’s a wonderful time to explore on horseback, and since we’re based in the Lamboya region of Southwest Sumba, around an hour and a half from Tambolaka Airport, it’s also an ideal time to head into the hills, cross the rivers, and really experience the countryside on horseback.
The important thing is that people come with an open mind and a sense of adventure. And don’t forget the long pants!
Q: Looking ahead, what do you hope Horse Riding Sumba becomes?
Steffi: I hope we can continue growing carefully and authentically.
I want to create opportunities for local families and eventually train more local guides so that guests can experience Sumba through the eyes of people who actually live here.
Most of all, I hope we can continue sharing our love of horses and this incredible island, because ultimately, this isn’t really just about horse riding.
It’s about connection and slowing down. It’s about remembering how good it feels to spend a day outdoors, surrounded by animals, and realising that sometimes the simplest experiences are the most memorable.
For travellers seeking an authentic adventure in Southwest Sumba, Horse Riding Sumba offers something increasingly difficult to find: genuine connection, extraordinary landscapes, and the opportunity to experience one of Indonesia’s most beautiful islands from the back of a horse.
Or, as Steffi prefers to put it, a chance to get back to pony days.
If you’d like more information about Horse Riding Sumba, get in touch with Steffi through her website https://horseridingsumba.com or her Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theonlyonefeather