rancho washikemba

I really enjoyed my ride across the Bonaire country side. The horses are very well trained and behaved. The owners are delightful and very helpful finding the right horse for your level of riding. The horses are well cared for, which makes the whole experience more enjoyable. I would recommend this ranch to get your horse-fix even when on the diving Mecca of Bonaire!

Very knowledgable staff and beautiful horses. Horses are well trained and taken very good care off by Bregje and Mark.Horses are available for all levels of riding which makes it next to the trails, also a great place to take riding lessons.Recommend it to anyone visiting bonaire that's loves horses!

I`m an experienced rider so I`m always a little afraid to get stuck with a horse that simply follows others. With this ranch, Bregje had just the horse for me and she was right on ! I fell in love with her horse. He was strong and spirited but kind and gentle just like I like them. In fact, I enjoyed my ride so much I just had to go back for another ride 2 days later !!! They have many different horses for each level of rider and all her horses are in excellent condition and are well behaved. This is the ride I would recommend most - you won`t be disappointed !!!

The rides where very nice and relaxing. Horses for all kind of people, from easy to ride to more difficult. I really liked to go outside and enjoying the nature and the sea.

I also found this on trip advisor. I was so happy to book it, which i did through fb. It was just me my husband and Breje. It was incredible. Rode to the lagoon on the opposite side of our cruise port.... got to see wild donkeys and goats playing. Waves splashing up on shore. Iguanas hiding in the tall cacti. The lagoon was breathtakingly beautiful! An we were the only ones there! Got to swim on Poco... she was cool. I can't believe we swam clear out to the middle... and she was definitely swimming. Coolest experience ever!!!!! I had my own horse back home in pa... and know a few things about horses. I can tell you she really loves her horses and they love her back. They just swim anywhere she goes! Anyhow don't skip this amazing and beautiful activity! It was the BEST part of my honeymoon.. overall the coolest thing I have done in my lifetime. Worth every penny times 2!

Mark picked us up from the Azura cruise ship and Bregke was waiting at the stables when we arrivedFamily of four with zero experience of horse riding My son age 11 when we arrived darent event stroke his pony and I thought we might have to leave him behindBut all I can say is with great patience from Bregke that not only did he ride the pony but he rode the pny whilst it swam in the seaGreat family experience with a difference for us and highly recommended

A must do. Horses are very well taken care of, Bregje and Mark have 9 horses, and they come in all shapes and sizes! I had a trailride on Blondy and Poco, both horses listened perfectly. Really nice and relaxing swim.The most important thing for me (I have been riding horses all my life) was that the horses had FUN @ the job.

For horse-lovers – and those who think they might be – Rancho Washikemba on Bonaire Island offers the perfect opportunity to blend your spirit with horse, sea and Island air and wild life. Diane and I have ridden and swum with these horses each year for the past two years and are planning a repeat next year. Rancho Washikemba, with hosts Bregje and Marc, boasts a stable of horses and one pony, a ring for riding lessons, miles of winding dirt-road trails through giant cactus with occasional wild donkeys and goats, and including one trail which leads to the ocean beaches. The beach in this case is precipitous and ocean waves crash and spout continuously nearby. Anyone for a gallop on the beach? But there is a secluded cove where we tie up the horses to a rock and proceed with one or two into the calm water of the cove. I once tried, as a teen-ager, to get my horse to swim with me. She wasn’t having any part of it leaving me with a feeling of incompleteness only assuaged by Bregje and two of her swimming horses on Bonaire. It’s easier than it sounds because ex-fashion model Bregje of necessity swims along-side you with a lead shank on the swimming horse. Given the restriction to forward and backward movement of the horse’s front legs, they are unable to turn once they start swimming in the water. If Bregje doesn’t form the pivot of their turns by putting pressure on the shank, they go chugging off to Africa, or there-a-bouts. I have spent many hours with horses, ambling along the levee beside the Mississippi River, jumping fences in pursuit of foxes (we never caught one), and galloping with zebras and giraffes in Africa. My horse-connection, however, was not complete until I sat and lay on the back of a horse swimming through the ocean, my bare wet skin next to his rippling muscles and feeling his power, courage and trust in a tactile way and in a totally different medium. So, if you are a horse-lover – or think you might be – see Rancho Washikemba and Bregje and Marc on your next visit to Bonaire. Your connection to horses won’t be complete until you do so.

I went to Bonaire and had a fab time at the Washikemba Ranch. The horses are very well looked after and have great character. Bregje is a most sensitive person, every pore of her being radiates a deep love for horses and nature. The trails in the Washikemba area are simply breathtaking. Wide trails, void of people and filled with nature, blue skies, birds, plants and spectacular scenery.Though Bregje is a dressage instructor and does not call herself a follower of NH principles, she most definitely lives and communicates with her horses in a sincere connection with and respect for the high intelligence of the horse. Whether you simply want a nice trail ride, brush up on your riding skills or seriously need to recharge your batteries, I highly recommend Washikemba Ranch.

It was a fantastic experience! A very nice way for discovering the area of Washikemba with its cacti, donkeys and goats! It felt so free to be out there! After a ride of 30 minutes we arrived at Lagoen where we took of the saddles and put our swimwear on. Mark and Bregje helped us back on the back of the horse and guided us towards the water where we swim and played with the horses in the water. You feel that the horses are all very relaxed and enjoying it. Thank you so much for the tour Bregje and Mark, it was fantastic!

This was a very special riding experience for me. I own a Paso Fino and Rancho Washikemba had one for me to ride. All the horses are beautiful and healthy. They are well taken care of and that was important to me. The lagoon swim was amazing. Bridget and Mark are a wonderful couple and I hope to go back and ride again.

Everybody who loves horses, should do this amazing horseride through the wide nature of washikemba. we really enjoyed our ride and the refreshing bath with lovely POCO. this was an awesome experience.thanks for sharing these Special moments with us.whenever we are back on bonaire,we will gladly stop at your Ranch again for another ride.

What a fantastic experience I have had yesterday: swimming with horses! I had never done anything like this before, and it was so great! Beautiful horses on this range and also very well taken care of. The trail goes through a western-like area. It takes for about half an hour to get to a beautiful lagune. Then, yo change into your swimwear and get back on the bare back of the horse, and you swim and play with the horses in the sea. After that, everyone is refreshed and you can enjoy the way back to the ranch, in your closes and on the saddled horse again. This tour is an absolute must if you love horses and horsebackriding. Thank you Bregje and Poco ("my" horse)! Greetz, Susan

I thought it would be too hot to ride horses, but thw lagoon trail is wondeefully breezy and ends with riding your horse bareback in the water. i beought my 8 year old son and he loved it. The entire program was extremely well run.

Today we had a nice and relaxed ride & swim day with Bregje and the horses - Blondie, Paco and Tango The horses are well trained, educated and the guide is very flexible and nice.We can recommend this ranch to have an unforgettable swim with the horses in the lagoon of Washikemba Best regards, Dajana