The short answer: long trousers
Long trousers, even in August. Shorts feel like the obvious choice in Mediterranean heat and they are the wrong one — bare skin against a saddle and moving stirrup leathers chafes badly, and it does not take an hour to start hurting. Add closed shoes. Those two items are the entire dress code, and they are listed first in the ride's own packing notes for exactly this reason.
The Side horse riding tour is €40 per rider and includes hotel pickup in the Side area, a riding helmet and safety equipment, a short lesson before you set off, and a guide with the group throughout.
Why trousers beat shorts in the heat
Two things rub on a horse. The saddle flap under your thigh, and the stirrup leather against your calf. In shorts, both of those work directly on skin that is already damp — and a walking-pace ride still means constant small movement for the length of the outing. Riders finish sore, and it is the kind of sore that ruins the next day at the beach.
Pick fabric rather than length to solve the heat: light cotton trousers, leggings or thin technical trousers. Heavy denim is the one thing to avoid, especially here — the Side route includes a stretch along the Mediterranean shoreline, and thick jeans soak up any splash and stay wet.
Shoes: closed, and nothing that slides off
Closed shoes, no sandals or flip-flops. Trainers are perfectly acceptable. If you have a choice, a shoe with a defined heel edge sits more securely in the stirrup than a completely flat sole — but this is a beginner-friendly walking ride, not a cross-country lesson, and nobody needs to buy riding boots for it.
The rest of the bag
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat — but note the hat is for the transfer and the ranch. You will be wearing a supplied helmet on the horse, and a cap does not fit under one comfortably. Get sunscreen on your neck, ears and forearms before you mount.
- Drinking water.
- Phone or camera for the beach stretch, which is the photograph everyone comes home with. Keep it somewhere it cannot fall — a zipped pocket, not a hand.
Leave loose scarves, dangling bags and anything that flaps at the hotel. A horse that has walked this route a thousand times still has opinions about a plastic bag in the wind.
Timing beats clothing for staying cool
Rides run daily year-round with morning and late-afternoon departures that avoid the hottest hours. In July and August, take the late-afternoon slot if it is offered — the pine forest section is shaded, but the open countryside and the shoreline are not, and no amount of clever fabric fixes midday sun on the coast.
Who this ride is not for
This is where we would rather lose a booking than a good day. The ride is not suitable for pregnant guests, or for anyone with serious back or mobility problems. The recommended maximum rider weight is approximately 100–110 kg (220–240 lbs), for the horses' welfare — that is a genuine limit, not a soft suggestion. The minimum age is generally 6 years, with the final call made by the guide on the day, and young or nervous children can ride with a staff member walking at the horse's head the whole way.
It is also not for riders who want to gallop. Beginners stay at a walk, full stop. A faster stretch is possible only if you can demonstrate genuine experience, only where the guide approves it on suitable ground, and it is never guaranteed and never forced on anyone. If a canter along the beach is the thing you are booking for, understand that it is a possibility rather than a promise before you pay.
If you want the countryside without the saddle
Some people read all of the above and realise a horse is not their animal. The Side jeep safari covers similar country behind the coast — Taurus foothills, a Roman bridge, Green Canyon viewpoints — from an open-top 4x4 with a professional driver, at €18 for adults, €9 for children aged 7–12, and free for the youngest band aged 0–6, with lunch included. The dress code is the opposite: old clothes, a dry change and a waterproof pouch, because summer departures include water fights between the jeeps.
Related reading
For the dusty version of the same "what do I wear" question, see what to wear on a jeep safari and what to wear on a quad safari in Side. If you are still assembling the week, which Side excursion to choose lays the options side by side.
Booking is free, you pay on the tour day, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your ride.