Brazil is the largest country in South America with a beautifully diverse geography and a mostly tropical climate. The country houses many spectacular ecosystems such as the Amazon Rainforest which is known to have the greatest biological diversity in the world. This is an exotic place for a riding holiday and not only does it have a rich wildlife, stunning landscapes and warm weather but it's also home to a fascinating culture.

As a Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1822, the heart of Brazilian culture is based around some Portuguese foundations such as the language, Roman Catholicism and colonial architectural styles. Many other cultures, such as that of European immigrants, has also played a part in shaping the traditions of this beautiful country. Indigenous people influenced the style of cooking (and the language to an extent) and African influences are also apparent in the language, food, music, religion and styles of dance. Brazilian food features a variety of regional recipes and delicious candies, as well as coffee and cachaça, the native liquor used in the delicious Caipirinha cocktails. Brazilian music has many distinctive styles and football is the country's most popular sport.

The variety of natural habitats in Brazil is spectacular and much of the land remains undocumented. Many natural environments are threatened by development and preservation of the rainforests and other landscapes has become an environmental concern across the world. Aside from the Amazon Rainforest, the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado (a tropical savanna) possess such great biodiversity that it may be higher than anywhere else in the world. The various environments and the wonderful variety of climates make this country a captivating place to explore on horseback.

The national horse of Brazil is the Mangalarga, a wonderful breed which has since split into two - the general Mangalarga (also known as the Mangalarga Paulista) and the Mangalarga Marchador. The original Mangalargas (Paulista) were bred by a Baron in the early 1800s, when the topography and culture of the lands forced him and his family to search for different horses. He crossed Royal horses, a specific breed of Lusitano, with his own colonial mares (mostly Barbs) to create a horse with lovely smooth gaits. This was then crossed further with Thoroughbreds, Arabs, American Saddlebreds and a Lusitano to create the Mangalarga Marchador. Both these sorts of horses are excellent for trails and a variety of disciplines, though their gaits are slightly different.

For adventurous travellers, Brazil is a spectacular country to visit and offers numerous horse riding opportunities. There are many available activities besides trail rides and rainforest adventures - visitors can ride on cattle ranches as well as practising dressage and other riding disciplines. The landscapes are such that they never become tiresome and the high quality horses, tasty food, inviting culture and tropical climate mean that this is riding holiday paradise.