At Ranch de Diabat, everything begins with a silent pact: the one between human and horse. An agreement rooted in respect, listening, and responsibility. Here, the horse is never just a means of transport: it is a travel companion, a soul with which you build a deep bond—made of gestures, emotions, and shared glances.
Behind every horseback ride, every desert trek, every stolen photo by the ocean, there is a solid philosophy guiding every choice, every gesture, every investment. It’s the Ranch’s invisible heart. And today, we’re sharing it with you.
A life choice: the horses come first
If Ranch de Diabat was born and has grown, it’s thanks to the horses. They were the starting point of everything: before any other activity, before the treks, the quads, the camels. And still today, they remain the center—and the reason—behind every decision.
The Ranch’s philosophy is built on three words: love, respect, responsibility. Caring for a horse means far more than feeding or training it. It means knowing it, protecting it, listening to it, understanding its emotions, and adapting every program to its physical and mental well-being.
Over time, this philosophy has also become a social ethic. The Ranch is a family—not only of horses, but also of 25 people who work every day with dedication, sharing values and vision. During difficult moments, such as Covid, that unity became strength: with no income, the Ranch chose to keep caring for the horses and the team, so that no one would be left behind.
How the horses live at the Ranch
Work, freedom, and rest
Each horse follows a routine designed to fit its needs. Some take part in longer treks, others in gentle rides. Others train in the arena or work on the lunge to stay fit. When they’re not working, they regularly go out into the paddock to move freely and stretch. No horse is kept in a stall for days.
Activities are alternated with care to avoid physical and mental stress. Respect for the animal’s rhythm comes before any “tourism” logic.
Carefully planned nutrition
The horses’ nutrition is the result of years of study, trials, and observation. Each horse receives several small, balanced meals a day, tailored to its physical condition, to support healthy digestion and help prevent colic or inflammation such as laminitis.
The Ranch team spends many hours each day preparing meals: organic cracked barley soaked in water, fine bran, quality hay, energy pellets when needed—everything calibrated to each horse’s specific needs. It’s a demanding choice, yes. But it makes a real difference to the horses’ health.
Care and prevention: every horse is unique, every treatment is personal
Every horse at Ranch de Diabat is cared for attentively, as a unique being with specific needs, different stories, and signals to interpret. Care is a form of love expressed through daily gestures.
The team is trained to handle the most common illnesses, small emergencies, and wounds that can happen in freedom or during rides. These are skills learned in the field, with passion and dedication. Being able to act immediately, with experienced hands, makes all the difference.
For anything requiring specialized expertise, the Ranch relies on trusted professionals: veterinarians, dentists, osteopaths—some also coming from abroad. Well-being always comes before cost.
The farrier is part of the family: they come back every month, or even more often, to check hooves, shoeing, and posture. Every horse has its own needs: some require orthopedic shoes, others have a more delicate gait.
And the Ranch respects all of it.
Even the tack—saddles, girths, bridles—isn’t chosen off the rack. It is adapted, custom-fitted, to prevent sores, discomfort, and pressure points. Because for a horse to feel good, it must be able to move with freedom and comfort. And that means thinking about every detail, with no compromises.
After work: a retirement that is a home
When a horse can no longer work, a new phase begins at the Ranch. A slower, gentler phase—made of shade, fresh grass, silence, and caresses.
Here, no one is sold, given away, or forgotten. There is no fixed age for “retirement”: there is only time to respect. When a horse begins to tire, the Ranch listens. And it stays by its side. With the same care, the same dignity, the same love as always.
This happened with Jimy, a white stallion—elegant and proud. One day, during a ride on the beach, a sudden fall caused a serious fracture. Jimy could no longer get up. He lay still, without drinking, without eating. Everyone advised euthanasia.
One day, Erika lay down beside him in the stall. She spoke to him. She asked: “Tell me what you want me to do for you.” That moment marked a turning point. After days of total stillness, Jimy began to show the first signs: he lifted his neck, tried to lean, then managed to drink a few sips of water. Soon after, he tried to eat. It was his answer—clear and unmistakable.
That day, Jimy chose to try again. And he started living again.
Today Jimy no longer works. But he is still there. Every day he greets, observes, takes part. He is the living symbol of a different choice: one that sees the horse as a being with a soul, a story, a value that goes beyond performance.
And it’s not only Jimy. There are other horses “in retirement”, each with its own story, its own light, its own past. They live together, peacefully, surrounded by affection and respect. They gave so much. Now they receive all the care they deserve. And when you look into their eyes, you understand: this is how it should always be.
Meet the family: the Ranch horses
Sultan, the silent leader, the soul that guides
- Breed: Arab-Berber
- Age: 20 years old
- With the Ranch since: 2008
Sultan arrived at the Ranch in 2008. He was only three years old: thin, tired, underweight. But it took just a few weeks for his energy to return. And when it surfaced, everyone understood we were looking at a truly special horse: Sultan had a natural authority, a way of being in the world that earned respect without ever forcing it.
His story goes back far. From the age of two, he had been trained by his previous owner as a lead horse in the spectacular Fantasia performances—the traditional equestrian sport of the Maghreb. In these reenactments, riders and horses recreate the ancient spirit of battle: historical tack, black powder rifles, shouted commands meant to spark courage. The horses lead the charge: they prance in unison, prepare, wait for the signal. Then they launch into a wild gallop and, when the order comes, the riders must fire a single shot—perfectly synchronized.
In that world, Sultan was born to be a leader. And at the Ranch, he has never lost that trait.
With other horses, he is a steady, respected presence. He has never bitten or kicked a companion: he doesn’t need to. His calm, his posture, the way he moves—everything communicates.
Those beside him feel safe; often the other horses align with him as if they recognize him as a natural guide. He truly feels like a guiding spirit—here to teach something, more than to dominate.
With humans, Sultan has always known how to adjust his energy. With children and beginners, he becomes attentive—almost protective. With skilled riders who have a gentle hand and a steady character, he forms the perfect partnership: together they can go anywhere. But with anyone who is too harsh, too abrupt, or too insecure, he accepts no compromises. He pushes back, resists, tests. He does it because he is a horse who demands respect above all. And because, as often happens, it is always the horse that reminds us who we are when we get into the saddle.
On the ground, Sultan has his own way of relating. He asks for space, observes, stops, walks away—and then returns only to those he chooses. A silent dialogue made of presence and absence, boundaries and trust.
Hazard, the young horse with an ancient past and a bright future
- Breed: Arab-Berber
- Age: 2 years old
- With the Ranch since: May 2024
Hazard is young, with lively eyes that shine as if they’ve already seen far more than his age would suggest. He carries an energy that awakens, a natural attentiveness to the world, as if every sound and every movement were an invitation to discover who he will become. And yet, inside him there is something that doesn’t belong to youth: an ancient echo, a spark Omar recognized immediately.
Because Hazard’s story doesn’t begin with him.
It begins many years earlier, with a horse named Jacques Brel.
Jacques was Omar’s horse: two souls who found each other and never let go. At the beginning of the Ranch’s story, they were inseparable. Wherever Omar was, Jacques was there too. Together they opened the very first horse trekking routes, paving the way for what Ranch de Diabat would become over the years. Jacques was a born leader—strong yet gentle, generous, able to make anyone feel safe.
In 2010, a sudden, violent torsion colic took him away.
From that moment on, Omar was without a companion. Without a friend.
He tried many horses in the years that followed, but none carried that essence, that light. None rekindled that spark.
Until, in May 2024, something happened.
During a purchase at a horse market, a young colt immediately caught Omar and Erika’s attention. From the other side of the fence, he showed a striking resemblance to Jacques: the same way of looking, the same calm, deep presence. It was an intuitive, immediate recognition—as if this young horse carried a familiar echo with him.
However, when they tried to reach the seller, he had already left the market. Every attempt to track him down proved useless, and for days there was no news of the colt. But the thought remained—suspended, alive—like something still asking to return.
Two weeks later, near Essaouira, the great annual horse festival was taking place: a fair full of shows, sales, and encounters. Among the crowd and the tents, Omar and Erika suddenly found themselves face to face with him: the colt. The recognition was immediate, silent—as if that moment had already been written. Without hesitation, they decided to buy him. It was impossible not to be struck: tall for his age, elegant, magnetic. One of those horses who seem destined to enter people’s lives at exactly the right time.
Since arriving at the Ranch, Hazard has been growing with a quiet strength that belongs to only a few. He has already shown his character: trying to escape the stall, to find his own way, to understand the world around him. During training, he doesn’t give in easily.
But those who have looked at him with respect have seen in him the promise of a great future.
A bridge between what was and what will be.
For those who know the Ranch’s story, Hazard is not just a colt to be trained: he is a return. A rebirth. It’s as if Jacques left Omar one last gift—a thread to follow, a companion for a new generation of riders.
Hazard is the future born from memory.
They’re not just horses: they’re souls that change you
The horses of Ranch de Diabat—Sultan, Hazard, Jimy, and all the others who live, breathe, and share the path with us every day—carry something beyond physical strength. They have an ancient soul, a living sensitivity, a presence that becomes listening.
Their gaze goes straight to the heart. They sense invisible emotions: fears, hesitations, unspoken desires. And when they feel respect and gentleness, they give back something rare: trust, strength, freedom.
Riding one of these horses is not just an activity: it’s a meeting. With them, but above all with yourself. An invitation to be understood, to rediscover yourself, to slow down. Often, without even realizing it, those who ride here return home with a new perspective—and a little more of themselves.
A message for those who choose the Ranch
Choosing a horseback experience in Morocco is not just about riding.
It means accepting to be guided by a sensitive, powerful, free being. It means listening, trusting, connecting.
The horses of Ranch de Diabat are special souls. They are teachers of emotion—travel companions who help you rediscover a part of yourself. That’s why people often cry once they’re in the saddle: because they feel they’ve been given something rare—the chance to be carried somewhere else, inside and outside themselves.
At the Ranch, this connection is cultivated every day. It is nourished by respect, attention, presence. And it stays with you—long after you’ve returned home.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
What makes the way Ranch de Diabat treats its horses so special?
At the Ranch, horses are not working tools but life companions. Every decision – from nutrition to veterinary care, all the way to retirement after their working years – is guided by a deep ethic based on respect, care, and listening. Here, the horse is a sentient being, not a means to an end.
Do the horses at the Ranch receive specific veterinary care?
Yes. The team is trained in first aid and in managing the most common conditions. For advanced treatments, the Ranch relies on specialists – veterinarians, osteopaths, and dentists – often coming from Europe. Each horse follows a personalized care plan, with high-quality equipment and carefully designed nutrition.
What happens when a horse becomes old or can no longer work?
The horse is neither sold nor removed. It stays at the Ranch, welcomed into a ‘retirement’ phase that represents a new chapter of its life. Like Jimmy, a white stallion who survived a serious accident and now lives peacefully and loved. At the Ranch, every horse always has value — not only when it works.
How can I get to know the Ranch horses better?
During every equestrian experience, you will have the chance to get to know the horses up close: not only by riding them, but by observing them, listening to them, and building a real connection. You will meet guide horses like Sultan, young prospects like Hazard, and truly feel what it means to create a bond that goes beyond the saddle.
