Photo. Ostrich race - best to leave the riding to the professionals. © Travel Explorations.
'Ostriches are large and strong enough to carry a human. Ostriches can usually carry a weight up to 90 kilograms. But many farms have a weight limit of 70 kilograms to avoid excess strain on the ostriches. Wish I had a helmet on my head and control of the nerves in my belly. Anyway I took the chance to climb onto this feathered rocket. It was fortunately not the biggest bird at the farm – just a small female that apparently looked pretty tame.
Took my grip on the wings and placed my legs inside their wings and pressed inward – so I clung for my dear life as it took off like a rocket on two legs. For an amateur like me, there is no way to control the bird in the least. No gear to adjust the speed. No steering wheel. No brakes. Just feathers in my face and wild flapping wings. I wondered how long I will sit on the back, and how I should escape afterwards. I was fully aware that no one would catch me from falling. My little bit experience from riding horses was not at any help at all.
As I learned quickly: you can guide a horse, but with an ostrich - you are just a passenger. It goes where it wants - and very fast. It was both fun and scary. I was especially glad that the run was flightless: Ostrich is the world’s largest bird and their wings are too small - these are some of several reasons why they can’t fly. Instead, it can run incredibly fast, reaching speeds of up to 70-80 km/h over short distances, making it one of the fastest animals in Africa. I loved every few second of it. This was my way to shake up my adventure in wild South Africa.
Most people last just a few seconds on an ostrich back. It was the same for me, but those few seconds felt for like forever. We also attended an ostrich race. I think it`s best for my health to leave ostrich riding to professionals in the future.
Stein Morten Lund, May 2025
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