Most visitors meet Costa Rican horses on a beach ride and conclude the country has a tourism pony industry. That impression is wrong in a way worth correcting, because underneath it sits one of the more intact working horse cultures in the Americas — and if you are thinking of keeping horses here, the difference matters enormously.
The centre of it: the tope, a horse parade. Towns across the country hold them, usually tied to patron saint festivals, and the largest — El Gran Tope Nacional in San José — traditionally runs on 26 December and opens the Festejos Populares holiday period. Thousands of riders take part, along a route through Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda, broadcast on national television.
What a tope actually is
It is not a rodeo and not a costume event. It is a working culture showing itself off once a year.
The riders are sabaneros — the Costa Rican equivalent of the cowboy, a role that grew out of the cattle ranching economy of Guanacaste and the northern lowlands. Families whose livelihood ran on horses developed the training tradition, and the parade is where it is displayed.
The showpiece is the Paso Fino work: horses trained to perform intricate, high-cadence stepping — often described as dance steps — that takes a full year of preparation to bring to the parade. Alongside the riders come hand-painted ox carts made by local craftsmen, a craft tradition tied to Costa Rica's agricultural past.
Dress is taken seriously. Riders wear their best sabanero outfits, and while women historically did not ride in the tope, they now participate widely, with an unofficial competition in turnout running alongside the official one.
If you want to see it, the calendar spreads across the year: the national tope in San José on 26 December, Liberia's tope in Guanacaste in February, Playas del Coco around the same period, and dozens of smaller town topes attached to local festivals.
The horses
Two threads dominate. The criollo — the hardy Iberian-descended stock bred for ranch work, and, in Guanacaste especially, a long-standing regional breeding tradition. And the Paso Fino and related gaited lines, valued for the smooth four-beat gait that makes long days in the saddle bearable and that forms the basis of tope performance.
For a foreign rider used to warmbloods and thoroughbreds, the adjustment is real. These are smaller, tougher, more surefooted horses bred for heat, hills and long hours. They are not built for the disciplines most North American and European riders come from — but they are exceptional at what the terrain here demands.
Keeping horses as a resident
The practical picture is favourable, with a few genuine constraints.
- No winter. Horses live out year-round. No barn-bound months, no heating, no frozen water troughs. This alone removes a large share of the cost and labour of northern horse-keeping.
- Affordable labour, with real obligations. Grooms and caretakers cost far less than in North America, and the skill base is deep because people grew up around horses. But Costa Rican employment law is protective: register staff with the CCSS, pay the December aguinaldo, and understand severance rules from day one. Informal arrangements become expensive disputes.
- Land is obtainable. Pasture in the Central Valley and inland Guanacaste costs a fraction of any comparable equestrian region abroad.
- Veterinary depth is limited. Competent equine vets exist, concentrated near the Central Valley. Advanced surgical facilities are far more limited than in a major horse region — a factor if you keep valuable competition animals.
- Water and drainage decide the property. In Guanacaste the dry season is severe and water availability is the binding constraint. In wetter regions, drainage and mud management determine whether pasture is usable in green season.
Importing horses
Bringing animals in is possible but deliberate. Live horse imports run through SENASA, the national animal health service, requiring an import permit obtained in advance, health certification from the origin country, testing for the diseases on Costa Rica's list, and quarantine on arrival. Established equine air freight agents handle the logistics from North America.
Many people who move here conclude it is more sensible to buy locally or regionally. The economics of shipping a horse rarely favour anything other than a genuinely irreplaceable animal.
Riding country
What the country lacks in competition infrastructure it repays in terrain. Guanacaste's dry forest and ranch land, the cloud forest trails of the central highlands, coffee country in the valley, and beach riding on the Pacific and Nicoya coasts. Endurance and trail riding are where Costa Rica genuinely excels, and where the local horses are at their best.
Buying a horse here
The market runs on relationships rather than listings. Horses change hands through breeders, trainers and word of mouth, and there is no equivalent of a national sales platform with independent vetting attached. That is not a warning so much as a description — it means the person who introduces you matters more than the advertisement.
Get an independent pre-purchase examination from a vet you chose rather than one the seller recommended. Ask specifically about lameness history, and for gaited horses about how the gait has been trained, since practices vary and some methods leave lasting damage. Prices for good working criollos are a fraction of comparable animals abroad; well-bred Paso Fino stock with competition records commands considerably more.
The rhythm of the year
Guanacaste horse life is organised around water. In the dry months from December to April pasture browns off and supplementary feeding becomes necessary, which is why so many properties are judged on their well and their reservoir rather than their acreage. Green season reverses the problem: grass everywhere, and mud management becomes the daily job.
Common questions
When is the main tope?
El Gran Tope Nacional in San José on 26 December. Liberia and several Guanacaste towns hold theirs in February, and smaller topes run year-round with local festivals.
Can I keep horses on a residential lot?
Depends entirely on zoning, lot size, and any HOA rules. Agricultural and finca-zoned land is straightforward; gated communities frequently prohibit livestock.
Is there show jumping or dressage here?
Yes, mainly in the Central Valley, but the scene is small. Riders coming from competitive backgrounds should visit and see the standard before assuming they can continue at the same level.
How much land do I need?
Less than in a temperate climate because grass grows year-round, but pasture quality varies enormously by region and season. Have someone who knows local forage assess the land before you buy.
Are horses part of daily life or just tradition?
Both. Cattle ranching still uses horses in Guanacaste and the northern zone, which is why the culture stayed alive rather than becoming purely ceremonial.
If you are looking for horse property
Equestrian land is a specialist search. Water rights, pasture quality, drainage, access for a truck and trailer, and distance to a competent vet matter far more than the house does. We assess property against those criteria and can structure the purchase to support a residency application at the same time — the investor route requires US$150,000 in qualifying investment, which most working horse properties exceed.
Book a consultation and tell us what you keep and how you ride.
General information only — not legal, tax, or veterinary advice. Confirm current SENASA import requirements and residency thresholds with qualified counsel.