Cabalgata Surutato 2026: Sinaloa's Mountain Forest Ride Turns 20

What is Cabalgata Surutato?

Cabalgata Surutato is a mass horseback ride through the pine forests of Surutato, a mountain community in the Badiraguato municipality of Sinaloa, Mexico. The 20th edition runs September 25-27, 2026, and the riders' official send-off (the banderazo de salida) took place today, Saturday, September 26.

This year's theme is "Una tradición de altura que deja huella", roughly "a high-country tradition that leaves its mark." Organizers and state authorities expect more than 1,000 riders and about 10,000 visitors, with riders announced from neighboring states such as Nayarit, Sonora, Jalisco and Durango.

If you're new to the word, a cabalgata is a group horseback ride or parade, usually tied to a local fiesta. Our explainer What Is a Cabalgata? covers the tradition from Guanajuato to Seville.

The 2026 ride: route, horses and fiesta

Surutato sits high in the Sierra Madre Occidental, known for cool weather, morning fog and pine-oak forest. That's the whole appeal: instead of a street parade, riders spend the morning on forest roads under the trees.

The route

• Organizers describe a flat route through the forest interior, lasting about 2.5 hours plus a rest stop.
• The route passes local spots such as Las Pilas, cabin areas around town, the Surutato zip line and Bellotas Resort.
• A registration table opened on Friday, Sept. 25, and organizers announced a 300-peso recovery fee per vehicle.

Published start times differ between reports, so confirm the hour with the organizers on site before you saddle up.

After the ride

The day doesn't end at the finish. The program includes a shared meal, live music, an exhibition of dancing horses (caballos bailadores, trained to step and "dance" to banda music), wind-band music and a closing dance.

It's a family day as much as a riding day: organizers expect about 10,000 visitors, far more than the riders themselves.

Why 20 editions matter for a highland community

Twenty editions is a big deal for a small mountain town. The ride has become one of Surutato's big dates: cabins were already about 70% booked weeks ahead, and restaurants, lodging, shops and local services all get a busy weekend.

Organizers have said openly that the goal is to reactivate the local economy, and the state tourism office frames the event as a showcase of the region's identity, traditions and hospitality. For riders from Sinaloa and neighboring states, it's also a yearly meetup in the mountains.

How to prepare your horse for a mountain cabalgata

This is the part that lasts after the weekend. A forest ride at altitude is harder on a horse than a flat street parade, even if the pace is a walk.

Get fit on hills, weeks ahead

• Start 4-8 weeks out. University of Connecticut Extension recommends about 30 days of long, slow work to build a base before asking for more.
• Add hills gradually. Walk up slopes first, then add short trots uphill. Practice walking across slopes too, which builds balance on uneven ground.
• Ride the real time. If the ride is 2.5 hours plus a break, your horse should comfortably handle 2-3 hours of walking at home first.
• Respect altitude. A horse coming up from the coast will breathe harder on climbs. Horse & Rider suggests giving a horse about two weeks to adapt to high altitude before a long ride. If that isn't possible, arrive as early as you can and keep the pace easy.

Water and rest stops

• Let your horse drink at every chance, and loosen the girth a notch at longer stops.
• Know your horse's normal numbers before the trip. UMN Extension lists a resting heart rate of 30-44 beats per minute and gum capillary refill of 1-2 seconds.
• Warning signs: a heart rate that stays high after resting, dry or tacky gums, or small, firm manure balls coated in mucus. Stop, rest in shade, offer water and ask the ride's support staff for a vet if it doesn't improve.

Tack check the night before

• Saddle fits with the extra pad you'll use, and the girth or cinch has no cracks.
• Breast collar to stop the saddle sliding back on climbs. A crupper or britching helps on steep descents.
• Bridle, reins and stirrup leathers checked for worn stitching.
• Fresh shoes from your farrier a week or two before, not the day before.

See our tack and equipment guide for fit basics.

What riders and families should bring

For the horse kit, our first aid kit checklist walks through the essentials.

Riding safely in a group of 1,000

A crowd of horses behaves differently from two friends on a trail. Horses get excited, bunch up and copy each other.

• Keep one horse length of space from the horse in front, more on downhills.
• Never pass at a gallop. Call out, pass at a walk and leave room.
• Red ribbon in the tail if your horse kicks; stay back from any horse wearing one.
• Children: only on quiet, experienced horses, with a helmet, and an adult on foot or alongside for little ones. Our horse safety for kids guide covers where not to stand.
• Pull out if your horse is overwhelmed. A buddy-sour or green horse is better led on foot than ridden into a crowd.

Visitor info: the safety operation

Federal, state and municipal agencies are staffing the event, along with State Civil Protection, the state medical emergency center (CRUM), firefighters and Mexican Red Cross ambulances. If someone falls or a horse is hurt, look for those teams along the route; they're there to help.

What to watch next

• Sunday, Sept. 27 closes the 20th edition. Watch the state tourism office and local press for photos and the final attendance count.
• Planning for 2027? Start conditioning your horse by midsummer and book a cabin early, since lodging fills fast around the ride.
• Want more? Browse our trends page for other cabalgatas and fiestas, or learn about Mexico's national breed in Azteca Horse.