Beth who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic Adventure - Holiday of a lifetime | The riding in South Africa was brilliant - soft sandy tracks and lots of canter and some small jumps. In Botswana near the Treehouse Camp, the terrain was more rocky and so there was a lot more walking for the first 2 days. The riding back from the Two Mashatus Camp was great - more open so cantering didn't have to be single file and some jumping. I feel that the expectations given at the briefing in Botswana were that there would be more open cantering but this was only true after we left Treehouse Camp - a little disappointing but only because of what we were expecting.

Mary (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) African Explorer | Excellent

Sue who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Living the dream | All the horses were superb. Well trained, well looked after, well mannered, relaxed and happy . we all bonded quickly and easily with our individual mounts and were heart broken to say good bye at the end of the trip. The riding was very varied and exceptionally stimulating at all times . Firsts for me were swimming on the horses, riding at night and covering such long distances (without even realising how far and how long we were in the saddle)
Any problems with individual horses were swiftly and efficiently solved and if a replacement was required another appeared without affecting the days agenda .
The guides were friendly ,very knowledgeable and extremely helpful at all times. We will miss them too

Oisin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Awesome Rides in South Africa & Botswana! | The riding was great. Starting with a quick canter and then some more.
Every ride was different and added a new experience.
The landscape was magical. The African sun - wonderful. We saw lots of animals and wild life.
The guides were excellent. We were lucky to have Shini and EJ, such a good combination!
The horses were matched very well to the riders, especially so in South Africa.
Riding was definitely for experienced riders, with pace and fun!
A surprise sun downer on top of a mountain was sublime as was the slow, careful walk back at night in the moon light.
Trying bare back riding and swimming with the horses, such great experiences!

Debbie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing | The horses were all extremely well cared for. The guides could recognise a horse by name in the distance in a herd of 100.
The riding was as stated - definitely experienced riders only.

Jane (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Truly incredible. | The horses at Camp Davidson were ill matched for me, I had 4 in three days and it was not until Carole couldn't ride back from Savannah Lodge to Bellview was I given Caroles horse who was much better. The ranger saddles really rubbed the inside of my knees terribly and with no option of an English saddle I did suffer. The horses were well matched to everyone else so it was probably just me, however I was also concerned slightly about their wellbeing. Unhappy yard staff means unhappy horses, of which they certainly were and we had to insist on them being washed off after returning hot and sweaty rather than just being thrown out in the "paddock" area.
Upon arrival at Two Mashatu, Carmen changed all that, super little horse, Albion Saddle and the horses were happy and very well cared for.
I am not being critical in any way really, everything was terrific, the staff, guides, cooks and all help were amazing and could not do enough for us. The absolute privilege of being able to experience so many activities throughout the 5 days was unforgettable in so many ways. The younger members of our super group are editing their terrific video and camera action which I am waiting for, I shall then forward it to you. I cannot wait to see it either. Thamba and Pelloco (sorry don't know how to spell their names!) were both fantastic and so knowledgeable and proud of their country and the flora and fauna, the information we were provided with was immense.
One thing I did think of is that a basic " I Spy" booklet could be provided to give some background info on the animals we may see, fascinating. I shall be back, especially in Botswana.
Thank you SO MUCH.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: I'm so sorry to hear about your knees - that can be so painful when they rub on the saddle. We will certainly follow up with the stables in South Africa but I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the riding up in Botswana and found a horse that you loved.]

Lynne who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Amazing experience | Very different between South Africa and Botswana. South African was a lot more “controlled” and Botswana a little freer, and very exciting

Phoebe (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Unforgettable Experience | Very impressed by the matching of horses and riders and care given to listen to clients if horses were not suitable or you needed advice on how horses liked to be ridden.
Cantering spread out in Botswana was the absolute highlight of all riding.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback, we are so pleased that you enjoyed your holiday.]

Ria who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. African Explorer - An incredible adventure! | The riding definitely met my expectations. All the horses were well behaved and you could clearly see they were well cared for.

Although both the horses I rode on this trip were excellent, I think my horse in Botswana (Prisma) was a stronger match as I'd requested a hunter-type build. He was fantastic and I couldn't have ridden a better horse. My horse in South Africa (Scarlet) was lovely and really tried her best, but she was very dainty and delicate and she struggled slightly to keep up with the group canters on the third and fourth days.

Lesley who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Holiday of a lifetime | I was given a beautiful thoroughbred mare in South Africa who was an absolute joy to ride, fit and forward going with a wonderful temperament and amazingly sure footed. Our guide Anneen was brilliant, professional, well informed, extremely hardworking and excellent company, she went above and beyond to ensure we all had a truly enjoyable experience.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: It's wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed your holiday.]

Sarah who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing | It was well-paced and the horses were forward-going and sure-footed.

Jacqui who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. African Explorer - amazing Africa | Excellent

Lee who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. African Explorer - Great!! | Yes it did meet expectations. The owners and staff were FANTASTIC and went out of their way to make my trip comfortable. Loved it. Will repeat one day.

[In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed the African Explorer].

Sophie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Experience of a lifetime | Excellent

Sarah who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. African Explorer | The riding and horses were amazing. I enjoyed the variety of paces. The terrain was very different between South Africa and Botswana so it was great to experience both. Felt I was matched well with my horses in both places, and the guides were knowledgeable which made me feel safe.

Jodie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) African expoler | Excellent