Lou who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. I learnt to ride for my first riding safari three years ago and it’s only really this year that I have fully appreciated the amazing riding that you get to do here that most people don’t get the chance to do at home.
It was a brilliant opportunity to expand my riding experience by riding a range of horses. Who knew that I would love riding big horses!!

Sharon who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Riding safari | Our Ants holiday was one of the best experiences of my life. From accommodation to food to riding and all the staff that make sure every day runs smoothly. I can honestly say my time in Bush Willow and Ants Nest was superb in every way. I cannot rate it high enough.

Catherine who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic holiday, brilliant horses, lots of game, great guides and hosts. | I had been a bit nervous prior to going on the holiday as I'm used to just riding my own steady Welsh cob. But I needn't have worried, the horses were brilliant. I started off on something slow and steady. The guides were very good at checking if we were happy with our horses (which I always was) and with my feedback they gradually progressed me on to slightly more forward going horses. I always felt very safe and comfortable, which was the priority for me.

Annette who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful | Wonderful experience in a magical place.

Tess who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful place, amazing wildlife and terrific horses - can't stop coming back here.... | It's a thrilling experience to be able to ride so close to the wildlife and to have the opportunity to just hang out with dazzles of zebra, towers of giraffe and (from a respectful distance) a crash of rhinos or a herd of buffalo. We were visiting as a group and the riding was matched to our wishes.

Clare who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. A wonderful week | The riding element of the holiday was excellent. We were a family of 6, with 4 regular riders aged 11 - 69. So it was great that we could all be offered appropriate safe horses, with good tack and led by excellent knowledgeable guides every day. There was a lot of flexibility around our daily requirements and we always came back from our rides ( usually 2 per day) with smiles on our faces, and amazing stories to tell, about what we had seen and done.
The lovely horses were very well cared for, fit for the work, and naturally generous and kind in their nature. They were well trained for the job and remained calm and safe at all times. The sight of rhinos and giraffe were just part of their daily routine!

Suzy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Once-in-a-lifetime safari experience! | As a novice rider, I felt comfortable on the rides and had really great support from the guides and staff at Ant's, who were very open to all possibilities!

Katie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Great trip, very well organised, great support at every step | Really nice to have a variety of horses to ride on the trip. Staff were happy to swap tack if it didn't suit the guest and to take on board requests for the type of ride each day, e.g looking for rhino or faster riding as preferred.

Debbie who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides.
Denmark requests (Melina) - Olwen to sort
Relaxing | I enjoyed both the horses I rode however Bantu was exceptional and as there was another rider there like myself who was classed as a heavier rider i was unable to ride him for three days. They gave me another lovely horse but Bantu was definitely was my favourite.
After having ridden at the nest twice before with exciting split rides happening daily I had expected the same. This did not happen and my riding experience was disappointing apart from the last two days where I was able to enjoy much longer canters and the last day had an absolute blast. I am really sad that this was not my experience all week. The riding groups were hampered by riders of differing abilities/and those that did not have the right equipment to ride. The all day ride, riding and food wise was excellent but the long gap inbetween would have been much nicer if we had been able to perhaps swim at the hill whilst waiting to ride back to Bushwillow.
The guides were excellent but were trying to accommodate different abilities and there wasn’t the staff to split the rides.
[Olwen from In The Saddle replies - We were so sorry to read your comments which are so unusual for a holiday at Ants Lodges. We have forwarded them to Ants who have replied. They acknowledge that there was a mixed ability of riders at Bushwillow but believed they had put in place a plan to handle this. Unfortunately due to staff communication problems the plans were initially not properly implemented and they do apologise for this. They are so sorry that your riding experience was initially slower than you would have liked but are pleased that you enjoyed the pace of the last two days. From 2026 Ant's Lodges are promoting Bushwillow as a set departure 7 night stay with all riders to be at least intermediate plus. Beginner and novice riders continue to be very welcome at Ants Nest and Hill where groups are always split by ability.]

Nike (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic and authentic riding holiday experience | Some issues with matching the riders in the group according to the level of experience. Was communicated on the spot and solved, easy to talk about it with the managers.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thanks so much for your feedback. We are pleased to hear that this was rectified quickly and you enjoyed your time at Bushwillow].

Allison who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Riding up to African animals 20 metres away | They did a good job accommodating riders of different experience and fitness. I had a nice horse but wanted to try another. I fell in love with the new horse and stuck with him for the rest of the week. The funny thing is my friend tried him but chose another one for the remainder. To each her own!

I appreciated that Ant's opened Bushwillow and offer it for a lower price. We visited Ant's Lodge and it was gorgeous so I understand why it's more $$. Bushwillow did not disappoint, though, and we were spoiled every minute of the day. I also really liked my Lion's cabin and consider it quite a luxury holiday.

Sarah who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Perfect getaway | I rode 3 different horses during our 7 night stay. All were lovely but naturally I had my favourite. A good match to my riding preferences.

Sue (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Incredible from start to finish! | The riding was great, carefully controlled but with no feelings of being over managed. Horses were very well looked after and perfect for their job! Tack was fine, well cleaned and fitted carefully. Guides managed to give everyone a great experience whatever the riding ability.

Danni who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic trip for solo travellers | The riding was fantastic. Lots of opportunities for fast exciting canters!
I could not two point canter before I arrived, and the staff made the time to get me up to pace so I could enjoy rides with other more experienced travellers.

Carolyn who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing | Riding met my expectations. Horses were great and well taken care of.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your trip. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your holiday.]

Melissa who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Amazing week | Lovely forward going horses- they give you the opportunity to change or try a couple of different ones during the week.
Lots of lovely sandy tracks to ride as well as through the bush. A mix of walking and some nice canters with plenty to see.
[Olwen from In The Saddle replies - I am so glad that you enjoyed the riding at Bushwillow.]

Judith who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous riding | Felt so comfortable and safe on all the horses I rode. The horses were all well mannered and seemed happy. I loved the simplicity of letting them roam off after riding - what a good idea.
The guides were knowledgeable and fun.

Jo (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The perfect week | The riding exceeded all expectations. The horses were in great condition, knew their job and were so well cared for. The routes took us through the bush, up mountains, through rivers and all the way to our 6'oclock sundowners somewhere beautiful. (ITS comment: We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Bushwillow at Ant's Lodges).

Ali (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Best Holiday Ever | I was so happy to see how well looked after and loved the horses were. All the horses in our group were well schooled, balanced and sure-footed. They knew their job! My horse was a true gentleman and allowed me to concentrate on watching the game - just what I asked for. I wanted to bring him home!

Bob who has been on 14 In The Saddle rides. 6 times in just over 2 years! | The horses are at the heart of Ants and have an amazing team looking after them. Their dedication is obvious.
It was good to go on an Ant ride! 🙂

Peta who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely Fabulous - again! | The great thing about Ants is the variety of horses available. I had my first experience of Friesians this holiday and enjoyed their characters - I rode four different horses during my 10 days - and each one had its own entertaining quirks! They are a lovely solid ride and had beautiful natures.

There is the opportunity to change horse if you don't feel that you are well matched but I chose to go with the flow and rode who I was given.

Chatting to the guides and volunteers you learn how much work goes into keeping the horses fit and well and the stables are there to see should you wish. I love the fact that after each ride the horses are turned out and are free to roam the property, returning home in time for the afternoon ride and/or their breakfast in the morning.

The guides have their own ways and each ride out is different depending upon who takes you. This keeps things fresh for all.

Should you wish a change of pace - faster/slower - you only have to ask and you can be accommodated.

Yvonne (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Horse safari | Being on horse back really is the best way to experience the African bush and to see the game. As the horses roam in the reserve both the horses and the game were very relaxed in each others company and we could get so close to the game. It was a magical experience. The horses are very well schooled, they are happy and relaxed too which makes for a great riding experience.

Anne who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Magical Horseriding Safari - Up close and personal with wildlife | I stayed 8 nights at Bushwillow part of the Ant's Lodges group. The horses are impeccably well cared for and not skittish but forward going. The Guides are brilliant at matching the horse to the rider and their ability. They make every ride interesting and share their incredible knowledge of the wildlife, flora and fauna whilst having plenty of fun riding (depending on the group those experienced will be catered for and may go on separate routes). Small numbers so I didn't feel left out as a solo traveller.

We rode out to different areas twice a day (optional) and had Sundowners at beautiful spots - this is the best bit of the day when you untack your horse and release them into the wild to live with the other animals, whilst you watch the sunset with drinks/snacks in comfy chairs. The horses come back for breakfast in the morning 🙂

We got to ride up to Ant's Hill and Ant's Nest so it was great to see the other Lodges too.
As an experienced rider I was well catered for and enjoyed every single moment and didn't want to leave.

Wendy who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely wonderful | Everybody was so welcoming and helpful. You could tell they enjoyed there jobs.
There is no words to express how wonderful the place and people were.

Monika who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic horse riding safari | Well cared for horses, lovely staff and guides who couldn’t do enough for good. Luxurious accommodation and great food what else can one wish for.

Judy who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic Overall Experience | The team at Ants were great (Bushwillow and Ants Hill). From the start, they said they would "underhorse" us to ensure we were comfortable. We were asked each day if we were happy with our horses and always had options to change horses; it took us a few rides to be matched with horses who were a good match (forward and light). The group sizes were small, and we were matched with comparable riders. We were at the reserve for a total of 10 days, and the staff went out of their way each day to take us to new reserve areas and find animals we hadn't seen. A balance of walks and great canters. They also worked with the weather (lots of rain) to ensure we had a reasonable amount of time in the saddle each day, which sometimes meant changing the schedule to allow us all to get our riding in. We generally had two different horses a day to allow them to rest. Our guide, Ali, at Bushwillow, was outstanding - special mention for him. He was an incredible guide and teacher and fun to be with. Realising how curious we were (From the million questions I'd throw at him), he went out of his way to teach us as much as possible - from insects, tracking, trees, birds and the larger game.

[Abbie from ITS replies: We are so pleased that you had such a great experience at Ant’s Lodges and enjoyed a special Christmas in South Africa. Thank you for taking the time to submit your review].

Denise (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing and magical experience | The riding was beyond expectations, the going was easy and flat. Horses was well behaved and beautiful schooled and knew their job.
Saddles was very comfortable, found my favourite horse Duke the Dun. Love him.
Amber the main guide was of very high standard in knowledge of all the wildlife and more.
Everyone was so helpful and friendly, had such a blast and many laughs.
It is the best way to see the animals on horseback and amazing gallops amongst them.
Hopefully will be back when they have introduced the cheetahs.