Jean who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Perfection | The riding was superb. It is fine to change to a different horse if for any reason you were not completely satisfied

Shirley who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Holiday of a lifetime | Wonderful staff who genuinely cared for the horses. The guides were knowledgable and interesting, and also had our safety as a priority. I liked that there was a limit of 6 horses on one ride, and the guides kept an eye on us at all times, great to have a leader and backmarker.

I appreciated the regular times we had meals and rode, it felt very well managed.

Karen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Ticked every box for a great holiday | I was an anxious rider as have had a few bad experiences and not ridden in a long while . I was matched with a horse that within minutes I knew was going to look after me .After a few days my confidence grew and I took to riding numerous horses in my stride and enjoyed every minute.
[In The Saddle - we are so glad that you enjoyed the riding at Ant's]

Sarah who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic experience | An incredible experience given how close we were able to get to the animals and superb guides with great tracking skills and knowledge

Rachel who has been on 28 In The Saddle rides. Gorgeous place with wonderful people | Ants are normally really good at not mixing ability groups but this time they had so many different levels that we were in a mixed group for more rides than was ideal. The guides did their best to manage this so we still got good canters. It just wasnt quite as perfect as normal, in that one aspect. Still wonderful horses and brilliant knowledgeable guides who are so lovely and great at spotting all the animals.

Christine who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. Excellent holiday | Riding was excellent and the guides as well. Full of knowledge about everything.

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!

Janet who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. It was as amazing as the first time…maybe slightly better | The staff listen and safety is paramount. I felt safe, comfortable and was stretched a little out of my comfort zone which I needed. I asked to help at the stables and was given the opportunity to learn some basics.

Bob who has been on 12 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.

Ali (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Like a dream- Just amazing- what an experience! | It is a tough life for the horses, but we loved the fact that they are let out to run in the reserve and they are well cared for- we were encouraged to watch them being fed and groomed, which we did and enjoyed - the quality of their hay and amount of hard feed given was great, plus the individual attention given to each horse was excellent.

Carla (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Memorable riding adventures | Riding was fun most of the time and it’s an incredible experience to ride within the habitat of and get so close to the wild animals and be part their world at the reserve.
The guides and volunteers were interesting, knowledgable, humorous and did everything they could to create a great experience for the guests.
They work incredibly hard to make the reserve run smoothly and work well.

Joanna (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing experience | Excellent

Mark who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing time with wonderful horses in a beautiful place | Wonderful fast canters for those like me that wanted it, but equally very respectful and accommodating for those who wanted a slower pace. We got so close to the animals, just amazing!

Carla who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A brilliant week | This was my second time at Ant's Nest and it gets better and better. All the staff are very professional, the lodge manager is extremely well organised, I rode my favourite horse from last year - and was introduced to a new favourite. Many opportunities to canter with beautiful scenery and animals close-up. Can't ask for more.

Sara who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Another wonderful trip to Ant’s Nest | As always the team at Ants took care to match the riders with the horses. I have a particular favourite and was allocated this horse .. much to my delight.
There had been huge amounts of rain in the period before we arrived and the ground was very boggy, so we had to take special care to avoid ‘sticky’ ground.
The guides and all the staff were professional and helpful.

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].

Karen who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Best Holiday Ever! | The riding at Ant's is such a wonderful experience the staff want to make every aspect of your stay as special as they can and the horses seem to enjoy the rides as much as we do!

Sara (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) My dream South African adventure | The riding was excellent. I’m not particularly riding fit, so was mainly matched with others of the same ability. I always felt in control. The horses are very well cared for and I felt that every horse was suited to me and my ability.
The guides were very knowledgeable and tailored the rides to the group requests. They knew where to look for certain animals and we were able to get up close to many of them. The guides and volunteers were all beyond my expectations and I have learned so much about South Africa.
I asked about swimming with the horses, and they made this happen twice, which was one of my highlights.

Jane who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful time; everything we could have hoped for - luxury accommodation, friendly staff and great company. | Yes as we knew it was not riding with the big 5 but we went for the luxury accommodation and was not disappointed had a great selection of people .

Nathalie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Exceeded my (already high) expectations | The riding exceeded my expectations as I was able to build upon the confidence I'd gained last year on my first trip. I never felt unsafe but I was also allowed to go on faster rides, which was exhilarating. I still miss the horse that I rode that week and a photo of me riding him is now the background photo on my phone so it brings back happy memories every time I look at it.
[Olwen from In The Saddle replies - I am so glad that you enjoyed your return visit to Ant's Lodges]

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.

Emma who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Once in a life time trip! | Beautiful selection of horses. Ant's team listened and were good at selecting the right horses for us.

Sarah Jane (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Lifetime memories | The riding was totally amazing, some of the tracks were challenging with very varied terrain, fabulous wildlife encounters and stunning views!

Debbie who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Ants Nest, South Africa - Perfect | The riding was fantastic . Many people who visit here are very competent riders and ride/compete/hunt daily, however I am an older rider who rides once a week and the riding pace was built up gradually to deal with some anxiety at the start of the week and horses were given to me which matched my confidence levels very well. I rode my most favourite horse many times in the week which was wonderful.

[Abbie from ITS replies: It was a pleasure to arrange your holiday. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your return visit to Ant's Lodges].

Kate who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Good | I was suprised at the amount of cantering - especially given how hard the ground was. The horses all seemed quite happy with it though.

Keith (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Safari on horseback | It met my expectations and more all the guides and training was perfect