Jade who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Ant’s Nest / Ant’s Hill | I just came back from my holidays at Ant’s Nest / Ant’s Hill in South Africa. I have had such a wonderful time, one of the best holidays I have ever had to be honest.
As a solo woman traveler, I was a bit anxious of the unknown (it was the first time that I traveled by myself) but everything was organised perfectly and I felt very safe.
I met wonderful people (guests/ guides/hosts) and the riding and the horses were amazing.
This is an adventure/a holiday that touched my heart. The connection to nature and to such a peaceful environment had a huge impact on me.

I really wanted to thank in the Saddle for taking care of my booking and answering all my questions and for proposing such a wonderful trip. And of course thank you to Ant Baber.

Vivien who has been on 39 In The Saddle rides. Perfect, relaxing holiday | I was given a wonderful horse to ride for most of the rides, an ex-racehorse called Nala. She was perfect, fast and powerful and beautifully re-schooled. She was super-polite and you just needed to ask her once to do something by shifting your seat (very soft mouth) and she obliged. A real credit to Amanda's training and I felt very honoured to ride her. We had some fab fast, long and windy canters. The other horses I rode were lovely too! Being able to be so close to the wildlife on the rides is very special as they are used to grazing with the horses, a USP of Ants I feel.

Karolyn who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Winter sun | Like many horse safaris, it's mostly walk or canter, no trot. The wildlife is very habituated, so you can make a lot of noise and still get up close to most things. Ideal first horse safari.
The guides didn't ask what I wanted and just assumed that if you could canter, you would want to and the faster the better.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback, I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed your return to Ant's Lodges.]

Kristin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Safari on horseback | Steady, good horses well acquainted with the terrain, and they knew what was expected of them.

Angie who has been on 22 In The Saddle rides. My 4th visit and I will be going back again and again | Lovely and varied with a fast and furious ride out with Ant.

[Abbie from ITS replied: We're thrilled that you had yet another great holiday at Ant's Lodges. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us].

who has been on In The Saddle rides. Relaxing and fun riding among wildlife | My third visit to Ants so knew what to expect, including one ride with Ant himself which is full-on!
Unfortunately my 'favourite' horse Xai-Xai was in quarantine after his annual AHS vaccination which was disappointing and I didn't quite fall in love again, though the other horses I rode were all good.
These must be among the happiest horses ever - as once you finish the ride and stop for your sundowner or brunch the tack comes off and the horses make their own way home, so the rhinos, buffalos and other wildlife are very used to them and vice versa. They turn up at the stables for supper or breakfast where they compete with the local warthogs for their food!!!!!

Sarah (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Incredible experience | Well schooled horses for the riding, the guides knowledge was exceptional and provided brilliant information on the wildlife.
They checked on riders and comfort with horses provided during and after every ride, nothing was to much hassle. The riding experience was fantastic.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your holiday to Ant's and thank you very much for leaving feedback.]

Colette who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful horses, wildlife and people. | The Ants team were so welcoming, flexible and very friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. They look after their animals so well and are the horses are responsive yet footsure. The lodge was beautiful and having our meals in different place felt really special. And the standard of food was excellent. Could not fault the holiday. An amazing place.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback and we are so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed your holiday to Ant's]

Karan who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Beyond You’re Expectations!! | Stunning well behaved horses, extremely well looked after. Very fit albeit a “Go faster stick” was required on a couple of occasions….lol

Karon who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Incredible | On day one I injured my back. Gutted. But the lovely staff at Ants took out a more gentle ride and ensured I was okay all the way through the holiday ensuring if I wanted to ride I could, which I did everyday. So grateful for that.

Ann (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) We were in the barn and saw the horses being fed. The horses have their temperature checked twice a day, and ticks removed. And new shoes every 6 weeks.
The horses' body is slightly thinner than in Denmark, but most horses in Denmark also have overweight 🙂
The horses here were fit, lean and in good shape.

Sandra who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic experience. A very high standard of accommodation, food, activities, staff and guides. Well cared for horses with excellent temperaments. | Amazing experience!
We were riding for five to six hours a day and made comfortable by staff making sure the saddle was a correct fitting for each of us. Every day we rode a different trail, which combined meandering through the bush with plenty of exciting canters along sandy tracks. On all the rides we were accompanied by two friendly and expert guides (one in front and one behind), who were very knowledgeable about flora and fauna, and were always able to find the wild animals. They were very accommodating and made sure we got good photos opportunities. We were well matched with our horses and we were able to change to a different one if we felt like a change. It was obvious that the horses were well cared for and well trained for this environment. There were opportunities to do non riding activities such as the Night time Sky safari, with Dr Philip, which was truly inspiring. All staff at both Nest and Hill lodge were fantastic. We had the most exceptional stay and we are already planning our return.

Sadie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. The most wonderful holiday! | Fast fun riding on super fit horses, made sure everyone was safe and happy. Opportunity to ride different horses. The guides were fantastic with my son having assessed his ability allowed him to ride on all the fast rides!

Lizzy who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Wonderfull | Horses were lovely to ride and impeccably trained. They adjusted so we could ride the faster horses which was appreciated. Exceeded expectations.

Judith who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. Riding with Ant | Love it that the horses make their own way back home and live in the bush. It definitely makes a difference how close you get to the wildlife especially comparing with Macatoo. Last day we had the privilege of riding with Ant over land he has recently bought – great long canter on old airstrip, and great fun with this larger than life character.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed the riding at Ant's :-)]

Jane who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. Ants Census Ride : South Africa | Thrilling riding - it more than met expectations. There was lots of cantering and challenging riding through difficult terrain.

Angelika who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Dreams come true | It”s always the most fun and sometimes challenging when I ride with Ant. When Ant isn't on a horse there is no one to fill that gap for the Nest riders. I was lucky and rode with him on every day he was in the saddle that made up for the days he wasn’t. I’m very happy but also said this at Ants. The Alpha for the Nest riders when Ant isn’t there needs to be determined in my opinion

Katrine who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Game Census Week | Really varied. A lot of walk and some fast canters. However, my horse preferred to trot, which made it less comfortable. However, it was quite sure on its feet unlike another horse I tried. It was often the case that we had to ride quickly to a place and then wait for a longer time, which is to be expected based on the conditions of this holiday.

Eve (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) AMAZING! | A truly unforgettable experience from the riding, the scenery, the hosts, the massages, the food, the drink, the weather! Faultless and magical. Thank you!

[Abbie from ITS replies: So happy that you enjoyed your safari at Ant's Lodges. We really appreciate your feedback, thank you.]

Tina (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Great adventure | I brought my 11 year old son. None of us could ride before the holiday. The guides at the resort were great teachers and now both me and my son can canter. It was a great way to do a safari as we got really close to the animals.

[Abbie from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your feedback. It's great to hear how much you enjoyed your holiday and that your riding progressed so quickly - well done!].

Lou who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing! | Exceeded expectations. As a non rider at time of booking, Uk lessons paid dividends and allowed me to comfortably ride alongside much more experienced riders

Ruth who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. An unforgettable experience | My current physical limitations mean that I need frequent changes of pace and this wasn't always possible because of the nature of the terrain and/or the group I was with. This is in no way a reflection on the guides or organisation: they did their very best to accommodate my needs and the way in which everyone from complete beginners to experienced riders was catered for was truly remarkable.

Ase who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Famtastic | Excellent

Amanda who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Incredible experience riding alongside wildlife | Good mix of wildlife viewing from horseback (got very close) and fast exhilarating canters on long sandy tracks.
Extremely fit horses and rides are tailored to your ability. Riders are split based on experience and the type of ride you want, guides are brilliant at catering for all levels.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the riding at Ant's!]

Brigitte who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. The most wonderful riding holiday I have ever been on. It’s going to be hard to beat. | The horses were so well trained. Forward but calm (even when we were charged by an elephant).

Mike (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing | Absolutely loved it and felt myself progress a lot as a rider across the week. Horses in amazing condition and very well-managed.

George (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Absolutely Amazing! | The variety was fantastic and the guides were the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

Suzanne who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Best Holiday! | They divided the groups to riding ability, a fast group & a slower group. You would have 2-6 riders per group (not more than 6, usually 4) with a guide behind. They would move horses around in the group if needed so everyone could get wonderful gallops, not behind a slower horse (or rider). If someone in the group decided they wanted to go a bit slower on some of the long gallops, the back guide would stay with them at the pace they felt most comfortable at. After the morning ride or the sundowner ride, you unsaddle the horses and they life along side all the animals. It was so incredible to be able to ride your horse so close to the animals, just being part of the herds. You had two horses, one for the morning ride and one for the evening ride. They were so cared for. Two of the guides horses were 30 years old, you would have thought they were 7 years olds, so full of life! I just can't say enough about the horses and the riding!
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: I'm so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the riding! The horses are so loved at Ant's.]

Verne who has been on 27 In The Saddle rides. exceeded expectations in every way | great care was taken to listen and provide appropriate horses and paces and we felt well looked after on the rides

Maggie who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. What can I say-just amazing! | We all found perfect horses suited to our ability-particularly for Steve who hadn’t ridden since we were last at Ants in 2017 and he is not an experienced rider -he found Morocco who was such a gem. Steve rode every ride morning and evening and really enjoyed it!
We had a lovey mix of some fast rides with Ant and some more relaxed. Sophie adored Jack and Fugly and especially the speedy rides!
The horses were all amazingly looked after -a credit to Amanda

Sara who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely fantastic in every way | I am always in an odd group as I am quite experienced but I don’t want to go on a flat out gallop all the time. I like to have a ride that includes lots of game viewing and information. So sometimes I fall between the groups and have to choose - either exhaust myself and go on the ‘fast ride’ or go on the slow ride and have much shorter canters etc. I chose the slower and I had a lovely time. I would probably chose to go a bit faster and canter a bit longer but I made my choice and I had the best time. I had a fabulous horse - a Boerperd who used to be one of the fasted but is getting a bit older and he was amazing ..as fast as I wanted and completely controllable and (very important) very comfortable.
We went as a group of 2 friends and we couldn’t have had better companions in the Gorvett family. We got on brilliantly and enjoyed each other’s company.
The team at Ants Nest were amazing. The food was the best ever - delicious and so much of it. The guides were fantastic and we saw the animals so close up.
Everything was absolutely wonderful - the best holiday yet.
Thank you

Carol who has been on 14 In The Saddle rides. Fifth visit - I think that says it all! | Fabulous horses and great rides