Berit who has been on 14 In The Saddle rides. Good | My horse had problems with the bridle, nodding his head constantly. On the last day the guide admitted that they needed to try with another bridle for him. Would have been nice if this was dealt with earlier.

In general , the Riding was great! Well aligned group of horses and felt safe all the time. Many long canters but always controlled.

The guide and the hosting family (with all services, lunches, dealing with horses etc) was great! Perfect english knowledge and did their best to please our needs:)

Orsolya who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Great value for money, lovely scenery | The scenery was beautiful. I didn’t find the riding very challenging and perhaps a bit too slow for my taste, but of course I appreciate the terrain wasn’t always suitable for canters. Based on the description I’d say I expected a more challenging and faster ride, but overall I was still happy with my trip and enjoyed my week here. I did wish we left a bit earlier in the day- often we didn’t get on the horses until 11am-ish, which meant that we rode in the hottest part of the day.

Alison who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A good riding experience | These are working horses and as such were fit and well cared for with the odd knock here and there. My horse suffered from heat stroke one lunchtime and the crew were on it immediately and soon had everything under control. I was impressed by their efficiency in dealing with the issue - this is about the 14th trip I've done so I've seen it all before and have owned horses for more that 40 years so I accept that different countries have differing standards.
This was a good team and they looked after us well.

Christopher who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. One 100% Perfect | Excellent

Katie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Full on itinerary, great, never bored. | It was faster paced than most of the other trails I’ve done, I am glad I did this one. I loved the horse I was matched with & he was so responsive to the slightest touch. Felt completely safe on him. Thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Just be aware you need to be experienced to do this ride.
Excursions were great change as well.

Telly (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Bulgaria caves and waterfalls | Excellent

Michelle (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. | This mainly run business was very well organised and thought of in its itinerary. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. My horse was fit and responsive. The rides pushed me and I felt over the week I became a more confident and comfortable rider. There was loads of riding and it was fast paced, there was nothing boring about any of it. The day excursions were interesting and a nice mix in with the rides.

I felt challenged on this ride which is exactly what I wanted. A good mix of ascents/descents and open plains.

Ray who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Couldn't have asked for better | It was outstanding; The combination of fast pace on well trained horses riding freely over stunning countryside was truly a treat.

Tamra (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Caves, Castles and long canters | I was barely up to the rigors of this ride. It was strenuous with long long canters through the beautiful countryside. But, my daughter and friend were more fit and thus able to enjoy the longer faster pace.
My horse was perfect for me. The family who put on the ride were all genuinely concerned about my safely, comfort and joy. I also loved the tours and the camaraderie among the riders. It was an adventure I will always treasure.

Nina who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely amazing riding! | The riding exceeded my expectations. This is the best trail ride I've ever done.
The horses are perfectly trained and all the riders loved their horses. They are very forward going and extremely responsive.
The pace of the riding is excellent. Lots of lovely long canters and often there is lots of space, you dont need to canter nose to tail. You pick your own line in the fields.
The western style of riding is awesome as you never get tired, it's so comfy.
The scenery is stunning! It changes everyday from pine forests to sunflower and corn fields to mountain views, then pretty villages.
The family that looks after you all week are some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. I felt like i was part of the family while I was there. Super friendly and caring.

Jennifer who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. The best countryside for riding! | The countryside is perfect for riding, huge open spaces, no gates or fences. The riding was varied, sometimes we rode along tracks, up and down steep paths to cross valleys, cantered across long flat fields and clattered through seemingly empty villages. There was a lot of cantering and the canters were much longer than we can do in the UK which made for a fantastic ride overall, I really enjoyed it. The itinerary was perfect with exactly the right number of hours in the saddle and cultural trips so that by the time we got to the fourth and longest days riding it didn't seem nearly as difficult as we were expecting. We did not gallop but once Maria was happy we had control of our horses we cantered as a group across the fields and the horses behaved impeccably. Some of the horses did have back sores but the care given to the horses at every stop reassured me that they were receiving the highest standard of care. Numnahs/saddlecloths and tack was in good condition and was changed promptly to ensure the horses comfort at all times. Lots of reviews say this is a ride where you need to be fit and experienced, I didnt find the ride too difficult, I rode once a week before i went for a couple of hours and was fine in Bulgaria, the horses are forward going but sensible. I rode with loose reins all week. The canters are long and sitting in the saddle, push your feet forward Western style, relax and remember to breathe! A ride for fit experienced riders but I wouldn't have said fast paced, definitely not 75% canter as one review has written.

Harald who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Balkan Rides - Balkan National Park - Nice horses, exellent and serviceminded guides | It could have been a little more galloping

Kate who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Wonderfully exhilarating | The riding on this holiday was fabulous. Fast but safe. 2km canters were quite normal.
The horses were all extremely well schooled and responsive.
The flies were a problem for both horses and riders but nobody could have predicted that.
We rode through stunningly beautiful countryside

Simon who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Riding was one of the best I have ever had.

Sandy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Beautiful countryside with lots of Canters! | Our rides were great! The wildflowers and countryside were beautiful. We loved the horses and how fit they were. We had lots of great canters and loved riding through the oat and sunflower fields.

Virginia who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Magnificent | Exceeded all expectations..brilliant guides, fantastic horses..gloriously varied riding country

Susie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The best team looking after us | Maria Monica and Rossan were an exceptional team looking after us. Very professional fun and really fun to be with. All the horses were great, the picnics they provided were yummy.

Places we stayed had brat mineral pools and swimming pools plus two very good massages.

Thoroughly enjoyed the riding - I loved my horse Priam. Light mouthed, very comfortable, loved riding him and we passed through some amazing country.

Rose (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Kingdom of Thracians | Excellent

Tanya who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous horses, views and hotels | The riding was faster than I expected, given that we also packed in a lot of climbing. The faster paces were all over appropriate terrain and the guide spent a lot of time checking that all the riders were ok and felt safe.

equiphile who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. Lovely scenery and swimming! | Not getting off horses back while cantering and trotting downhill - need to get used to.

Mette who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Great! | The riding was in a beautiful area with stunning views. The service was terrific, Maria, Alexander and Monica are great and take very good care of their guests. I asked for and got the same horse as on our previous visit and was very happy with him again: forward going, sure footed and very comfortable. And a sweet horse as well. The horses get along very well too, so there is no kicking each other, overtaking each other, or anything like that. Would recommend this trip to other guests.