Breath of the Highlands
5 July 2024
Breath of the Highlands
29 July 2023
Susie who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Incredible holiday | The riding was incredible.
Fantastic forward going well trained ponies and great fun to ride the different gates of tolt and to get a go at the flying pace.
Gracina who was our ride leader was exceptional. She briefed us every time we rode a new pony (I rode 9) and advised on their way of going and how to get the most out of them.
Super people skills too. Very definitely in charge but caring and great company.
Helga the co owner of Hestasport also rode with us and was equally supportive.
Amazing to ride with the herd. Not an opportunity you get to take many times in your life.
Breath of the Highlands
29 July 2023
Derry who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Magical! | What an incredible week riding a selection - 9 in total - of fantastic, big-hearted, sure-footed, forward going, comfortable and well trained Icelandic horses through some wonderful and varying landscapes. Experiencing the tolt for the first time and riding with the herd are experiences that I will never forget.
Our guide - Gracina - was the best. An exceptional rider whose love for the horses was obvious. We were briefed every time we changed horses so that we knew what to expect and could have the best ride possible. Always in control but lots fun and great company at the same time. We were very well looked after by the whole Hestasport team.
Breath of the Highlands
1 July 2023
Rachael who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. The most magical, special, unique experience! | The riding was amazing. Riding nine different ponies over the week enabled me to experience different expressions of the Tolt, this is now my favourite gait.
I was impressed by how well cared for the ponies were & how happy they were too.
We had a few long canters & a couple of gallops,but riding in the highland scenery was special
Breath of the Highlands
1 July 2023
Bob who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. One of the Best | I rode 9 different ponies during the course of the holiday and whilst obviously I liked some more than others they were all enjoyable/challenging in their own ways, and they were clearly very well cared for.
Breath of the Highlands
25 June 2022
Adrian who has been on 23 In The Saddle rides. Breath of the highlands | Great horses , well matched to riding abilities . Hosts were great and the whole holiday experience was without fault .
[In The Saddle - thank you for your review and so glad you enjoyed Iceland. Olwen]
Breath of the Highlands
25 June 2022
Barbara who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. Constant smiles despite the weather! | A great selection of forward going Icelandic horses which were all easy to handle from the ground and when being ridden. As expected, some were more comfortable than others, but as we changed horses part way through the day this was not an issue. I never cease to be amazed by the willingness, stamina and sure footedness of the Icelandic Horse.
[In The Saddle - we are so pleased you enjoyed this great adventure in Iceland]
Breath of the Highlands
25 June 2022
Leila who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Breath of the Highlands - Iceland | Excellent
Breath of the Highlands
25 June 2022
Cynthia who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Tolting through the Storms! | The trip was great … it was only the unusually horrible weather which put a damper on it. It was a testament to the thrill of the experience that it was exhilarating to ride through gale-force winds and pelting sleet on for several hours on a barren mountaintop!
The hosts and guides were lovely. They really went above and beyond. The horses were simply perfect - hardy, well-mannered, varied in their forwardness (in a good way), and steady.
The food was sometimes great, sometimes a bit boring. The packed lunches perhaps could’ve had a bit more variety. But It could be that Iceland is limited on what they can offer in home cooking, so I’m not sure that could be any different.
The cottages were very comfortable. And having the 24 daylight was amazing!
[Olwen from In The Saddle - thank you for your great feedback on riding in Iceland. So glad you enjoyed the experience despite the weather!]
Breath of the Highlands
25 June 2022
Rosemary who has been on 41 In The Saddle rides. I love the tolt! | I loved this holiday in spite of the 'four seasons in one day' for which I think it's fair to say I was not fully prepared in spite of thinking I had packed enough warm clothes. I think I wore most of my clothes in one day on one or two days - mainly due to the wind - so thank goodness for the orange waterproofs supplied! (And I am also now the proud possessor of an Icelandic jumper.) I loved riding these beautiful horses - and the tolt must be the most comfortable gait ever. (We also briefly sampled the flying pace - it just made me laugh!) To ride in front of or behind a herd of some 40 horses was a joy and the horses are so chilled - some would just come up to you to say hello as you wended your way through them to meet your next horse to ride. Stark and stunning volcanic scenery too.
Ann who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous | Lovely kind and able horses.