Kimberly who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic adventure in the beautiful Sahara | The riding was incredible. We did walk for quite some time but it was interspersed with a few trots, lots of canters and a long gallop or two each day. The horses were well cared for however the tack was tired and worn for some. I ride twice a week and have done lots of trail rides and for the first time got saddle sore. The saddle was a dressage style saddle and I think it was not ideally suited to trail riding on reflection. The horse did not show any sign of soreness - they had great padded saddle pads. Taking a saddle saver would help enormously, as one of the other riders did.
The bridle on my horse was changed from a plain snaffle to one with a curb chain and my horse (Neptune) hated it. It was changed because he was extremely fresh and strong the first couple of days. He did settle with the new bridle but I did wonder if it didn't fit properly because it led to the horse losing a tooth! The guides were very responsive to any comments about tack but they were limited in what they had.

Sue who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Horses Dunes and Nomads | This was my first time riding outside Europe and l was a bit apprehensive. However, l was persuaded by my friends to give it a go and l was so pleased l did.

The horses were gorgeous and very fit. I hadn't ridden a stallion before so wasn't sure what to expect but l fell in love with Rahil who looked after me so well.

The riding was fast and we galloped over long distances several times each day. I was completely blown away by the desert landscape and the wide-open spaces in which we could gallop. It was very different to riding in Europe. The ever-changing desert scenery was magnificent.

The guides were extremely professional and l felt very safe with them. Also, the backup crew were fantastic and produced delicious, healthy food every lunchtime.

I hadn't appreciated just how cold it was at night in the desert as the Riads don't have any heating. I went to bed wearing about 6 layers of clothing! However, during the day the temperature was around 15 degrees, so no coat was required.

Breakfast and the evening meals were pretty much the same every day but this wasn't a problem. I was pleased with the quantity of fruit and veg that was provided.

I wore padded pants during the ride but l still had quite a bit of chafing (l think quite a few of the other riders did too). I'll definitely be buying a seat saver for my next riding holiday.

Claudia who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Great Ride | This riding holiday has proven to be one of my favourites so far. The horses were well cared for and a joy to ride. They are nearly all stallions so care has to be taken in the handling and riding but they are well behaved and as most of the riding is in wide open spaces it is easy to maintain the distances needed. The riding was a mix of walking as the terrain often dictated either being too rocky or over amazing but deep sand dunes but included some long, long canters over dry river beds and flatter ground and the variety of scenery and riding, particularly on the longest day in the saddle (around 6 1/2 hours ) was truly amazing! I really enjoyed the riding here and will be back! The team look after you well.

Eloise who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Riding, landscape and food exceeded my expectations | Plenty of canters and some gallops interspersed with walking through a variety of spectacular scenery. Strongly advise taking a seat saver and padded pants as several hours in the saddle each day!

Cosy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic | Overall, I loved it and had a fantastic week.

It took me about a day and a half to get the hang of my horse - he was very different to the one I have been riding (for the last 17 years!) - but was great. He took care of me - particularly at speed - and he liked to be in the front!

There was quite a lot more walking that I'd expected from the ride description but the pace was understandable (& Rashid did explain) - given the heat. I wonder if it would be an idea to mention this in the ride description.

The terrain was much more varied than I'd expected and I loved it.

Riding in a group of 6 stallions added an extra dimension as we couldn't get too close to each other. It was good to have been warned to keep a good distance.

Laura who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Epic fun and escapism in the desert | The horse I initially had turned out to be too slow and kept jerking its head constantly, so the guide, Rashid offered to swap his horse with me. This was much better and I had a great time riding thereafter.
Rashid went out of his way to make sure we were all happy, even taking a horse back to base to swap for another rider. He was cheerful and fun and always happy to answer questions.

I had been expecting a faster pace as per the ride description. I understand the pace was judged on the heat & terrain of the day. However, I would suggest the ride description is tweaked slightly to make it clear the ride can be more like 90% walking.

[Olwen from In The Saddle - I'm not sure why you experienced a slower than normal ride. This is normally a ride with lots of fast gallops. We will see if we can find out the reason - perhaps it was unusually hot when you were there?]

Sarah who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A magical adventure | Absolutely fantastic trip – it was the adventure of a lifetime. The horses were superb – fit, well-schooled and responsive. Everything was extremely well-thought through in terms of logistics and our needs, which is no mean feat in the desert! Our guide was knowledgable and matched us brilliantly with our horses, and the support team were great too. The riads we stayed in were great and we were well fed with delicious meals throughout.

Bob who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Fun in the Wind | The horses were all excellent, certainly forward going but also controllable! They coped amazingly well in the (higher than expected) winds we encountered

Birgit who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Unforgettable | Good

Alexis who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic faster ride | I had a great time. I was impressed by how fit & well behaved the horses were. There was a variety of terrain and we walked in deep sand or rockier, volcanic areas, but there were lots of opportunities for long, flowing canters in the dry lake bed & river beds. Abdel was a great guide, he kept everything running smoothly. I enjoyed the overall pacing - just enough to leave us tired but wanting more!

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your lovely feedback. We are so pleased that you had a great time in the Moroccan desert].

Jorge who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing ride and amazing place | I was assigned one of the best horses I have ridden. A beautiful spirited stallion that kept me on my toes but rewarded me a thousand fold. The gaits on these horses were amazing. You felt like floating in a cloud. That alone made this ride worth it.

Then add an amazing guide, the varied terrain, an awesome rider group, and the great food each night and it made for one of the best horse treks I have done. This may actually be a repeat and I am not a repeat kind of traveller.

Highly recommend.

Tessa who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. A Fantastic Experience | The riding was brilliant with lots of different terrains which I wasn't expecting. The guides were very pleasant and helpful, assisting us in getting the horses ready and again at the end of the day.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thanks for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your holiday in Morocco].

Carole who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Just fabulous. Definitely a bucket list holiday. | Really could not fault. Very interesting all round. Great horses with so much energy yet completely responsive at all paces. Scenery totally enthralling. Would recommend anyone who rides to out this on their ‘to do’ list.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your adventure in Morocco].

Nicola who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. A true adventure | I loved getting to know my horse Atlas and helping to look after him too.

He is a lovely horse. My husband was extremely happy with his horse too and we could spread out and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Lots of walking in the varied terrains and plenty of faster riding too.

Our guides were excellent too and funny.

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Beautiful Desert Riding Holiday | What a great desert riding holiday with wonderful long canters and a couple of fantastic gallops.
The ride started strong and the horses are very fit and happy. There wasn't too much walking on our trip and we got to see beautiful desert landscapes including large dunes.
I would definitely do this trip again or one of the camping trips in the area.

Rosemary (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) An extrodinary experience | Thank you for organizing my travel plans for this truly outstanding trip. There was absolutely noting I could fault although I would have liked a few more canters and a gallop or two. The group was international, and a highly intellectual lot who were determined to enjoy every minute and that is what we did. Many of us plan rides together next year and we cant wait.

[In The Saddle replies: Thanks so much for your feedback. We're delighted that you enjoyed your much anticipated trip to Morocco].

Micheál who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Horses, Dunes & Nomads | Excellent