Sara (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Exhilarating ride with exceptional guides and horses | We always look for riding holidays that are fast paced, and this one definitely delivered! My horse was one of the best steeds I've had the pleasure of riding; he was responsive, fast, and we connected with each other so well.

We couldn't have asked for a better guide in Batana. There were a couple of people in the group who had less riding experience, but Batana did an excellent job managing expectations of riders with different levels of confidence. He ensured that for those who wanted to go fast (the majority of us) got to do just that while keeping safety in mind. My favorite moments were the long gallops across the valleys as well as riding through birch tree forests and wildflowers.

The lead herdsman, Gana, clearly knows his horses and has trained them well. His energy, laughter and smiles were contagious. It's amazing how much he knows the territory and weather patterns; there was one day where we were able to dodge isolated rain for almost the entire time on horseback, all thanks to Gana!
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the riding in Mongolia.]

Tam who has been on 23 In The Saddle rides. A unique riding adventure in a land of horses | You need to suspend 'soft' British pre-conceptions about riding and horse care on this trip and be adaptable to whatever might happen but for me that's a big positive!

The horses may live wild all winter, but really seemed to understand their job when on the trail and mine (nicknamed Bryan as they aren't given names) didn't put a foot wrong while I was riding him (although he did decide to go off exploring one night with the horse he was hobbled with, which caused some consternation and meant we had to ride with the yak carts the following day while Bryan and friend were found and retrieved!)

As the notes say, you do need to be fit enough to trot/canter for 20mins (or more) at a time and be confident enough to do that over rough terrain and up and down hills - I think time spent at a walk was mainly for our benefit as the guides and horses would run all day. You don't necessarily need to stand in the stirrups like the Mongols the whole time though.

Nicole who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Exceeded expectations! | Lots of fun fast riding
The horses had great stamina
Varied terrain river crossings. We rode 5 to 7 hours most days
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your lovely feedback, we are so pleased you enjoyed the ride.]

Robert who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic riding experience | Exceeded expectations - a combination of walking through beautiful forests combined with fast (and prolonged) riding across the steppes.
A fantastic riding experience - some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever experienced with great guides and sensible forward going horses that never put a foot wrong - just get used to standing up for all paces! The In The Saddle team couldn't have been more helpful and I recommend following their packing suggestions very closely including the fours seasons sleeping bag! Should also mention that the food was very good which came as a pleasant surprise as Mongolian cuisine was billed as one of the less strong points of the country. The Naadam Games were great with displays of archery, wrestling and, of course, riding.