Jessica (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Kyrgzstan Trek B | I was worried about not being riding fit due to work/travel commitments prior to the trip but the riding was very managable with plenty of breaks and the option to walk for periods if needed. I really enjoyed that you had the same horse for the whole ride so you got to build up a bond.

Roy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) An unusual ride to remember | Very good horses, strong and enduring, steady in the steeper mountains and canyons.
Some days took longer than planned, mainly due to an accident on day 3 where two persons fell off under gallop and from then we took it more slowly.

Nice mix of various terrain, a bit boring sometimes when we had many days of flat plains.

In general, the culture of caring for the horses is totally different from what we are used to in western Europe, but the horses we rode were very well taken care of. Yann seem to be a serious operator.

Randi who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. An experience, but wouldn`t do it again | The horses were all quite strait forward with actually with no need, nor possibility to make any special adjustments. Decent trekking horses and impressive climbers.

As expected mostly walking. Some of the landscape quite boring with long "endless" hills.

I quess the horses were well cared for by Kyrgyz standards, but clearly below what would be considered normal in Europe. In general, it was necessary to turn a blind eye to several animal welfare issues along the way. And I’m not among the overly sensitive ones

Mathilde (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The relationship and conditions with the horses are different as they are working animals, but our horses were well treated and our guide was aware of how they were doing. We had a spare horse with us who was lame from the start, who should not have been with us as the terrain was rough and the horse was not feeling better. Fortunately, it was taken home along the way.

In general, they were some beautiful and good horses that were reliable and had personality

Janet who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Loved my ponio! | The horses were amazing - they knew their job and were very sure footed in all types of terrain.
They knew the 'rules' and were not going to stray away from the herd!
From my personal view I would have preferred to ride shorter distances and trot more as opposed to walk most of the time - but I did realise I was signing up for a trek at mostly walk

Helen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fabulous!! | The horses were great, sure footed and knew their jobs. Neck reined and ridden on the buckle end. They literally did not put a hoof wrong. Don’t expect well schooled horses but they know their job perfectly and you quickly learn to trust them and their ability over some very tricky terrain. Saddles were comfortable for long hours. The terrain is tough going. Vertigo sufferers will struggle with the sheer drops and narrow paths etc. and definitely worth getting as fit as possible before hand as there are some tough parts done on foot.

Lidia who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. One of the best holiday experience ever done | Excellent

Marion (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing landscapes of Kyrgyzstan | I kind of missed the variety of riding. Of the 7 days on horseback, we only galloped on one day, the rest being walk.

Martine (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The horses were super strong and sure on their "feet".
Very different terrain, including steep descents and ascents.
You must be comfortable with heights and steep mountain sides to participate in this ride. In addition, have reasonable/good fitness and be a steady rider! This is important for your own and the group's safety, and to ensure that everyone has a good trip 🙂
Nothing to complain about in terms of tack. Comfortable saddles, sweet and lovely horses and a super guide!
Amazing scenery - I will definitely go back one day!

Henrik (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) It was an absolutely fantastic trip. When I don't score top on the riding, it is because the trip took place 95% in walk. It was far, far away in most places to choose the right (necessary) pace, as the paths were steep and narrow. In some places, however, the terrain seemed very suitable for trotting or cantering, but we didn't get the chance. We had three canters in 8 days.
It does not change the fact that the trip was exceptional and I would definitely recommend it. You just need to know that it is a trip through a very beautiful mountain landscape, where the means that this is more a transport on horseback more than an actual horse ride, where the focus is on technical or fast riding. But with this in mind, I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who likes beautiful nature and a look into an original nomadic culture.

Olwen who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Brillliant | Excellent

Mike who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. First class mountain equestrian experience | For someone who has a head for heights, is fit, can trust a horse 110%, enjoys outdoor pursuits, is passionate about nature (geology, botany, zoology, physical geography, hydrology, weather), loves to experience culture not influenced (too much) by globalization, and wants to meet friendly locals THIS IS THE RIDE FOR YOU.

Caroline (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Holiday far exceeded expectations - we had an epic time | Riding was as described. 80% of the time you are at the walk as you are negotiation mountain terrain, steep and narrow tracks. One day we had very long and quite fast canters as we were in a wide open valley with fantastic sandy going.

Suzy who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. An amazing adventure. Quite demanding with high rewards | The horses all looked really well although many had scars from tack rubbing but this may well have not been the current owner. Life is tough in Kyrgyzstan and it is important to leave behind our western softee approach to loving our horses as part of our family. It is clear that Helene care very much about the welfare of her horses.

Alexandra (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Adventurous, exhausting and beautiful | The first 3 days were very long (8 hours riding), but that was not the fault of the operator. 3 riders in the group couldn't keep up the pace at the beginning. It was really exhausting to arrive that late at the camp. But after a good talk they managed to keep up and we actually had some time to relax in the afternoon.
What I really missed was more information about the region, flora and fauna. When asked Helen answered the questions, but it could have been so much more.
Otherwise it was a really good ride and I can absolutely recommend it.
Helen is a very competend guide and the horses are in good shape and are well treated.