Judith who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Worth the second trip | Due to very wet weather we had to adapt the trail and therefore did not get to do the long beach gallop. This was an expected amendment but obviously disappointing.
[In The Saddle - you were very unlucky with the weather on your visit to the Wild Coast. I'm glad that overally you enjoyed your adventure. Olwen]

Linda who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic week of riding - fast paced at times along the beaches | All expectations exceeded. Our third visit to The Wild Coast - back with more friends this time. Postponed twice because of Covid. Horses are amazing, sure footed, keen to run on the endless deserted sandy beaches but with brakes. Also foot-sure negotiating rocky rivers and gorges. They are a pleasure to ride and are clearly well loved and cared for. Fantastic to ride along the beaches and cliffs while spotting whales and dolphins. One of our top 3 riding holidays (and we have been on many). Julie-Anne and her team are doing a fantastic job. Mel and Tertia are brilliant guides and dealt with some challenging situations in a professional, caring and friendly way. We laughed a lot!

[Abbie from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased that you enjoyed your return visit to the Wild Coast. Many thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip].

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous Experiences, Not to be missed | I did three rides on this trip which was quite a challenge for my fitness, but it was well worth it. I started off with Ants, I then went to the Wild Coast (Transkei). This is fabulous beach riding at its best and again the horses were fantastic. It is a bit of a step back in time with the accom, but so beautiful place and I highly recommend it. Food was also wholesome but totally acceptable. On all the rides, we have a great group of people. Everyone contributed and will remember these holidays!

Philip who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Qolora Trail Wild Coast South Africa - Cantering along the beaches of the wild coast in South Africa | I have been awaiting two years for this holiday and although at first I was hesitant of the horse that I was given due to his size, thinking that he would be a plodding horse, but I was happily surprised by the way that the horse went and would be more than happy to have a ride on him any day. I can only say that everything has been worth waiting for and nothing could have been any better. The horses, the varied terrain, location, food, guides and other guests.

Patrick who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. A week of adventure into an unspoilt and stunning part of South Africa with fast paced riding. | The ride exceeded our expectations on many levels.
The scenery was stunning with long sandy beaches, rocky foreshores with grassy headlands set against a backdrop of the roar of the Ocean waves. It was all breathtaking and when you thought you couldn't better the view another spectacular scene appeared.
The sure footed nature of the well trained and responsive very fit horses ensured us an excellent riding holiday. They never seemed to tire despite the long hours with many beach long canters. Julie Anne, our host and ride organiser, runs a very slick operation. Our riding guide, Tertia, was excellent taking great care over our safety at all times and in particular on the many river crossings. However she also ensured that a fast pace was maintained with numerous fast long canters during each day. A huge thanks to Julie Anne and her team.

Donna who has been on 34 In The Saddle rides. Fab riding in the sunshine | This was our third visit, which says it all!
Following unprecedented rainfall, we weren't able to fully follow the planned route and instead transferred to the Kob Inn by car and rode the Kob Inn ponies for 2 days whilst our horses remained at Wavecrest. Had a fantastic couple of days riding from KCob Inn which hadn't been expected!
I rode 3 of Julie Anne's horses in addition, which was great to have some variety whilst Phil's horse just loved the water, heading into the waves every time he hit the beach.
All our horses were sure footed and fit.

Victoria who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Incredible beaches, great horses and a wonderful holiday | The riding was varied and at times quite fast paced. Given the size of the group (9 riders plus two guides) and bad weather at times, the guides did incredibly well to keep within everyone's limits while keeping things interesting for those of us who like to push ourselves a bit more.

The horses were lovely - forward going but manageable and reliable - and were obviously very well looked after.

Jackie who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Exhilarating | Yes, our leader, Mel, did a great job of keeping us moving at suitable speeds to match the terrain and keep us safe

Cheryl (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Stunning location good horses | Excellent

Sue who has been on 14 In The Saddle rides. Surely one of the best trail rides in the world! | My mare Tatum was perfect for me...kind, forward going and polite - a real credit to the training given by the Wild Coast team. All the group seemed really happy with the horses they were matched with. These horses are fit and clearly love their job.
The riding, whether on pristine beaches, crossinf rivers, through the hills and valleys or in villages, was perfectly paced with plenty of long fast canters and loads of photo opps. The tack was comfortable and in good condition. Our guides Mel and Tertia, plus Chelle in support, couldn't have been better - safety conscious, caring of the horses and super fun.
Julie-Anne spent time with us at meals on the first and last days which was lovely. She is deservedly proud of her operation. I've done many rides all over the globe and this is one of the very best!

(Claire from In The Saddle comments: We are so delighted that you had such a great riding holiday.)

Linda who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic week-long trail ride along the stunning Wild Coast of South Africa | Expectations fully met. Our second visit to the Wild Coast - a longer trail this time. Julie Ann's horses are amazing, clearly very well loved and cared for, sure footed, fast when you want them to be, with brakes, and with the stamina to go for 30 - 40 kms a day and still be up for fast canters or gallops . The riding is varied and interesting (who knew horses could climb rocks?), fun and fast on the endless beaches, challenging at times when negotiating rivers and steep inclines inland and up and down to the beaches, relaxing to meander through the villages. I love the Leon Liversage trail saddles that are used - comfortable and secure. Troy is one of the best trail horses I have ever ridden. Guides Mel and Tertia worked extremely hard to look after all of us and made sure that everyone's needs were catered for. All done with a smile even on the day that rain peed down on us for 6 hours!! They were also very good hosts at meal times. Michelle provided great back up and was also a fun, cheerful companion at meal times.

Kate who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Lots of canters on deserted beaches | The saddles were uncomfortable, very wide and put a lot of pressure on the inner thigh. I ride every day and am riding fit, but the saddles caused a fair bit of discomfort. They were good for the horses which is paramount, but it did impact quite strongly on the riding pleasure. Claire from In The Saddle writes – the ride operator uses good quality South African trail saddles with sheepskin covers so we are very sorry to read that you were not comfortable. We do recommend that if you are in any discomfort that you raise this with the guide because sometimes buckles from the stirrup leathers or girth can be moved to relieve pressure.

who has been on In The Saddle rides. A unique trail across beautiful coastline | The riding lived up to high expectations

Jayne who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Breath Taking | Excellent

Amanda who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Wild Coast Adventure Trail - A holiday of a lifetime. | The most incredible week in the saddle; the horses were incredibly fit and extremely sure footed. Loved the breathtaking scenery and fantastic long canters. There was a huge variety of terrain; beaches, rocks, river crossings, hills and gorges, which made the trail fun and challenging. The best riding we've experienced!

Equiphile who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic | Loved the saddles. All three horses I rode were great. Loved the beaches and long canters along grassy tracks

Dotsky who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. kei river mouth and Okavango Mobile safari - 2 holidays back to back - both excellent | Long gallops on miles of empty beaches on the South African Wild coast followed by a week camping in Okavango with amazing wildlife viewing. The highlight? Galloping with a herd of giraffe, followed by zebra and wildebeest.

Sarah J who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Outstanding - an absolute bucket-list holiday | Spectacular views, amazing beach rides and strong, healthy happy horses. Very professional guides - reassuring, relaxed and friendly. The terrain can be a little daunting at times if you're used to mainly flat/straightforward ground, but the horses are sure footed and steady in temperament, so you can have a lot of confidence in them. Loved it!

Chris who has been on 38 In The Saddle rides. Excellent beach riding | The longest flat out gallop I've ever done, and I’ve ridden on a few good beaches! Plus the horses cope with rock scrambling, getting on a ferry to cross the river and swimming the river while the riders got kayaks. The horses are well loved, willing and super fit. The one I rode for the trail and gallop, Tenna Sea, was brilliant.

Louise who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Amazing experience at both venues | It exceeded my expectations. Both venues could not do enough to please and were very focussed on making the holiday enjoyable. Horses were a delight and very well cared for

Astrid who has been on 35 In The Saddle rides. Great rides / great food / great service | At Ant's Nest I rode a few too slow horses, but ended up with a very nice horse.

Astrid who has been on 35 In The Saddle rides. Great rides / great food / great service | At Ant's Nest I rode a few too slow horses, but ended up with a very nice horse.

Astrid who has been on 35 In The Saddle rides. Great rides / great food / great service | At Ant's Nest I rode a few too slow horses, but ended up with a very nice horse.

Leslie who has been on 21 In The Saddle rides. Very nice riding on the beaches | The one room I had in the guest house at Kei Mouth had plumbing problems and the door didn't close properly. It could use an upgrade.

elis who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. Adventure | Good or Very Good

Vanessa who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Wild Coast | I rode five different horses during the Kei Mouth Trail and all of them were extremely fit, incredibly sure-footed and very willing. They scrambled over rocks and canter over hills and gallop on the beaches beautifully. It was very hard to pick a favourite as they were all so good. The deserted beaches are perfect for long canters and gallops but I also enjoyed cantering up and down hills inland. Credit to team for keeping 40+ horse in such top condition!

B. Bormann (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Absolutely amazing! | The horses and the riding by far exceeded my expectations - the horses are very well trained, with amazing personalities, sure-footed and with outstanding athletic abilities. Even on the steepest terrain, on slippery and wet rocks, I never felt unsafe. It was great that Mel had all participants try different horses at first, and once we'd found our matches, we went on the two-day trail to Wavecrest. The canters along the beach were almost the best - only exceeded by the gallop along the beach - I don't think I've ever been on a horse going so fast!

Bridgie who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Another great ITS ride. | My second time riding the Wild Coast and just as good as before. Weather much more varied this time.

(ITS NOTE: We are so pleased that you enjoyed your return visit despite the varied weather).

Donna D who has been on 34 In The Saddle rides. Wild Coast | Great ride - we both loved our horses.