Janet who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Azores | Sometimes when you go back somewhere it's not the same.This was just as good second time around. The landscape and vegetation are stunning, food fantastic and Christina made sure that in our non riding time we went to a whole lot of different places around the island....for such a small place there is a surprising amount to see and do.

The horses are wonderfully cared for and willing, the riding is appropriate for the terrain with plenty of changes of pace.

Everyone makes you so welcome, Cristina and Claude as hosts and the guides Bruno,Tomas, Manuel, Anka and Riccardo.....not forgetting Rui and the backstage staff! Thank you all for creating a wonderful holiday.

David who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Amazing riding and coastline | I had a wonderful week, shared with other friendly riders who were all very capable, and amazing guides who had our welfare, and that of the horses, as top priority.
It was easy to see why the Wild Coast is named such, as all along the beaches, powerful waves come crashing in, slamming against rocky outcrops.
Cantering, and occasionally galloping along deserted beaches was an experience to well be remembered, and the inland riding, with its river crossings was also memorable.
Drinks before dinner was always very enjoyable, and the standard of meals and accommodation was just what I expected.
For those riders who like many hours in the saddle daily, and periods of long sustained canters, I couldn't recommend this ride more heartily.

[Abbie from ITS replies: We're so pleased you enjoyed your long awaited riding holiday along the Wild Coast. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about it].

Linda who has been on 21 In The Saddle rides. Another amazing week of riding on the Wild Coast of South Africa | All expectations met. Our 4th trip to the Wild Coast and our 3rd time on the 7 day Adventure trail. Our group of 5 were joined by 3 other competent, friendly riders and we had a blast! An exciting trail partly because of the very wet weather the week before. Due to this several of the rivers were high and unnavigable on horseback on the beaches so we had to detour inland resulting in some much longer days than usual. Particularly, the river at Wavecrest was impossible to cross so we couldn't do the "Wavecrest Gallop". Our guide Tertia wasn't going to let us go home without a "you know what" and she led us at speed along another fantastic beach. The week was exciting, fun, fast on the beaches and lots of canters inland too. Guides Tertia and Jess coped very well with whatever they were met with, always looking after ours and the horses welfare. My husband rode a Percheron cross called Andy and I had a gorgeous little Arab called Poppet, we both loved them. I recommend that you are as fit as you can be to do this trip as there can be unforeseen circumstances that make days longer and more strenuous than usual. The massage at Wavecrest was very welcome! We loved it all and would consider going for a fifth time if we weren't quite so old (74 & 71)!!

[Abbie from In The Saddle replies: Thank you so much for your fabulous feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your return visit to the magical Wild Coast].

Jane who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Great fun | Ailsa was brilliant and took great care of us. She matched both Simon and me with suitable horses and we had a lovely time. We asked Ailsa to confirm to you what she thought Simon's riding level was so that we have an independent view on it for our next holiday. She said to us she thought it was Intermediate plus which is a great achievement for him.

Fi who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. The most wonderful experience! | Can not begin to describe what a wonderful week we had with Mamen, Emilio, Barras the collie dog and their beautifully trained and cared for horses.

It was heaven to spend all day riding through the beautiful Gredos mountains, with the gorgeous smiley Mamen to meet us with tapas late morning, the then again later for a delicious home cooked lunch (the paella and Local Avila beef entrecote was epic!). Lunch stops were always by a beautiful river (and the waters really are"crystalline"), so after lunch we'd have a refreshing swim, then siesta in the sunshine before mounting up to ride for a few more hours.

The scenery is stunning; we felt so well looked after and safe, guided by Emilio's wonderful horsemanship. Emilio matched me with a gorgeous forward-going PRExArab mare and she was a delight! I know some previous visitors have mentioned the amount of walking you do, however I felt the scenery was so amazing I was more than happy with our steady pace to just relax and enjoy my surroundings.

I'm already planning a return visit...enough said! 🙂 x

Lynn (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Terrific Trail Ride | The Wild Coast hosts and guides were very pleasant and welcoming. The guides knew the area, our abilities and structured the trail around what we were looking for.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you very much for your super feedback].

Ellie who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic! | Excellent

Domini who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Perfect | I loved my holiday sooooo much I am going back for more.

Julia (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) An excellent holiday in a wonderful place. | The horses were all well trained, clean and well fed. The owners made sure that they were not overworked so we had to alternate horses on different days to give the others a rest.

The riding was amazing. Even though I canter and jump 4 times a week I was afraid to gallop but this experience increased my confidence and I ended up absolutely loving it.

Jenn who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. 10/10 | Surpassed expectations, can't wait to go back.

Louise who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. Splendid Riding /Horses/Guides | We felt that the welfare of the horses was high priority which was heart warming
The guides were great as were all the staff to be honest

Jill who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Incredible! | The horses are forward-going and absolutely bombproof.

[Abbie from ITS replies: We're so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Horizon. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review].

Tracy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The best holiday | Ailsa our riding guide was lovely and fun. She is so experienced she gave us the perfect horse for our ability. I trusted my horse completely which made the week stress-free and memorable. The rides were so scenic and enjoyable. I would go back tmr if I could! She made our holiday one to remember. I didn't want to leave.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: I'm so pleased you enjoyed the riding!]

Maria who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Beautiful trail ride | Excellent

Fiona who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Heavenly Horizon | I love Horizon, because they love their horses and seem to look after their staff too.
Will definitely be back.
Always meets expectations.

One small suggestion - not everyone is familiar with these saddles and would be good to give people a bit of info about them, e.g. getting on and off, letting them know that buckles can be adjusted if they are rubbing / causing soreness. One of the other ladies was struggling quite a lot and had no idea her issues could be sorted our very simply and quickly - it just came up in conversation at dinner one evening and I advised her what to do but I don't think she'd have raised it otherwise.

Kristin who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic week in Sicily | I got to ride Alba which was well trained and sweet trail horse. She managed the varied and rocky terrain excellent.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your lovely feedback and we are so pleased you enjoyed your holiday. I also rode Alba and she was lovely :-)]

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.

Angela who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. A lovely holiday, one of the best so far ,well fed, great horses and excellent care from owners and staff. | The riding was very scenic with pleasant rides , the days were filled with plenty of activity , never a dull moment.

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

Janine who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. A VERY unexpected holiday in beautiful mountains | This ride was beyond my expectations. It was adventurous, relaxing, fun and friendly.
The accommodation was beautiful and clean. The villages were beautiful, the villagers were friendly and so very houseproud! Our hostess, Dallas was knowledgeable and passionate about her country. The horses were so very well cared for in fact the best I have seen. Dallas knew each and everyone inside out. They are a credit to her.
The food was outstanding and I would recommend anyone to go. Although, you must be able to walk uneven ground easily.
Thank you for a great Ride "In The Saddle" you haven't failed us yet!

[Abbie from ITS replies: Hooray - we're so pleased you had yet another great riding holiday! Thank you for your lovely feedback on riding in the stunning Sierra Nevada Mountains. We're thrilled that you enjoyed this destination, which is a real In The Saddle favourite].

Jane (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Relaxed and excellent | Excellent

Josie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Kambaku Safari Lodge | The riding far exceeded my expectations. The horses are all clearly very well trained and it was clear that they knew their job. The pacing of the rides was perfect and I was very well-matched to my horse. The guides were very friendly and attentive throughout the rides, and always made sure the rides were interesting and different each morning / afternoon.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback. We’re thrilled that you had such a great time at Kambaku].

Charles-Emmanuel who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing trip, very well organized | Very nice horses,
Guides taking good care of the horses

Annette who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. One of the best | Yes. Very hot mainly walking, but did have some long canters

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Amazing Ride and Holiday | This amazing holiday in North Macedonia was fun, fast and unique. The mountain ponies are sure footed with great personalities and the landscapes, terrain and a good group made for a one of a kind experience. Our guide delved into the history and Miyak people of Macedonia on the trail with great enthusiasm and also made sure that all aspects of the trail were safe and very enjoyable.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, we are so pleased that you enjoyed the ride.]

Sophie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Brilliant memorable week of riding in the Cretan mountains | I had a wonderful week at Velani and everything was as I'd hoped for. Amazing scenery, sunny weather, and a sure-footed and responsive horse which was a pleasure to ride. We got some good stretches of canter in most of the rides, although the terrain is very hard and rocky so there was a lot of walking too - good opportunity to look around and take photos though. The horses know their job and I enjoyed the riding a lot. [ITS replies: thank you for lovely feedback. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay!]

Joanna who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. More than fantastic! | The riding is fast and varied. Saddle savers are to be recommended as there are long hours in the saddle and the bottom needed them! Walking/riding boots were a good shout as the walking times needed good soles. The horses were very good yet fast and when we got caught in a Biblical hail thunderstorm, none of them misbehaved despite the hail being really quite painful!

The whole experience exceeded expectations.

Lesley who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Everything about the ride was brilliant | The riding was superb - Vasco and his Dutch helper for the season, Wesley, matched me to a lovely horse and I had a fantastic time.
The horses were all so sure-footed and so well behaved, in all paces, which made each ride a real pleasure. There was also a lot of time spent riding.

Imogen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Brilliant & intense | Riding was fast & intense & exceeded expectations. Matched w a lovely, comfortable elderly pony who didn’t have a gallop gear so missed out on the rush of the races so may have undersold my riding capabilities (1:20m show jumper riding 2 horses a day) but still really loved the whole holiday. Riding in western saddles was SO comfortable I’ll never do an English saddle ride again.

Pippa (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Interesting and unique ride | I had a lovely, level headed and forward going horse who I was very happy with. The riding is mostly (95%) at walk, generally due to the terrain, some of which is steep, rocky and challenging. We had a couple of fast canters on gravel roads each day. The ride was an interesting cultural experience as we rode through many Berber villages and even visited the home of some local kids.

Cathy who has been on 49 In The Saddle rides. A wild and challenging adventure | Horse wise you get what you ask for. Luna was the perfect match and looked after me throughout. One afternoon I rode a new horse to the ride who also didn't put a foot wrong. Both were soft mouthed, willing but listened to me. On this ride the canters and gallops are very long and exhilarating and the horses are amazing in just how much they give you. It was fascinating to see the young horses being trained during the ride. Wildlife is scarce but we were lucky to see a herd of desert elephants. There were lots of signs of black rhino. The desert landscapes and night skies are incredible in their beauty and starkness. Andrew gives you an amazing experience, he is knowledgeable and so obviously is proud of his horses and this land. There are lots of laughs and some aches! Andrew has a small professional and friendly team who look after you extremely well. Of all the rides I have done this was the greatest achievement for me personally and fits into the category of one of the best and most enjoyable I have ridden.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Wow - what great feedback! We're so pleased you had such a wonderful experience on this special trip].

Anne-Marie who has been on 30 In The Saddle rides. Amazing experience in a stunning landscape | Every effort was made to match riders to their preferred type of horse, mine was an Arab/Connemara cross on her second safari. It was lovely to have the opportunity to spread out on some longer canters and not to have to ride nose to tail. The horses were very well looked after, fed regularly and checked very regularly for any signs of soreness.

[In The Saddle replies: Thanks so much for your feedback. We are so pleased you enjoyed exploring beautiful Damaraland on horseback].