Elisabeth who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Desert Adventure | The horses were eager to start and got very good speed from the first canter. As described to us, you need to keep the distance between the horses. I got a very forward going horse, and I understand why our guide asked me if I could hold back a horse :-). After a couple of days, my horse calmed down and was easier to hold back and slow down and the second half of the trip I just loved my horse. Every day had walk, trots and canters.

Nicolaas (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Great Experience | We had a bad start as we were given horses that were far below what we needed, based on our experience. Especially for my husband (who rides dressage on Grand Prix level, and this was known), this was an extremely disappointing start. My horse was old, could not breath very good and had difficulties in canter.[Sarah from In The Saddle says: It is the policy at Ants to always underhorse all guests during their first ride. This is to be safe just in case someone's riding ability is not as good as they think it is. However we were pleased to hear that after your intial ride you had horses that matched your abilities well].
Everything was discussed in the evening and we were given other horses. The argument was that they wanted to see the level of the riders. This, however, can be done in a different way. Also as my husband had shown the video of one of his tournaments before the horse was chosen..
The rest of the week, the riding was good. We Complained once about the very rocky road up the hill and we changed the route with the guide. [Sarah from In The Saddle says: Unfortunately some of the terrain in South Africa can be rocky in places, but it is good to hear that the guide managed to find an alternative route for you]

Tim who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Very enjoyable... | The pace was varied, reasonably measured, but lots of opportunities to canter.

Clare who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Brilliant yet again | I really enjoyed riding Spice and Apache. I really enjoyed the long bendy canters in the game reserve. 1st week Polocross was really fun shame on the 2nd week we had somebody who had played it a lot. (Claire from In The Saddle comments: I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the riding)

Julie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Horizon - brilliant break | Wide range of horses who are extremely well trained! Llots of opportunities to learn about horsemanship and engage in other activities.

Kim who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. Tropical Sands Mozambique - Undiscovered Beach Paradise | This was our third visit to Mozambique Horse Safari, simply because it is so amazing, with lovely people, great horses and incredible scenery and riding. We have been all over the world and rarely repeat our journeys, but this is one place that keeps drawing us back as it feels very much like home. It is a very personal experience, we have never had to ride with more than 4 or 5 people, and are usually on our own. Pat and Mandy are truly amazing hosts. They work incredibly hard and run a stable of well loved and well cared for horses, several of which are the original horses that they rescued from the atrocities in Zimbabwe when they escaped to Mozambique to start a new life. You can read about them in Mandy's book '104 Horses' which helps you to understand what a truly amazing achievement this is.

The horses are largely Arab and Boerperd crosses, so are not particularly big, quite narrow, but are very willing and extremely fit. The riding is relaxed and on a long rein with plenty of space to spread out. I have ridden Texas for the last 2 years and Brutus the first time, they were very different but I loved both of them. They are now breeding some of their own so they can produce the type of horse that suits their needs and terrain. The horses on Benguerra are used mainly for day rides with novices and are not as easy and responsive as those on the mainland, but the island is lovely to explore on horseback, we even saw pelicans and flamingos along the beaches.

A lot of the rides are based on the beach and therefore timing very much depends of the tides, a full moon this year gave a tidal shift of almost 5 metres and it's amazing how far and fast the water comes and goes. But it gives huge expanses of largely empty beach and with the guides knowledge of the safe hard sand areas, there are wonderful opportunities for some lovely long canters. The local fisherman are very active along the beaches, so you do need to be a confident rider with wits about you to ensure you keep a watchful eye out for ropes and anchors attached to boats and for holes dug by the locals to collect shellfish and bait for fishing. The Red Dune ride is probably one of my all time favourites, the view of the bay at low tide is stunning.

There are also opportunities to do swimming rides and ocean walks bareback if the tide is right, it is fun watching the horses play in the water and enjoy a good roll. Sea temperature is very warm, probably 28-29 degrees whilst we were there in January.

They do intersperse the beach rides with opportunities to see the inland lakes, the local fishing villages and also give you the opportunity to take a dhow ride to a neighbouring island to have a ride around some slightly different scenery. There is also an option to go on a canoe safari to watch the sunset and see the amazing fireflies once it is dark, can thoroughly recommend it!

Sarah who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. A fabulous trip - highly recommend | Loved all the four horses that I rode, especially Tormento, who carried me through bogs, up and down hills through the forests and then cantered across the pampas and along stony tracks. They were all incredibly fit and surefooted especially when Amando said “did you see where the guanaco went, that’s where we are going”. The horses looked very well but some of the shoeing could have been better.

I couldn’t believe how the terrain changed every day which made it fun. Vicky (the ride operator) runs a very professional and efficient business and Amando was a first class guide. He is passionate and very knowledgeable about the countryside and wildlife and was excellent at telling us what we could expect each day.

Gary who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Excellent trip | Excellent

Ursula who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Dunes & Nomads ride in Morocco - Great guide, great horses, great food, great company | It was the 4th time for my husband and me that we booked a ride in Morocco. There always have been the same four men who guided the tour, groomed the horses, drove the trucks and prepared the food; it is so nice the see how well they work together as a team, there is never a loud word but a lot of laughter and joy.

We had nine stallions with us, some of them were more difficult to handle than the others. Here again there was never a loud word, they were handled very calmly.

(ABBIE FROM ITS: We are so pleased that you enjoyed your fourth visit to Morocco. It is a special place and we can understand why you choose to return).

Gillian who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Perfect escape. | This trip exceeded my high expectations. The terrain was fabulous and the hosts and fellow regulars extremely warm and friendly. The riding was pacey and exciting. The day out at Jerez was interesting.

A note to myself is that as per the weight limit advertised, I'd definitely want to be trimmer before returning as the Spanish horses are beautiful and delicate.

Erica who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Second time at Los Alamos exceeded my expectations. | The riding was fast and fun but always felt safe.

Giulia Adriana (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing and peaceful | Excellent

Pamela who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Refreshing | I loved all the horses I was given to ride. They each had their own personality and were all responsive, willing and relaxed about pretty much everything we encountered.

Helen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fabulous | Exceeded my expectations.

Hannah who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. "Will be Back" | Lovely mixture between long fast paced canters and relaxing walks where you wouldn't want to go to fast as the scenery is so beautiful. Our guide "Nelson" catered for all standards while making sure horses were content. He works extremely hard and never shows any crack of exhaustion! His care and attention to detail is exquisite.

Only hold back was one of the riders was a little weaker than the rest, so waiting was sometimes needed.

There are a lot of steep steep hills so if you are going on this ride - I would advise practising light seat if you can't already!

Horses themselves we almost all rescues - with journals of their back stories which Christina has so beautifully put together, are all perfectly suited to the tasks given. Whether you are more experienced, a bit nervous or not so sturdy on the saddle they have a horse for all!

Svein who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A marvellous experience! All expectations fullfilled! | Not all of the horses was a good match. But. I wanted to bring the last one at Ant's Hill with me back home. HIS name? Mokabena??

Alison who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Experience of a lifetime | The riding was just as described by Sarah. Long swinging canters and fantastic close sightings of wildlife. Stunning scenery and was fun popping over some logs.

Karsten who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Really good and safe horses, but enough to look after for them with my 90 kg.

Christopher who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. A unique experience riding amongst the wildlife | The riding suited our abilities and wishes apart from one morning when the guide set too fast a pace making the horses over excited and competitive and difficult to control. We drew this to the attention of the senior staff at Ant's Hill and they undertook to retrain the guide in question who had behaved in a similar way quite recently. We found the guides at Nest to be generally more sociable, helpful and informative about the wildlife and environment than those at Hill.

Tony who has been on 29 In The Saddle rides. Hacienda Zuleta | A hugely enjoyable trip.

The vast majority of riders visiting Zuleta are beginners; I was the only experienced rider for the entire 10 days I was there. This had a considerable upside as it meant every day just myself and my 2 guides set out (Jose lead guide with no English, and Mauricio the English-speaking guide). We all had an absolute blast going on routes they had never been before - always great fun in stunning scenery.

The best ride (Ventana Grande plus The Towers), was one of the best day rides I have ever done. This route was a massive adventure, riding at 4,000m in stunning scenery, but it was very tough on both rider and horse, so for adventurous and experienced riders only.

I also had the pick of all 3 horse they describe as ‘advanced ‘ (Martina, Caracol II, Canela) and all were a joy to ride. The rides I ended up doing were better than the 10 night trail ride I did in Ecuador a few years ago.

Luisa (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) We did a horse back riding vacation at Moolmanshoek private game reserve | We are very very happy of our riding vacation at Moolmanshoek! We are both experienced riders and we have to say that the horses at Moolmanshoek are the best we ever ride! Very well trained horses, well responsive and quite! The guides are amazing ad well and the tracks we did were different every day!

Jacquelin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Bahia and Canyons & Waterfalls Rides in Brazil - The best holiday in the saddle | I have never experienced such joy while being in the saddle riding a horse - I literally had tears of joy in my eyes during several moments. For example on the beach in tropical Bahia and riding along the canyons and waterfalls surrounded by so much beauty. It was a dream come true and I had to keep reminding myself where I was!!

The horses were faultless. They had a lovely nature, temperament and boy did they have stamina and endurance.

Whoever trains them has to be commended - the horses are so calm and beautiful to ride, each and everyone of them - I want a Criollo !!

Katy who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A true adventure! Challenging and wonderful riding in spectacular scenery. | The riding was challenging in places due to the terrain. There were periods most days where we had to lead our horses on the steeper, often rocky, mountain tracks. The horses were amazing; fit, sure-footed and completely comfortable in the mountains. I trusted my pony completely to navigate her way up and down the mountain passes. There were opportunities to canter every day, where the terrain allowed.

Tamasin who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. A real adventure in stunning surroundings | This isn't a ride for the faint-hearted or anyone who's afraid of heights. At times it was like rock-climbing on horse back, and you really need to have trust in your horse (pony!), which fortunately is easy as they are the most agile and sure-footed I've ever ridden - taking steep climbs and descents, narrow paths and boulders in their stride. Despite the often challenging terrain, there were also chances for faster riding every day.

Emily who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely Spectacular | Fantastic riding. We were fortunate enough to have a brave group and were treated to endless winding canters. Being able to spread out in Botswana and pop over fallen logs has spoiled us forever. Canters were long but steady and well balanced with walking in the heat.

The horses are wonderful, brave as can be, responsive and happy in their jobs. The evaluation in Botswana was very nice and provided the opportunity to adjust horses to the desired level.

The guides were wonderful and knowledgeable and we saw far more wildlife than we ever expected, both in the saddle and out. By the end of the trip it felt like a (very adventurous) hack out with good friends. It was a true once in a lifetime experience..except that we’re already planning to go back!! [Sarah from In The Saddle comments: It is wonderful to see that you had an amazing time on this safari and you really must go back sometme!]

Henriette Hvid (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) All the horses were well schooled, but some were better than others in gaits and agility. The boxes were a little small for some of the horses. The tack ranged from "good condition to easier worn." I was challenged on my riding skills that I can use on the horses at home in Denmark. This is not the last time I book a holiday with Rid & Rejs.

Karen who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Excellent

Diane (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Unique and unforgettable, would love to go back. | A second horse was arranged after the first did not suit me, and after that I really enjoyed the riding. It was very clear that the horses were cared for to the highest standard and we saw the stables where they live when they are not out on rides. They are used for other equestrian activities, such as show jumping there. The riding was enhanced by being able to see the local people in the tea plantations, the children who came out to wave to us and a group of students who wanted to talk.
The horses are extremely good in traffic - not that there is any of them once you are in the plantations themselves.

Donna who has been on 29 In The Saddle rides. Ultimate Uruguay | The riding wasn’t very exciting, but was pleasant once you got used to the riding style. It was a fantastic way to see the country and very laid back.

Vivien who has been on 30 In The Saddle rides. Beautiful country. | It took me a day or two to adjust to the Uruguay gaucho style of riding (different from other gaucho/western riding I've done) but it was a great way to see a beautiful country. The beaches, especially in the Rocha province, were absolutely stunning and we did the most chilled out, relaxed canters I've ever done on a beach.

Katherine (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Best family holiday of my life | The rides were great, the guides chose the best times of the day to avoid the real heat of the day and to ensure the horses were cared for.

Linnea Lund who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. Perfect. | Excellent