Jackie who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Superb holiday in every aspect | The terrain was varied including woodland tracks, open mountain ascents and descents and open grassy valleys where we enjoyed some fast canters/gallops. Although it was the first trail of the season, the horses were all forward going and managed the terrain and long days (9 hours +) exceptionally well. They were all extremely well behaved.

Patti (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A lovely week! | The horses were beautiful but the riding was very 2 paced - it was either walk or gallop. (the guide kept saying we would have a slow canter, but such a thing did not exist!) We were all experienced riders and the galloping was great, but we had to walk a lot to allow the horses to cool down, so personally I would rather have had some nice slow canters and not quite so much walking. And for me personally, probably as I have ridden in coastal Australia a lot, the landscape got bit samey. There were people who were back for the 12th time though!!
Really nicely structured with only 4-5 hours riding (much of it walking) so if you hadn't ridden for a year like me, it was no problem and it was really nice having the afternoons round the pool.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback, we're glad you enjoyed your time at Los Alamos.]

Vivien who has been on 34 In The Saddle rides. Fab as always | Great holiday at Los Alamos as always. I had the pleasure of riding Polly for a couple of days, a real bundle of joy and proper speed queen - appearances are deceptive! It was a really nice group too with lots of laughs.

Lorraine who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Miyak Tribe Trail | The riding exceeded expectations. Lots of fast walking as expected, but also plenty of nice canters and races in gallop! So exhilarating! The horses were always up for it, even on the toughest days!

Ruth Georgina who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Great time learning to be Cowgirls!! | We were matched up with our horses after a discussion on our ability, and requirements. We did need to switch later, but in the end we got our perfect match.
It was a shame that the rides were not better divided up into riding ability. Experience riders often went out with a group of novice riders.This did effect the pace of the rides sometimes. We would have liked more opportunities for faster "lopping"
Maybe in future requests of what was happening the following day could be discussed the evening before over our meal. There was always a delay with the rides going out, which could have been better organised. I think that the week we were there they were a little overstretched.
The horse were beautifully cared for as was the tack.

Charlotte (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A great week in beautiful Montana made very easy by in the saddle | I think I downplay my riding ability a little bit which did mean it took a few days to find a horse I really loved (my fault). I wasn’t expecting such hard ground which meant quite sedentary paced rides & there were lots of beginners so I would consider experienced rides only for my next trip. The opportunities to have long canters (through a little more than one field) were limited, but the staff did everything they could to suit everyone’s wants and the rides with Maria were particularly fun / all the staff are lovely. Some periods of disorganisation and waiting around in the mornings - i think this is because there is not schedule which is both a pro and con for them from what I could see.

Christopher who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. One 100% Perfect | Excellent

Katy who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. A relaxing, immersive journey into a remote and beautiful area of Portugal | The riding is relaxed and due to the nature of the terrain, there are limited opportunities for canter. It was possible to canter at least once on each day however, and sometimes twice. The scenery is stunning, particularly at the end of May, early June, when the countryside is covered with purple heather, yellow gorse and broom - a real treat to see!
There was quite a lot of free time on this holiday and the riding day starts late. For example, we were collected between 10 and 10.30 in the morning and driven to the stable, which is about 20 minutes by car. By the time you have collected your horse from the paddock, groomed and tacked up, it may be nearer to 12 by the time you set out. Be prepared for a relaxed approach with late lunches and late suppers - Portuguese style!

Theresa (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Enjoyed every minute | Was lovely to see so many horses and all so happy, living a very natural life with plenty of turn out (with careful protection) and no horses overworked. The Head Groom (Mud) was very knowledgeable about each horse and could discuss them as individuals around their characteristics and way of going. All of the Guide Leads (Chief) equally had a good knowledge of each horse - which is very helpful for the riders. It is clear to see they are very fond of the horses and care about their well being and happiness. Each of the grooms were very polite with big smiles when you came to get on and off the horses. The riding was exceptional - such beautiful country along side a Guide Lead who clearly has great tracking skills and knowledge to find and approach all the animals in the most careful and gentle way, giving the riders the very best experience of viewing whilst also feeling safe.

Ellen Margrete (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Everything was great! Very nice hosts and we had lovely meals, so I will be back !

Suzan who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Los Alamos - absolutely perfect | My time at Los Alamos surpassed expectations. We were all so well looked after and felt relaxed literally from being greeted at the airport. I expected to be quite let down by the food as I'm a vegetarian, however, nothing was too much trouble and I ate some of the nicest food I've ever had. A real home from home feeling at the house. Our hosts were absolutely amazing and nothing was too much trouble. I always felt safe and well looked after on the rides. The horses were so well schooled and knew what they were doing. The rides were well organised and very exciting. I can't wait to go again next year.

Ase who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Very good, lovely riding and very good organized. | Excellent

Sophie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Absolutely Perfect! | The riding was amazing, I felt so confident on my horse and you could tell all the horses are well cared for.
Jose and Roberto were so knowledgeable and friendly and I felt in such safe hands throughout the entire trip. They couldn't do enough.
Rachael matched us all up perfectly, she came out with us on the first day to ensure we were all happy and confident and met us numerous times throughout the week and back at the stables.
The riding was relaxing, exhilarating, fun, and exciting all at the same time.
The entire team couldn't have done any more for you, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this holiday to anyone. I just wish I could have brought the horse home with me as he was so perfect!

Lorraine who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely amazing ! | Once you had learned how to ride them on a long rein, grazing as and when they wanted, and heads were straight down when they stopped they were great. They were all very responsive and a pleasure to ride. Due to the length of time in the saddle it was also helpful to lengthen your stirrups a bit to help with knee and ankle strains.

Caroline (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A dream come by true | Our high expectations were exceeded.
Mod at Macatoo perfectly matched our experience and personalities with fit well behaved well looked after horses

Samantha (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing! | All the horses are so well cared for. A huge range of horses. The riding was out of this world. It exceeded my expectations for sure!
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased that you enjoyed your holiday at Macatoo.]

Jane who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Kingdom of the Lusitano - Fabulous holiday | I had an amazing week riding in Portugal. The riding was brilliant with lots of long canters and some exhilarating gallops!
Miguel was an attentive host who entertained his clients whilst ensuring everyone was able to manage their horses. Our particular group was made up of quite a mix of nationalities but we all loved to ride and there was a lot of laughter and fun.
The authentic, charming accommodation was perfect and the food delicious.
The afternoon spent at the Alter Real stud will be one I will remember for ever. Being able to walk amongst the mares and foals was a very special experience.
I am not at all surprised these particular rides are usually booked up months in advance - go if you possibly can!

Susan who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A really steady tour through some warm and interesting country | The riding was really slow and steady apart from the odd trot and canter but we had been advised of that in advance and given the high temperatures, was just right. Initially I thought my horse - Chile - was probably a bit quieter than I would have be suited to BUT was very sweet and had impeccable manners and I actually ended up being very appreciative of having a steady ride, who could be ridden in a very relaxed way. I very much enjoyed riding him and dealing with him. A real gent.

Karen who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. A peek of Paradise | As before, you can tell right from the first time you meet Christina and Claude that the animals at the Quinta take centre stage. All of the animals (Horses, Dogs, Cats, Chickens and Ducks) are exceptionally well cared.

The Stable Yard is immaculate and you could eat your dinner from the Tack room floor !

You are asked to go for riding assessment with one of the guides before you go out on a hack so that they can pair you up with the correct kind of horse for your abilities.

All of the horses are well mannered and the tack is clean.

Karen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing Experience!! | You are obviously limited to to level of all in your group. Would have been nice to have moved on a bit faster and maybe jumped a bit.
Best to be safe than sorry though.

Carole who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Great week, even despite the Spanish heatwave !
Very well looked after by Mamen and Emilio. Great food all week with some lovely overnight stays.
Would recommend to anyone.

Simone (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Out of this world holiday | For two years we waited do this holiday, and what was built up in my head still couldn't have matched what i saw and did. Have never smiled so much and enjoyed a holiday. It was my first equestrian holiday and couldn't have hoped for better organisation, Olwen really made it effortless and kept up communication throughout. The travel pack received in the post was a lovely touch. I will definitely be back in Ants Nest, and definitely will use In the Saddle for future holidays.

Fanchea (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Holiday of a lifetime - exceeded all expectations! | Whatever Ant and his team are doing here, they've got it 100% right.

From our arrival, the staff were friendly, welcoming and helpful, from Ant himself through to the volunteers. We stayed in the Nest, and the rooms were immaculate. A special mention has to go to the chefs, as the food was 5*.

The riding was a perfect mix of paces managed by the guides (ours were Ali and Kiara - both super), allowing for time to ride up with the wildlife, take photos, ask questions, explore the landscape, and then have lovely canters through sandy tracks, ending up back at the stables at lunchtime, or different spots around the reserve for sundowners at the end of each day (spectacular views). The horses are really fit, healthy, and well cared for and living on the reserve means they are completely at ease with the animals they come across each day.

The highlight has to be when the team included us in a game capture of an roan antelope bull, as he needed medical attention; this brought me back to my childhood dreams of living in a Daktari episode (does anybody else remember this?). The care and attention the bull was given was wonderful, and it reinforced the importance of the critical conservation work that goes on here, and throughout other reserves.

Finally, a huge thank you to Olwen and the Inthesaddle team. Olwen made the whole process of booking painless (particularly as we had to postpone twice due to lockdowns), answered all queries we had, and already has my name down for next year!

Helen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Everything I dreamed of and more. | The riding blew all my expectations. The guides were informative and ensured our safety at all times. The horses were in top condition and obviously very well cared for.
Rachel constantly checked we were happy with the horse we’d been given and made sure they had adequate rest days.

Isabel (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Los Alamos - Fabulous | The riding was spectacular through the forest and on the beach

Amanda who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Lusitano Kingdom - an excellent week's riding in beautiful surroundings | This was our second ride with Miguel and it certainly met our expectations.

Britta (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Appropriate and varied pace. Good collection on the team. Very varied terrain. Possibility to borrow extra equipment (lambskin for the saddle, so "seat wounds" could be avoided 🙂

Louise who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Superb | The riding was brilliant with enough faster paced riding. The horses were well cared for and in good shape surprisingly for the terrain. The guides were fantastic. The accommodation exceeded expectations. The hosts were immensely warm and welcoming, the food just kept coming.

Amanda (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Wonderful location and riding experience | The stables are right next to the hotel so could wonder down after breakfast/lunch.

The horses are well looked after and well behaved. As a relative newcomer to riding, I was matched with Mangas for the whole week, who was a perfect match for me. I went on the shorter two hour trails, which provided plenty of opportunities to trot and canter. The trail leaders were excellent - always happy to help out and put you at ease. Plenty of time with the horses before and after the rides as tack and untack the horses (in addition to the two hour ride itself).

My rides were at the same time each day so it enabled us to explore the local area (in the morning) using a hire car. My friend was not going to ride but she managed to arrange a couple of lessons directly, which she really enjoyed.

Hilary who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A lifetime high | Lovely sandy tracks to canter along on well schooled forward going horses.
Beautiful scenery with lots of game, we were led by knowledgeable guides who made the riding interesting and fun whatever the pace.

Tracy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Mediterranean Trail | The trip was perfect, all that I hoped for and more. The horses were well cared for and fun to ride. Our group leader, Niki, was incredible! I thoroughly enjoyed her company throughout the day and she went out of her way to make everyone confident and comfortable along the trip. It was a well balanced trip of riding, and viewing the countryside, towns and beaches.

Sarah who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Monte Velho - third time back & still as great as the first | The horses are all very well schooled at Monte Velho, with superb manners. The instructors are clear & precise with their teaching & also spend time with you until you get things right.
Lovely to see some riders experiencing flying changes, piaffe & passage for the first time, their big smiles said it all.