Excellent

Excellent

All of my riding experience is in the English style and this holiday requires a very different riding style which it took a bit of getting used to. I'd encourage ladies to take advice on sports bras seriously. The Criollo horses were a little bit bouncy for me (I'm about 7 and a half stone) so it can be difficult to screw myself into a saddle, but the Pasos were wonderful.

The riding was at a varied pace and the mix of activities (standard hack / herding cattle / herding horses / gaucho games meant that it was kept interesting.

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.

Yes, our leader, Mel, did a great job of keeping us moving at suitable speeds to match the terrain and keep us safe

Excellent

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.)

Super horses, well cared for and well led.

Good variety of riding experience from ambling walks to exciting canters. Appropriate rest periods and refreshments along the way.

Great tack and stabling.

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.

Excellent

Please add any further comments on the riding e.g. did it meet your expectations: I rode two trail horses and four arena horses (we had a trail ride and lesson each day). The only blip was my very first trail horse, Conquistador, who is the biggest trail horse, i.e. the smallest, lightest (43kg) person was on the biggest striding horse! I was OK but then slightly anxious about later horse matches. However, my first lesson was on trusty Xico so all was well. I haven’t had arena lessons for many years and never Dressage lessons. I enjoyed the lessons more than I thought I would and the instructors deserve a medal for patience! The experience exceeded my expectations.

Los Alamos has fabulous well bred and trained horses.

Yes, a good variety.

I loved the riding but could have ridden for longer, but realise it is hard work in the sand for the horses.

Rod, Bev and their daughter Georgie took really good care of us. Your rarely meet such a hospitality what we met in their farm. I feel like we got three really good friends from the other side of globe.

Bev's breakfasts and dinners were brilliant and we also got good picnick lunch every day.

We rode in really different kind of beautiful areas everyday with Rod and Georgie and they gave us a lot of information of the area. Horses were safe and still forward going.

[Becky from In The Saddle replied: We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your holiday in New Zealand :-)]

Rod and Georgie were very good guides. Every day was different and allowed us to see a variety of terrain.

All the horses seemed relaxed but willing and, even on faster rides, did not feel the need to bunch up close.
At this time of year, those at the back of the ride get to eat quite a bit of dust, and 8 riders can be uncomfortable.

It more than met my expectations. I did not realise that marwari horses are fantastic endurance horses and the soft tracks are ideal for long canter and gallops. It made up for the serious disappointment of Romania which, though riding endurance horses, is comparatively slow.

Horses are lovely. I rode four, all very acceptable but one of which particularly took my fancy. A lovely little Arab called Xia Xia , keen, with a bit of 'personality'. The other three were absolutely fine too but it's always good to have a favourite.
We were especially pleased to have some faster paced riding with some long canters with Moses, among others. Obviously we spent a lot of time just walking and watching the wildlife and it's a pleasure to be able to get so close.
[Becky from In The Saddle replied: Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and I'm so pleased you enjoyed your return visit to Ant's Nest]

The terrain was not as varied as I have experienced in other parts of the world. However I was very happy with the riding and the dedication of the guides. The horses were amongst the most happy and contented that I have met anywhere. They are not only very well cared for but also enjoy a great deal of freedom to behave naturally. They are valued as individuals and appear to have a wonderful work/life balance.

All the guides & staff were wonderful and we met some really interesting people, horses & riding brilliant as usual !

The riding was superb and we were so well looked after by our guide Ziten.

Please add any further comments on the riding e.g. did it meet your expectations: I’m fairly new to riding and my friend is very experienced. We were both matched with the perfect horse which equally allowed me to keep up with the pack and my friend to have a enjoyable challenging ride (precisely what we both wanted!) horses are happy and clearly well loved and not treated like a commodity.

I have just come back from a week's riding on the Bandit trail. I went with my 14 year old son and we are both experienced riders. The riding terrain was varied and the views breathtaking. The horses were fit and responsive and extremely well cared for. The ride was paced well to look after the horses on challenging terrain over the six days of riding. The tack was also in excellent condition and the guide was an extremely experienced horseman who obviously loved his horses.
My only comment would be that we were probably advised to take the wrong ride as we both would have liked to ride at a faster pace and would have been better suited to one of the other rides that the company offers. That aside, the quality of the horses and the scenery made for an excellent weeks riding.

I started riding after having my youngest son. Having not ridden before it was a bumpy ride, but the dream was always to gallop across a beach. Seven years on and at the age of 52, have achieved just that. With long canters through the woods, and galloping in the fire tracks and on the beach, I couldn't have wished for more.
Hercules was forwards, but secure, and I felt completely safe in every pace.

I have been before so knew what to expect and it was brilliant. Will probably visit again at some point in the future but fancy a riding holiday to Iceland next.

What a team. Thank you so much Rachel, Jose and Roberto. Everything was perfect.

This was an amazing long ride across all terrain. A fair number of steep climbs and downhills.

I took some extra dressage lessons from the trainer, Nelson, and had a blast riding and learning on their beautiful and well trained Lusitanos.

Definitely met all my expectations and more,
Looking forward to booking again , South Africa this time . As a single lady I would feel quite comfortable to go on my own .
All the staff at Kambaku safari lodge were amazing .
The horses are well looked after and loved.
Definitely rebooking for next year.

The horses were superb; brave, forward going and fit, responsive, well cared for and comfortable. The riding allowed you to observe the habitats and wildlife with minimal disruption and intrusion, which makes these safaris unique. Some of the game were oblivious to our presence, others inquisitive, some appeared to enjoy our company (the zebra) and we really appreciated the opportunity to 'take time, watch, listen and learn' under the expert and ever watchful eye our guide Bernie. If you didn't gel with your horse, or wanted one a tad slower or faster, Mod sorted you out with another trusty steed for the next ride, there were plenty to chose from. Whilst there was no opportunity for splashy canters, the dry terrain created opportunities for fast canters across the open plains, which were exhilarating.

Varied rides in small groups. Lots of long canters and suitable for ability.