Laura (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Out of this world | The scenery/ mountains/ vast plains exceeded my expectations. The terrain was steep and rough at times but these horses are so sure footed. Everything was explained to us and we were matched perfectly to our horses. I can’t explain how beautiful the mountains were from rocky outcrops to expansive plains. The wild flowers were out and Vasko gave us lots of opertunities to take plenty photos.
Food was turkey amazing as my waist has expanded. Vasko is passionate about his heritage and the way of life of shepherds high in the mountains. Nothing was a bother even when we were meant to be camping but the weather was terrible he just went to plan B. I will definitely be back. This whole experience gets 200% from me one very happy customer

Jackie who has been on 13 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.

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!

Sara (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A breath of fresh air | The horses are incredibly fit and sure-footed on the roughest terrain. It was a pleasure to ride them and they were always ready for a canter without ever being too forward-going. The horses are trained to walk fast and much of the ride was at this pace, although we had fast canters/gallops every day. The terrain included tracks through vast forests of beech trees and high mountain grassland pastures, with exceptional scenery and stunning views as far as Greece and Bulgaria. We brought dual purpose hiking/riding boots and these were really useful on rough terrain when we had to lead the horses. We found the Western saddles really comfortable.

Bertie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. An amazing adventure ! | Short bursts of canters

Chris who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Undiscovered Country | Very well matched, forward going and fun horse.

Emily who has been on 25 In The Saddle rides. MIYAK TRIBE TRAIL | Lovely horses and very well looked after.

Sue who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A totally fabulous, stunning adventure in amazing mountains. Very interesting culture and fabulously capable horses. | The riding was challenging but at just the right level. The terrain was very varied and the horses coped extremely well with it. The views were stunning every single day. The horses were very fit and footsure - perfect for the job. There was a lot of getting on and off from the ground so you need to be agile enough for that. At the end of each day you really felt like you had ridden a lot and seen a huge amount of wonderful scenery. The group I was in varied from 21 - 50 somethings and we all coped well. Not everyone had their own horses but everyone rode fairly regularly and were able to cope with the riding level.

Line (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Super nice horses and absolute top fit. We rode the same horses for 6 days, up and down the mountains and they were never tired. The horses were forwardgoing, in the good way, and always ready to canter. They were surefooted and my horse only stumbled once on the 6 riding days. However, it was some long days in the saddle, so the better fit you are, the better the ride will be. Hiking boots to ride in or riding boots with a really good sole are a necessity, because when you walk and lead the horses down the hill, it goes steep down, and it can be a bit difficult terrain.

Katy who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. A true adventure in a wild and remote mountain region | This is a truly amazing trip. The riding was fast paced with lots of fast canters where the terrain allowed. The horses, as you said in the itinerary, have a very forward going walk and you are encouraged to maintain this rather than trot. This is a real endurance ride and being fit in and out of the saddle is important. Good (non-slip) boots that will cope with the downhill walking, when leading your horse, are also important.
I found riding in a western saddle took a bit of getting used to (first time for me), and I decided to change saddles on day 3 for a barrel racing saddle which was slightly narrower and suited me better.
The horses are incredibly fit , keen, and love to go fast but were always well behaved in canters and easy to control.

The whole set up was really well organised and the support team were fantastic.

Lesley who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Miyak Trail - Exploring off grid Macedonia | We were part of the July Miyak trail. What an awesome experience! Hardy forward going trusty horses, carried us through the beautifully unique Macedonian countryside. We stayed in comfortable hotels with good home cooked dishes but the highlight was two nights wild camping. Going to sleep in total darkness and waking up to the sound of birdsong was stunning. Dinner and breakfast cooked over an open fire was a great experience. To enjoy the trail fully you need to be very saddle fit, comfortable with full on gallop and have good riding/walking boots. Sometimes the terrain demands that you get off and lead the horse. It’s a trail for riders with an open mind and a sense of adventure.