Rochelle (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Wild animals, fun and food | Got so close to the animals would have liked to be able to have more open canters

Helle who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Moderately priced and well managed riding safari in eSwatini | I had been to Mlilwane riding once before (2001) so I knew the place. The ride and the horses absolutely met my expectations. Mlilwane and KaMsholo are both very small reserves so one will not get the same wilderness experience as many of the other safari riding, however the price is very affordable so top 'value for money'. The horses are well cared for, the guides are good and Ann is just fantastic.
The trail I appreciated the most was the ride to the river where we had picnic lunch, the one that was most boring was the so called 'community ride'.IF including a community ride I suggest instead to visit a local small scale farmer instead of a large - very artificial - event place. I also really enjoyed the 'canter-track' we rode the second afternoon when Ann came with us. I will suggest including that particular path more than once (other tracks were we were riding more than once were not as nice...)
(Olwen from In The Saddle writes - we are so glad that you enjoyed the horses and riding at Mlilwane and KaMsholo. And we will make sure your comments are noted by the ride operator for future guests).

Donna who has been on 40 In The Saddle rides. Cape Winelands Gourmet Trail - wow! | Well, didn't see that coming! We had the impression (wrongly) that we would be pottering along from vineyard to vineyard and the horses would be a bit like 'dobbins'! In fact, the horses were fabulous, very well cared for, lovely and lively, which meant we were able to go at a variety of paces with lots of canters and gallops before and after wine tasting! Excellent ride and our guide for the trip was brilliant making the trip really enjoyable and fun.

[Abbie from ITS replies - Fantastic to hear that you had such a wonderful time on the Cape Gourmet Wine Trail. We're so pleased that you enjoyed this trip so much].

Ashley who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Memorable | Beautiful horses and great trainers and grooms
I was lucky enough to ride experienced advanced horses and also some not used in the school much yet due to the stage of their education so great variety.
We were not asked about if we wanted to do anything other than lessons. When we did ask for a hack it was soon accommodated and one of us wanted an inhand lesson which they quickly organised too
We couldn’t use the gym as used as storage and we were told couldn’t use the pool either.

Hanne who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. It was a fantastic ride in beautiful surroundings with a fantastic guide.

Debs who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS !! | Don't be fooled by their size, these Icelandic ponies would put a 17hh warmblood to shame.
Our ponies were strong enough to carry us, forward going, very light to the aids, sensible and well adapted to their surroundings and snowy terrain.

They were polite in the stables to groom and tack up. Responding to gentle aids to ask them to move over, pick up a foot etc. They came to call and led in willingly from their paddocks.

Because they had the natural freedom to interact and play in their paddocks, they all just seemed to rub along together. Amiable, well-adjusted and happy ponies !

Donna who has been on 40 In The Saddle rides. Oh how we love you Wild Coast! | This was our 4th trip to the Wild Coast. We keep going back as the ride is fabulous. Lots of long canters, the Wavecrest gallop, and fabulous, well cared for horses. The guides are great and really make the riding special.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoy your trips to the Wild Coast so much!]

Katrine who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Los Potreros | Fantastic surroundings, which however become a bit monotonous after a few days. However there were various experiences that helped with that, including helping to drive cattle, capturing some of the horses and a polo day. Also a good thing is that you ride criollo/polo horses in the morning and paso horses in the afternoon.

Some horses had girth wounds but the guides were very aware of this and moved the girth if it was on it. However, they had no ointment or similar to treat with.

Jennifer who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience! | Top marks for excellent riding instruction with their highly trained and well cared for horses in a stunning location and modern facilities. I was particularly impressed with the trail rides not just for the sheer beauty of the landscape and incredible horses but also because you get to choose the pace so you can really test yourself as a rider and have a lot of fun!

Liz who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic! | Great range of horses, I rode 5 during the holiday. They offer horses to suit every level from complete beginner right up to livelier horses for charging about on. You can bring along non-riding friends and they can have a go too! A novice rider was being taught to canter while she was staying there, which she was loving. The riding varies slightly according to which lodge you pick (we stayed at both). As a nervous rider I felt super-safe, and the horses aren't at all fazed by the wildlife. They're very sure-footed on the steeper tracks.

Debbie who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Cantering in Vast African Spaces | Although I was a repeat rider at Ol Donyo, stable managers change and Laura was new to me. Despite her youth I was impressed with her knowledge of each and every horse and after chatting with me she found my dream horse - Narok. As a "senior" rider, sporting two brand new hips, I wanted security but not boredom and Narok, at 20, delivered. Laura got it just right and I forgot I was so ancient!

Birgit who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Unforgettable | Good

Jacquie who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Excellent dressage training | All the instructors are very passionate and professional. The horse welfare is expectational.

Katrine who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Tierra del Fuego | My horse was a little older (it was his last ride) and he therefore lacked a bit of muscle, which meant that the saddle and girth did not fit so well. He therefore got a girth wound on the first day (and had scars from others) and had to have some extra equipment on both the front and back which meant that the girth could not move. It was nice that they put it on him, but a bit of a shame that he had to get a wound already on the first day. Otherwise, he was a lovely responsive horse, very surefooted and good in all gaits!

Beverley who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Once in a lifetime amazing experience! | All of the horses were fabulous.

David who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Excellent

Rebecca who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Educational and enjoyable in top-class accommodation | I went to Monte Velho with no experience of dressage, although I would have said I was a strong intermediate horse rider for trails and cross country. This was very far outside my comfort zone but the instructors were very patient with me. Fellow guests were also very encouraging, despite all being substantially more experiences. The horses are beautiful.

Jane who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Best adventure ever in Argentina | I could not be happier with the riding I experienced at Los Potreros. During my stay I rode 14 different horses, all wonderfully comfortable and well mannered, and the pasos were to die for! Soooo smooth and comfortable. If I had stayed longer there were more horses for me to try - I fell in love with all the horses I rode.

The saddles were extremely comfortable for long rides and the care that was taken by the gauchos and guides was second to none. Their passion for their horses and providing guests with nothing but the best experience was so evident.

I rode in the mornings from 10 am until around 2 pm and again in the evenings from 5.30 pm until 7.30 ish. Sometimes we were able to help with work on the farm such as moving cattle or horses for specific reasons and I really enjoyed this. I was also glad that it was a working farm and not events specially put on for the benefit of the guests. Having grown up on a farm it was wonderful to be herding cattle. Made me feel that I was 10 years old again.

Los Potreros more than met my expectations and I would love to go back.

Lynn (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The horses were well looked after. Our guides checked all the horses every day to see if they were well.

Sarah who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Amazing horses, scenery, organisation. Great guides. It had it all. | My horse was perfect for me, forward going but sensible, probably one of the best horses I have been paired with on a trip. The riding was fast with lots of canters on the beach and inland.
I normally don’t return to rides as there are so many new ones to do, but I think I’ll be back.

Janet who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Truly Magical | It was as described

Julie who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Icy cold outside but a warm glow inside | Less riding than on most ITS holidays but we knew that before we went. Riding the little Icelandic ponies above the arctic circle surrounded by beautiful snow covered scenery was a real treat. Learning how to tolt from the experts was really good.

Teresa (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Sweden - Explore Winter | I loved the night rides in the snow covered forest. The riding was slower than some trips, but that was because of the snow and the terrain. We did have one fast canter in the snow through the forest that was great fun, and we also did a bit of tolting. We also had a lesson in the arena that was a nice addition to the trail riding. The horses are well cared for and loved.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased that you had a fun time riding in the snow!]

Adrian who has been on 23 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic fast coastal/ beach trail ride | Excellent quality horses

Bob who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Never fails to amaze! | I was initially in a mixed abilities group but was taken off for some lovely canters.

Hetty who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A holiday of a lifetime! | Beyond our expectations! My husband only had about 6 lessons before coming. They matched him with appropriate horses and gave him huge amounts of confidence. He was able to keep up with the advanced group and absolutely loved it. We both loved the riding and loved the way that the horses roam free in the reserve.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback and we are so pleased that you had such a wonderful time.]

Rachel who has been on 26 In The Saddle rides. Perfect riding holiday | All riders were beautifully matched to their ability. I rode a few different horses this week and loved them all. The horses are fantastic as is the organisation and guides. Thank you Rachel, Jose and Roberto for looking after me so well.

Melita who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic holiday with fabulous riding and animal sightings and experiences | The riding was fabulous. We were well guided in preparation for hazards we might expect (holes, thorns etc). Their ability to navigate across the Serengeti savannah was was amazing.
It was quite fast paced and in every way met, indeed exceeded expectations.
We were massively fortunate with the weather and the incredible numbers of animals we saw.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you very much for your super feedback. We're really pleased that you enjoyed your return visit to Tanzania].

Dani (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A truly special holiday | Excellent

Sophie who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Serengeti Migration Safari - there are no words… | The horses were all fantastic, so well matched for each rider and so clearly cared for and loved by every member of the team.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. We're absolutely thrilled that you had such a great return visit to Tanzania.]

Suzanne who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Magical Once in a Lifetime Experience | All riders have their priviate guides. I would let the guide know what pace and how long of a ride I would like to do. When my husband came along we went much slower. Everything is so personalized. The horses are incredibly cared for and you could tell how much they loved them. I fell in love with my horse who was perfect for me and my husband also had an incredible horse. We also had our personal game driver who was so incredible. We designed what we wanted to do each day. If my hubby and our guide went hiking but I rode, we would meet up somewhere special. It was so incredible how personalized EVERYTHING was.

Sara who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful holiday | Lovely, fit well trained horses who know and really enjoy their job.