Bev who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Just what we planned | Would have liked it to have been a little faster pace but it was particularly hot. Maybe riding earlier or later would have been better. Vladimir our lead was great and the horses in good condition and well looked after.
My horse was delightful albeit a little on the small side for me.
Overall though thoroughly enjoyable.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback and we are pleased to hear you had a great holiday despite it being very hot.]

Ricky who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. An exhilarating adventure from start to finish | This was the second In The Saddle riding holiday that my wife and I (both experienced riders) have been on. The first trip to Mongolia was incredible with lots of open gallops, well-cared-for horses and great accommodation. We were worried that we would struggle to find another riding holiday that was as fast and adventurous, but the North Macedonia Miyak Tribe Trail sounded like the closest option. I am pleased to say that it exceeded all of our expectations. It is an exhilarating adventure from start to finish. The terrain is mountainous which means long climbs and descents in walk over varied terrain with amazing views (including sunrise over a valley on one morning), and lots of short to medium-length fast gallops. There are some long days in the saddle so a good level of fitness is required, but the saddles are comfortable, the horses sure-footed and incredibly well looked after. Vasko and his team would stop multiple times throughout each day, checking tack and girth straps, etc., to ensure the horses (and riders) were comfortable.

The accommodation was very comfortable and the food was fantastic, plentiful and met all of the group's dietary requirements. Vasko the trail lead and his team including David and Beatrice were great, supportive and fun to be around. Before we started on the trail Vasko also organised a tour of Skopje as well, which we all appreciated as it was nice to know more about the country, its history and traditions.

We cannot recommend this trip enough and we plan to go back in the future!
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you so much for your feedback and it's great to hear how much you enojoyed your holiday to North Macedonia!]

David who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Good horses in forests and hill | Very long canters over flat terrain - quite demanding

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous Experiences, Not to be missed | I did three rides on this trip which was quite a challenge for my fitness, but it was well worth it. I started off with Ants, then went to the Wild Coast, then off to Botswana, to the Tuli Block. This was a safari ride and lots of fast riding and fantastic wildlife. Most of the tent accom was great.
On all the rides, we have a great group of people. Everyone contributed and will remember these holidays!

Joe who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. An exiting, adventurous trail ride on superb horses through glorious forests & mountain scenery. | After reading previous reviews our expectations were high but were totally exceeded on this holiday.
We had a great group , great weather & the organisation & itinerary were excellent. The Sherpa team couldn't do enough for us & were very good company .
Vasko & his team know horses inside out. We were carefully matched with our mounts & their welfare was the main priority throughout the ride. After 6 days of hard riding over 180 km with thousands of metres of ascent & descent the horses were in better shape than we were!
The horses were forward going, well behaved & well socialised & the western saddles were comfortable & secure. The pace is a fast walk which eats up the miles. As the week went on there were plenty of opportunities for steady & fast canters through the alpine beech forests & lots of exhilarating gallops through mountain meadows full of wild flowers & skylarks.
The accommodation was very comfortable & the 2 campsites were in beautiful locations.
The food was some of the best we've had on any holiday both in hotels & on the trail Everything was freshly cooked with fresh local ingredients. The meat was first class as were the vegetarian options & the local sheep cheeses were delicious & often straight from the farm. The team were very careful & considerate in looking after any special dietary requirements & cold beer & decent wine were always at hand.
Macedonia is a beautiful country & the Mavrovo National Park is particularly stunning with steep, wooded gorges & valleys which are heavily forested in beech up to about 1800m which then gives way to grassy valleys , meadows & mountain tops full of wild flowers, herbs , butterflies & insects. Skylarks are everywhere & we saw eagles , wild boar, deer, chamois, wild horses & even a couple of bears. The vistas are huge.
The meadows are grazed by sheep which are milked by hand twice daily for cheese production. The flocks of sheep are minded by shepherds & huge dogs to protect them from wolves. We often ate lunch in the sheep farms & were lucky enough to see the milking & cheese making processes. Vasko worked on the farms as a boy & gave us great insights into the way of life.
An added bonus to this ride is learning about the long & interesting history of the region & the Miyak people. Vasko was born & bred in the area & his family have been there for centuries. He`s extremely knowledgeable about the past & is keen to pass this on to visitors.
The modern day history is no less interesting.
We've been on a fair few riding holidays & this is up there with the best. The horses & riding were first class as were the organisation & the Sherpa team. The location was breathtaking . If you`re riding fit , adventurous & up for some excitement you`ll have a blast.
Thanks to Vasko, Shaipe, Davide, Beatrice,all the team & the lovely Sherpa Shenanigan crew for an amazing holiday.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your great feedback! We are so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the Miyak Tribe Trail.]

Karen who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Sunny Ride at Velani Country Hotel | There was a bit of confusion when we arrived, we thought we had booked the Sunny Ride and that is what we went for in the end. It was very hot during our week of Riding and one day we decided not to ride as it was 36 degrees. We did manage to persuade Sabine to let us ride later in the day (after the first 2 days) as it was so hot, we rode at 4:30pm rather than 3:00pm.

All of the horses were well cared for and we were able to help with grooming and tacking up and also wash down on our return to the stables. The tack was in good order and clean.

As we were only riding for 2 hours per day, the rides were very gentle passed (mainly walking) with the odd trot and very rare canter. The terrain did not help with this as most of the riding is on rough tracks and paths through Olive trees.

[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback. As per your itinerary booklet and invoice, you had booked the Panorama rides. I am very sorry if this wasn't clear when you arrived and I will certainly follow up to see where we could improve.]

Adrian who has been on 23 In The Saddle rides. Breath of the highlands | Great horses , well matched to riding abilities . Hosts were great and the whole holiday experience was without fault .
[In The Saddle - thank you for your review and so glad you enjoyed Iceland. Olwen]

Barbara who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Constant smiles despite the weather! | A great selection of forward going Icelandic horses which were all easy to handle from the ground and when being ridden. As expected, some were more comfortable than others, but as we changed horses part way through the day this was not an issue. I never cease to be amazed by the willingness, stamina and sure footedness of the Icelandic Horse.
[In The Saddle - we are so pleased you enjoyed this great adventure in Iceland]

Leila who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Breath of the Highlands - Iceland | Excellent

Cynthia who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Tolting through the Storms! | The trip was great … it was only the unusually horrible weather which put a damper on it. It was a testament to the thrill of the experience that it was exhilarating to ride through gale-force winds and pelting sleet on for several hours on a barren mountaintop!
The hosts and guides were lovely. They really went above and beyond. The horses were simply perfect - hardy, well-mannered, varied in their forwardness (in a good way), and steady.
The food was sometimes great, sometimes a bit boring. The packed lunches perhaps could’ve had a bit more variety. But It could be that Iceland is limited on what they can offer in home cooking, so I’m not sure that could be any different.
The cottages were very comfortable. And having the 24 daylight was amazing!
[Olwen from In The Saddle - thank you for your great feedback on riding in Iceland. So glad you enjoyed the experience despite the weather!]

Shanda who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Yukon Shine Valley - Gorgeous Ride! | Good

Amanda who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Great experience | Unfortunately, due to late snow melt in the mountains we were unable to do the full ride as one of the rivers was flowing to full and fast to cross and the snow in the final mountain passes were too deep. This also led to the terrain being much wetter than normal. The guides did a great job of providing a interesting riding experience taking us on different trails to get back to the base camp.

Barbara who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous | The horses were beautiful, happy, responsive horses. We decided to bond further by doing the horse wash down at the end of each ride. Bruno was our guide for most of the week and his knowledge of the island's exstensive flora gave our rides an added dimension. We have to add that we had 2 half days of excursions to the tea plantation and botanical gardens and hot springs.As well as dolphin/whale watching boats from Porto Delgada. Rui our driver was a wealth of talents. He organized bookings, did airport pick ups, and helped in the stables.

Verne who has been on 29 In The Saddle rides. Sun, Riding, Loafing and Eating | Well mannered horses, very well looked after, good quality tack.
Great guide, some steep trails (which made for some slower riding). Hot at times.

Rosemary who has been on 41 In The Saddle rides. I love the tolt! | I loved this holiday in spite of the 'four seasons in one day' for which I think it's fair to say I was not fully prepared in spite of thinking I had packed enough warm clothes. I think I wore most of my clothes in one day on one or two days - mainly due to the wind - so thank goodness for the orange waterproofs supplied! (And I am also now the proud possessor of an Icelandic jumper.) I loved riding these beautiful horses - and the tolt must be the most comfortable gait ever. (We also briefly sampled the flying pace - it just made me laugh!) To ride in front of or behind a herd of some 40 horses was a joy and the horses are so chilled - some would just come up to you to say hello as you wended your way through them to meet your next horse to ride. Stark and stunning volcanic scenery too.

Penny who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful hotel with delicious food very friendly hosts and well looked after horses | Thoroughly enjoyed my days at Hotel Valani. Charming hosts Sabine and Manolis absolutely delicious food wonderful accommodation and fun riding.

Gitte who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. The horse I had was absolutely perfect according to my wishes and super sure-footed in the very challenging terrain. Well-kept and well-kept, equipment in perfect order.

Ingrid who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Excellent

Angie who has been on 24 In The Saddle rides. Ants is Heaven on Earth | I had the most fabulous horse at Ants - Shamane, a darling. The others were also lovely but she was my favourite. If you like long canters this is the place to go. 7 minutes or about 3 miles, fabulous. All the guides are amazing especially Ali and Sekhwiri. Went out with Ant one morning, he does love a gallop! The quality of riding and horses is perfect.

Benedicte (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) We are not the best riders, but both the horses and the pace were adapted to our level and wishes. And we saw lots of wildlife.
The guides had great knowledge of the Game and the vegetation. They were always smiling, helpful and attentive and created a good atmosphere both on the rides and during the dinners.

Rebecca who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Upmarket safari away from the real world | Beautiful horses, gleaming with health and condition.
Thanks to the great guides for helping us to enjoy so many encounters with the wildlife safely.
I enjoyed the evening rides in beautiful afternoon light, closer to camp, just as much as the morning rides with the much talked about splashy canters.

Janine who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Another amazing experience | The horses were all well cared for, healthy and happy. They knew their job and stopped to graze while we were able to photograph the game.

Emily who has been on 25 In The Saddle rides. An adventure down the Rive Nile through sugar and tea plantations and the Mabira rainforest | Natalie had gathered information on what horses the riders liked from ITS in advance and I was matched with my dream horse, a stunning 17HH thoroughbread called Kumi Kumi. The care affored to the horses was second to none, with each horse having their own groom. There were plenty of opportunities for long canters and some gallops.

Anne-Marie who has been on 30 In The Saddle rides. Great fun with exceptional horses and company | I don’t think I have ever been better matched to a horse, Hunter’s Gold was everything I asked for , forward going but very controllable and calm, the right height for me and just generally a pleasure to be with. The riding took us through a variety of terrain, with some great canters and flat out gallops up hills. The option was available to go slower had we wanted to, but our group was very happy to go faster. The horses are beautifully cared for and in fabulous condition, all credit must go to Natalie , T.J. and the very attentive grooms. Moses the back up guide was also good company.. Natalie made sure everyone in the group was happy with their horses and the rides, and still took obvious delight from finding new routes and meeting new locals along the way. After having had this ride postponed for 2 years due to Covid it was fantastic to find it was worth waiting for.

Liz who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Trip of a lifetime | The riding exceeded my expectations and was very fast

Kate who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Superb | First horse was too slow and couldn’t jump. I asked to change after a couple of days and the next was a perfect match

Lis who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. It is completely different conditions they have horses under than what we have in this country. The horses were in work and all balances with new and different riders. The tack was used but usable and under the conditions it gets dusty.

Ilanna who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Responsive, calm and good horses. The saddles were slightly not so good.

Katrine who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Slightly worn saddles but there was seat saver which made it more comfortable.
The horses I rode were attentive to their rider, and although some of them were quite strong it still went fine.

Philip who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Qolora Trail Wild Coast South Africa - Cantering along the beaches of the wild coast in South Africa | I have been awaiting two years for this holiday and although at first I was hesitant of the horse that I was given due to his size, thinking that he would be a plodding horse, but I was happily surprised by the way that the horse went and would be more than happy to have a ride on him any day. I can only say that everything has been worth waiting for and nothing could have been any better. The horses, the varied terrain, location, food, guides and other guests.

Morag who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. An outstanding equestrian experience | This was our 6th visit to CdT, and I'm delighted to say that the horse I rode this year was the best yet. She was powerful and forward-going, but excellently schooled, thus sensitive and responsive: an absolute joy to ride. We travelled new trails and some old favourites, with the high temperatures always taken into consideration, so there were plenty of descents into the cool shady forests after taking in some classically Tuscan views.

The care shown by all the staff with regards the horses' welfare, and ours, was excellent, in particular flexibility in terms of start and finish times to avoid the hottest time of the day. Hats off to Franco, Ailsa et al. for making our holiday so special.

Charlotte who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Deep Sicily Trail - Stunning long trail ride crossing Sicily north to south | The days were longer than I had expected - two days of 8 hours in the saddle and one of 9 hours - so it was very tiring and we were not always able to make the most of the places we stayed in. But that said, it was a fantastic ride and I would definitely do it again! Amazing scenery and lovely forward going and obliging horses who coped better with the long days in the heat than their riders!