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!

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, I then went to the Wild Coast (Transkei). This is fabulous beach riding at its best and again the horses were fantastic. It is a bit of a step back in time with the accom, but so beautiful place and I highly recommend it. Food was also wholesome but totally acceptable. On all the rides, we have a great group of people. Everyone contributed and will remember these holidays!

Emma who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A privilege to ride such well trained and cared for horses, unlike any others | The riding went above and beyond all expectations and then some. The hacking was lovely with wonderfully well-trained horses matched to each rider incredibly well, through beautiful countryside.
However, the absolute highlight of the holiday was having a lesson with Franco on a Western-trained quarter horse names El Wimpy. Initially, I had wanted a lesson as I am so used to riding English I wanted to make sure I was riding correctly for how the horses were trained (totally unnecessary as you are given a lesson on day one to understand the basics which is all you need and they respond incredibly well) I was completely blown away in my first lesson riding my trail horse Ros I decided to book another. This time I was on El Wimpy.... I can honestly say it was the most incredible lesson in my life and an experience I will never ever forget, he was the most well-trained horse I have ever had the privilege to ride. Franco is an amazing teacher and trainer he helped me do my first ever 'spin' and also sliding stop, more importantly than this I had lost confidence in my own abilities and he gave me that back (not gonna lie I was crying by the end!)
I was also incredibly impressed with how well the horses were looked after, they were all in impeccable condition, fit with a shiny coat, well mannered and happy.

I do need to make a special mention about Ailsa who really did go above and beyond to look after us, ensuring we were well looked after every step of the way her generosity knew no bounds to the point of driving to the pharmacy to get medication for my mum who was under the weather. Her translating skills were also pretty incredible during my lessons! She is a true asset to Castellore and a genuinely wonderful human being 🙂
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your feedback and I'm so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the riding. It's wonderful to hear your experiences.]

Donna who has been on 40 In The Saddle rides. Deep Sicily - Long days in the saddle | Excellent way to see deepest Sicily - long days in the saddle though, circa 7-8 hours most days so not everyone’s cup of tea.

who has been on In The Saddle rides. Ant's Nest - Amazing experience, fantastic people and animals - a little slice of heaven! | Excellent

Carla (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Exceptional experience! | Spectacular experience! The vineyards and facilities were stunning. The hosts were wonderful and made me feel right at home, my stay was very relaxing. Rita’s Lusitanos are gorgeous, responsive, kind and patient, these horses are really special, and perfect specimens of top quality breeding, really a treat to ride. Ricardo and Andre are world class riders and fantastic trainers- they guided me through exercises I had never done before like half-pass, pirouette, and passage. I also took a few working equitation lessons which I enjoyed immensely! The horses are so well trained if you cue correctly, they give immediately, I was really able to improve my training immensely during this intensive dressage stay (5 days)

In between lessons I enjoyed watching other riders train, lounged in the pool, walked through the vineyards and I got an incredible massage from Carlos. I also enjoyed several bottles of very good wine made right on the property- really the experience was top notch and an absolute dream

I really learned a lot and was very sad to leave such a heavenly place! I will definitely come back (every year if possible!)

Eve (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Brilliant | Lovely variety - some steady chilled out rides and some fast pace races!

Sarah who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful, wonderful experience! | This was a really special experience. I am a very basic dressage rider and worried that Monte Velho would be too advanced for me. I needn't have worried because my instructor, Lorena, listened to what I wanted to work on and perfectly targeted the teaching for my level. The lessons were wonderful and I learnt SO much. What a privilege to ride such highly schooled horses. I came back from all my lessons grinning from ear to ear.

Andy who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A long-awaited holiday that lived up to all hopes and expectations | The first horse that I was matched with was not forward going enough for me. A change of horse on the second day saw me on a much more suitable horse for the rest of the ride.
The overall standard and attitude of the riding group could perhaps have allowed for a slightly faster/longer canter on more occasions.

Brian who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. A terrific week,great food ,lovely company. Everyone at L.A. went the extra mile and more. | The riding was as good as my last trip 11 years ago. Time has caught up with me but Rachel put me on 2 horses that suited me well which is why I have made so many visits there. All the guides went out of their way to help everyone on the ride. If my health permits I would have have every hope of going back.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed your return to Los Alamos.]

Pat (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Confidence Building | Excellent guides

Jane who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Full of wonderful surprises | yes, exceeded expectations. Vasco took great care of his horses - those of us who have a horse, and we had an experienced vet in our group, could see the condition of backs, legs, mouth etc was excellent. The tack fitted well and great care was taken to ensure that girths/cinches were checked several times during each day's ride to accommodate up and downhill work - often very steep.
The horses were watered and fed appropriately and were all very fit and happy.
This is so important for MY enjoyment - to know the horse that is working under me is a fit, sound animal and has received the best care possible.

Augusta who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. N Macedonia | Beyond expectations in every way. I have been on many riding holidays , this is right up there at the top of the list. Wonderful attention paid to match us perfectly and all through the ride attention was paid to the horses and us. Even when plans had to be changed due to the weather it was all arranged with little fuss and continued to make the ride on of the most thrilling I have been on HIGHLY recommend.

Annalise (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Exceeded expectations, with excellent group of people. | The terrain and vegetation, forests etc were just what I was hoping for.

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Great relaxing Holiday | This was a very relaxing holiday with quality horses, beautiful landscapes, great food, wine tastings and good fun company. It was exactly what I was looking for and expected.

Chris (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Chianti castles and wine tasting | The riding was beautiful and horses brilliant the whole day rides were 4 and half hours without a stop then a further 3 which i found too much . Also in the rides your were only allowed to ride one behind the other which I did not enjoy very trail riding .

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

Rebecca who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous riding | Wonderful horses, great guides and always something fun to do. This time because the dam was full I enjoyed a lot of swims on the horses and I was impressed with the new jumping lane. At Horizon, it's not just about the horses, everyone is helpful, warm and fun to spend time with. So many people go the extra mile... thank you

Angela (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Relaxing | Great horses who were well cared for. The only disappointment is that the rides were very regimented and we always had to ride in single file even when the terrain was spacious enough to ride upsides.

Louise who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous as always | Excellent

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 Camp (then went to the Wild Coast and then Botswana). Ant's is the gold standard and both the horses and accommodation are fantastic. Ant himself took us on some rides and he does not hang back. We had amazing times with the wildlife and learnt so much. Food was first class.
On all the rides, we had a great group of people. Everyone contributed and will remember these holidays!

Steve (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing holiday | I cannot praise the riding enough. I’ve never ridden such well trained horses, ever! They spook at nothing, not snakes, flapping sheets, fast cars or very steep inclines or drop offs.