Villa Based Ride Jerez Feria Week
15 May 2022
Villa Based Ride Jerez Feria Week
15 May 2022
Izzie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Los Alamos - Fabulous | The riding was spectacular through the forest and on the beach
Ant's Nest
13 May 2022
Hilary who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A lifetime high | Lovely sandy tracks to canter along on well schooled forward going horses.
Beautiful scenery with lots of game, we were led by knowledgeable guides who made the riding interesting and fun whatever the pace.
Monte Velho
12 May 2022
Sarah who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Monte Velho - third time back & still as great as the first | The horses are all very well schooled at Monte Velho, with superb manners. The instructors are clear & precise with their teaching & also spend time with you until you get things right.
Lovely to see some riders experiencing flying changes, piaffe & passage for the first time, their big smiles said it all.
Machu Picchu and The Sacred Valley
11 May 2022
Alexis who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. The Sacred Valley Ride - Excellent ride in beautiful countryside | Well-paced, balanced trip overall with time built in to allow everyone to acclimate to the high altitude and get in some sightseeing. Though there's very limited cantering, I wouldn't call this a slow ride! The horses were very forward and excited to be back to work after extended covid lockdowns - it was amazing how much ground we could cover in a day doing the paso llano. It was wonderful to see Eddy's love for his horses.
Sun and Riding
10 May 2022
Nancy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Beauty trails in Cretan countryside. Happy horses! | Excellent
Lassithi Trek
8 May 2022
Giselle who has been on 17 In The Saddle rides. Lassithi Trek - a mountainous adventure | Yes it did meet expectations - if anything, more forward going than I had expected. Olwen advised me before I went that the terrain is very rugged and rough and that horses in the UK would not cope with it but that the horses there are used to it. And indeed they were - they have been properly acclimatised, so I knew what to expect but it might be an idea to reflect that more in your brochure so that people are not taken by surprise because the other riders (none from In the Saddle) were taken aback to start with.
Vladimir, the guide was excellent and duty of care to rider and horse was always paramount.
Ant's Nest
8 May 2022
Paul who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. What a fantastic holiday for all | All horses were very well looked after, very well behaved, good variety for beginners and experienced, we rode with people the at the level, so no body was held back, lots of long canters, with animals all around us very close too!
We rode for 2.5 hrs in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon, enjoyed every single ride we did
Tombstone Monument Ranch
8 May 2022
Paul who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. What a fantastic holiday! | The ranch was extremely well run and the staff were all extremely helpful.
The horses were all very well trained and are super easy to ride, real confidence giving horses for beginners.
The variety of trail rides was excellent and the wranglers management and supervision of the rides was superb.
Villa Based Ride Seville Feria Week
8 May 2022
Elise who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous and varied rides on well mannered and forward going horses. | The horses at Los Alamos are very much loved. The riding is at varied paces and exhilarating at times. If you like a more forward going or steadier horse there will be a suitable horse for you. I have always felt safe and Rachel and her team at the stables are excellent hosts and look after horse and rider very well.
Green Island Trail
7 May 2022
Madeleine who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A splendid week | Actually I was pleasantly surprised at how many good canters/gallops we managed to fit in given the terrain. Our brilliant guide, Bruno, went to great efforts to pair us up with horses that we might like and wanted us to have a good time.
African Explorer
6 May 2022
Jodie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) African expoler | Excellent
Horizon Lodge
5 May 2022
Barbara who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Horizon - Friendly, exciting, fun week with nature | This holiday surpassed my expectations as I had been on a few safaris before with elephant & cats so I thought this safari may be a little “tame". However I was entirely wrong, the horses were fabulous, characterful but mannerly, very well cared for & super professional! The rides were fun, very much gauged to the rider's ability. The team couldn’t do enough for the guests, so kind, fun & thoughtful.
Horizon Lodge
2 May 2022
Alison who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Another wonderful holiday | Excellent
Tuli Safari
1 May 2022
Hilde who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. The most amazing riding holiday ever! | The riding itself met all expectations. The horses were super calm and stabile when we met/looked at animals. It was a lovly terrain to ride in, and there were so many animals 🙂
We also had som long, nice canters. Som alongside hords of impalas and zebas - absolutley fantastic!
White Stallion Ranch
1 May 2022
Donna who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Escape to the sunny relaxing ranch | Having visited twice before it definitely met my expectations and even had my requested horse
Villa Based Ride
1 May 2022
Juliette who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. As fun as it always is | Excellent
Villa Based Ride
1 May 2022
Caroline who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. The perfect holiday | Perfect balance of good riding and relaxation
Villa Based Ride
1 May 2022
Alison who has been on 19 In The Saddle rides. So good to be back! | Excellent
Tuli Safari
1 May 2022
Elisabeth who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. Adventure | The horse was forwardgoing as I asked for and with a nice temper. Good match 🙂
Tuli Safari
1 May 2022
Merete who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous horses, people and nature | Great horses that behaved fantastic, great tracks and guides!! I absolute need to do this again sometime!
Sun and Riding
30 April 2022
Judith who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Mountain retreat | I knew from previous comments about the terrain and heard from fellow guests doing the Lassithi trek about their experiences which were even more extreme. It was clear that these horses are used to this, cope extremely well and it's the humans who need to be brave! I would classify it as a "holiday with riding".
Valdimir was one of the most helpful and kind ride leaders, even if his hand signals needed interpretation sometimes!! He could not do enough to help us with tacking up etc and taking good care of us on the ride. I agree somewhat with previous comments about numnahs being clean.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback.
Sun and Riding
30 April 2022
Annie who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. None of us rode this year. Horses look very good, excellently cared for, and tack clean and well cared for. Saddles looked newish and very comfortable.
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All horses even the stallion were very well behaved in their stables.
Sun and Riding
30 April 2022
Penny who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. A relaxing week in a stunning location | I did not ride!
Medieval Tuscany
30 April 2022
Nici who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Loved it | Wonderful location, loved the variety of forests and the open vineyards.
The riding experience was great, the horses are well trained, sure footed and extremely well looked after.
The riding is relaxed, yet it never gets boring as the scenery is stunning and the trials are varied.
What makes this places extra specials are the trainers and guides. The level of care and hospitality is on another level. I felt the the whole team had a genuine interest to make the experience excellent. It starts with being carefully matched with the right horse (I was on the same horse all week, very happy as I liked her so much) to the carefully curated trail routes that offered variety, scenery, and daily change. Then the elaborate 'picnics' which turned out to be 3 course lunches, to just everyone being genuinely lovely.
I was excellent overall, I hope to go back there soon.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your feedback and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your time at Castellare di Tonda.]
Villa Based Ride
24 April 2022
Sally who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Beautiful horses in Andalucia! | I had no expectations having not been on a riding holiday before, and went with an open mind.
I found the horses a joy to ride, as they were naturally so forward going, and needed only the lighest touch of aids. They were also very well mannered.
The trails were beautiful and peaceful through the forest, and exhilerating and wild along the beach.
Villa Based Ride
24 April 2022
Jane who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Best thing I’ve done in a very long time | The rides met and expanded on my expectations. Of course an early highlight was that first beach gallop yet there was also such peace and tranquillity in meandering through the pine woods. I thoroughly enjoyed every single ride.
One thing I would say to anyone who, like me, rode a lot as a child but now only rides once a week in the past few years as an adult: You do not need to say you’d like a forward-going horse as they are all incredibly fit and responsive. Rachel matched me with a beautiful Arab gelding who was very sweet natured and I was extremely happy riding him for the whole week. Most of my fellow riders were far more experienced than me and I wouldn’t have been as comfortable as they were riding the more spirited horses.
Sun and Riding
24 April 2022
Lesley who has been on 10 In The Saddle rides. Crete - fabulous week with the right balance of riding and holiday | Our guide, despite only having been in post 3 weeks was very knowledgeable and attentive to our needs. The scenery was spectacular, even some snow on the highest peaks. The tracks were mainly very stony and hard with frequent patches of concrete which could be very slippery but the horses were very sure footed. I have to say most of the places we cantered I would never have dreamed of cantering on but the horses are obviously used to it.
Villa Based Ride
24 April 2022
Jane who has been on 20 In The Saddle rides. The horses at Los Alamos never disappoint. The riding was wonderful and the beach as stunning as ever.
Sun and Riding
24 April 2022
Paul who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Hotel with stable attached | A fairly relaxed week with excellent accommodation and food. Riding is mainly on hard ground - gravel, stone, concrete carved out of the hills. The horses cope with it extremely well but best not to fall off! Really nice guides, very helpful. All the hotel staff were great too.
Villa Based Ride
24 April 2022
Sarah who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. A great holiday with my lovely sister! | The riding on this holiday was excellent for many reasons: the horses were lovely to ride, well trained and willing. the terrain, views and beach were perfect and the length of time in the saddle was just right for me...not too long so as to be tiring but plenty of time to relax and enjoy the whole experience. The gallops were amazing!
Riding Safari
20 April 2022
Flora (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Macatoo - Loads of fun! | The riding was excellent - we cantered and even galloped. Cantering with zebras is an unforgettable experience. Horses were good and well cared.
Helen (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Everything I dreamed of and more. | The riding blew all my expectations. The guides were informative and ensured our safety at all times. The horses were in top condition and obviously very well cared for.
Rachel constantly checked we were happy with the horse we’d been given and made sure they had adequate rest days.