Kingdom of Thracians
8 June 2019
Rose (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Kingdom of Thracians | Excellent
Monte Velho
8 June 2019
Tracey who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic. | There was just one horse that maybe wasn’t a great match but one had gone lame and he was ok and they did look after me.
The Sacred Valley Ride
5 June 2019
Kirsty who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. A trip of a lifetime | The horse riding holiday was amazing. It was fabulous riding in the Andes and having the opportunity to ride through the local villages and learn from the local people. The days off to visit Macchu Picchu and Cusco worked in perfectly too.
I think that this is a fabulous horse riding holiday in spectacular surroundings and it was one of the most memorable parts of our holiday in Peru. I would like to thank Abbie for organising such a great holiday and being so helpful prior to our holiday. Metropolitan Touring looked after us so well when we travelled around Peru. They always kept in contact and ensured everything ran smoothly e.g. when there was a train strike they organised a flight for us and kept us updated with the new arrangements. It was a trip of a lifetime that I will be talking about for years to come. Thank you.
(ITS NOTE: We are so pleased that you enjoyed your experiences on the Sacred Valley Ride and also had a great time during your pre and post ride extension to Lima, Lake Titicaca, the Amazon, Colca Canyon and Arequipa which was arranged through Metropolitan Touring, our partners in Peru).
Coastal Trail North to South
2 June 2019
Bregje who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Good hotels, especially Verdemar, our last place where we stayed. Great food, best BBQ at lunch, fantastic horse!!! | My horse was the best, loved him! Fantastic match!
Quinta do Rol
2 June 2019
Åsa (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic horses, great teaching. | Absolutely lovely horses, beautifully cared for. Tuition is great too, the instructors really want you to improve. Their english is sometimes tricky to understand (did he say "now canter" or "no canter"???) and yes, sometimes they shout, but it's all good humoured. Take some time to chat to them, and all will be well! The viewing gallery is great and adds alot. Great school, it was 30C outside but still ok to ride in there.
Coastal Trail North to South
2 June 2019
Jockey123 who has been on 12 In The Saddle rides. Enjoyable ride | This ride was an enjoyable mix of terrains and countryside, looking particularly lovely in late Spring. I'm also into birding and hearing and seeing birds that are rare in UK was an added pleasure- even if Miguel, our guide, called everything that was not a stork a sparrow. It was also good to have more than one night at some locations so we didn't spend every morning re-packing. The weather was unseasonable hot and keeping adequately hydrated was an issue when their saddlebag only provided space for a single 500ml bottle.
Villa Based Ride
2 June 2019
Jimmy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Great riding, disappointing accommodation | Rachel and her team seemed to look after the horses well and were very welcoming and happy to change horses as needed.
The riding described on the web site indicated later starts and riding some country trails. We started early every morning, it was not always hot, and no country trails so the forest riding was a bit repetative, the beach rides were great fun.
[ITS comment: We have followed this up with Los Alamos and they have told us that during your holiday there was extremely high winds which curtailed riding in the open countryside. Each day they have to assess the weather conditions before determining which route is taken and what the ride involves.]
Riding Programme
2 June 2019
Sitone (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Super, just what we were looking for! | Absolutely met expectations, both horses and instructors.
Ant's Nest
1 June 2019
Pegasus who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Luxurious and thrilling | My only minor suggestion would be to introduce other breads at breakfast if possible. As a group we probably wouldn’t normally choose white sliced (like Mother’s Pride)?
[ITS comment: This is very unusual for Ant's as there are normally several options of fresh bread available. After following this up with the lodge it seems that there was a mix up regarding the food orders.]
Ranch Stay
1 June 2019
Marnie who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. had a great time | would have loved some longer faster paced rides, but season fitness was not great for the horses just coming out of a snowny spring and other riders were not prepared for such riding. It was really good but just not great.
Ant's Nest
1 June 2019
Briony who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. A truly fantastic trip | Ant's staff were fabulous at matching us well to horses - not only in terms of ability but also in terms of character. They were incredibly helpful in providing rides of varying speeds and routes, kept us safe and were and also very knowledgeable and entertaining.
[ITS comment: It's lovely to hear that you enjoyed the riding at Ant's Lodges.]
Ant's Nest
1 June 2019
Charlotte (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing and Inspiring! | Excellent
Ant's Nest
1 June 2019
Miss B Buchanan who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Breathtaking: phenomenal riding and safari experience combined | This holiday was fantastic. I loved every minute of it and 100% intend to return at the earliest time I can.
The hosts did everything in their power to ensure all of your needs and requests were met. The food was delicious, the accommodation was absolutely perfect.
The ability to have washing done after a days full riding in the dust meant that packing was manageable.
The horses, rides and safari animals were astonishing. What a brilliant holiday. Thank you so much.
Jump Tuition Programme (up to 100cm)
1 June 2019
Hope who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Show jumping | Excellent
Kei River Trail
1 June 2019
Dotsky who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. kei river mouth and Okavango Mobile safari - 2 holidays back to back - both excellent | Long gallops on miles of empty beaches on the South African Wild coast followed by a week camping in Okavango with amazing wildlife viewing. The highlight? Galloping with a herd of giraffe, followed by zebra and wildebeest.
Relaxed Ride
1 June 2019
JKDerbys who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. beyond any expectations and the best riding holiday ever! | I cannot praise too highly the care and attention taken to ensure that we all had a good riding experience and the right horses for our ability. We had fun but also learnt so much, and rode some fantastic horses. I have previously enjoyed a wide range of fast and challenging trail rides in some amazing places. but this holiday had an extra dimension. I went in a mixed group with my daughter (an experienced rider) and grandson of 9 who had only ridden previously in confined spaces. We could never have imagined the difference a week could make to his riding, with an inspirational instructor who enabled him to test his skills safely. The lesson for everyone on the first day of the holiday is a fantastic idea, in that riding ability is thoroughly assessed and horse choice confirmed, which is so much more effective than trying to match horses to riders on the basis of personal summaries of riding experience. We enjoyed that so much that we requested more, and one of the great features of being at the Quinta is the commitment to visitors and fulfilling as far as possible their wishes each day. We were very lucky in enjoying more lessons as well as wonderful rides out. Nelson was able to provide Oliver with safe and forward going horses so that from day one he was able to join us on rides out of increasing length, with controlled canters, and by the end of the week riding for 3 hours and more taking everything in his stride and loving every minute. This holiday has transformed his riding and given him opportunities and experiences which will transform his enjoyment of riding. And the grown ups had a fabulous time too!!
Quinta do Rol
1 June 2019
Kate B who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. A brilliant (and exhausting) week! | I was paired very well with horses that matched the type of horses i like and were suitable for my ability.
I learnt so much on this holiday working on the dressage movements i wanted to improve and improving my seat etc. They also guided me to had a go at several very difficult high level dressage moves that i never dreamed i would perform, including spanish walk, piaffe and passage, and canter pirouette! It was exhausting physically and mentally but brilliant, I learned loads and had so much fun.
Medieval Tuscany
1 June 2019
Burner63 (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Perfectly perfect | The riding was through really beautiful country. It had rained for like 40 days or something before we arrived, making the trails pretty messy, so we had to adjust our paths, sometimes taking the same loops to keep us in the saddle longer. Once the ground dried, we could go out for full days and see some incredible ruins, old towns and amazing views. Our guides, Sammy and Marco were very safety minded: horses and guests first. These horses and tack were impeccably maintained, that tells you what you need to know about a facility and it’s owner, Franco.
[ITS comment: We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the riding.]
Ant's Nest
1 June 2019
Saracjb who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely Fantastic | The horses are AMAZING. Willing, fit and obviously happy in their work. There is a wide selection of horses and literally every type and size of rider is catered for. The horses can canter for long long periods and rides vary from fast to just walking and looking at wild life. Whatever type of ride you want - the Ants team will supply.
The riding is great - up hills, across plains, through water, through woodlands. The horses are sure-footed and seem able to happily negotiate any terrain.
I found the saddles very comfortable and the tack was fine.
Heart of Tuscany
1 June 2019
Jill (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A Western riding adventure in beautiful Tuscany | The horses are very well cared for. The first ride was in the indoor arena to accustom the riders to the Western aids. The terrain is hilly but the horses are very sure-footed. I rode Boy all week, riding two hours per day which worked well as I was able to spend time with my non-riding partner and daughter. The wild flowers are beautiful and I was lucky enough to see a badger and wild boar!
Ant's Hill
31 May 2019
Zozo who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Amazing | Loved looking out for animals, interspersed with long canters through the bush!
Monte Velho
29 May 2019
Graham who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Hot Holiday | The weather was quiet hot and I saw a little to much of Virtuoso not an easy horse to motivate in the heat, but then I had Regalo most days, swings and roundabouts I guess. Would have liked a few more different horses with more of a change of instructor as well
Monte Velho
26 May 2019
Abbey who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Instructive but relaxing. | It was nice to have been recognised and I think they remembered the standard we were at. But it would have been nice to have been asked if there was anything you wanted to achieve.
Monte Velho
26 May 2019
Peeps who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Great place. | Had been before so did know what to expect this time, still great horses and instruction.
Tuli Safari
26 May 2019
Polly who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. An incredible experience | Very impressed by the quality, training and care of the horses here. I was matched with a lovely horse who was exactly what I requested!
Villa Based Ride
26 May 2019
kirsty who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. fantastic | As usual Rachel matched me with a horse that was perfect for me. she also took into account everyones ability and level of comfort and worked with them. an amazing woman with fabulous staff and great horses.
Villa Based Ride
26 May 2019
Fable who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. One of my favourite holidays | Fabulous horses with lovely temperaments. Forest riding with exciting canters and beautiful beach gallops.Always safety conscious and thoughtful matching of horse to rider.
Villa Based Ride
26 May 2019
Ralph who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Amazing | Fantastic riding experience in beautiful surroundings
Villa Based Ride
26 May 2019
IanC who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. As excellent as always | Excellent
Atlantis Ride
25 May 2019
Lucyrachel1 (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Holiday of a Lifetime- Paradise! | There were two options for this trip, one with slightly more riding than the other. We opted for the lesser option so we had more time to explore the island but our hosts actually gave us more riding than we had booked anyway which was so wonderful! We had different horses each day but they always asked for feedback so we could be matched to ones that suited us. Our riding lesson at the start of the holiday was excellent. Nelson is a fantastic teacher!
Ant's Nest
25 May 2019
Gee Gee who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A brilliant luxurious holiday! The horses and accommodations were first class | It was lovely to have long canters on sand tracks. The guides were very knowledgeable and informative and we weren’t disappointed with our encounters with the wildlife.
[ITS comment: Iti's great to hear that you enjoyed the riding!]
Palomino who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A wonderful time. | It did indeed meet my expectations. Excellent horses, beautifully presented, with immaculate tack, barns and facilities, and rides in varied and lovely scenery.