Lesley who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Miyak Trail - Exploring off grid Macedonia | We were part of the July Miyak trail. What an awesome experience! Hardy forward going trusty horses, carried us through the beautifully unique Macedonian countryside. We stayed in comfortable hotels with good home cooked dishes but the highlight was two nights wild camping. Going to sleep in total darkness and waking up to the sound of birdsong was stunning. Dinner and breakfast cooked over an open fire was a great experience. To enjoy the trail fully you need to be very saddle fit, comfortable with full on gallop and have good riding/walking boots. Sometimes the terrain demands that you get off and lead the horse. It’s a trail for riders with an open mind and a sense of adventure.

Mette who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Mamen and Emilio are amazing horse people and their love and respect for the animals pervade the whole ride. Just the fact that you ride bitless says it all. It IS a slow ride, which is also described when booking it and this year's heat wave probably slowed it down further. A couple of beautiful canters - but otherwise the pace is in calm walk. It was a beautiful experience to meet the locals and ride through small sleeping villages in the region, and experience the beautiful castles and squares, but if you, like me, are more into the deserted and completely raw nature, there are a little too many cars and roads to crossed on this ride.

Bettina who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. I got some really kind, calm and reliable horses. I was not for a second nervous about whether they would make it in the steep terrain. I had three different horses and the one that was Arab cross was the one that was easiest for me to ride.

Maria Johansson (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) I wanted an independent and forwardgoing horse - and I got it - three different times even. The quality of the horses is superb, they are well-schooled and keep a cool head when, for example, you meet large flocks of sheep with large herds of barking guarding dogs.

Emily who has been on 25 In The Saddle rides. Lovely riding in the Portuguese countryside. | Pedro shows great care for his horses and is an expert in horse behaviour. The scenery was stunning with plenty of sightings of the wild horses. I rode two horses and both were lovely.

Thomas who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing and far better than I have ever expected - a part of africa which is worth to discover - do it with this perfect team | Horses are really very good - healthy, friendly, sure-footed and just beautiful. The staff does an outstanding job in caring for the horses. They are kept in a very good stable. Natalie, the owner, has that special kind of sensitivitiy for the horses, which can´t be learned by lessons. It is really a very hard thing to keep horses so well under the circumstances of rural africa and tropical climate. But they manage it.

Janet who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Portugal Alentejo Trails - Fabulous | Excellent

Claudia who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. A very pleasant riding trek, perfectly organised, lovely horses and good guiding. | Crete is a very rocky country. The riding was very much strongly ups and strongly downs - in the heat and in very rocky area. Having made it once was nice, but I would not do it a second time.

Alex who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic time in Crete | As I had been on the Panorama ride before I had a favourite horse from last time which I requested and got allocated for the trek.

Rikke who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. I rode four horses, which I had not expected. I usually only ride my own horse, so having to ride several different ones was a challenge, but all the horses were super kind and easy to handle. Among the horses, I rode two older horses aged 17-18 and even though they had been in the business for many years, there was still lots of life, energy and joy in them. It was clear that the hosts take good care of their horses and take into account to offer them varied training (trail / arena) days off and turn-out time.

Emily who has been on 25 In The Saddle rides. Lassithi Trek - A lovely trip exploring the beautiful island of Crete on excellent horses. | My horse Pluto was very nice to ride; he was forward but kept his pace and I didn't need to fight with him. An excellent match.

Len who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. At home in the wild | Horses were well mannered, safe, fit and forward going. We covered a huge variety of terrain and had a lot of opportunities for relaxed riding between vineyards, challenging mountain climbs, trotting through medieval towns and long fun woodland canters. Everyone was well matched to their horse and each day's ride was interesting, different and thoroughly enjoyable.

Sue who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. All round amazing experience | Exceeded expectations - extremely fit, well behaved, horses that were incredibly sure footed and suitable for job. I was amazed at the terrain that they went over with seeming ease! Being in a mountainous area, the ascents (seemingly vertical at times) and descents were very much a part of the ride, which naturally offered different types of countryside, vegetation, scenery and far reaching views - it seemed that every day the afternoon was different from the morning and each day different. Alex the guide kept us informed of places and things of interest. Very comfortable sheepskin saddle covers and rain covers - not seen rain covers before, they were such a good idea!

If I have a niggling criticism it’s that I’m not a fan of riding in a crocodile line in a set order, I completely understand why they do it ( they know their horses very well) and fully appreciate that majority of the tracks can only be ridden one behind the other, but when the opportunity arose and seeing that we were all competent and in control of our horses, I would have liked to ride alongside someone else - not that I didn’t enjoy their company, far from it - but long days were spent in the saddle and I felt there were a few in the group who I hadn’t had the chance to chat to except in the evening.

Jill who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful- just the break I needed | This was the first exploratory ride that I have done with In The saddle, so was not sure what to expect, but I loved it! The horses were amazing, you have to admire how tough and fit they were and although we covered over 200km they did not lose any condition at all. Alex was really knowledgeable about the areas we were riding through and the pace was just right. I had wondered if I was going to be fit enough to ride for up to 8 hours a day, I usually get bored after 6, but I found it fairly easy, although going downhill for 2 1/2 hours on one day did make my knees ache!

Bregje who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Great trail!!!! | I think Lizzie and Alex did a great job finding the right horse for each rider. I really enjoyed riding mine. Very forward but good to control , sure footed, reliable, and comfortable in all gates

Jane who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful | Excellent

Geoff who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Lassithi Trek | A highly enjoyable trip with very good horses, an excellent guide who was knowledgeable, considerate and great fun. The riding provided much variety and a great opportunity to experience the 'real' Crete off the beaten track. Our hosts Sabine and Manolis at Velani were excellent, creating a 'house party' atmosphere at the hotel, with fellow guests enjoying each others company. I cannot recommend the ride highly enough.

Only reservation was infrequent watering of horses on the trek, but I can honestly say that they did not appear to suffer as a consequence, hence overall I think they were well cared for.

Abbie from In The Saddle says, "Thank you for your feedback. Please be assured that the horses are always watered again during the evening".

Gordon (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Hard Work | The riding terrain was really not suitable for horses. How they managed amazed me. At times it was dangerous bordering on negligent. Riding across the site works of a new airport with big plant and machinery is not acceptable.
[In The Saddle note - we are sorry you found the ride challenging. We have visited this ride and had many clients join it. The ride operator is very experienced and has been providing this demanding trek of some 200kms for 20 years. The horses are fit and well suited for the terrain and also safe if they encounter working equipment. It is true, and is indeed the case on many riding holidays, that we see horses cope very well over terrain that we wouldn't ask our own horse to do].

Frans (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Everthing was so well organised. The day/s were well filled with riding, hiking, excursions and time to relax | Above expactation in every way. Well schooled horses. Indoor lessons were excelent. Guides were skilled, helpfull and friendly.

Line (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Kjolur Ride | Excellent

Ulla (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Kjolur Ride | Fantastic terrain, skilled people around the horses and us. Our guide Bjørk was good at selecting horses that suited me and my level. The standard of the horses was far better than the tack (Satisfied/Very Satisfied). It was worn saddles and girths, saddlebags that were perforated and disgusting (Unsatisfied).