Lynne who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Amazing experience | Very different between South Africa and Botswana. South African was a lot more “controlled” and Botswana a little freer, and very exciting

Sharon (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Well organised | I knew the ride would be mainly taken at a walk due to the terrain. This was not a problem. The scenery was outstanding and the horses very well cared for. Delicious lunches too. It was a shame that the heat was such that my enjoyment was reduced. I would have liked to go out earlier in the day but understand that this was not necessarily possible.

Yvonne who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Brilliant! | Great riding and opportunities to tolt and canter were there whenever the terrain allowed

Robert who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic riding experience | Exceeded expectations - a combination of walking through beautiful forests combined with fast (and prolonged) riding across the steppes.
A fantastic riding experience - some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever experienced with great guides and sensible forward going horses that never put a foot wrong - just get used to standing up for all paces! The In The Saddle team couldn't have been more helpful and I recommend following their packing suggestions very closely including the fours seasons sleeping bag! Should also mention that the food was very good which came as a pleasant surprise as Mongolian cuisine was billed as one of the less strong points of the country. The Naadam Games were great with displays of archery, wrestling and, of course, riding.

Vivien who has been on 39 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful | This holiday more than met expectations. Natalie and TJ are some of the best hosts I have met on all the riding holidays I have been on. They are super nice people, have lots of interesting stories of their adventures and how they came to move to Uganda, have superb horses and really care about their welfare (not easy in the tropics). I rode Hunters Gold who had the smoothest paces I've experienced, a really nice horse. All the horses were in great health without a mark on them. They also have a great team of local people working for them. Moses and Erasmus did a great job of looking after us and the horses on the rides. We did lots of fast riding, at the group's request, and rode through villages, countryside, tropical jungles and along the river Nile. It was so different from the many southern Africa riding holidays I've been on and so interesting. Uganda is an amazing, complicated country, and so worth visiting. Stunningly beautiful as well. You get to see the real Africa on this holiday.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you so much for your super feedback. We’re thrilled that you had such a wonderful time in Uganda.]

Mary who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Off the Beaten Track | Natalie and TJ are true horse people who really care for their horses. The horses are bomb proof (no falls on our ride). They also gallop very fast. I rode a pony called Bullrush and he was perfect for me.
The rides along the Nile and through the villages was an amazing experience and we had a great break for lunch along the way. The scenery was beautiful so much green and the ride through the forest seeing monkeys was a unique.
Staying at Wild Waters topped off a fabulous week. I would also recommend doing the rafting as the crew are really professional and kept to their word that my boat would not flip.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you very much for your lovely feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed the Nile Explorer Ride].

Elaine who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. Amazing to ride fit, well cared for horses in a unique environment | The riding more than met my expectations, riding through plantations, villages (where everyone would come out to wave) and the Mabira forest. The scenery is stunning, very lush and green along the banks of the Nile. I rode Southern Comfort who was just perfect for me, he liked a bit of space (better for photo opportunities) plus he was very responsive and took everything in his stride. He really knew his job and took good care of me. Lots of opportunities for long canters which Moses and Erasmus expertly handled, looking out for us all. Nat and TJ clearly love their horses and give them 5* care which is reflected in the horses who are enjoying the best life.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback on your adventure in Uganda. We're so pleased that you enjoyed the Nile Explorer).

Adrian who has been on 23 In The Saddle rides. Incredible rural riding mountain trail | Horses are fabulous - Arabs and Arab crosses- fast , sure footed and lots of stamina .

Esther who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Most amazing riding experience | This is not an easy ride with long hours in the saddle, demanding terrain and at times unpredictable weather. But it is truly worth it. There are very few opportunities out there to really let go, to gallop across plains, up mountains on safe, exciting, sure footed horses. It was an exhilarating experience.

Lynn (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Terrific Trail Ride | The Wild Coast hosts and guides were very pleasant and welcoming. The guides knew the area, our abilities and structured the trail around what we were looking for.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you very much for your super feedback].

Janet who has been on 15 In The Saddle rides. Azores | Sometimes when you go back somewhere it's not the same.This was just as good second time around. The landscape and vegetation are stunning, food fantastic and Christina made sure that in our non riding time we went to a whole lot of different places around the island....for such a small place there is a surprising amount to see and do.

The horses are wonderfully cared for and willing, the riding is appropriate for the terrain with plenty of changes of pace.

Everyone makes you so welcome, Cristina and Claude as hosts and the guides Bruno,Tomas, Manuel, Anka and Riccardo.....not forgetting Rui and the backstage staff! Thank you all for creating a wonderful holiday.

Jane who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Great fun | Ailsa was brilliant and took great care of us. She matched both Simon and me with suitable horses and we had a lovely time. We asked Ailsa to confirm to you what she thought Simon's riding level was so that we have an independent view on it for our next holiday. She said to us she thought it was Intermediate plus which is a great achievement for him.

David who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Amazing riding and coastline | I had a wonderful week, shared with other friendly riders who were all very capable, and amazing guides who had our welfare, and that of the horses, as top priority.
It was easy to see why the Wild Coast is named such, as all along the beaches, powerful waves come crashing in, slamming against rocky outcrops.
Cantering, and occasionally galloping along deserted beaches was an experience to well be remembered, and the inland riding, with its river crossings was also memorable.
Drinks before dinner was always very enjoyable, and the standard of meals and accommodation was just what I expected.
For those riders who like many hours in the saddle daily, and periods of long sustained canters, I couldn't recommend this ride more heartily.

[Abbie from ITS replies: We're so pleased you enjoyed your long awaited riding holiday along the Wild Coast. Thank you for taking the time to tell us about it].

Fi who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. The most wonderful experience! | Can not begin to describe what a wonderful week we had with Mamen, Emilio, Barras the collie dog and their beautifully trained and cared for horses.

It was heaven to spend all day riding through the beautiful Gredos mountains, with the gorgeous smiley Mamen to meet us with tapas late morning, the then again later for a delicious home cooked lunch (the paella and Local Avila beef entrecote was epic!). Lunch stops were always by a beautiful river (and the waters really are"crystalline"), so after lunch we'd have a refreshing swim, then siesta in the sunshine before mounting up to ride for a few more hours.

The scenery is stunning; we felt so well looked after and safe, guided by Emilio's wonderful horsemanship. Emilio matched me with a gorgeous forward-going PRExArab mare and she was a delight! I know some previous visitors have mentioned the amount of walking you do, however I felt the scenery was so amazing I was more than happy with our steady pace to just relax and enjoy my surroundings.

I'm already planning a return visit...enough said! 🙂 x

Linda who has been on 21 In The Saddle rides. Another amazing week of riding on the Wild Coast of South Africa | All expectations met. Our 4th trip to the Wild Coast and our 3rd time on the 7 day Adventure trail. Our group of 5 were joined by 3 other competent, friendly riders and we had a blast! An exciting trail partly because of the very wet weather the week before. Due to this several of the rivers were high and unnavigable on horseback on the beaches so we had to detour inland resulting in some much longer days than usual. Particularly, the river at Wavecrest was impossible to cross so we couldn't do the "Wavecrest Gallop". Our guide Tertia wasn't going to let us go home without a "you know what" and she led us at speed along another fantastic beach. The week was exciting, fun, fast on the beaches and lots of canters inland too. Guides Tertia and Jess coped very well with whatever they were met with, always looking after ours and the horses welfare. My husband rode a Percheron cross called Andy and I had a gorgeous little Arab called Poppet, we both loved them. I recommend that you are as fit as you can be to do this trip as there can be unforeseen circumstances that make days longer and more strenuous than usual. The massage at Wavecrest was very welcome! We loved it all and would consider going for a fifth time if we weren't quite so old (74 & 71)!!

[Abbie from In The Saddle replies: Thank you so much for your fabulous feedback. We're so pleased that you enjoyed your return visit to the magical Wild Coast].

Rachael who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic - it has re-inspired me | This trip exceeded expectations. The instructors were all very knowledgeable and the horses beautifully trained. We worked on my weak areas, improved on the basics and tried out some of the fun flashy movements.
The holiday has given me motivation to take what i have learnt back home to try and apply on my own horse. I feel totally re-inspired now i can see my weaknesses and know how to correct them, and i can now also feel and understand the correct way to ask for things as the horses are so well trained and sensitive to commands.

[Abbie from ITS replies: What super feedback - thank you! We're delighted that you feel inspired by your stay at Quinta do Rol}.

Ellie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic! | Excellent

Domini who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Perfect | I loved my holiday sooooo much I am going back for more.

Julia (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) An excellent holiday in a wonderful place. | The horses were all well trained, clean and well fed. The owners made sure that they were not overworked so we had to alternate horses on different days to give the others a rest.

The riding was amazing. Even though I canter and jump 4 times a week I was afraid to gallop but this experience increased my confidence and I ended up absolutely loving it.

Jenn who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. 10/10 | Surpassed expectations, can't wait to go back.

Angela who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A lovely holiday, one of the best so far ,well fed, great horses and excellent care from owners and staff. | The riding was very scenic with pleasant rides , the days were filled with plenty of activity , never a dull moment.

Jill who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Incredible! | The horses are forward-going and absolutely bombproof.

[Abbie from ITS replies: We're so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Horizon. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review].

Tracy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The best holiday | Ailsa our riding guide was lovely and fun. She is so experienced she gave us the perfect horse for our ability. I trusted my horse completely which made the week stress-free and memorable. The rides were so scenic and enjoyable. I would go back tmr if I could! She made our holiday one to remember. I didn't want to leave.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: I'm so pleased you enjoyed the riding!]

Kristin who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. A fantastic week in Sicily | I got to ride Alba which was well trained and sweet trail horse. She managed the varied and rocky terrain excellent.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you for your lovely feedback and we are so pleased you enjoyed your holiday. I also rode Alba and she was lovely :-)]

Louise who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Splendid Riding /Horses/Guides | We felt that the welfare of the horses was high priority which was heart warming
The guides were great as were all the staff to be honest

Rachael who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. The most magical, special, unique experience! | The riding was amazing. Riding nine different ponies over the week enabled me to experience different expressions of the Tolt, this is now my favourite gait.
I was impressed by how well cared for the ponies were & how happy they were too.
We had a few long canters & a couple of gallops,but riding in the highland scenery was special

Maria who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Beautiful trail ride | Excellent

Fiona who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Heavenly Horizon | I love Horizon, because they love their horses and seem to look after their staff too.
Will definitely be back.
Always meets expectations.

One small suggestion - not everyone is familiar with these saddles and would be good to give people a bit of info about them, e.g. getting on and off, letting them know that buckles can be adjusted if they are rubbing / causing soreness. One of the other ladies was struggling quite a lot and had no idea her issues could be sorted our very simply and quickly - it just came up in conversation at dinner one evening and I advised her what to do but I don't think she'd have raised it otherwise.

Bob who has been on 13 In The Saddle rides. One of the Best | I rode 9 different ponies during the course of the holiday and whilst obviously I liked some more than others they were all enjoyable/challenging in their own ways, and they were clearly very well cared for.

Janine who has been on 11 In The Saddle rides. A VERY unexpected holiday in beautiful mountains | This ride was beyond my expectations. It was adventurous, relaxing, fun and friendly.
The accommodation was beautiful and clean. The villages were beautiful, the villagers were friendly and so very houseproud! Our hostess, Dallas was knowledgeable and passionate about her country. The horses were so very well cared for in fact the best I have seen. Dallas knew each and everyone inside out. They are a credit to her.
The food was outstanding and I would recommend anyone to go. Although, you must be able to walk uneven ground easily.
Thank you for a great Ride "In The Saddle" you haven't failed us yet!

[Abbie from ITS replies: Hooray - we're so pleased you had yet another great riding holiday! Thank you for your lovely feedback on riding in the stunning Sierra Nevada Mountains. We're thrilled that you enjoyed this destination, which is a real In The Saddle favourite].

Jane (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Relaxed and excellent | Excellent

Josie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Kambaku Safari Lodge | The riding far exceeded my expectations. The horses are all clearly very well trained and it was clear that they knew their job. The pacing of the rides was perfect and I was very well-matched to my horse. The guides were very friendly and attentive throughout the rides, and always made sure the rides were interesting and different each morning / afternoon.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback. We’re thrilled that you had such a great time at Kambaku].