Randi who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. An experience, but wouldn`t do it again | The horses were all quite strait forward with actually with no need, nor possibility to make any special adjustments. Decent trekking horses and impressive climbers.

As expected mostly walking. Some of the landscape quite boring with long "endless" hills.

I quess the horses were well cared for by Kyrgyz standards, but clearly below what would be considered normal in Europe. In general, it was necessary to turn a blind eye to several animal welfare issues along the way. And I’m not among the overly sensitive ones

Angela who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Incredible | Incredibly well looked after horses who were loved by their grooms.
Knowledgeable Ugandan guides who rode very well and spoke good English
Felt privileged to ride Southern Comfort who was exceptionally well schooled.
The ride was at a fast pace which suited our group.
[Olwen from In The Saddle - I also rode Southern Comfort when I visited. I thought he was one of the best horses I've ever ridden. I'm so glad you enjoyed your holiday.]

Ali (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic Riding Holiday | The riding was fast and exhilarating - not for the faint hearted! The horses were classy and well cared for, fit and well. Nat & TJ (owners of Nile Horseback Safaris) looked after us every step of the way, kept everything safe, yet challenging us enough to give us some thrills! They also dined with us at lunchtime and evenings, giving us local knowledge and history which was so interesting - fantastic people!
[Olwen from In The Saddle - I am so glad you enjoyed this wonderful riding holiday]

Karolyn who has been on 18 In The Saddle rides. Fun in the Sun | The horses I saw were all in good condition, with temperaments suitable to their work and suitably responsive. If you don't like your first horse, there are plenty to choose from.
The riding is mostly at walk through very thorny shrubs and trees in search of game (eg lion, elephant) - do NOT wear your favourite jodhs (I took my old pairs). Long sleeves will protect you from the worst scratches and sunburn. There are opportunities for canter on wider paths and in the riverbeds, where you will be safe from thorns and the heavy sand will quickly take the froth out of excited horses.
You must be capable of controlling an enthusiastic horse cantering in company - competent enough to avoid overtaking (which risks a dangerous race) and to cope with less competent riders riding on your tail. All the riders in my group were fine

Ashley (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A fantastic holiday on a beautiful island | Yes it did.
I did not ride, but my daughter, Lizzy, did and thoroughly enjoyed all of the riding / rides. The guides / instructors were excellent and the routes taken were almost entirely off-road and through beautiful countryside with many stunning coastal and other views. Lizzy particularly enjoyed the galloping and extensive cantoring.

Raja who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Mountainous, large and small tracks through maki, pine forests through picturesque mountain villages at altitudes up to 2500 m.
Safe horses and excellent guide
The horses are safe, calm, well-schooled, friendly and very beautiful

Saskia (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Beyond All Expectations | The riding was absolutely amazing, and the horses were great. Our horse guide was truly knowledgeable, and even though the Mongolian horses are nameless, we had a lot of fun giving them our own names.

The only thing that took some getting used to were the saddles. Being accustomed to high-quality saddles, the Mongolian ones were an adjustment. The leg position is also very different, but the two-hour ride on our first day was the perfect amount of time to practice. After that, it was perfectly fine. Overall, the saddles and the leg positioning were the only minor drawbacks of an otherwise fantastic experience.

Eleanor (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Fantastic! | Riding met and exceeded all expectations, after the first assessment ride Lindy matched me with horses perfectly. Incredible climbs up mountains on sure footed safe horses, long canters and gallops.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thanks so much for your super feedback. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Moolmanshoek].

Jane who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic week - stunning scenery, beautiful horses | We changed horses at least twice a day. We were given helpful guidance as to the best way to ride each horse. I found ‘tolt’ incredibly difficult to start with ( most of the ride is in this gait) and so was thrilled when I finally mastered it! The horses were fabulous- each very different but all so sweet natured.

Danni who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic trip for solo travellers | The riding was fantastic. Lots of opportunities for fast exciting canters!
I could not two point canter before I arrived, and the staff made the time to get me up to pace so I could enjoy rides with other more experienced travellers.

Roisin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. dream horsey holiday with exceptional wildlife | The riding at macatoo provided a great mix of fast paced, exhilarating canters/gallops as well as slower rides to take in the magical sights and sounds of the delta. The splashy canters are an absolute must and our guides took some amazing photos of us enjoying these!

The horses were mannerly and very keen to show us a good time - they clearly loved their jobs and were well cared for. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly and showed very impressive horsemanship.

The camp itself had recently been refurbished and was absolutely stunning - it felt like real luxury.

The standout for me was the setting and the wildlife (which was just astounding). It felt so remote and untouched. The variety of activities (riding , jeep , boat) was perfect as it allowed me to really immerse myself in the experience in many different ways and make them some trip. I particularly loved the jeep and boat trips with one of the guides (Bongwe) whose knowledge of the local wildlife was fascinating and endless.

Karin (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Myak Tribe Trail North Macedonia | It was amazing! Great horses, fantastic organisation. All above expectation

Graham who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. A fun, memorable week: friendly group and varied riding | Loads of controlled beach cantering, but also plenty of variety with inland tracks, river crossings and forest sections. Scenic at all times and in all directions.

The riding operation is of the highest quality, with outstanding commitment from our guide and other staff.

Good tack, appropriate for the horses and trail riding. Very happy with my horse: incredibly fit and with plenty of personality.

Fiona who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Magical Experience! | The horses at Ant’s are well cared for and very loved by staff and guests alike. There is a range of horses available to ride and the team listen to your feedback to enable you to find the perfect horse to ride. The pace of the ride is determined by the group and the guide at the start of each ride. There are some sandy canter tracks on the reserve which are a lot of fun. Some guides were very keen to know our preferences for the ride and which animals we were hoping to see. As a result, we saw the baby rhinos on a few rides which was a highlight of the trip! We had two great guides who were very knowledgeable and lots of fun. Thank you Tek & OBK! I also had the opportunity to go on one of Ant’s rides which was very fast and a lot of fun! The whole team at Ant’s are dedicated to ensuring that you have the best holiday possible.

Iben who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. I was very happy with "my" horse, who was a determined lady who could show what she thinks and is also good at cooperating both from the ground and in the saddle. Thank you Soley, for a fantastic trip 🙂 All the horses on our trip were in great condition, and clearly well-balanced physically and mentally. My saddle was perfect for a long trip, the rest of the tack was exactly as it should be.
The riding was as described. You ride mostly in walk as both the distances and the nature require, but there can be a solid pace at a walk. The guide was also good at guiding when there was an opportunity for a brisk tölt or canter.

Mathilde (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) The relationship and conditions with the horses are different as they are working animals, but our horses were well treated and our guide was aware of how they were doing. We had a spare horse with us who was lame from the start, who should not have been with us as the terrain was rough and the horse was not feeling better. Fortunately, it was taken home along the way.

In general, they were some beautiful and good horses that were reliable and had personality

Anne-Marie who has been on 31 In The Saddle rides. Great time | I rarely go back to the same destination but I enjoyed this so much last year I made a swift return. I was delighted when Vasko remembered who had ridden last year and instantly offered me the same horse ( the very lovely Jafar), and it was an honour and a privilege to have him again. All riders seemed very happy with their matches. At times very fast but always safe and changes of pace were well telegraphed. I went at the same time as last year, but it was much warmer this year with no rain so the water bottles were much needed. It does help to be fit as these are long days, one of the clients struggled a little due to health issues and her own individual programme was adapted to suit

Graham who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. A full-on experience | Pretty fast at times but I was expecting this.
Useful to be offered a lightweight inflatable body protector (which I accepted).

Pen who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Super horses and scenery | Trail rides were great, different route each day, plenty of fast canters and the occasional gallop. Horses all well behaved so side-by-side cantering was allowed. A little too much arena tuition for my liking at the start of the week, and too intense. BASIC tuition in the western/Parelli techniques would be more welcome. Barrel racing and cattle-work both great fun and open to all, including beginners. Horses and riders were well matched but you could change/choose/keep, as you wished throughout the week.

Sally who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. A very special holiday in a very special place | Great riding variety in terms of pace and duration of ride, from full days (3) to half days (3) plus other interesting excursions.

Pernille (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Impressive that we could experience such different scenery when we rode from the same place every day 🙂

Tracy (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) A wonderful Italian riding experience!! | Wonderful, kind horse for my trail ride (Rosa), with a switch to a more responsive quarter horse for my lessons…. Which perfectly matched my needs.

Judith who has been on 19 In The Saddle rides. Spoilt Rotten | I've been twice before. Greatly enjoyed Tertia's company.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you so much for your review. We are really happy you enjoyed your return visit to the Wild Coast].

Emilie Loie who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Deb's horses are incredibly well-scooled for the task they are to perform. Listen to the instructions given and pay attention to the horse's signals. Often the horse sensed that there was wild life around us before we did. Good communication with your horse gives the best experience.
Since you ride in western saddles and you ride for many hours, it is important to have proper pants that can withstand a little bit of everything, as well as sensible shoes of really good quality. It can get very wet and the terrain is wild and can tear your clothes to pieces. Therefore, don't skimp on equipment.

Judith who has been on 19 In The Saddle rides. Great for riding and wildlife. | Experience stood me in good stead and I was completely comfortable with the ascents and descents.
I rode four horses and the latter two were more suited to my ability (tiny bit more lively).

[Abbie from ITS replies: We are so very pleased that you enjoyed the fabulous riding at Moolmanshoek. Thank you for your feedback].

Faye who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Excellent Break, highly recommend | The horses were good to handle and ride, immaculate and in excellent condition. The riding was great fun, including canters and gallops on the beaches. The mountains were fairly challenging in parts so worth being aware of riding at height on occasion. The views and riding were incredible, were should definitely go again!

Annette who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Outstanding | More than met expectations very attentive staff, horses were just wonderful!

Donna (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) ABSOLUTELY THE BEST IN ALL WAYS | High degree of safety management teamed with high energy, exciting riding.

Sally (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) There is some fast galloping on this ride. However the majority of this ride is at walk, due to the terrain.
Some of the cantering is on dirt tracks/roads which you need your glasses on for as you cannot see where your going with the dust. However the horses are extremely sure footed and know their job.

Hannah (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing Holiday | This was the most amazing experience I've ever had. In The Saddle don't so this trip justice. The horses are fantastic and very well cared for. Vasko has so much knowledge and he, Laura and Ramadan take a lot of time to match you with your horse. This is essential because the terrain is tricky in places and the "canters" are more like gallops and you need to know you're on the right horse to feel safe. The photos do not do this place justice. Macedonia is an absolutely beautiful country and it was an honour to be able to enjoy it on horse back

Gail who has been on 9 In The Saddle rides. Absolutely fantastic - one of the best I’ve done | The brochure or itinerary doesn’t do this holiday justice. They both definitely need updating! The whole trail was brilliant. The food was amazing. We had a private chef follow us around cooking up delicious local food! The riding was outstanding, guided brilliant, local culture was never ending!

Åse who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful experience | It vas very easy to get another horse if I wanted, so I ride mostly too of my favorite horses