Mongol Horse Trail - Mongolia

Sue who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Mongolian Adventure | Mongolia exceeded all my expectations, the holiday provided me with an amazing adventure. The riding was incredible, long canters and gallops in wide open, unfenced countryside, there were no boundaries in the forest steep area, just vast areas of grassland and forested mountains. The horses though small by English standards are tough, sure footed and resilient. Being semi-feral requires a different mindset when considering how they are kept and handled but this did not detract from the experience. Our horse guide matched the three of us perfectly to our mounts, he was well aware of any potential problems and any queries or issues were sorted swiftly sorted with no complaint. In spite of the challenging terrain, marmot holes, steep hill climbs and descents through dense larch woods, we felt entirely safe at all times, even when a bear print was spotted in the National Park. The saddles were surprisingly comfortable with seat savers and the tall pommel was an asset when standing up to do the fast paces. One tip that I would recommend is that old style, thick jodhpurs keep the flies from biting. (ITS comment: We are so delighted to read that you enjoyed your Mongolian adventure. Claire from ITS)

Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?

Camping in teepees and gers was tremendous fun. Our shared tent was very spacious and the camp beds provided a good nights sleep. It is worth taking advice from In the Saddle, as a four season sleeping bag is necessary. Our camp aids were all very friendly and accommodating, we had our own loo, hot water to shower with and enough food to feed an army and all vey tasty with no unexpected surprises (though it helps to be a meat eater).
The hotel in Ulaanbaatar was clean, comfortable and the staff who spoke English were most helpful.

How could we improve the quality of pre-holiday information that we send?

I find it difficult to suggest anything that could be improved. Advertising on Facebook that one place was left helped me to make my decision to join quickly. Well done for that! It was great being able to make contact with the two other girls on the ride, Sandra and Sharon and as I had two nights in Ulaanbaatar before the ride, Sandra and I were able to do some extra sightseeing which was great. I do think it helps to exchange money at the airport on arrival in Mongolia as banks and the post office seem to keep odd hours and close for Naadam. Regarding the actual ride, the packing list was spot on, though thick jodhpurs rather than riding tights would be my recommendation.

How could we improve the way we handled your booking and payment?

None, everything happened very smoothly and it was helpful to have a last minute chat with Olwen on the phone two days before leaving home.

Do you have any other feedback for us?

Thank you, Mongolia was great, I feel so privileged to have been able to visit this wonderful country and I can really recommend this ride to anyone seeking an alternative adventure.