Velani Country Hotel - Crete

Fiona (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Lovely hotel with the best food | No communication from riding host - first morning arrived expected to clean all the shit off horses and they were covered in it as have no bedding - guide then took 8 of us up the mountains on a whole day trek - no getting to know me as a rider or getting to know the horse- no guide at back to navigate bikes and quads or stagglers !
Every day we had to guess where we were going and on what horse no discussions or options .
Guides were lovely but new to area .
Horses didn’t seem to get days off or turned out onto grass so at every opportunity they were trying to snatch a mouthful en route .
Felt quite sad for the horses and wanted to bring mine home !
[Olwen from In The Saddle - we are sorry to read that things weren't as they should have been during your holiday and we are following it up with the owner. Sabine has told us that unfortunately she was ill that week with bronchitis and she apologises for not being around to brief you each day. She acknowledges that the guide did not prepare the horses as she should have and she is no longer working at the hotel. Sabine is glad you enjoyed the riding but is sorry that the stables and horses were not as she would have liked you to see them. Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback.]

Do you have any comments about the accommodation and food?

The food made the holiday special along with the waiter. Couldn’t have asked for better.