RIDING ABILITY TRANSLATIONS
At Black Saddle our biggest challenge is working out how well a guest can ride based on their rider form. Very rarely do we ask for video proof of riding ability (though we do ask for your socials for a little snoop). Instead, we rely on guests self-disclosure to gauge whether they are skilled enough to join a safari. The guides use the form to decide which horse a guest is paired with too.
What do we mean when we say most of our safaris are for advanced / experienced riders? An advanced rider:
Is very well balanced with soft hands and able to ride almost any horse
Has probably ridden all their life and hunted or competed regularly
Has probably owned their own horse and has great horse sense
Knows how to calm a spooked horse
Can control a forward horse riding at speed in a group of horses
To join an African safari in Namibia, Botswana or Kenya you really need to know what you’re doing. For the rider that is used to riding in a school, enjoys hacking, or used to ride but hasn’t in a while we recommend starting with a ride in: Iceland, George Scott in Spain, or Kyrgyzstan.
Some riders think they are much better riders than they actually are and sometimes they will straight up bluff their way onto a ride. On the first day a guest might announce over breakfast, laughing, that they haven’t been in saddle for 20 years or that the only other time they have ridden was for an hour on the beach in Bulgaria in 2014. The other riders usually don’t get the joke. The ride can only go as fast as the slowest rider and they now anticipate never getting out of second gear.
Guides will ground riders who are vastly under-qualified. It’s usually unsafe for the group to continue with a rider who has no control over their horse. They are either sent home at their own expense or become Land Rover jockeys instead, following along in the support car.
Our job is to work out where a rider will be comfortable right at the beginning when they choosing their safari, long before they board a plane, and match them to a ride that will give them a thrill to match their ability. We read rider forms very carefully looking for clues. The guides also use the forms to allocate horses amongst the group and will have a good idea of which horse guests will ride before you even arrive. Often at dinner on the first night the guide will go around the table and check in with each rider to reconfirm - “ what type of horse would you like to ride?”
This is how we translate common answers to the question:
“I’d like to enjoy the scenery” - Give me something steady, easy, with great brakes that won’t take off on me. I’m fine towards the back. This is a wonderful way of sharing that you would like a safe horse that knows their job and will give the rider an easy ride.
“I’d like something independant” - I need something with personality that won’t just follow the horse in front or I’ll die of boredom. This works well when you want to go with the flow, enjoy alone time thinking about life, you can ride at the back sometimes and then just behind the guide for some fast canters too. Indpendent horses are great for the photographers amongst us that might need to go a little wide to frame the perfect shot.
“I want something spicy, forward, fast and I want to be in the front” - This is a tricky one because sometimes this is simply clear communication. We need to go deeper to work out whether a rider can really handle a forward horse. The reality of keeping a horse in control and behind the guide at all times can prove challenging, especially when the group is cantering at speed and herd-mind takes control. So, what do we look out for? If a rider’s horse experience is based mostly in a menage / arena / school, they might not be aware of exactly what they’re asking for. Cantering towards an arena fence feels very different to galloping in open countryside with a horse right next to you. A great tell is if they let us know they have been on safari before. We know what they can handle based on the riding on their previous experience and because we can ask the guide on the other safari how they got on!
“I’m happy anywhere in the group, front or back, but I trust your judgement on choosing a horse” - I’m a lifelong horse owner and trainer that can ride almost any horse. This rider isn’t foolish enough to demand a speed demon spicy Arab with no brains. It shows horse-sense, self-preservation and experience. If you’re riding green and hot horses at home you might not want the same challenge on holiday. Mark Todd, Olympian eventer and legendary rider famous for completing Badminton with just one stirrup, answered this way when riding at Macatoo. Mark gets it.
“I want the horse I saw on Instagram” - I’m probably here for the wrong reasons and will almost certainly be out-horsed and come off. Sometimes this can work out but often the pretty palomino is a young horse not suited to just any rider or the horse they saw with the big neck is an absolutly nutty stallion that only the guides ride as their lead horse.
The most taboo request someone can make on safari is to ask for someone else’s horse. Once you’ve started your safari the bonding process happens quickly. Someone asking to ride your horse can feel like someone asking to sleep with your wife. If you’re not bonding with your horse the best thing to do is mention this to the guide as soon as possible and let them rebalance the allocation.
To get the most enjoyment out of your safari give us as much detail as possible in your rider form. Write us an essay on your history with horses if you feel so inclined! Please don’t exaggerate and do consider your current fitness levels. We can then work our match making skills to find you the best safari and the local guides will find the best horse suited to you.
FAST AND FURIOUS
NAMIB DESERT
10 Nights in the Namib Desert, Namibia | Adventure safari | From £5,800 per person sharing
ENJOY THE SCENERY
GEORGE SCOTT | SPAIN
3 - 5 Nights George Scott Rides | Spanih villa + Rajasthani tented camp | From €2,500 per person sharing