WHAT MAKES A RIDE GREAT?
We have less than 20 rides on Black Saddle though we’ve tested more than 50. The best rides in the world all have features in common that make them top tier.
1. Owner guided | When the person that found the trails, bred and trained the horses and decorated the accommodation is at the front sharing stories, creating in-jokes, and is so thrilled to be sharing their home with you - you will have the best experience possible. When we’re assessing rides we give a weighting of 50% to the guide. They make all the difference. All of our rides (with a couple of very special exceptions like Castle Leslie) are owner guided. You’re essentially paying for access. They have chosen not to scale their business and bring in hired guides - they prefer a personal approach. They are the real deal.
2. Small groups | On a 12 rider safari the people at the back will have a totally different experience than those at the front that can hear the guide’s stories and get context for the area. We think the perfect group size is eight and aim to limit our group sizes to maximise the rider experience.
3. No single file | Nothing zaps the fun out of a ride more than riding in single file like you’re in a riding school arena. It almost eliminates the social side of the ride. Horses are in hierarchy order and that means you might not be riding with someone that you vibe with. Suddenly your great adventure can become very lonely. If you are free to move as you ride this allows you to meet and chat to everyone and to spend time up the front with the guide or chilling at the back and enjoying the scenery. Orderless rides and the ability to ride two-by-two are key. Riding freely can overcome or eliminate the effect of a larger group too. Iceland is an excellent example of a larger group but a very social ride as you change places. As is Offbeat and Namibia.
4. Pacing | Unless it’s a pack trip in the mountains, we avoid rides that are long and slow as they tend to be a bit mind-numbing. We want to go as fast as the pace allows. There is always a large amount of physicality in a riding holiday but the scale varies from comfortable with a lot of breaks like the Luxury Loire ride to a hard-core dawn-to-dusk trail. There is space for both. The best rides alternate between long days with breaks for snacks and water, and shorter days to allow the body to recover. The ideal riding time is between 5 and 6 hours a day. Longer than that we would class it as an endurance ride. The very best rides have amazing spreads of wine and cheese, water with ice and coffee at rest stops. Segovia in Spain probably does this the best of any ride we’ve seen. You really are spoiled.
5. Photos | Pics or it didn’t happen has never been more true than on a riding safari! We all want photos in the beauty spots and the best guides will give riders permission to stop and take photos of each other. The very best guides know the right angles and will take loads of photos and airdrop them to you. Larry at Namibia is incredible at getting galloping video and solo shots. Ana in Segovia will send you a video at the end of your ride. We can arrange for photographers to join some of our exclusive group rides. Iceland is a fantastic one for getting photos good enough to print and put on your wall.
6. Variety| The best rides aim for you to discover something remarkable each day. At Don Joaquin you are playing cowboy one day, focusing on speed then next and swimming with your horse on day three. No day is the same. In Namibia you’re galloping through a meterorite crater then riding on the beach for miles dodging seals. Pakistan is perhaps the ride with the most variety, you mind is being blown constantly. We love guides that know the area so well they are excited to offer new itinearies for guests and for themselves. No person can ride the same route for 30 years and find the same pleasure in their job. You have to mix it up and keep it fresh and interesting. The best rides offer multiple itineraries and are constantly tweaking their rides.
7. Adaptability| The best safaris have guides that will ride to the guests’ ability. If everyone is a great rider they will increase the speed. If guests are history buffs you will get more stories. After the first day they will know your favourite drink and your dietary preferences and serve these to you without you needing to ask. It makes you feel so spoiled. All of our safaris that make it to the website have this element. Sometimes we wonder whether a ride is right, maybe they have most of the elements but the wow factor is missing so in the end they don’t make it. When things are too formulaic, when the guide is a seasonal worker and not a local, when every ride is on a set prescriptive schedule, it just kills the magic a bit. We want that riding-with-friends feeling.
8. Hospitality| Sometimes the itinerary seems to be a definite yes but communication levels can take away from the experience. When transfers aren’t coordinated and guests are stuck at railway stations, when there are long gaps between meals and riders are hungry or thirsty, when accommodation is hot and sleep is impacted, and worst of all, when communication is poor so that riders don’t know the play of the ride, this can spoil the entire experience. Guides and support teams that are switched on to guests’ needs and helpful from arrival to departure, offering you drinks you didn’t know you needed and checking in on how everyone is doing, giving you space to ask for what you need, this is essential to a great safari. Daisy Soames of Offbeat and Jakotango, Larissa from Namibia and Bertie from Pakistan are some of the most accommodating, charming (and hilarious) guides you’ll come across. The best of the best.
In the end the great secret of a world class safari is the people. The horses and landscapes can be perfect but the guide will take it from a satisfactory holiday to a life fulfilling experience. The guides need to love their guests as much as they love their horses. The joy of our job is finding and sharing these wonderful experiences.
Help us find the world’s best rides
Did you know that we have a facebook group for experienced riders where we share reviews of all rides in the world - not just Black Saddle ones. You can find personal takes on the big safaris right down to day rides. Any experienced rider can join, you just need to answer the two entry questions to be accepted. We don’t accept ride operators into the group so that everyone can speak freely.
