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.