Enjoyed the most

The people were great. The food was great. The count was very gracious and loved the tour of his castle.

Bothered you

We were not told about additional costs of our first meal until the end of the tour. Our day off was at the beginning of the week instead of in the middle of the week. The beds were uncomfortable.

Enjoyed the most

great guides and lots of fun to talk to and ride with.

Bothered you

A bit too much time NOT riding on the full day ride.

Comments

The accommodations were very good, I do however wish that the windows had shutters (instead of draperies) to allow for privacy and air circulation. a ceiling fan would be nice as the room had no air conditioning. Daily house keeping service was very good , but not necessary. Would have preferred the option to have privacy/no house keeping service. Also, would have preferred 2 full beds instead of 2 twin beds.

Enjoyed the most

The hosts and the riding guides are very friendly. The horses are excellent and well trained. Antonio and Kylie knew my riding skills and requirements even before I get there. Most people speaks good English There is no communication problem for a foreigner.

Bothered you

Nothing. Everything is good.

Enjoyed the most

The horses and the riding and the caring of them - being able to participate and pitch in - love it. The fact that the horses were so well cared for was very key to me plus of course I love to ride on trails so this was amazing. But truly, I can't say there is just one thing that I loved, - I loved it all!

Bothered you

Absolutely nothing! (Perhaps the flies but what can you do - they provided the horses with fly masks and spray but unless we eradicate horse flies, they are there!)

Comments

I always check Hidden Trails for a horse vacation!

Thank you so much for your fabulous response to my queries. I totally LOVE horse holidays and will only go on ones that fit what I'm looking for - which is being able to care for the horses, live with them, great riding horses - and great trails with long rides and based on the riders so I don't have to ride with beginners!!!
Kylie the wrangler was absolutely fabulous.  Calm, cool, the BEST with the horses - always looking out for them yet managing all the different rider styles with ease.  Loved the rides she took us on - she is truly an amazing horse person.  Do whatever you can to keep her!!!

Enjoyed the most
The amazing horses and extremely warm hospitality from the castle guides, staff and Count.
Great horses, accommodations, food and location -- all made for a fantastic trip.

Comments
This trip beat my expectations -- it was a great experience.

Enjoyed the most
Canters across green stretches of field. Mealtimes with the other visitors and riders. Only two other people came for the specific purpose of riding. The other riders were passing custom and guests who were staying in the apartments.

Bothered you
I stayed in the castle itself, which was considered to be a privilege ... however, I would have been just as happy in a purpose built apartment/room. 

I was made very welcome. The horses were in excellent shape and evidently well-cared for. They were sound, which for me is a big issue. In the UAE I find myself riding horses that are definitely not sound. They had a terrific instructor there with an upbeat approach - very positive (Giacomo). Vicky took out the rides and looked after the horses. Top marks to her for being caring and responsible. I wasn't clear what the pace of the rides was supposed to be - but i tend to leave that to whoever knows the horses best. I would say the pace was medium. Vicky took care that we didn't ride too fast across ground that could have been unsafe or slippery. The paths were very good but with a lot of climbing up and down sheer rocky tracks. This wouldn't have suited someone who was nervous of heights or unsure of managing their horse. Some tracks were very steep indeed. The countryside is fabulous and very clean. I had some rain on the last day and although the owner offered to take me out, I declined. it later bucketed down, complete with thunder and lightning so I think i made the right decision. My expectations were fulfilled. Antonello and Cristina Caterini were quite charming and wonderful hosts. The staff were delightful and very friendly. The August evenings and mornings were reasonable for riding. The horses were troubled a little by flies out on the tracks and some people had insect bites. I took a good spray with me and had no problems. Anyone going there needs to remember to take a repellent just in case. I found out afterwards that my friend Suzanne Racke (van Patten) travelled with you to South America and enjoyed herself on that trip very much. I've a couple of friends that I've already recommended this location to - it is especially good for anyone wanting to combine riding with touring the area since it is within driving distance of places like Siena and Orvieto.

Enjoyed the most: The horses, the food, the music entertainment at night, the accomodating attitude of our host and his staff, the other guests.

Bothered you: It rained a lot and was pretty cold - but that is no-one's fault.

Ryan, I just got home yesterday from my trip to to Italy and I wanted to let you know what a wonderful time I had there (in spite of the fact that the weather wasn't always the best last week).  The horses were well behaved, fit and well matched to each rider's skills, the setting was beautiful and the food was outstanding.  What was particularly unusual about this trip was that the staff were so willing to go out of their way to make sure that the guests were having a good time, individualizing the riding programs to meet each guest's needs and responding quickly to any request that was made.  When the weather wasn't good, we were always offered alternative activities, such as getting a tour of nearby towns or being taken to a beautiful thermal spa (all at no extra fee).  I have been going on annual equestrian vacations throughout the Europe for the last 11 years, and have never enjoyed myself as much as I did this time.  I think that this trip to Italy is a one that you can recommend to your customers of all riding abilities without reservation.

Enjoyed the most: Castello di Santa Cristina is wonderful place where people and horses are really happy. Mr. Antonio Caterini can meet the needs of all riders. I can recommend this place to every rider, from beginner to really advanced ones. I was impressed by the fantastic and sensible trainer Giacomo.

Enjoyed the most: The day-long rides to the lakes. The sight of our horses and the three dogs that accompanied us against the backdrop of the countryside and the sound of pounding hooves as we cantered through the woods were especially memorable.

Bothered you: None

Enjoyed the most: The hospitality of the people and the beauty of both the facility and the trail rides.

Bothered you: The lack of good directions to get me to the facility. It would be better if you gave detailed driving directions. I rented a car at Hertz and they were useless. They gave me a map of all of Italy.

Comments: There were two inaccuracies in your description of the place. First helmets are not optional. They are required but they have a large assortment of helmets available to use. The second is that the type of horses has to be they now have an assortment of different breeds of horses. All the ones that we rode were excellent horses.  The location, people, and horses exceeded my high expecations. This was a truly remarkable experience.  All the staff were as wonderful as one could imagine. We enjoyed meeting with and getting to know all the staff. Antonio is an exceptional host and treats all is employees as if they were family. He and his wife made this place fill more like a home than a resort.

Enjoyed the most: The Alta Tuscany ride was wonderful. The hosts were charming and did everything they in their power to make my week as their guest the best experience possible.

Comments: I will definitely be going back to Santa Cristina for another riding trip; I'm hoping it will be as soon as next year!

Enjoyed the most: I loved the setting and the scenery. I also like the horses and the amount of riding that we did.

Bothered you: The only thing that bothered me was the directions for finding the facility especially if you drive yourself to the facility.