What this page is for
Saddl makes recommendations. We tell you which venue suits your discipline, which clinic operator we trust, which riding holiday delivers what it promises. Those recommendations are only worth anything if you trust how we make them.
This page sets out how. What we research, how we decide what to feature, how affiliate revenue works, and what you can hold us to.
Our promise
- Editorial inclusion is independent of payment. We feature venues, operators and holidays based on quality, not on whether they pay us. A venue can pay for a Featured tier listing on Saddl; that buys placement and visibility, not a recommendation. We don't write positive reviews in exchange for fees.
- Affiliate revenue does not influence editorial choice. Where we link to international riding holiday operators (In The Saddle, Tripaneer, Equus Journeys and others), we earn commission on bookings made through those links. We chose those operators because we trust them, not because of the commission. The commission rate doesn't determine which operators we recommend.
- Operator coverage is honest. Where an operator is genuinely the right choice, we say so. Where they're competent but not exceptional, we say that. Where there's a better alternative, we name it. We aren't here to make every operator look good.
- We disclose paid placement clearly. Featured tier venues are marked. Sponsored content (when we publish it) is labelled. You can always tell what's editorial and what's paid.
- We disclose affiliate relationships clearly. Pages with affiliate links carry a footer disclosure. The price you pay is the same whether you book through Saddl or directly with the operator.
- We update what we get wrong. Pricing changes, operators change ownership, venues close. When we find out something on Saddl is no longer accurate, we update it. If you spot something wrong, tell us.
How we research
For UK and Ireland venues: we list venues with a confirmed operating address, verify British Horse Society approval status where claimed, check for active websites, recent social media presence and operating clinic schedules. We don't list venues that have closed, dropped accreditation, or stopped operating without notice.
For international riding holidays: we research operators against published industry standards (ABTA bonding for UK-based operators, DRA accreditation for US dude ranches, BHS-equivalent national bodies where they exist). We read recent customer reviews on independent platforms (Trustpilot, TripAdvisor, operator-specific review pages). We check for repeat customer testimonials, which are the strongest signal of operator quality. We disclose where an operator is exceptional, competent, or under-tested.
For multi-day clinics and UK training: we list venues running clinics with published schedules and qualified coaches. We verify governing body affiliations (British Showjumping, British Eventing, British Dressage, British Horse Society). We don't recommend coaches or trainers based on social media following alone.
What we don't do
- We don't pay for testimonials or reviews. Any review or testimonial we cite is from a public source or genuinely shared with us by the rider.
- We don't accept gifts or trips in exchange for coverage. If we travel to a venue or take a press trip, we disclose it on the page.
- We don't write under fake bylines. All Saddl content is published under our editorial name; specific authorship credit is given where relevant.
- We don't run AI-generated reviews or testimonials. All quoted experiences are from real riders.
- We don't list venues we've been asked to remove. If a venue requests delisting, we delist within 30 days.
Affiliate disclosure
Some pages on Saddl, particularly in the Experiences section, contain affiliate links. When you click through and complete a booking with the operator, Saddl receives a commission at no additional cost to you.
The price you pay is identical whether you book through Saddl or directly with the operator. Affiliate commission is paid by the operator from their existing margin; it isn't added to your booking.
We use affiliate revenue to fund Saddl's editorial operation. Without it, we'd need to charge readers or rely entirely on advertising, neither of which protects editorial independence as well as transparent affiliate partnerships do.
Featured tier
UK and Ireland venues can subscribe to Saddl's Featured tier. Featured tier provides prominent placement on Saddl category and discipline pages, a Saddl Verified badge on the venue listing, editorial review priority for venue-related content, and a monthly performance dashboard.
What Featured tier does not buy: editorial coverage on Saddl's discretionary pages (regional roundups, persona-led recommendations, "best of" features); inclusion in editorial recommendations where the venue isn't a quality fit for the topic; removal of competitors from the same listings.
Featured tier is paid placement, clearly marked. It does not influence what Saddl recommends as the best venue for a given purpose.
How to flag a problem
If you've used a Saddl recommendation and the experience didn't match what we said, tell us. We update content based on real customer experience.
Email: hello@saddl.co.uk
What we'll do: investigate within 14 days, reach out to the operator if appropriate, update or remove the Saddl content if your experience reveals a substantive issue, reply to you with what we found.
What we won't do: adjudicate disputes between you and the operator (booking issues are between you and the operator's customer service), provide refunds (we don't take payment for bookings; the operator does), remove operator recommendations based on a single bad experience without investigating the pattern.
How to suggest a venue or operator
If we don't list a venue or operator that should be on Saddl, tell us. We add new listings continuously.
Email: hello@saddl.co.uk
For UK venues we'll review operating address and contact details, disciplines and services offered, accreditation status (BHS, ABRS, governing body affiliations), insurance and operating standards, customer reviews and reputation.
For international operators the bar is higher. We typically only add operators we can research thoroughly against UK industry standards.
Updates and corrections
We update Saddl pages when pricing changes (reviewed every 6 months on featured pages), operators change ownership, accreditation or operating model, customer feedback identifies inaccuracies, or new information becomes available.
Corrections are made silently for typos and small factual updates. Significant changes (e.g. removing an operator from a recommended list, changing a venue's verified status) are dated and explained.
Editorial team
Saddl is currently founded and led by Will Bales. Editorial decisions are made by Will with input from independent advisors in the UK equestrian industry. As Saddl grows, this page will list named editorial contributors.