We have been coming here for lessons for about 4 months now. My daughter loves it…read more The horses are well taken care of, they are well trained and very gentle. The facility itself is clean, as clean can be anyways. There are about 15 or so stables for the horses. Plenty of area for them to hang out too. There is an indoor and outdoor arena. The indoor arena is a little small and perfect for beginners and cold rainy days. The outdoor arena is large with jumping bars. We have Tracy as our instructor and boy can she do her job well. She has lots of patience with my daughter but she also knows when to challenge her to help her become a better rider. I totally recommend her for lessons. Overall this place is great, check it out if you have a chance.

I have fond memories of my several years riding at SWF from the end of my junior years into the A/O…read morehunters. I boarded a horse here for several years, leasing him to another client in the barn when I left for college and ultimately selling him with Shannon's help. The level of care is excellent; I never worried about my horse when I was not around, knowing he was in good hands. Shannon (the owner/trainer) lives on the premises and keeps a close eye on things. The horses are happy, healthy, and get regular turnout. I didn't realize that these basic things were so hard to find until I moved away and started riding elsewhere. In some areas, good turnout is nearly impossible to find. SWF also offers a beautiful, large outdoor ring, a covered round pen, and a nice new heated tackroom. The indoor arena is on the small side, but it's quite functional and it definitely teaches you to look through your corners and set up for every fence! In summary, SWF provides excellent horse care and training for hunters and jumpers, with well-maintained facilities and knowledgeable, reliable barn management.

This was my first time riding a horse, I went with my partners and 2 friends. We all had a great…read moretime and the staff was very friendly. Thank you to Garret, Thomas, and Addy for making our first horse riding experience a good one.

Very friendly staff who were also knowledgeable and fun! Beautiful ride, and felt very safe. Will…read moredefinitely be coming back for more. Garret, Addie, Thomas, and Shelly were fantastic!

I have been participating in clinics at Rusty Bar for several years now. I always come away with…read morenew knowledge that helps me with training my horses. Kathy's concern for safety is always a priority and she is always willing to share her knowledge and expertise. Her facility is well cared for and clean. I highly recommend!

I signed up for the Unforgettable Riding Experience at Rusty Bar Ranch this past spring, and it was…read moreamazing! I was a bit nervous, having little to no prior experience. We started inside on Sheena the Wonder Horse. I have to say, the state-of-the-art simulator really helps to get comfortable in a number of ways. After that, it was on to the arena & Valentine, a real horse Rusty Bar Ranch owner and trainer, Kathy really knows horses & also cares about them. She was such a kind & patient teacher. I felt totally comfortable & at ease. She teaches at every level, depending on the student. I'm clearly a beginner & if you've been on the fence about horseback riding, I highly recommend this experience. You're NEVER to old to learn something new! Go to the website & sign up. It was definitely an unforgettable experience for me.

I just took my 4 and almost 7 year old girls and my 14 year old Godson on a one hour trail ride and…read moreit was AMAZING!! The horses were ready when we arrived and we learned their back stories and personalities before getting in the saddle. The ride was beautiful and the perfect way to spend a morning. Debbie shared local history and kindly guided us through the woods. My oldest was ecstatic to be on a "a regular size" horse as the lessons she has taken always had her on ponies. My 4 YO safely rode in front of me. I can't say enough good things. My almost 7 YO called it "the best birthday present ever!" And I have no doubt we'll be back for another ride.

Most amazing first experience ride out here. The scenery was very nice and the owner, Debbie made…read moreit very fun. Highly recommended for your first time, or if you want to get out of the city and enjoy nature.

Best place I've taken my daughter to learn how to ride. It's a nice little place with a good…read moreindoor/outdoor arena. The indoor part has a viewing room that's insulated and heated and has several comfy chairs. My daughter is 6 and started riding with Colby and Jericho, two very nice and well tempered small horses. Maddie is an excellent instructor! My daughter does better with firm instruction and Maddie definitely does a great job of teaching young ones. I absolutely recommend this place for learning to ride. Plus they have a blue heeler named Harley who is supe friendly.

I have been riding at Klearmont Farms for about 10 months now and it has been a wonderful…read moreexperience. Kim Pratt is the trainer and she does a wonderful job at taking care of all of the horses. You can tell that she loves her horses and she is deliberate and thoughtful in the care that she gives them. She has been showing in the Northwest for over 30 years and for over 25 years has trained horses and taught children. Klearmont Farms is primarily a hunter/jumper barn and we have riders who do both. She also teaches dressage if you would like a background in dressage. I started riding at this barn for two reasons. One is there is not a lot of riding options in the Lakewood area and most importantly when I walked into the barn the first time to check it out almost everyone I ran into said hi. I was greeted and introduced to almost everyone in the first 10 minutes and everyone was genuinely friendly and since then I have made some wonderful friends. I find that it can be difficult to find a friendly barn that within just a few short months you feel like family. My first 7 months, I did not own a horse and took lessons on her string of school horses. Not once did I ever ride a horse that was not well behaved and able to teach me. I am jumping 2'9" and a lot of barns do not have horses that will jump up that high on schooling horses, but hers were able to. She also has a couple of great beginner school horses that are perfect for the first time rider as young as five. I now have my own little chestnut Thoroughbred at her barn and she has taken wonderful care of him. He gets turned out 6 days a week and fed 3 times a day. The stalls are in good condition and are modified so even the craftiest horses can't get out. The property is fenced in so that if a horse does get loose they are safe. There are two arenas, one larger outdoor arena and a smaller indoor arena, both are large enough to jump in with good footing that is drug everyday. They back up right against Fort Lewis so there are awesome trails that you can spend almost all day on for those days that riding in the arena just isn't good enough. Riding is an expensive sport, but I looked all around the area and found that Klearmont Farms charged the lower end for board and lessons. The best deal is to by your lessons at the beginning of the month for the whole month because that is the when they are the cheapest. I try to take two lessons a week because that is what I have found makes me improve the fastest, but there are all different levels at the barn and many only take one lesson a week. Overall, I have loved my time at Klearmont Farms and am so glad that I chose to ride there. It is a wonderful barn with great people and lot of learning. Perfect for the beginner and advanced rider.

It was a great experience learning to ride a horse for the first time! The owner could be…read morefriendlier to the animals and the customers but people are entitled to their personalities and life choices I will not hold her to it. She was also in really dirty clothes even if it's a ranch I just thought that was interesting from the hospitality perspective of business.

Fantastic experience with the trail ride here with Susan, the owner and trail leader. Most…read moreimportant to note- Know what you're signing up for! Susan is a lovely older woman who keeps her 3+ horses on her own on her expanse of land with love and care. She is definitely a bit gruff (as another reviewer mentioned) around the edges. Talked to her on the phone before meeting in person, and she's sweet in her own way and is passionate about her job taking care of horses and making people happy with her rides. Call to make an appointment at least 24 hours in advance, no walk-in's. Two riders at a time. Trail rides happen twice a day (11am and 1pm), lasting about an hour each. Won't be cancelled except in cases of heavy rain/severe weather. $40 per person for the hour. Can park on her property. No bathrooms nearby. Starts from the property and goes through trodden paths through the forest-y areas nearby. Susan provides the basics for getting on/off the horses, going uphill/downhill, and keeping pace. No experience needed. Just respect the horses and follow directions. The trails aren't the most picturesque, more like a neighborhood forestland. We went through narrow dirt trails and crossed a few streets with cars along the way. Wish there were more available slots per day, but I'm glad the horses get their well earned rest and hay after their shifts. Would definitely love to come back! tl;dr call phone to book with Susan from her website, $40 cash per person (as of March 2022) per person for an hour trail ride, no experience needed, 2 riders max, no special clothing needed (maybe no open toe shoes), take a warm bath at home afterwards!

I had a wonderful experience riding horses with them, meeting the donkey and riding in the donkey…read morecart. I fed the horses and the donkey carrots and apples. It was a beautiful and healing experience. I want to go there and experience this again. Rosemary G.

Review for soggybottom ranch & pony parties. My daughter and I really wanted to reconnect with the…read morehorses and spend some quality time together, so we reached out to a friend who told us about tammies business. I reached out and was met with only the kindest, quickest, most personal able customer service ive had in a long time. It was like talking to a old friend. We purchased trail ride for 2 got in quickly, she was accommodating, even packed little waters and stuff for us. Great experience! Plan to utilize her company more! Great business! A must try! Horses are treated great and look in optimal health! It's clear to see they love and take care of their family. - marissa+ chey

It looks good, but probably not cheap. I would definitely try this place. It's looks very cozy and…read morerelaxing.

Crystal cares deeply about our horses and us boarders. My horse and I have landed in the place we…read moreneed. The arena is large and well maintained. The stalls and paddocks are well kept up. Crystal is on it maintaining a safe no drama environment. She checks in to make sure everything is going good. I really appreciate the being present and available. Quality Hay and alfalfa! I've met so many nice and helpful people there. A big plus is they are long time boarders. That says a lot right there.

Amazing facilities and trainers! I sent my 10 year old daughter here for lessons and she loved it!…read moreTino is her favourite!

From the owner: It is our passion to bring the horse experience, which can be healing, rejuvenating, and fun, to…read moreanyone looking to learn. Whether you have a preschooler who is interested in learning about horses for the first time or you are an adult with riding experience under your belt, Feather Equestrian has a place for you.

ETA: The new leadership team is amazing. The school went through some challenging times, but it's…read moreback to feeling like a home away from home again.

Think hard, don't lie to yourself... Does your child need a bit of support academically? Do you…read morethink they might? Do you want small class sizes? Are they on meds that need to be administered at school? Are they Neurodiverse (Dyslexic, Anxiety, ADHD, Autistic, Dyscalculia, etc.)? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, this school probably isn't for you. We really loved the school when the kid was younger. But, partway through the lower school, supports and amenities suddenly got a lot more scarce! The Middle School is even worse. Were the staff at fault? Usually not. Decisions were made and the kids that needed a bit of help paid the price. There isn't a school nurse. They have remodeled some of the specialist-type classrooms to convert them into classrooms. There has been quite a bit of staff leaving in the last 5 years. There isn't a real 9:1 kid to teacher ratio in practice, they use alternative accounting practices including counting staff members like the librarian (kids see the librarian for an hour or less per week while most teachers rush back to their rooms for preparation time leaving the librarian often alone with the kids). Teacher assistants in the lower school are not necessarily full time and are often pulled from class to cover teachers and things like playground duties. The administration is actively trying to add more students per class, and more classes overall, as all administrators are prone to do. In short, while it is a beautiful school, it isn't for everyone. Try not to be dazzled and ask the hard questions. See if this is right for your family. It is an expensive question to get wrong.