We had great time! Staff was fantastic and helpful. We had special needs and they were great with…read moreaccommodate my needs

We love MacDonalds Ranch! This is our happy place! We adore the animals in the petting zoo. I…read morerecommend Macdonalds Ranch to all my friends and family because it is such a rare gem in Arizona. The petting zoo is free, but they do accept donations. We enjoy petting the goats, sheep and little ponies. We were especially excited to see 3 baby goats today- they were the cutest. We love supporting this local business- go check them out! You can also hold company events or parties here too! We also love coming here in the fall for their pumpkin patch!

This review is long overdue - back in May, my fiance and I went horseback riding with Joseph at…read moreWindwalker Expeditions. We had such a phenomenal time, the experience couldn't have been any better. Joseph knew everything there is to know about the desert, the plants, and the wildlife. He was able to answer any question we had, while also providing additional information. He was very kind, patient, and supportive while we were learning how to horseback ride (we each had gone when we were kids, but hadn't been on a horse in more than a decade). He also helped us take photos and videos, so now it's very special to look back on our experience and see those photos and videos. The horses were absolutely beautiful and it really seems like Joseph takes wonderful care of them. We had the absolute best time and are so grateful for Joseph. Also, special thanks to Shelly for all the hard work she put in to getting us scheduled and letting us know how to prepare. Thank you so much Joseph and Shelly!

Joseph was absolutely amazing! He was so knowledgeable about everything and made our experience…read morejust perfect! We will definitely be doing this again!

My daughters and I have done horseback riding 4-5 times in Arizona and always tried a new place…read moreeach year. Trailhead ranch was hands down my favorite. For an extra $60 we were able to make the ride private which was completely worth it. The horses were well trained, better than other ranches, the trail as a bit more advanced, we went up a ledge and through cave creek (which was dry), and Russ and stormy were phenomenal guides. Location was also very easy to find. This will absolutely be our go to place in the future.

Went on a ride with Russ today. I highly recommend this ride while in the area. He was very kind…read moreand knowledgeable. Great horses!

I've been to a lot of barns over the years, but Sweetwater is by far the best I've ever…read moreexperienced, and for so many reasons. Bailey and Lucy are so amazing! I feel complete trust in them when it comes to leasing or eventually purchasing, which is rare in this industry. They always have your best interests at heart, and it shows in everything they do. The quality of the horses here is top-tier across the board, so you know you're in good hands. But what really sets Sweetwater apart is the community. I grew up showing horses, and I've never been part of a barn family like this, everyone is hardworking, down-to-earth, and genuinely supportive. You don't just ride here, you build lifelong friendships. And the instruction? Next level. I've never had better coaching in my life. They don't just tell you what to do, they explain the how and why, down to the mechanics, so you truly understand how to ride and improve. It's not just about getting around a course, it's about becoming the best rider you can be. If you're serious about becoming an exceptional jumper, this is the place. Your horse will be cared for with the highest standard of love and attention, and you'll be surrounded by an amazing group of people who inspire you every day. This barn already means so much to me in the short time I've been here, and I'm beyond grateful to have found it.

Lucy is a terrific teacher and runs a top notch SAFE program! If you are looking for an honest,…read morewell run program, Sweetwater is your best bet.

I went to their summer camp and though they have a great riding experience, they cram too many kids…read moreon one horse. They only have two riding horses for like 30 kids so while two kids ride, 28 kids stand out in the sun waiting for hours for their turn. And they only let a kid ride once. Other than that and their lack of a cool place to stay, it is a fun riding place.

My fiance & I got Groupons for 3 horse riding lessons at Twisted Tree Farm. The stables themselves…read moreare very pretty and set into a calm area of North Scottsdale with views of Pinnacle Peak. It'd be a really cute place to take engagement or family pictures, if they let you. Twisted Tree Farm caters to real riders, like the kind that do jumps and that sort of competition. We didn't quite realize that when we got the groupons...my fiance trying to post and such was a funny site. We just wanted to learn how to ride horses and get to run with them cause trail guides on the hour rides in the desert never let you. Our instructor Victoria was really nice, knowledgeable, and patient. She let me go slowly (those horses are giant) and made sure I felt comfortable with everything. Twisted Tree Farms seems like a great place to go if you want to learn english-style, jump-style horse riding. If you are just looking for regular horse riding lessons like we were, someplace else would probably be better.

I asked pre-purchase and was told Syrah was not a cribber. Took him home and he instantly started…read morecribbing. He is a cribber, which is a lifelong incurable vice! I called Gary immediately but he refused to take the horse back. I would never again buy a horse from McDonald Arabians.

My son was bitten by a dog on the Crestline farms and the owner will not pay for his medical bills…read moreunless he signs a release form. The owner of Crestline farms came to my home and threatened to have a trespassing charge brought on my son when he was invited to the Crestline farm by one of the Crestline farms workers son. Just pay what you are responsible for that is all we ask.

Well kept facility, nice lesson horses, knowledgeable and experienced staff, teachers, and…read moretrainers. Very easy to get to from anywhere in the valley!

This barn is amazing. It is unlike many others. First, it is small enough to give you an…read moreindividualized experience. Monica truly understands where you are as a rider and accelerates your learning and riding skills. We first started with my eight year old wanting to ride. Within two months she was beginning to canter and taking cross rails like a pro. We decided to lease a pony and Monica was there at every step of the way. She helped match us to a pony within our price range - and one that our daughter could learn and grow with. She is constantly training my daughter and the pony - and they are doing amazing things together. I hadn't ridden in years (and used to ride western) and decided to start riding again. Again, within 2 months Monica allowed me to start on some of her amazing horses with lessons and perfectly matched me to a horse to lease. I'm already cantering and jumping full courses on a beautiful horse - 2 months after starting as a 44 year old "beginner". The bottom line - if you are looking to join a barn that treats you like family, cares for your horses as their own and training that accelerates your accomplishments - at any age or any point in your riding career, this is the barn for you!

I can't say enough good things about MM Show Jumping and the incredible community here! This is…read morehands down the best barn community I've ever been a part of--everyone is so supportive and fun, and we do activities both at the barn and outside, which makes it feel like a real family. Monica's training has helped me learn and improve rapidly and has built my confidence so much as a rider. She cares deeply about both her clients and the horses, ensuring they receive the best care every single day. The facility is also absolutely beautiful, and Ricardo, Lupe to Jerry make the experience even better. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found this barn. If you want fantastic care for your horse, amazing lessons, and to be part of the best community, this is the place to be! :)

Landed on this place after a lot of research and was super excited to sign up with them, but after…read morebooking a single lesson, I absolutely cannot recommend them. This riding facility maintains a policy of penalizing customers $25 if they cancel a lesson within 24-hours of the start time. They feature this policy prominently on their site (in RED) and note that it is "strictly followed as a courtesy to the instructor." That's all good and well, but their instructor cancelled our first lesson approximately 4.5 hours ahead of time, and with zero apology at that. Since nobody was ever available by phone, I reached out to the owner via email and made her aware of my disappointment with the situation, asking if the cancellation policy worked both ways or if respect for people's time was a one way street. I also made it clear I still wanted to take lessons from her barn and harbored no ill will toward the trainer, because I understand that things happen and people deserve a chance to make it right. I never asked for nor expected *anything*, not a $25 credit, not a discount, not a free lesson, not even an apology from the trainer, nothing. To her credit, the owner promptly responded with an apology and indicated she would work this out. I had hoped this meant she would connect with her trainer(s) and help get the lesson rescheduled and hopefully provide some assurances that this wouldn't happen again. After three business days with no follow up, I emailed the owner again for an update. I pointed out that having already had one commitment broken by the trainer (out of the owner's control), I was hoping she planned to keep her commitment to sort this out (entirely within her control) so we could reschedule. I also reminded her that I was looking for weekly lessons through the balance of the year, which would have been prepaid after the first lesson had it not been cancelled, amounting to well over $3000. I once more extended the olive branch, indicating that while I was unsure how to interpret the lack of follow up, and that despite my gut instincts, I still wanted to give them a chance to make this right and do business with them. The reply I received was another round of apologies, this time for the delay in her follow-up and (again) for the last minute cancellation by her trainer. This was immediately followed with a mealy-mouthed, passive aggressive "I'm not sure we're a good fit for you," cop out, with her ultimately suggesting I look elsewhere for lessons. I interpret that to mean that if you believe a barn should respect your time and hold themselves to the same standards that they demand of their customers, or if you have the temerity to give the owner feedback about a bad experience with a trainer, then you're not a good fit and are unwelcome here. Regrettably, I cannot possibly recommend a barn that has unreliable, unapologetic, flaky instructors, not to mention an owner that cannot keep commitments and lacks basic business sense. This entire situation could have been resolved with a 2-minute phone call, but the owner would rather lose a customer and several thousand up-front dollars than expend even such minuscule effort. Why, oh why, would anyone recommend a barn that is run like this? Pro-Tip™: Riding instruction is a people business, not a horse business. You'll keep more customers and make more money if you act like you understand the difference.