I scheduled a trail ride on short notice for just me, and Tam and Sarah were very accommodating. They got me in next day, easy as that, and listened when I told them my riding experience. "Experienced rider" is a term that gets tossed around a lot when it comes to trail rides, and in general I think people say they're experienced in order to get an "exciting" ride, possibly with cantering or galloping, or to be given a lot of autonomy on the trail. The thing is, lots of cantering or galloping, letting riders do whatever they want rarely sets up a good ride, either for horses or riders, and as a former trail guide I'm all too aware of dealing with those expectations vs. what a trail guide can actually safely and reasonably do. So to the "experienced riders" who aren't actually experienced with being a rider on a paid trail ride, your experience may or may not be relevant to your ride and to your trail horse. The guides don't know you, the horse doesn't know you, and you might not know trail riding well; like all horse events it's its own particular beast. So, for me, I said I'd been a guide but I don't do much riding these days and besides that, I'm old and lazy and don't want a hippy hoppy happy bouncy horse, I want a nice horse with half a brain that does as they're told and has some common sense. The horse they gave me was Serena, a lovely Percheron/Canadian warmblood whom they've used for beginners on trail all the way up to experienced riders. She was a perfect pick for me and the reason I've gone to all the detail I have here is to once again point out that the key element to having fun on a trail ride is having the right horse, a good guide, a fun trail and things going along according to your expectations. Accordingly, I had a lovely horse who quickly realized I more or less knew what I was doing, and adjusted her game to match my skill. She was fun, willing, had her own personality but when it mattered, did precisely what I asked. It took me a while to get used to her gaits but after a while on trail I learned to get her collected into both a trot and canter that weren't too bone jarring. (A little more muscle tone on my part might have helped too, AHEM.) Meanwhile, Sarah's a wonderful guide. She had me ride Serena around the ring to assess my actual versus reported skill, and once she was satisfied I'd be all right, off we went. The trails around Breakaway are *stunning*. Given my experience and enjoyment Sarah had me exploring some pretty dense forest with her, which was some fun challenging riding and incredible scenery including vast meadows, silvery-hued marshes, the mountains in the distance and finally my absolute favorite moment, what Sarah calls "The Cathedral," a stand of maples planted in long rows whose branches form vaulting pointed arches of green over dark naves of loam. The ride was long and satisfying, with varying scenery, good conversation, some nice challenges like trailblazing and a bit of trotting and cantering. Sarah was at all times alert to me, what I was doing, Serena's behavior and the safety and well-being of all four of us, horses and riders. This is the epitome of an excellent guide. The rates are very reasonable for the rich experience you get. An hour was fifty dollars and I tipped heavily, which is customary for such a great experience, solo, tailored exactly to my skill and what I wanted out of the ride. Breakaway is not a "fancy" stable; it's a working stable. There are geese, sheep, ducks, dogs, ponies, mules and horses there, all of whom are well behaved and well cared for. All the horses I got to hang out with and pet (I really had to go introduce myself to their glorious Fresian!) were calm, inquisitive ranging on downright affectionate, which is always an indication of how well socialized and cared for they are. In short, if you'd like a fun, scenic trail ride with horses and guides who know their stuff, this is the stable to call. Just be honest about your experience and what you want out of the ride, and you're sure to have a great time. read more

the guide was so awful and rude. she seemed young and i wanted to almost tell her how she could become a better leader but she was so cruel to not only us but the other rides and even the horses, it would've fallen on deaf ears. don't recommend, im writing this almost three weeks after it happened because it still bothers me how awful she was read more

Me and my boyfriend stopped by on our way home from our weekend getaway. We stopped in to take some photos of their horses in the snow and they were very friendly allowing us to hangout on the property and check it out . We will definitely be coming back for a summer trail ride . read more

We had a great time. Love all farm animals along with the horses. This was a spring break treat for my grandaughter and ourselves. Greeted by the resident dog and cat. Got equipped to ride including boots and helmets. Weather was beautiful , sun shining . It was great. We had a lovely ride. read more

Sarah was an amazing trial guide!! I had to best time and enjoyed my ride as well as the view from horseback. While it isn't a million dollar stable, Sarah and her crew love and care for their horses as family. You cannot go wrong booking with Breakaway Farm and Sarah. Thank you, Sarah, for an amazing ride! Thank you to Ella as well! read more

I was super scared to ride horses today, but Tam and his family made me feel so comfortable, even walking next to me most of the ride. I can't recommend this beautiful farm enough!!!!! Thank you for welcoming us, and for keeping me safe. We had a blast! read more

Breakaway Farm - Horseback Riding Near Me - Grand Isle, Vermont

A wonderful trail ride experience; the people, horses and property were just fantastic. It was like a personalized custom ride. Qualitatively superior to the two other operators I've experienced in Vermont. Really can't say enough good things about them. Look forward to my next visit. read more

Breakaway Farm - My partner and me on Peter and Serena - Horseback Riding Near Me - Grand Isle, Vermont

I arranged for my 2-3/4 year old granddaughter to get a pony ride, and she ended up having an amazing experience. Tam took the time to walk her around the barn to see all the new baby animals including kittens who had just been born. She was in heaven. Tam also had the pony (Evie) ready to ride when we got there, and spent a lot of time with us both prior to and during the ride. I hope to take my granddaughter back next time I'm visiting her in VT. read more

Took my kids on a trail ride this evening and the riding part was fine. The rest left a lot to be desired. First off, the barn and the horse stalls were filthy, caked with urine and feces. The horses all seemed thin, and one little one was downright skeletal. After the ride ended as we walked through the barn we saw a young farm hand manhandling a little sheep into the pasture by it's neck. The sheep was struggling to breathe and another sheep was crying as well. The farmhand, maybe 16 years old, screamed at it to "Shut up!". My daughter was scared and my son pointed out that it wasn't nice to talk to anyone that way, including animals. My children aren't even allowed to say "Shut up" so we were all horrified. A guy saw this and tried to apologize, but the farm hand picked up a goat, walked by us and said rudely "These are my goats and my sheep and I treat them however I want." We couldn't get out of their fast enough...and we won't be back!!! read more

I had the loveliest trail ride at Breakaway! The location is gorgeous, their horses are wonderful and intelligent, and Sarah & Tam are the best trail hosts. This place is especially perfect for experienced riders looking for something more exciting than the slow & steady trail rides. Highly recommend if you're in the Burlington area. read more

Breakaway Farm - Wonderful summer trail ride at Breakaway! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Grand Isle, Vermont

I'm an experienced rider and I loved the trail ride with Sarah. The trail will take you through the woods (highly recommend long pants and sleeves). Beautiful scenery and a fun ride. I felt that when I explained my experience when booking the ride, they listened to me and provided a horse that was a good match to my level. My partner who was also on the ride is a beginner and had a fabulous time too. It was a very welcoming and friendly environment. We hope to return for another ride the next time we are in Vermont. read more

We had a lovely time riding horses here! The owners are very nice and helpful, often checking in to make sure you're doing ok. Such a beautiful place to ride, I'll be back again!! read more

This place is truly as good as it gets! My experience riding here was top notch! I took my husband who hasn't been on a horse since he was a small child for a half hour riding lesson followed by an hour long trail ride. Our guide/the owner of Breakaway Farm, Sara, made sure we were both comfortable and educated with our horses before beginning the trail ride which was a nice touch. She gave us both riding tips and even had us do some maneuvering through barrels adding some challenging aspects making it all the more Fun! After the lesson, we rode the horses over the hill and through grassy meadows overlooking the mountains! It was spectacular! We both left Breakaway Farm smiling and raving about how we can't wait to go again. We had the best day riding here and it was largely due to Sara and her husband's attention to detail, the farm's authenticity and their genuine joy of loving what they do! I highly recommend everyone to check this place out and go to Breakway Farm for your next horseback riding experience! read more