I've got two spoiled kids (half joking), and they LOVED their 4 day semiprivate camp experience. Their primary instructor was Chris Margrave, a true cowboy with a big heart for kids. My girls were also instructed by Katie who was great with my girls. The tandem of Chris and Katie made for an outstanding experience for two little girls (8 & 6) who wanted to learn to ride horses. The camp went, Monday - Thursday, and we enrolled in class from 1pm to 4pm. It turned out that my girls were the only two enrolled in the afternoon class, so it was actually private. It was a little hot, but not too bad. The girls spent lots of time in the saddle (Western ridding), and learning the basics about horses and the equipment. They also spent time on fun ranch type crafts, decorating a bandanna and making a horseshoe picture frame. The 4 day program even finishes with an official horse show, which was a good ol' time. The cost was $250/child, and worth every penny. The facilities were nice, the staff was wonderful, and the horses were all beautiful specimens. In a summer filled with various camps and vacations (did I mention spoiled?), the Callie Bell horse camp will assuredly be THE highlight for my girls. read more

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We were originally very excited to find this summer camp session and actually made arrangements for our daughter to fly from the San Francisco Bay Area to SoCal to attend this riding camp with her friends who live in Redondo Beach. 2 weeks prior to camp, Gudrun called from Callie Bell explaining that they were over-enrolled, they had 5 horses and 8 riders and asked could we possibly switch to a different week of camp. I explained our situation, and they let me know that they would honor enrollments in order of enrollment date, and I thanked them. They asked me about specific kids names who were also enrolled (since my daughter needed to attend with the friends that she would staying with and whose mom would be driving all of them to and from camp each day). They assured me that since we had enrolled in May, 3 other children (that they mentioned by name) would be moved instead since they registered in July, to ensure there would be 5 kids for 5 horses. I called my daughter on her first day of class to learn that they had 8 kids for 4 horses, and the 3 children (whose names they had specifically stated were over the limit and as a result would be moved to a different session) were somehow in that same camp session after all. The kids walked behind the horses when they weren't riding, and they spent almost no time riding. When I called Callie Bell Riders to ask about these things, suddenly things shifted. When I asked about kids walking behind horses when not riding Gudrun claimed it was "only on the way to the riding arena"--as if that makes it ok. Her explanation that one of their five beginner horses wasn't feeling well so the staff made the call to use 4 horses for 8 kids made absolutely no sense whatsoever. They told me that the staff had a sticky over-enrollment situation and they felt this was the best way to deal with it. They completely forgot that we talked at length 2 weeks previously about this over-enrollment situation. I was unhappy about the fact that they did not move kids to other sessions (what they had originally said they were going to do), but kept all 8 kids in that time with just 1 adult, and 4 horses. I learned that the kids would only ride 45 minutes out of a 3 hour camp each day. Then in the same breath they assured me that "this was just the first day's activities". However when I asked when they would do on the second day or the rest of the week, they told me they would learn to walk the horses, learn about horse safety, comb the horse, and draw pictures of their horse. Seriously??? Draw pictures of the horse? It was to the point that I withdrew my daughter from camp after the first day despite all the expense of flights, and other travel from SF to LA. Anyway, I looked to the previous yelp review from 2011 who raved about the summer camp to try this camp, and felt others might benefit from hearing about a more recent experience in summer of 2018. Not sure what happened between 2011 and 2018, but I can tell you I had a markedly different experience. On the other hand, they might look to summer camp weeks as a way to cram in as many kids and cash as possible, and perhaps their serious riders are treated well? read more

My 8 YO daughter has only ridden the ponies in a circle at Griffith Park. She got bored by the slow pace and wanted something more challenging. I found Callie Bell via an Internet Search. I took the risk at a pre-pay via PayPal and was immediately rewarded by their prompt communication. While they suggested that I speak to them via the phone, I was able to answer all of their questions via e-mail. That helped immensely as I was out of town at the time. Chris is an amazing instructor - very good with kids. He understands how to get kids to overcome their fear of large animals and he provides instruction in a way that is easy to follow. He's a great instructor for kids!! I highly recommend Chris @ Callie Belle. Chris took my daughter's initial fear into a very positive experience. I'm sure we will be back very soon and I hope that my daughter enjoys riding horses. read more

I have been riding under Callie's instruction for over a year now. She helped me find my first horse, and my horse in now in training with her as well. She is a very talented instructor. Whether your goal is to win ribbons, or just become a better horseman, she can help you realize your potential. I have learned so much from her. She has a horse for every level of rider. read more

Callie is sooo talented (as is all of her staff). She reallllllyyyy knows how to ride and train not only horses, but people from young to old. Callie has excellent horsemanship skills (and lots of patience). I've had several horse accidents over the years... which have inspired me to learn more, to gain a deeper understanding of the foundation I still needed with my horse so I could avoid getting hurt again. Last summer I signed up to take a lesson with Callie because I was scared to ride my horse in an arena (he hates it). He had 2 speeds, walk and gallop. After my 1st lesson, I realized just how little I knew about riding "Western" correctly. Being around knowledgeable horse people motivates me to keep learning, so I continued my lessons with Callie. She not only taught me verbally, but physically showed me the correct riding positions I needed to know. She is very detail oriented and if I didn't understand something, she'd take the time to place my hand/arm/leg/foot etc. in the proper position so I'd get it. She is precise and that skill set has taught me a lot ... including (but not limited to) how to develop a better and deeper seat, improve my body position/posture, build my core strength, have the correct leg/arm position, and how to canter with speed control. But most importantly, Callie helped both me and my horse develop the confidence we needed! She encouraged me to try new things, to challenge myself. Before my lessons with Callie started, I never cantered my horse. I was always afraid of him running away with me. With Callie's help, she turned a non-confident arena rider and horse into a confident TEAM. Both my horse and I have learned so much. I went from walking my horse in the arena, to cantering my horse BAREBACK. I never dreamt I would be able to canter my horse, let alone canter him bareback. It was a very significant accomplishment for me personally and I will always be grateful for Callie's encouragement to push my skill set to the next level of riding. If you're thirsty for the experience and want to learn from the best, I encourage you to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running. Book your lessons now with Callie to help you learn. It's a great adventure, you learn a lot about horses, horsemanship, responsibility and how to ride. You won't be disappointed!!! read more

Although the horses are kept in nice stalls and have nice blankets, hay, etc, the trainers are a bit hard on them, expecting up to 4 lessons a day per horse. One is a little lame, one has a club foot, but they're pretty well taken care of and better off than most lesson horses. The main thing that I don't like about Callie Bell is how she allows her western 'show riders' to yank ridiculously hard on their already harsh bits and be extreme in punishments for very little mistakes the horses make. read more

Callie is an extremely talented horse trainer, instructor and coach. She and her students regularly win awards and top honors in competition. Her programs are wonderful - you'll have fun and learn a lot. read more

i've been riding with callie off/on for past 13 years. she basically taught me everything i know. she helped me learn everything with my first horse and i'm now riding with her again with my second horse. she is very talented and you will learn all you need to know to turn you into or keep you a good rider! highly recommended!!! read more

Fun! Callie's lessons are great - if you don't have yoru own horse, she good with both beginners and seasoned riders. I ride English but have been taking lessons with Callie to improve my balance and position and it's working! Highly recommend Callie. read more

My son (7) attended the 4 day camp this week and absolutely LOVED everything about it. As a mom I loved how well the entire staff interacted with the kids, small group with a great ratio of kid to adult. Safety is their highest priority with the kids and horses which is so important. Chris Margrave is an exceptional teacher and so wonderful with the kids, the rest of the staff are very capable as well. A great team of people delivering a great service to anyone who enrolls their child. This camp is a must do for next summer. Thanks to everyone at Callie Bell Performance Horses. read more