I took four children (3 teenagers and a 3-year-old) to Cornerstone for a sleigh ride on Christmas Eve. It was OK. It was not terrible in any way. But it wasn't an experience I'd recommend to friends. The people running the place were super friendly. But we were not welcomed when we first arrived and the area where visitors arrive (and get their first impression of the place) was not welcoming. We were told we could go inside a small building to make hot chocolate with hot water, paper cups and Swiss Miss hot chocolate packets. There was a fire outside, but the wooden benches around it were broken in some places and looked flimsy. Inside the building, we found graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate for making s'mores. But we couldn't find sticks to roast the marshmallows, so we gave up on the s'mores. The ride in a wagon drawn by two horses was fun for me but boring for the teenagers. It was fun because the terrain was uneven and I was moving around a lot in my seat, which made my 3-year-old laugh. The path we took on the ride was not thrilling. In other words, there wasn't a lot to look at. We did see a few other horses, a donkey, a goat and a pot-bellied pig. The 3-year-old loved that. The three teenagers, who initially had been excited about the idea of a sleigh ride, just wanted to get out of the wagon and go home. read more

Everyone at the ranch is so friendly! We had an amazing experience. There was also a live musician and amazing finger food and homemade tea! Will absolutely becoming back! read more

We had purchased a 2-hour trail ride through Groupon and we had an amazing time. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The horses were in good shape and the place was clean and well taken care of. I'd do this again for sure. There could be some additional signage but I think that it was pretty clear where to go once you got into the parking lot. Lots going on that day and I think it was well managed. read more

Cornerstone Ranch - Chip is a sweetie! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Princeton, Massachusetts

First off, this place is overpriced. I've been riding horses for years and surrounding farms, that are just as nice if not nicer are less expensive than this place. I went online to book a lesson for myself and my mom and saw that with booking 2 lessons came almost an extra $25 in random "service fees and administrative fees" ON TOP OF the actual lesson (a horseback riding lesson, IS a service - by the way). Never have I ever seen a place do this. I e-mailed Susan to express that I was looking to get back into riding again and becoming a consistent rider at the farm and asked if there was a way to book the lessons offline (just the price of the lesson) without all of theses fees - especially since that adds up if you decide to come regularly. I even told her I'd be willing to come up 1-2 days in advance and introduce myself, get to know the place and the people ect.. and she told me that they don't want "random visitors" and that her employees don't appreciate making "sideline deals." I'm in bussnes and to refer to someone who could potentially become a prospective frequent rider of the farm as a "random visitor" shocked me. Also maybe if they didn't have such ridiculous "fees" online and just expressed the "true" price of the lesson, people wouldn't feel like they're getting a bit ripped off. $65 for 1/2 ride is ridiculous, sorry. In the past, I've always had friendly and almost "family community" like relationships with people from other farms - so long as you become a consistent part of the farm. I expressed wanting to do just that and got a response like I'm just another customer to them. read more

If I could leave a negative rating I would. Booked a trail ride and unfortunately my husband's knee surgery was rescheduled and we had to cancel. I canceled the same day it was booked. Received a nice email, however, of the $169 fee, we only got $140 back. No where on the website does it mention this. They did not return my call. They said the service fee was non-refundable and said it was in the fine print when we booked the May 21st ride. Unprofessional business. Will go elsewhere!!! Buyer beware l, should have paid attention to all the negative reviews!!!!! read more

Been here for a few rides now and it's been lovely each time. After mild instruction before embarking out, you are taken on a nature-full trail through wooded areas and grassy field near power lines. Some of the trails are a bit muddy, and there have been quite a few times that I've worried about falling when my horse slips. The most recent time I was here, however, they had attendants walking with the group which made me feel a lot better. I do wish they would find some way to clean the helmets; you can tell they don't take care of them between riders. Overall there experience is a lot of fun, but they could use some extra attention to cleanliness and details. read more

Having NEVER ridden a horse before, I thought Cornerstone Ranch would be a good starting point, based on their website saying they deal with all levels of riders. Not so much. After helping me on the horse, they gave some instructions for steering the horses, which was abbreviated at best. They DID ask if anyone needed a stirrup adjustment, but having never ridden before, I did not know I needed one. In hindsight, the fact that my left foot was not in a stirrup should have tipped me off, but again - rookie. It was not until I fell off my horse that they adjusted my left stirrup, but still told me to work on my balance. What I was looking forward to an enjoyable afternoon with a peaceful ride turned out to be the complete opposite. Good thing is that I'm not deterred - I'll try riding again, but will take some lessons first. read more

Got a Groupon for a trail ride - I was able to book for the next day. We did the one hour ride which was great. They take their time saddling up and explaining how to ride horses. These are older ponies and they are not fast. We just plodded along with a friendly guide walking in front of us. Some people had trouble with their horses but ours were fine. The property is beautiful and the horses seem well taken care of. It's a family farm. I would have liked to do the 2 hour ride but it was sold out! read more

The farm itself had approx 20 to 24 horses on site and most of them were older trail horses. For our adventure, they used 17 of the horses (15 riders plus 2 instructors). The ride itself was using western saddles and only walking the horses, no trotting, cantering, etc. The '2 hour' trail ride was approx 1 hour 12 minutes of riding. The other 48 minutes was saddling up, taking pics at the end, etc. The trail was approx 1/4 on very muddy path behind the ranch, about 1/2 of the time on the dirt road that leads to/from the ranch, and the other 1/4 of the time in the woods on some trails near the power lines. When we first arrived there was a fire going in a fire pit which was a nice touch. If you need the restroom before you go, there is an outdoor outhouse. There was supposed to be hot chocolate at the conclusion but they forgot to turn the hot water on, so we couldn't partake. Overall, the staff was very pleasant and it was a pleasant ride. My boys thought it was just "OK" because they had been riding in the past and wanted it to be a bit more of an adventure and not just a walk. I kinda wish that during sign-up, they had 'beginner' and 'intermediate' sign-ups so those that had a bit of experience could do a bit more than just walk. I wouldn't do it again, but I would recommend it for those that have never ridden before. read more

We just got home from an evening sleigh ride. It was pure magic. The gal who welcomed us was so kind and the other gal who drove our sleigh was so sweet and told us all about the horses. Finishing it off with cocoa and s'mores made it that much more special. read more

Honestly, I think our trail ride had a lot of potential. The facilities were pretty nice, as were the horses, but the experience itself was odd and confusing at best. I was asked my height (I was the tallest person on the ride) and was put on the smallest horse... We were all treated like we knew nothing about horses and riding and it felt like being talked down to most of the time. For the price of $70 per person I expected a more professional experience. The head wrangler didn't wear a helmet and seemed to be on a date with her boyfriend, who was also on the ride. The wrangler in the back actually turned sideways in her saddle halfway through the ride. Something else that was off was the horse I was riding was having a severe asthma flare up for 2 hours. The wrangler said she would walk it off but it persisted and I was genuinely concerned. There could have probably been a horse swap halfway through. It was very uncomfortable for the both of us. I used to lead trail rides, teach riding to kids at camps in California and Maine and compete competitively for years. If my trainer ever saw us behave that way, she would not have let us represent her business and her livelihood. We probably won't be back but I think if certain areas were improved upon the client experience could be very enjoyable. read more

Let me preface this by saying if I did not have a GPS I never would have found this place. To its credit, it's very far back into the woods. Once I arrived, the staff was very attentive, the horses were drama free, and the ride was very pleasant. I would strongly suggest bringing bug repellent because 90% of the ride is through wooded areas. The pig walking the trails with us was a lot of fun. I understand they have to err on the side of caution, but almost two hours of a walking trail tends to get tedious. Other ranches that I've visited have a walking trail, as as well as a trotting trail. That's the only negative thing.....the horses were very well behaved, as I've stated, the staff was pleasant and knowledgeable. If it weren't so far, I'd return often. read more

We recently used a Groupon for a 2 hour horse ride at Cornerstone Ranch, and it was wonderful. We rode on a cold day, and when we arrived there was a firepit with a nice fire going, hot chocolate, and s'mores for everyone. The staff was really nice and helpful and took the time to get each rider adjusted and make sure they were comfortable. My wife and I really enjoyed our leisurely ride, and the time flew by. I hadn't ridden a horse in 15 years, but their horses were so docile and well trained that it was really easy to get "back in the saddle". I also understand that they do some horse rescue and rehabilitate them, and I think that's really cool. My only slight criticism (and it's a small thing) was the facilities... the only restroom available for riders is a porta-potty. Just be aware of that before you go, as you may want to stop somewhere else to go beforehand. But otherwise, everything was wonderful, and we hope to go back again soon. read more

This place is the Terrible, please don't go here. They take your order but don't call you back or return emails at all. i sent out many calls and emails and got nothing in return. I booked a time online like they said then after planning a trip to Their business that was over two hours away to see it was a let down. Terrible terrible terrible read more

Great time!! Perfect outing for a fall day. The folks who own the ranch are incredibly kind and helpful, and the horseback riding was very fun. Highly recommended! read more

I went for a trailride today with my friend and we both had an awesome experience!! Sue, the owner, is sweet, funny, and a people person and made the ride really enjoyable! We will definitely go back! read more

Cornerstone Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Princeton, Massachusetts

On 3/17/18 my fiancé and I went on a private sleigh ride and had a wonderful time! The owner took us out with one of her lovely co-workers for a beautiful ride through the woods which was topped off with yummy hot chocolate and s'mores around a roaring fire. Susan is a delight, very personable and knowledgeable. The horses are obviously very well cared for, happy and healthy. We are looking forward to returning for a trail ride at some point. The whole experience was great, and we thank Susan and Dave and all the people we came into contact with for a very special and memorable time! read more

it was a great experience the day started when drove almost one hour to get there and the only thing that bothered me is that I paid for two hours but we did less than that. read more

I just got back from a birthday trail ride with six of my friends and Cornerstone, and we all had a great time! We were concerned about the thunderstorms forecasted for the original time of our trail ride; to accommodate, Sue moved our ride to the late afternoon and the weather was absolutely beautiful. Sue and her daughter were friendly, funny, and down to earth. The horses looked well cared for, loved, and felt safe on the trails. The trail itself was beautiful and very fun-- other users have mentioned the fact that some of it is under power lines, which is true, but that didn't affect us negatively. There were plenty of sections that were totally in the woods, and the power line sections were also beautiful in their own way! Aside from my self, none of our group had much experience riding, but Sue and Julia made sure we knew the basics and Julia kept an eye on all of us during the ride to make sure we were all doing well and keeping up. Sometimes barns are dusty and sometimes helmets are a little dirty and sometimes trails have rocks on them, and sometimes scheduling is tricky, but I don't think any of these aspects can be considered a black mark on a stables, especially with such genuine people running it and such beautiful animals working there. read more

Bought a groupon for a 2 hr ride which I feel was cut short on both ends so its ends up to be about 1.5 hrs on trails. I am very experienced but took a girl who was not and the horses were really good and in decent shape. My only concern was my girth was very loose and if I could fit 2 hands between this and the horse and my stirrups did not fit correctly. The older women helping out was not very nice and acted like I had 2 heads and told me that was a bucking strap. I said not I don't have a bucking strap on my saddle its my girth. But the owner felt it was ok the way it was? I ride reining horses so not sure if this makes a difference since we are running and spinning at top speeds. Overall the place is great and nice area to get ice cream and pizza, etc. I would recommend if your looking to stroll thru the woods. read more

It was overall a less than ideal experience. When we first arrived, no one was around to greet us or tell us what we should do. We arrived 30 minutes early as the website directed and were not spoken to until the time of our scheduled ride. Then we had to fill out a waiver and get assigned a horse. We did not get going on the ride until well after the time of the ride. We signed up for a 2 hour ride and only rode for about an hour. It was supposed to be a "trail" ride and we were only on a trail for about 5-10 minutes of the ride the rest of the ride was along a neighborhood street. There were several cars that had to pass and it was anxiety inducing. The horses had just gotten back from another ride and had not even been brushed off. It was extremely disappointing experience and I would not recommend. read more

Happy Trails! What a wonderful way to enjoy a beautiful Fall day. My two 13-year old grandsons and I went on a one-hour trail ride. The boys had a fantastic time and are already begging to go back. This was their first time on horseback. The horses are very well-cared for, trained, and gentle. The staff at the ranch made sure we knew the basics and were seated properly in our saddles. They kept a watchful eye on the group the entire ride. You should have no concerns if you have not ridden a horse before. It was such a pleasure to see the boys not on their cell phones or playing video games -- and their smiles said it all. We will definitely be going back again soon. read more

So much fun! This was a birthday present to myself and I loved every minute of it. The staff and horses were so kind and the scenery was beautiful. Jasmine was a staff member there who polished off our experience, thank you!!! read more

Everything was nice. The property, the people, the horses. Only knock was that we had purchased the 2 hour trail ride and there wasn't much '2 hour' about it. Trail time - An hour and 5 minutes from the start of the ride to back to the barn. Whole experience - An hour and 30 mins from the when 'the talk' started in preparation to getting back to the car. As was mentioned in another review it doesn't meant you spend 2 hours in the saddle. But one would expect a 2 hour experience, not 1.5 hour. Basically you're getting 75%. read more

The place was really nice but I can't give it 5 stars because the guide smoked cigarettes the entire trail ride. I think a 2 hour break from her cigarettes would have been mandatory. read more

I bought a Groupon for my friends birthday for an hour horse back ride. I've never ridden a horse before and I felt very comfortable and well informed. You can tell they care very much for their horses, which means a lot to me being an animal lover. We had such a great time and I can't wait to go back!! Thank you. read more

We were there for a horse drawn sleigh ride. Confirmation said it would be a 30 minute ride but it was only 20. Ok fine. Roasting marshmallows they wash and reuse the sticks. We passed on the activity bc that just didn't make us comfortable-covid or no covid. The 'clean' sticks still had pieces of marshmallows stuck to them. The sleigh ride was enjoyable except not a single employee wore a mask. The two woman 'driving' our sleigh were very close to us and were not wearing masks. One kept turning around to speak to us. I told her i wanted to hear what she had to say but asked that she not turn around towards us since she was not wearing a mask. She continued to do so anyway. Even the woman who checked us in was not wearing a mask. Just bc you are outside does not mean you cant transmit covid when you are in close proximity to others. I was disappointed and it affected out experience. Under different circumstances it could have been more enjoyable. read more

It was a great time, but definitely more for beginner riders. The staff was very knowledgable, and the horses were easy to manage. It was a great way to spend my time, and I would love to go back. read more

It was a fun day, the ride was a little long and got boring after a while because you are going very slow. The trail was really muddy and buggy, and we did travel on roads as well which made me feel unsafe as us beginners had to move over to the side quickly. I was worried about my horse slipping and falling in the mud! The staff was really helpful and made me feel comfortable with my horse (Ginger.) It did get annoying waiting on the kid in front of me because he didn't know how to steer, but overall it was a good experience and I would do it again, but I would probably bring bug spray and my own helmet next time! I was worried about getting lice or something from the filthy helmets they had that were clearly never taken care of. At first I was terrified, but by the end of the ride, I wanted to keep Ginger! We tipped the leader of the group 20$ for the two of us, she was very helpful and kind! read more

The horse ride was great. I think the trails need to be derocked though. The horses were having trouble and tripping a lot. :(

My friends and I had a lovely time! The staff were all so kind, the horses were wonderful, and the trail ride was pretty and peaceful:)

Did a trail ride and loved it! It was awesome! Recommend to friends and family of all ages.

What an amazing morning we had. Sweet horses, clean, well run family owned and operated farm. Took the family on a 2 hr trail ride ; Sue was an excellent guide. Pretty trails ..... can't say enough! read more

Had a fun/relaxing fall trail ride at Cornerstone Ranch this weekend. These horses are the definition of bomb proof, not sure they would go off course even if you tried to get them to. Nice experience for new riders and kids, slightly boring if you are a more experienced rider. All employees are nice and very helpful and the horses are beyond sweet. Fun experience. read more

I would definitely recommend cornerstone ranch to anyone who enjoys being outdoors and adventurous. It's a beautiful ranch and Julia was a very sweet young lady. The horses are will kept and friendly. Be sure to request Happy. He has a great personality for a horse! You will be pleased! read more

I went here after seeing a Groupon for the trail ride. I thought the owner, Sue, was actually quite warm and personable. The problem is the location of her ranch, and the poor condition of many areas of the trail. The location is definitely off the beaten path; you'll be driving for quite a while off the highway with the GPS until you're guided to the entrance. The whole place just seems like a dump; run down, old, and dirty. I brought my own riding helmet and I'm glad I did, because the helmets provided to riders who have to borrow one sit in a bin and heaven knows how "clean" they are. A good portion of the start of the trail went over a very muddy (and I'm talking deep mud after rain) area and then good sized rocks. The horses were having a difficult time wading through this and it makes for a very rocky (no pun intended), hair raising ride--honestly, I was half-expecting a horse to take a tumble and a rider falling onto rocks and mud. Then, the trail goes through a very narrow path in the woods. My horse came very close to trees no matter how much I tried to steer him away and my knee got whacked because there just wasn't enough room. After that, you're crossing over a street (yikes...what if a car came zooming along?) and then riding along...power lines. Not exactly scenic. And then we were guided up a very steep hill where Sue told us we may see predatory animals...that made me nervous. At one point her horse got a bit spooked at something which caused my horse and the rider's horse behind me to get a little scared and whip around. It just doesn't seem safe. If she had a nice, wide trail on more private, flatter land with nicer scenery without going through rocks and mud it would make for a nicer experience. Also, after reading about another reviewer's experience seeing one of the horses roll on the ground three times (which is also mentioned on TripAdvisor by another rider) I will definitely never return here. That is considered very dangerous behavior and poor training by many horse trainers and it has been known to kill or seriously injure a rider. I also do not think they should be asking for a tip after they already got their money for a trail or sleigh ride. read more

Okay, where should I start? First let me say that I have been here before and I had a pretty decent experience, nothing out of the ordinary happened for me to rate it one star, until today. Because of this experience I decided to return, today actually. I am writing this as I am on my way home from this ranch. To begin, there are no bathrooms, just a single port-potty in the corner of the parking lot. Expect to bring a GPS, because trust me, you will be lost without one. Once I got there, the owner, Sue greeted us very nicely and told me to fill out a waiver. I was standing to the side and more people began to arrive (I got there a bit early). Then she once again greeted us all and told us to fill out a waiver and grab a helmet (bring your own if you have one, they are rather gross). Then Sue gave me this look because she saw that I was not doing either one of them (I had already filled out a waiver and was waiting for people to move out of the helmet bin!). She gave me this look and said "Can you do that?" as if I am some idiot who cannot follow directions. I responded, "Yes, just waiting for them to move", and she laughed sarcastically. Then she assigned each of us a horse, I got on it and had to do some "warm-ups", they seemed pretty useless, and the way she was talking to me was just as if I was some idiot who could not follow directions. (Mind you, I grew up ridding horses, so I know a thing or two about horse safety). Okay so we begin ridding, and before we even get to the beginning of the trail, a horse decides to FALL DOWN! Yes! The horse was bothered by the bugs (which there were a lot of, I understand) but there was a ridder on it! The horse fell on the ground and started kicking all over the place, thank God the ridder was not injured. But I was just in shock that this even happened, they claim on their website that their horses are very well trained, but that clearly is NOT the case. How could a horse just fall down WITH A RIDDER! Then to make matters worse, Sue starts to laugh and makes a joke out of it to not make it seem like the situation is bad. Sue also sais that the girl should continue ridding the horse, WHAT?! How is this even remotely okay? We begin the trail ride, and the horses are SO SLOW! I understand, it is a trail ride, but if you are looking for something genuine with horses, DO NOT COME HERE! This place is absolutely not for horseback ridding, its more for scenery and just saying you have been horseback ridding. During the trial all the horses kept stopping because the bugs were going insane! This ranch really needs to invest in some bug spray. So everything is going as good as it can get, when suddenly there is a horse running across the street! With a ridder running after it! Then Sue gets off her horse, and stops the running horse. The runner is out of breath (mind you she works at the ranch). So if an employee who works with these horses everyday can't handle them, then who can? The trail finally ended, they offer to take pictures which is nice. Then all the employees say bye to you at least 5x's each, almost as a reminder to leave them a tip. Like, might as well say, "Don't forget the tip!", and I would have given them one if I felt like they deserved it. But after my experience today I can honestly say that I will NEVER come back here again. I still cannot believe that the horse decided to fall over with a ridder, I am still in utter disbelief. Once again, please reconsider before you come here. There may be great reviews but please consider this one. read more

Horses were falling on ice. They weren't appropriately shod for the ground conditions. When the unexpected frost came, they should have put their horses well being into account and not run the ride. It was very dangerous. read more

We came for the half hour horse drawn sleigh ride. The sleigh was broken so we ended up in a hay wagon. The trail consisted of a somewhat small loop that we went around twice. The hot chocolate they provided tasted like warm water and a port-a-potty at the end of a muddy driveway served as the toilet. And you'd best have 4 wheel drive if you hope to make it through the unpaved roads leading up to the place. read more

Fun weekend horse drawn wagon ride-if there is snow it would be a sleigh ride! Sue was leading and very knowledgeable and we had a great time-had hot cocoa and s'mores around a campfire afterwards. Would consider horseback trail ride next time! read more