We've had a great experience at Elvenstar. My daughter started out at another local barn that has a great reputation but the ponies were dirty and unkempt and the teachers proved to be flaky with the schedule. Contrast that with Elvenstar where the ponies are always clean and ready to go and the instructors very rarely miss a lesson. Also, in contrast to our first barn, there are a ton of young girls at Elvenstar for my daughter to make friends with and to ride with. She's made a couple great friends there. I'm glad we found Elvenstar. We're on our third leased pony in ~3 years because KK's skills are improving quickly and she's growing! The skill increase is a direct result of time in the saddle and KK's willingness to listen to and learn from Elvenstar's professional team. Barns, like horses, have personalities so Elvenstar may not be right for everyone. But it's been right for us for about three years and I can absolutely see it being our barn for many years to come. read more

This place is amazing the horses are great and it's perfect for kids who want to learn how to ride. They have a showing program that my daughter loves. The trainers are super nice. I really recommend Elvenstar read more

This barn is a walking red flag. I leased a horse at Elvenstar for several months and my daughter took lessons in the riding academy, and our experience was deeply disappointing. I chose not to renew my lease because the horse was constantly lame, and despite my repeated concerns, they never called a vet to evaluate him. Instead, I was pressured to move into the regional training program and spend thousands of dollars a month to show with a horse that clearly needed rest and care--not more work. The riding academy for children is equally concerning. There seems to be little regard for the wellbeing of the ponies or the safety of the riders. The ponies are overworked, often ridden multiple times a day, and so tired that the kids can barely get them to trot. When I raised this issue, Elvenstar suggested leasing a privately owned pony for my daughter--but that "solution" turned out to be another problem. The pony was clearly unfit for young riders, and another child who tried the same pony ended up in the ER. Client service is just as poor. The business treats the clients like walking ATMs, and the front desk is consistently rude and unaccommodating. Parents who raise legitimate concerns are ignored--or worse, asked to leave the program altogether. The one bright spot is Sandy, who teaches beginner lessons, who is absolutely wonderful and truly cares about the kids and the horses. She's the only reason we stayed as long as we did, and Elvenstar doesn't deserve her. We've since moved to another barn, and it's been amazing to watch my daughter flourish in a program that genuinely cares for their horses and treats their clients with respect. I would strongly advise parents to look elsewhere. There are plenty of other barns close by with lesson programs: Foxfield Riding School, Fieldstone Riding Club, Shadowbrook Stables, Roxbury Riding Club, Stepping Stones Riding Program. read more

The horses at Elvenstar are badly treated and the more I talk to people in the industry, the more I hear of others who have left for the same reason. The horses are tired and overworked. My daughter was constantly told to kick and hit the horses with a crop, just to get them walking. While we were there, a horse was ridden right up to his death, while obviously sick. A vet only called the day he died. I was also witness to groom, Rodrigo, punching the horses really hard in the neck with his closed fist, for no apparent reason. He was seen on two occasions, within a couple of weeks. I saw him punch a horse so hard, that the sound made other people jump and turn around. I expressed my concern of this physical abuse to the trainer, the manager and the owner of Elvenstar but no-one seemed to care. Cathy, the manager, said she would look into it but never got back to me. We wanted to stay there as it was a gorgeous facility and my daughter loved the horses but because of the neglect and abuse, we had to leave. Thankfully, we have since found a great stable, which is all about good horsemanship, and the horses are treated well, have energy, and not exhausted and fearful. read more

Beautiful and peaceful equestrian facility with amazing horses! Used to be a great place for little kids; specifically their mommy/me program with their previous instructor but quality has since declined since the transition in their mommy/mom instructor; the current instructor seemed more interested in talking to fellow co-workers & friends than creating a great and fun equestrian experience for the little ones ages 4+ (mommy/me). We felt ignored. Not entirely sure she's the best fit to teach lil ones ages six and under.Hopefully things will turn around, but we won't be back. Save your money and go elsewhere for a mommy/me program, specifically. Will not be recommending this program to our friends. They tried. :( Disappointed. read more

My daughter LOVES coming here. Her instructor Gwyn is wonderful and passionate about helping her do her best while having a great time. She has also learned great horsemanship skills. Andrea M read more

Pros: Kids meet other kids Cons: - Overpriced for camp, boarding, leasing and lessons - poor customer service. Front desk personnel are rude and act like they're doing you a favor while they take your money. - shortage of well behaved ponies and horses to lesson on which is a danger for those who ride here. - horses often sick or lame due to overuse - Moderate Instructors who stand around talking to friends instead of paying attention to teaching. There are several other barns in a mile radius of Elvenstar that offer supportive environments and good instruction. read more

We had our daughter's 10th birthday party here and it was fantastic. We had six girls, which I think is just the right number. The girls had a lesson in one of the rings. They learned a few basics then played a few games on the horses. The trainer and the girls that were assisting were great. They selected horses that were mellow temperaments as most had not ridden much. After the lesson, our daughter and her friends learned some grooming basics and spent some time taking care of the horses they rode. Then fed them some carrots. (Fortunately I had brought some extras!) The girls then did a craft in the picnic area followed by pizza we had delivered and cupcakes that we brought. Overall, this was one of the best birthday parties we've done. Our daughter's friends raved about! We would highly recommend it! read more

I love this place!!! Wonderful instructors. I have been riding since I was 10 and now my kids ride (7 and 4 year old) and they love it. My son is totally in love with his instructor ever since he was in mommy and me... Miss G is so loving and and really knows how to teach kids in a way that they stay interested and thrive. read more

me and my fiancé went to visit elvenstar in moorpark and we feel that we were not treated right. We were trying to see about taking lesions there and one of the staff that works there treated us like we didn't belong there and we felt like we were being labeled as special needs and me and my fiance felt very insulted by that. no one should ever get treated like that. the gal had an additude and we felt like she was stuck up and rude. she did not make us feel welcomed at all. i feel that we should of been treated better and not different just because the place looks fancier. the gal could of been nicer and more helpful but instead made us feel like we weren't good enough for them. i can say for this place that we are not coming back to elvenstar for anything. we didn't deserve to get treated badly. i wouldn't recommend this place to ride at. read more

I love this place! If you have a little one and cannot WAIT to get them up on a pony, you have to check out their Mommy and Me classes. Gwen is so much fun for the little kids! read more

Highly Recommend!! Both of my daughters have been riding here off and on for the last 8 years and absolutely love it! It's a great facility with passionate instructors, amazing horses and friendly staff. My daughter recently decided that she wants to ride more consistently and looks forward to her lessons each week. Her instructor Kaycee is very knowledgeable, patient and supportive. My daughter just loves it here :) Elvenstar is the best! read more

Forget Disneyland, Elvenstar is the happiest place on Earth!!! If you are interested in horses, ponies, grooming, showing, or just riding in general, Elvenstar is the place for you!!! I love it so much, and I would never even consider switching barns. They have the best trainers, facility, and awesome people! And, of course, they have the best and sweetest horses imaginable! They are absolutely amazing, and everything there gives off a happy vibe. There is no where else in this world that I would ever want to ride. Elvenstar is such an amazing place, and I recommend it to everyone!!! If you want to ride, come to Elvenstar!!! read more

Elvenstar - Happy horses getting ready to be ridden! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Moorpark, California

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My sons and I did one evaluation lesson here. It was an okay experience because I know how to ride and I had a great time connecting this hobby/passion with my boys. Now the actual place is nothing special. Actually it is missing a beautiful scenery. You will see the basic bare bones of a facility. I was willing to go back because we already started investing money and time until...I got the second interaction with the lady who either owns or just works the front desk. She was not friendly the first time, but to me she was just a worker and a means to an end. But, this last time was how I taught my 5 year old son you don't let people treat you badly and then deal with their abuse. I stood in another room around 7. to 8 feet away with my mask on. She raised her voice and pointed like I was a dog to stand in front of her plexiglass. I remained calm and when she told me that her availability was near 3 months away for another lesson both during the week and on the weekends. I said-No. I said I don't like your attitude and I can go anywhere (with my money). She became unreasonable and started raising her voice and told me she was going to get security, etc. I told her she was being irrational and stayed calm the entire time. My son was watching and I wanted him to learn a lesson. You can just walk away when people are rude and ignorant. I took his hand and asked what went wrong when I told him we will find another place to ride. We walked at a regular pace and returned to the car. There are many places to ride. This place is nothing special and the staff is not friendly. They are just what I explained. Nothing special. read more

Great family environment! The staff is knowledgable and the horses are great.

What a wonderful place! Amazing trainers. Beautiful facilities. Family-friendly environment. My daughter began her riding career at Elvenstar almost 10 years ago and is now riding for one of the top NCEA teams in the country. I could not have imagined a better place for her to have trained at! read more

Elvenstar is awesome. They help riders excel at any conceivable level they want to achieve, whether that's crosspole classes at a local show or the medal finals back east and more. The entire training staff is focused on getting horse and rider to become a great team. I rode with E* at some regional and A shows on some leased horses that the show barn found for me, which was very enjoyable. Elvenstar a well-run facility, not to mention the stable is as gorgeous as you'll see anywhere. read more

We were invited here for a birthday party. The lead staff trainer was great - super friendly, very patient, and attentive to all the girls and their progress (or challenges!) with some of the skills. The horses were great temperaments, which was perfect for novice riders. My daughter couldnt stop talking about it! I foresee hosting a birthday party for her here one day! read more

Finally, found a place for a short while. They were very accommodating. We moved to SanDiego and the horses love it

This is by far the best riding academy! They have the best instructors, all of them are great but Kaycee is who my daughter has trained with for the last 4 years. She is knowledgeable, patient and understands how to communicate with rider and horse. They also take great care of their ponies and horses. Cathy in the academy office is always extremely helpful and is always making sure things are running smoothly. I have been to several other barns and this is by far the best. read more

Whether you are interested in starting to ride or want to take your riding to the next level, there is a program at Elvenstar for you. Facility is beautiful and first rate for riding. read more

My daughter rode here for awhile. We decided to move to another program that focuses more on skilled riding techniques and horsemanship. The front desk isn't friendly and overall found the place to be disorganized. Facilities are decent. read more

i love this place. it is a wonderful and beautiful environment for horses. my daughter learned all her horse riding and care taking skills here and now she is very successful with horses.i have wonderful expirience with kaysee. she was my daughter's instructor and she would always come home with many stories of what she learned with kaysee so i definetly recommend her if you are a new comer. If you are interested in learning, then i would recommend you take riding and horsemanship lessons. For children apple the horse is good for cantering. Rooster is good for trotters and you can ask your instructor what horse is great for your little first time rider. Ask and talk to your instructor about what you want to start out with. I LOVE ELVENSTAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Beautiful arena's with amazing footing, peaceful and small enough to get around. Love this place!

Beautiful facility, wonderful people, trainers and great footing! The breeze blows through the hills keeping it cool even on hot days. The horses and the riders love it. My daughter started out with Andrea Young and the riding school. A great beginning. The focus was always on the care of the horses which is so important to beginner riders. I highly recommend the summer camp program. You will love it as much as your kids, maybe more. Great fun, greater memories. read more

Incredible place. No need to look anywhere else because it's all right here:) Beautiful grounds, top notch trainers from beginners through advanced. Brought my daughter here because the students are so friendly and supportive of each other...this comes from trainers that share the same philosophy. Opportunities galore...from Pony Club and pony camp to national competitions...we are very very very happy! read more

Fabulous equestrian facility!!!! My daughter has ridden here for 9 years, and my favorite thing about Elvenstar is it is a friendly, safe, and nurturing environment for the riders and horses. There is a great sense of camaraderie among the kids, who help each other out both at the barn and at the horse shows. Education about the horse and rider, and about riding is stressed--not win-win-win. Despite being a top show barn, Elvenstar is very down to earth. The trainers, and the owner, Jim, are dedicated to educating each student individually about riding, at the student's own pace. It's an amazing place, for beginners to advanced riders. read more

This barn is just the best. We drive from Castaic because you just can't beat the quality of the horses, horsemanship, and instruction. They are certified with all horse show associations, so I know my daughters will be instructed safely, professionally, and most of all CORRECTLY. This place emphasizes safe safe safe including no dogs on premises - which as the mom of a dog bite victim I really appreciate. No ifs and or buts about it. You also aren't pushed to buy a pony, or lease one so you can get the lessons you pay for. I have twin 7 1/2 year olds and I'm NOT buying them a pony - at least not till they jump. Most places here in Castaic think I'm absurd not buying my precious darling a horse even though they can't canter. My new Elvenstar family "gets it" and agrees the girls aren't ready ... mainly because they haven't stopped growing and could grow out of the serious expensive non-trained beast other trainers insist I buy. The facilities are beautiful and everyone welcomes you as family. I am so excited to have found a home barn once again. read more

My daughter started riding at Elvenstar when she was 8 or 9. It has been so long I don't remember exactly. She is now 15 and an accomplished rider and mature, confident young woman. These attributes were developed while she was at Elvenstar. Jim Hagman has put together a program where children are allowed access to an amazing combination of first class riding instruction and freedom to be around horses. The Staff and atmosphere are friendly and non-pretentious. The grounds are gorgeous and the footing first rate. Good sportsmanship is also encouraged. Hagman has trained riders from Novice thru World Class Competitors. There is an opportunity at Elvenstar for a rider to go as far as he or she is able. We loved it so much at Elvenstar that we commuted from West Los Angeles for the first 4 YEARS that my daughter rode here - starting with weekends, and 1 week day, we eventually grew to 5 days a week. Now we've moved out this way. One of the reasons was to be closer to Elvenstar. Elvenstar is more than a barn. Elvenstar is a family. We've been very happy here. I would highly recommend it to anyone who asks. read more