My wife and I had a great trail ride at White Fences. I haven't been on a horse since I was a kid…read moreso I needed some good instructions . The owner, Silvia, and one of her trainers were so patient and helpful getting me on my horse and making sure I was totally comfortable before we took off. The trail ride was wonderful and my horse was amazing. It took me back to my youth! I also took a tour of White Fences after my ride and it's absolutely beautiful and well kept. If I had a horse I would definitely board it there. I would highly recommend White Fences! Trey Sheffield

We had our horse at White Fences for many years and were very happy with the service and facility,…read moreuntil last year when the operation was bought by one of the boarders. Since being taken over by the new management in the last part of 2017 under a new business entity White Fences Equestrain Center, LLC Our experience has been painful and frustrating, and finally we decided to leave to because we did not feel our horse was being properly cared for. The old White Fences was run by a world-class trainer with an enormous number of accolades. The jumping instructor was well accomplished, had many awards and recommendations. There seemed to be nearly 100 horses at the barn and a waiting list to get in. In the six months since new management has taken over, the number of horses seems to have dwindled and some people have left the barn. The new 'instructors' appear to be less accomplished, in our estimation. Some of the new instructors appear to be riders who seem to have become instructors after taking a seminar or simply being long-time riders. The owner does not appear to have owned a barn before and seems to have frustrated some of the vendors/labor team, and some appear to have disconnected from the barn. We experienced issues with billing, where invoices showed a different price than what was originally quoted to us and a lack of timely responsiveness when issues were brought up. We hand issues with blanketing our horse in the winter, we had issues with watering/filling water troughs, and issues with horse kicking/contention. When these issues were brought up, the responses we received contained statements like, "I am new at this and learning." I recommend you examine this and any other barn you might use carefully. I highly recommend anyone considering boarding here (or any place else), review the pedigree and experience of the instructors for proper fit to your needs, and read the boarding contract carefully. You should ensure that items are explicitly stated in the contract to protect your needs (you should do this with any contract, not just White Fences) such as: 1. Use of quality water, supplements, and food and frequency provided. 2. A guarantee to maintain a healthy weight. 3. A guarantee to protect the health and wellbeing of the horse. 4. An obligation for timely notification of incidents (8 hours). 5. A a commitment for proper blanketing and other care. 6. A statement not to use images without written permission. I also strongly recommend asking for terms for pricing and services to ensure that your understand how they might change. Ask qualifying questions like: 1. How long have you owned this business? When did you buy it? 2. Have you owned or operated a horse barn before? 3. How many horses have you owned? 4. What certifications, qualifications, training do you have to be an instructor? 5. How many days/hours of formal instructor training do you have? When we left the owner agreed to pay us a pro-rated refund. She paid a partial amount of the refund, but and withheld a portion of our refund, because we asked her to remove any images of us or our horse that she had put on her website without our permission. Be careful and do your homework as you should with any major purchase.

Today was the first day of equestrian camp at this location for my son. When we arrived at the…read morecamp, we were greeted by a student who was working on learning how to care for and train new riders. After a brief introduction, my son then went right into his lesson. When I arrived to pick my son up at the end of camp today, he was filling a horse trough and helping with the grooming of Skittles; the newest horse at the stable. This camp/ stable provides lessons without the "fluff". Sydney (the owner) is very direct, open and honest about what it takes to learn to ride and care for a horse. Within the first day, my son learned how to care for a horse as well as was able to trot on a horse without an equestrian saddle. *COVID protocols are followed during the pandemic

I love Idylwood Stables! Sydney is a wonderful human being and has so much passion for horses and…read moretraining. She truly cares about her students and boarders. The number one priority at Idylwood is the happiness and health of the horses. They are treated like royalty! Her training style is very positive and encouraging. She will continue to challenge you, ultimately making you a more confident rider. I have tried almost every barn in the Austin area but none of them have that "barn family" feel like Idylwood! Feels like home.

My daughter is 10 and started taking lessons here about eight months ago. The lesson program is…read moreunder new management since December and it has been a wonderful experience. The new head of the lesson program, Lynn, is amazing. She teaches Western and English and has a ton of experience and certifications. She has a wonderful way with both children and adults. Classes have been fun and challenging for my daughter and have really awakened her love of riding. We have a 17 year old gelding that we board here and he is well taken care of. Lynn's lessons looked like so much fun, I decided to start taking lessons too. Great experience and highly recommended.

I took Western riding classes here a long time ago and it seems like nothing has changed. I really…read moreexperienced the favoritism that one recent review has mentioned. The favorite students got all the nice horses (pretty, experienced, still alive, etc) and I got what they called a "plug". I didn't even know that word, but it quickly made sense. I begged the instructor several times to give me a better horse, to no avail. The horse was old, completely uninterested in what he was doing, I guess he just wanted to be left alone and retire. Needless to say, I didn't learn much. The stables made me feel bad for the horses, not nice at all.

My daughter, now 9, has been riding at Charlie Horse for two and a half years and I truly wish I…read morecould give it even more than 5 stars! Marie (owner and primary trainer) is amazing with her students. Her number one concern is safety and she works carefully with each child to teach them at their pace and ability. She has several horses in her lesson program and they are all reliable and skilled. She will match the student with the horse she thinks is the best fit. We do not own a horse but if we did we would board it there. The horses are not kept in a stable (unless they are injured or ill), instead they are able to roam over her large property. She has several arenas for both Western and English riding. Marie is like family to us and we can't imagine ever going anywhere else!

I don't know how many people are looking for a good stable out there, but when you have a 9 year…read moreold horse crazed girl, it can be a full time job. You see, she has been crazy about horses since we took her for her first lesson when she was 5. We thought it was just a phase. Not so much. So she has hopped around the local horse stables looking for the perfect fit. Now we have finally found it. It is called Charlie Horse Equestrian Center. It is just outside Hutto, in Taylor, Texas. What we like about this stable is #1, the people. All summer I called around to different places only to be talked to rudely, not get called back, etc. Well, Marie and Jeff are different. They aim to please. They are extra friendly, great with kids and adults alike. The kids absolutely love them. Second, is, well, the cleanliness aspect. Now I know it is a "stable", which usually indicates "unclean.:" But the staff does their best to keep it as clean as possible. No barn cats jumping all over you. Few bugs. You get the picture. Third, it is a beautiful location. Well kept pasture. Green grass. Big shade trees for relaxing under while watching a lesson. I look forward to coming out to Charlie Horse Equestrian Center every Wednesday. It is the perfect location for your horse crazy kid.

Top horse trainers, well kept horses and extremely clean barn. Our daughter was able to take horse…read morelessons here on a leased horse for over a year. However, they told us up front that they expect riders to buy their own horse eventually at this farm so she enjoyed horse lessons while available as a special circumstance. My daughter just rides for fun, not competitions, but this is a very competitive farm with top skilled riders and trainers. Since my daughter is a skilled and experienced rider, they were happy to train her just like they do the competitive riders even though she chose not to compete as her personal preference. We would still be taking her to lessons here if we could lease time on a horse instead of buying it. We really liked the owner, how well she and the back-up trainer worked with our daughter during private lessons and most importantly how well they took care of their horses. Their animals are definitely loved and cared for.

What can I say? I started riding at 62 and am now 65. I enjoy myself so much that I should pay for…read moreit! Oops I do and will definitely keep doing so because Crista is a superb trainer, the facility is beautiful, the riders are like family and I absolutely love Oliver, the school horse. Crista has me competing and guess what I've actually beat some 9 year olds. I encourage anyone from a rank beginner to an accomplished rider to come out and have the time of your life!

Very helpful and friendly staff! It was our first time there and we will definitely be back. Went…read moreriding with my two kids 19 and 4 years old and we all had a great time.

Pretty cool place, I've been riding here for about 3 years now and have advanced a lot since I…read morefirst joined! I love the constructive criticism and how they let me know whenever I mess up. Great with children, helpful people, and the other girls and I love to help the new and little kids out.

This is a great place to board your horse or take lessons. Stacie, the owner and trainer, is…read morefantastic, and the atmosphere is relaxed and low drama. It's also one of the most affordable hunter/jumper facilities in Austin for boarding and lessons, and relatively convenient to town (especially with the new tollway to Manor). I'm an experienced rider who took lessons here for many years. I only boarded a young prospect for a short period of time, and so relied on other owners and Stacie to provide me with horses to jump in lessons and take to shows. There was always an interesting and challenging horse available to me, and even a couple that I connected with and will remember forever. As for facilities, there are two outdoor arenas. One is grass footing, and the other is a large sand arena where the lessons are usually conducted. The barns are airy and clean, and there are plenty of acre sized paddocks for turnout. I believe there are even some trails through the woods, but I never used them.

My daughter rode here for years and loved it. Very laid back. Beautiful sunsets. Large areas for…read morethe horses to be let out. Goes to a lot of local shows.

New facility of an experienced professional. Great for lessons, fun birthday parties.read more

Celebrated my son's 5th birthday sunday 12/1/24 and had such a great experience! First of amanda…read morewent out of her way to have a team large enough to cover my large amount of kids on this day! I don't believe I saw a kid on a device, rather they were playing games, riding or on the trail rides, or painting a horseshoe:) We had food, cake, a pinata, and a signed cowboy hat by all the invites! Everything went smoothly, and for this to be my first time hosting an event like this, it was awesome! Amanda's team answered all my questions, and everyone was so polite and helpful.