Everything great and the trail was beautiful. They start in hour and the duration is exactly that they said. We will repeat. read more

Terrific place a bit off the beaten path in Marin County. The people are friendly, the horses well cared for. Phone reservations and in-person encounters have been professional and very easy/convenient. Trail rides that we've done (and we've done a few both group and private) have been wonderful -- the beauty of Marin tailored to the skills of the rides by friendly and professional guides. Best indication that the trails are good is that people bring their own horses to ride same trails. Having read some of the lukewarm reviews we were apprehensive so wanted to wait a few rides before posting but no matter the day, guides (Jesus, Josh, Dave, others), the weather -- in all cases the rides are enjoyable, no-stress, on well taken care of, and well matched [to the rider] horses. Great place! read more

Spent Sunday on a 2 hour fir top trail ride with my husband. I had NEVER ridden a horse before and it was a blast. We had a small group of 6 and Josh was our guide. I rode Harley, who was very gentle and showed me it was fun to trot, and even more fun to canter! My husband rode Delilah, the cadillac of horses, and she was used to being the lead horse and it showed. It was a gorgeous trail, saw osprey nests and fern groves, but most of all, we were able to just relax and enjoy the ride - these horses are well cared for and seem to love the ride. I highly recommend Five Brooks and admit that so many times prior I wanted to ride but felt the conditions were so poor for the horses that I couldn't bring myself to ride - Not the case at Five Brooks, they are healthy and happy horses, just waiting for you to come check them out. Next is the beach ride :) Thank you Josh! read more

I had the best day riding today. My daughter and I decided we wanted to go on a horseback ride and we totally enjoyed our day today. Ron was an amazing guide and a real cowboy! Can't wait to come back we had an amazing time read more

Five Brooks Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

Caleb was so patient with our group and took great care of us! I had a an amazing time riding Dixie. She was so sweet and easy to ride. Just make sure to arrive early, I don't think they mentioned that at the time of booking. Will be back! read more

Five Brooks Ranch - My darling Dixie after our 2 hour trail ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

Great experience on a Saturday morning 2-hour ride with Angela. Not only was she very friendly and easygoing, but she had great tips on riding. We booked a group ride but essentially got a private 2-person ride. The trail was wide and the horses were very good-natured, beautiful, well cared for, sure-footed, well-behaved, and super great. The ranch is easy to find; just look out for the trailhead sign on the 1 South, and plenty of parking and bathroom. Really unforgettable ride, and we will highly recommend Five Brooks. read more

Had a great experience riding Point Reyes with Five Brooks. It was definitely a memorable experience! We went on a group ride with four other individuals, two of which had never ridden horses before. Dave was our trail guide, and made sure my fiancé (we got engaged in Point Reyes) and I had a fun time. He let us run ahead of the group a few times because I think he could tell I wasn't the slow riding type! I grew up with horses and have been riding my entire life. Whenever I go anywhere, I love to find a horse to explore on. Our 4 hour ride turned quickly into a 6 hour ride because one of the ladies in our group lost her credit card and ID during our trip! Even with having to double back the entire rest of our trip and more, I wouldn't trade this experience. It is a memory for the books! I found out the next day that my now fiancé had the ring in his pocket the entire ride, and was so stressed after the lady lost her cards that he could have lost the ring! He didn't lol, and he proposed while we were hiking the next day. The landscape is absolutely amazing and the guides and people running this joint are awesome. I definitely recommend Five Brooks for a memorable experience! read more

Five Brooks Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

Beautiful, fun riding in Olema! I did a private ride with Ramiro who was an awesome guide and let me tailor the ride how I wanted. I highly recommend booking a ride w Ramiro. Enjoy the sunshine and great horses! read more

Went for a 2 hr ride. Beautiful horses, stunning scenery, and our guide Jesus was fantastic. i recommend!!

Hubby took me here for my birthday and he signed us up for the 2 hour ride. He's a beginner. I've had my fair share of horseback riding but by no means a Kentucky Derby qualifier, so I was interested in how this would play out. We were provided very miminal instruction. My horse, Scout, needed a little extra encouragement. He liked to mosey,snack a lot, and at times seemed annoyed! Kinda like me. Ha! However, when I did engage him, he was very responsive and we trotted and cantered a lot. It was so much fun!!! We were, however, very sore afterwards... but that is to be expected. The pricing was very fair and our guide was nice. It was a little hard to hear her as we were towards the back, but our group was nice to pass the messages along to everyone. The ride is absolutely gorgeous. If you're a complete beginner, you might want to try the one hour ride first. Oh, I loved the dogs on the ranch, too. The horses and the grounds are beautiful! read more

I give this place 3 stars because I like horses and it seems that the staff takes good care of them. Looks like the staff treated the horses well and groomed them. What I did not like was the customer service, or lack thereof. Granted, we showed up 8 minutes late for our horseback ride, at which time we were greeted in a hostile manner. We didn't think much of it since it was our fault. This was actually a anniversary surprise from my boyfriend and he thought the start time was 330 instead of 3. I had no idea of the plans, so it was a little upsetting that this is how our experience/first interaction started off. My boyfriend and I were given horses that were relatively stubborn compared to the rest of the horses on our ride, and were continually yelled at to keep up as our tour guide reminded us how it is not fun to have to yell at us the whole time. We were placed at the end of the pack, don't know why they didn't keep us closer to the front since they knew these horses personalities were more stubborn. At the end of the ride, I was taking pictures of the horses at the stable and didn't realize I was blocking the way of a horse and staff member. In an unpleasant tone, she said "will you get out of the way?" Don't know that I will ever come back to this place. read more

Five Brooks Ranch - The picture I took seconds before being told "will you get out of the way" - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

We were looking for a nice trail ride. We arrived to this small ranch. The horses looked healthy and not over worked. There were a lot of options to choose from. We had a wonderful 2 he ride that had beautiful scenery. Our tour guide Ramiro was cool and funny. I would recommend this. read more

Awesome. Everyone is incredibly nice, all the horses we've written are wonderful, and the place is very relaxing and beautiful. I will be returning here for years to come. The owner is a good guy and his daughter works there as well. As I said everyone is very sweet I highly recommend Five Brooks. Also their prices are more reasonable than most other places. read more

Nice people who will set you up with a good guide and horses appropriate to your level. The route we took was very uphill with mostly forest and creek scenery with a bit of ocean at the end. Easy to park and flexible on times. It's a really great way to experience an old way of living in California and Marin that is unfortunately dying out. read more

We had so much fun at Five Brooks Ranch. The horses were adorable and the staff were very helpful and patient. We went for the 3-hour ride. The scenery was so beautiful. I definitely recommend them. read more

I am about a week late but I was visiting CA from New Hampshire to visit a friend of mine and she took me to five brooks ranch I am 72 years old and never ridden a horse before bit our guide rylee did amazing he was so patient and willing to teach I now am gonna hopefully be able to request rylee in the future I am wanting to take my 7 grand children to five brooks over thanks giving break. If you want to have fun and who will make your ride more then just a trail tide then request rylee you will enjoy it thank you very much for all the pictures and video you took for us my family had a good laugh. read more

Today is my birthday. We decided to come ride horses together as a family first. I'm so glad we did! The staff were very gracious and our guide, Elliott was fun and very patient with us as riders with no experience. The trail was beautiful. Being in nature and breathing the fresh air was awesome! I recommend this. The Bass Family read more

Like everyone says, lots of fun. Made it up to a canter with two beginners on a private ride. Carie was great.

Wonderful experience on 9-21-20...This is a wonderful place to visit. Very affordable....Me an my man had so much fun we did a one hour great trail walk ,horses was very well behaved I looked like a pro an that was my first time on a horse .. I would go back again ,I'll recommend it for u to go an enjoy the experience..... read more

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Ramiro led us on the most magical trail ride! Seriously the most fun I've had in a year-my cheeks are more sore from smiling and laughing than my body is from our 6 hr trail ride to the beach. Easy to make a reservation and everyone on the ranch is really cool and kind. Ramiro knew all the horses and the trails like the back of his hand and told us what to expect in different situations and how to handle them. We opted for a private ride and sometimes it can be weird with a small group and a guide but Ramiro is cool/easy/fun to chat with and had the perfect blend of giving us space and conversing. It was nice that it didn't seem like work to him and he seemed to enjoy the ride as much as we did. He led us to a beautiful private bluff overlooking the beach for lunch and knew we needed a walking break before we even asked. The horses are also trained really well and are sweethearts. We felt safe, cared for and comfortable the whole time. I've been on several trail rides in multiple countries and this was by far the best experience all around. I will definitely be back!! read more

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Three of the best hours we have spent in a long time! Jen was our guide for the afternoon, a little walking and a little trotting on our well behaved horses. The views were fantastic, weather was great and we were sorry to see the day end! Absolutely heading back for another ride later this year!! read more

Five Brooks Ranch - Pano on trail - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

It was my first time tiding in a longtime. They renewed my love of riding. Felt safe and staff is very friendly.i love this place.

Had a wonderful 2 hour trail ride. Horses are sweet and well trained, and guides are fun and professional. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Five Brooks Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Olema, California

Wonderful experience here! Everyone was very kind and welcoming. We went on the 1 hour trail ride on the stewart trail. This was perfect for beginners. They show you how to steer and stop the horse before the ride begins. The trail was not difficult to navigate through. I had a 6 year old and a 12 year old on this trail. Neither of them had any problem getting through the trail safely. I will definitely be back for another ride! Thank you! read more

Gentle ponies, patient/courteous staff. Good for all ages! Three of my little ones had a great time here and we will be back!

We booked this trip as a part of a birthday present for my father. It was a fearful and painful experience. We booked the 2 hour fir trail loop and we did not ride the entire loop. The guide asked if we wanted to do the full loop or a relaxed ride and of course we all said we wanted the entire loop -as that's what we had paid for/expected. He then had our horses trot abruptly for what seemed like 4-5 minutes, -we were all so afraid, and he asked again "do you still want to do the full loop?" He was threatening us by making an unsafe and experience as he knew we were all beginners. He was condescending and made a huge deal when my mom dropped her tissue on the floor stating that it could have been diseased and he would pick it up but he doesn't have gloves. In fact he stopped the entire ride and talked about how dangerous it would be for him to pick up the tissue for at least 5 minutes ...to the point where we told him he made his point. He also took her water bottle from her jacket pocket and poured it out without asking. It would have been better if he would substitute his sarcastic remarks and crude behavior for some information about the horse, history of the ranch etc. The behavior of the guide was truly unacceptable. We would not recommend this ranch. read more

did the 2 hour trail with 4 friends on a Sunday afternoon. Super easy to organize with five brooks. Horses were well cared for - super important to me. Guide was super nice and looked out for the group. Would recommend and will return for another day of riding. read more

My family and I had a great time at Five Brooks Ranch. We did a 2-hour ride, including walking and trotting with our horses. It was a beautiful and safe setting, with friendly and helpful guides. We appreciated their COVID precautions. Highly recommend this place! read more

Great experience with the family. We took our boys for a couple of rides around the lake (kids are 4 & 5) and they loved it. The staff was very friendly and got two great employees to take the kids around, including Meg, who was very friendly, engaging and thoughtful. We're definitely coming back for rides for the adults. read more

Best experience ever! We had a one hour private with Ramiro. He had lots of helpful information and taught us how to to trot and took our photos! We did the Stewart trail which was beautiful and had lots of wildflowers. I cannot recommend enough! Super great for beginners. read more

What better way to spend your 73rd Birthday than with your daughter and two granddaughters than on a horseback ride after not being in a saddle for 20+ years, on a sunny day, under the shade of trees, smelling the leather and the horses, hearing the hoofs hitting the ground and listening to the happy little voices talking with Sara our guide. Thanks for such a special memory. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. My husband booked this place for last Labor Day weekend for a 3 hour trail ride. I had NEVER been on a horse and our 15 year old daughter and her friend came with us and neither of them had ever been on a horse either. We got there at about 8:30 for our 9am ride. The owner, Dave greeted us, and had us sign waivers. We were told what horses we would ride. My daughter and her friend got the twin girls, Mac and Tornado, My husband got Trigger and I got Mexico, whom I fell in love with. Some of the other people who work there got us in our saddles and showed us how to control our horses, while Dave got on his horse and he began to lead us. We walked slowly as he lead us and talked to us asking about our experience or lack of experience riding and he gave us tips and pointers about how to best control our horses. He really helped my daughter and her friend be at ease working our horses from a slow walk to what he referred to as second gear and "rock and roll". The forest trails were beautiful and green and Dave was the best guide. I highly suggest taking a tour with this stable. We will definitely be going again. read more

Absolutely an awesome ride! They charge a fraction of the stables in Mill Valley but you still get a phenomenal ride and can reach of ride that same beautiful forests or sand along the Pacific Ocean! I was able to take my younger one last year on a two hour Trailride and she was truly excited and allowed her imagination to run wild. Although we did not go to the beach throughout the forest she was able to find fairy gardens and homes, tons of new "to her" flora. The staff was great. I highly recommend them and am confident, dependent on your group and budget you will have an incredible experience! Parents, remember, if you are doing this as a play dates preprint the liability and other forms. read more

Horses are in my blood and spirit. My grandfather was a jockey and horse trainer, my mother from Kentucky horse country. Someday I'll leave city life forever and move to Kentucky and raise beautiful horses. Til then, I'm hoping that the equestrian trend doesn't go out of style. I get my horseback riding fix by trying out different local stables. I bought two Home Run vouchers for an hour trail ride, and took a good friend a few months back when the weather was absolutely perfect. Short sleeves in Marin, what a concept. The stables themselves were nice and clean and the horses seemed loved and very well cared for, whereas some other places that I've been to that cater to occasional riders keep the stables in disrepair and the horses are treated more like cattle. The stablehands and guide were very nice and knowledgeable. I rode Harley, who was a bit pooky for my tastes, but was a beautiful quarter horse with a sweet personality, though she could get a tad testy with her other equine buddies, which showed she wasn't overly docile. I like that in a horse. The trail was beautiful and meanders through a canopy of trees with a bed of ferns on the side, and a creek nearby. Since I'm not likely to leave the urban jungle for my pastoral dream anytime soon, I'm happy to have found Five Brooks to satisfy my innate equestrian. read more

Took my girlfriend there for a romantic way to kick off the new year on a warm and sunny day. We did the beginner ride as it was my 2nd time on a horse and her first. It was a small group, 6 of us and our guide, Dave. The customer service at the beginning was poor. When my g/f boarded the horse, one of the guides scolded her "what, have you never been on a horse before?" Well, as a matter of fact, it was her first time. Not the best way to ease someone into their first ride! Once we got on the trails, I was 2nd to last and her horse was positioned last. We enjoyed the scenery and got comfortable with some of the trots. She was on Hodina and I was riding Jake. The real downside of this ride and the reason for 2 stars is that Dave thinks he is the star of the show. Newsflash to Dave, people ride horses for the experience, not to hear you talk! He seriously did not stop babbling! About baseball coaches in Redwood city to Top Gun to medieval times. We just wanted to enjoy a peaceful day in the woods and he kept trying to make jokes. He also lost track of us, when our horses were falling behind he didn't seem to care or notice. This was something that concerned my g/f when she fell out of sight and didn't know how to speed her horse up. As a matter of fact, I don't think Dave asked us how many times we'd been on a horse or how we were doing, he was too busy trying to crack corny jokes. In the hour ride, he was quiet for about 7 seconds! My other time on horseback was in Alaska where we had very attentive guides who rode back and forth ensuring each rider felt safe and comfortable... and then knew to be quiet and allow everyone to enjoy the tranquility. Perhaps if we had a different guide, our experience would have been better. Recommend if you do go to five brooks that you request a guide other than Dave. read more

I did the two hour trail ride with a friend. I have a lot of experience with horses, with more then 20 years of having, handling and riding horses, whilst my friend was a newbie. The first thing I noticed was the poor conditions the horses were being kept in. There were around 25 horses in a pen fit for the size of keeping one horse. It looked like a cattle lot. They were up to their knees in thick mud, which can cause serious health problems for them like hoof rot, thrush and fungal infections. I managed to get a peek at their feed, and the hay was so low quality it looked like straw. This was extremely evident, as none of the horses were a healthy weight. Every single horse had their hip bones, docks, withers and ribs jutting out and their necks were concave. They all looked like they were in their thirties, so I was surprised to learn that my horse was only 6. When it came to ride, they were not brushed properly (we got there early, so I was watching them tack up), with mud still being caked onto their legs, their hooves were not even picked out. Horses seemed completely exhausted, over-ridden, borderline sick and have had all personality broken out of them. My horse had a loose shoe, which I noticed only after the ride, which can be extremely dangerous, especially in muddy conditions riding downhill, and is uncomfortable for the horse. Staff was sour and unhelpful. I felt that there was not a big enough focus on safety; we were not encouraged to wear helmets. There was only the most basic instructions on how to control the horse (lasting less then 15 seconds). Horses were not paired to experience level. The ride itself was beautiful though. The forrest was spectacular! However, I cannot ignore the welfare of the horses, hence the one star review. If you do not know a lot about horses or horse welfare, then this is a good place. If you do, you will not be able to ignore the terrible conditions which these horses are kept in. read more

We went to Five Brooks as absolute horse-riding beginners. When we arrived we were asked to fill out a form and then wait. When the horses from the previous session came back, we were asked to immediately mount them. It seemed like it was big rush to get us all up on our horses and out of there. We weren't told clearly how to mount the horse, or how to control/handle it except for a brief (less than 1 minute) description on kicking the horse's side to move and pulling the reigns to whichever side you need the horse to turn. That was it. There were a total of about 15 people there, of varying abilities. We were split, seemingly randomly, into two groups and off we went. Things were going ok as the horses seemed pretty calm and walked slowly, until we reached a point on the trail where there were some wild cats making lots of noises (like screaming/hissing) up in the trees on the hill. Our guide stopped and all of us following behind her stopped too but the horses were spooked. And, our guide panicked! As a guide, I think she really needs to stay calm in such a situation. The horses started to walk backwards into each other and my friend's horse moved terribly close to the steep edge, and we all had no idea what to do. Our guide finally asked us to turn our horses around, but my horse was not following what I was trying to get him to do, so I asked the guide how exactly to get the horse to turn and she snapped at me (flustered and afraid) to "JUST TURN HIM AROUND!". Ok, how do "instructions" like that help? I was expecting something like "pull the right reign more", or "do this more firmly", or something to that extent... Eventually my horse followed another horse in front and we all got turned around and we went back to our starting point, where our guide left and another guide took us on the trail for the remaining time. At the end of the ride, there was no mention or apology about the incident that had happened. Even if the incident had not happened, I feel that the staff were distant and were just there to do their job -- not much interest in the customers, not much interest in the horses, just there getting as many customers in and out of the stables as quickly as possible. Avoid Five Brooks especially if you are a beginner. read more

Friend: "You're walking like you've been riding a horse.. must have been one hell of a weekend." [mischievous smirk]. Me: "That's because I was. [naughty smile]. His name was Danny, he was tall, with auburn hair, brown eyes, a Mohawk, and a saddle that was- indeed- 'waitin' for me'. hahah." Friend: [mouth open, brow raised]. "OMG! Where did you meet him??!" Me: [laughing] "I was riding a real horse; not the usual metaphoric 2 legged version; but a real, hairy, hoofed, 4 legged horse complete with mane, tail, saddle, and stirrups." Friend: [not enthused by my lack of promiscuity- huffs and walks away]. Five Brooks was amazing! I hadn't been on a horse in about 7 years and was bubbling with excitement when asked out on a hot date to go horseback riding. The drive there was GORGEOUS! (despite my date's white knuckling as I zipped around hair pin turns on HWY-1). Pros: The trail was pretty (a nice change of pace from San Francisco), my horse "Danny" was pretty cool (he tried to buck me off once, but I lived), and the trail guide played photographer mid-way through the ride so we had some cute pictures together (will post soon). Cons: Our group had a mix of horses that were apparently on different pages. "Dancer" was practically comatose and didn't want to walk (let alone canter) and "Lulu" was like Ricky Bobby from Talladega nights "I wanna go fast!!!"... If I had it my way we would have nixed Dancer from the group and picked up the pace a bit. Overall- very happy with my experience at Five Brooks. Wear a light jacket if you go- it gets cold in the shade of the trees. Also, If you're a woman, wear a sports bra- the ride gets bouncy. :-) read more

My girlfriend and I came here for a Valentin's date. I was 110% satisfied with our trail ride! We did a 2-hour ride and it was the perfect amount of time.... long enough that we got our money's worth and got far out into the woods, but just short enough that my ass didn't fall off. We took a beautiful ride through the woods, and David, the guide was the most entertaining, supportive, funny, caricature of a cowboy I could have asked for. Our group had several 6-year olds, a couple experienced adults, myself-who isn't coordinated enough to sit on a chair, and my GF who's never seen an animal larger than a German Shepard. Somehow, we all felt comfortable, all felt challenged, and all felt that we'd grown as riders. Upon arriving back at the stable, I realized I'd lost my wallet somewhere on the 10-mile trail! With the last rays of sunlight fading, I was already thinking of the cards I'd need to cancel and the time I'd spend waiting at the DMV... David, however, insisted that my GF and I get in his truck... we traced every inch of the trail for a half hour, until -with the aid of David's flashlights- we finally found the wallet! I pulled out thirty bucks to offer as a tip, and David refused it! HE insisted that he had just been doing his job. There are very few men left like this and very few experiences like riding a horse into the woods. I'd recommend this place to anyone interested in horses, nature, or good old-fashioned charming cowboys. read more

My husband surprised me with a 4-hour private trail ride at Five Brooks for my birthday - I hadn't ridden a horse in years, and he does not have much experience. He could not have chosen better than Five Brooks Stables!! The horses were healthy, the staff was kind, and our trail guide Sharon was absolutely the best!!! The trail was so beautiful, and our horses seemed excited to be out (you don't find this at most stables). It was so fun to actually RIDE - we were allowed to trot and canter - and my husband learned how to post!. :) It was so exhilarating to be on horses who are healthy, active, and love to be on the trail. We will definitely come back. read more