Reading some of the reviews made me a little apprehesive about going here, but I am glad I did. Most negative reviews seemed to be Groupon related. Only about 45 minutes north of Baltimore and a beautiful drive through the country once you leave highway 83. Most of the horses seemed to have been retired quarter milers and other race horses, but seemed like a perfect fit for riding. There are two dogs that will greet you in the parking lot as soon as you pull in, they are Stella (brown) and Tiberius (black), Tiberius will stand in front of you car and won't move untikl you start inching forward. Stella will jump up on you if you let her. We had a group of 6 riders and the weather was perfect, not too hot and not too cold. The ride goes through the back of the property through a couple of streams, up and down hills and some narrow paths where you will need to lean under and push past some trees and bushes. Just remember the horses each have their own personality and temperments. All in all, it was a good experience and will be back to do a gallop and trot ride. read more

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Riding with Happy on Hooves was truly amazing! This was my first time ever horseback riding and it was a great experience. Danny our guide was awesome and he worked with me to reschedule my ride due to having car trouble. He was very polite and informative. Being on the last ride of the day it was only myself and one other rider and Danny helped us and talk to us the entire time! He's pretty funny too lol! Riding with Polo was a breeze he's very well trained as all the horses are. This is definitely a great place and I will be back! read more

Happy On Hooves - Horseback Riding Near Me - Hampstead, Maryland

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My husband and I treated ourselves to a ride the day after our wedding and we loved every bit of our experience. Our guide was friendly and helpful, the horses were very well trained, and the trail itself was beautiful. Well worth the money and definitely planning to go back again - with friends! read more

Happy On Hooves - Horseback Riding Near Me - Hampstead, Maryland

WORST experience of my life. EVEN IF SOMEONE OFFERS YOU A RIDE FOR FREE DO NOT COME. The horse almost threw us off and began fighting another horse. we were traumatized and the instructor told us to get off and walk the horses back our.....the owner is rude and unwilling to cooperate. The horses are not cared for properly it's incredibly sad. DO NOT COME HERE, AVOID AT ALL COSTS. read more

This was an awful experience, this business is a mess and the owner is the rudest person ever, Amanda/Mandy... she has no clue about customer service and how to run a business... there are many bad reviews about this business all over the internet and on ripoff; https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/amanda-manown-happy-on-hooves/hampstead-maryland-21074/amanda-manown-mandy-poor-care-hampstead-maryland-1161890#comment_1 If you are a beginner horseback rider please find another place. Horses are aggressive and not well trained and forget about getting a refund if something happened. There are much better places out there, just do your due diligence. read more

My wife and I had purchased a Groupon for this ride as we are local to the area and the deal was fantastic. I am not much of a consumer advocacy site reader as my belief is most folks only come to these sites to vent about a gripe and most dont review positives however my wife informed me of the terrible reviews Happy on Hooves had and wanted me to read. I took a look in the car while driving there and they were bad but we still went forward since the Groupon was already purchased and how bad could it really be I figured. When we arrived we were greeted by a more than friendly Goat with a huge beard and Turkeys, chicks and Emus running around the farm, it was wonderful. We walked over to the barn/stall area and saw a young lady on the phone helping out a customer with directions and when she was done she greeted us and welcomed us to the farm and couldn't have been any nicer. I immediately asked if she was Mandy and she said no she was CJ and she showed us the horses and helmet area and gave us a brief over view. Our ride was scheduled for 4:30 and CJ let us know that there was another 3 supposed to be in our party and we waited until around 4:45 for them and when they didnt show we mounted up and CJ gave us some instructions. I was ecstatic as it was like we had an exclusive private trail ride with the guide. I cant begin to explain how polar opposite CJ is from the reviews we had read, she is a very chipper, enthusiastic and helpful young lady with a sweet personality. She was constantly letting us know of things up ahead of the trail to be aware of and it made our ride very enjoyable. I let her know on several occasions that it would be impossible for anyone to give her a bad review and that I promised to let folks know how much fun my wife and I had and how she was a great guide and how much fun we had. I encourage anyone on the fence about this to give it a try and I am sure you wont be disappointed. It was a great experience and we cannot wait to go back. read more

Great experience for the the Deluxe ride. We were greeted right away by our guide, Christina. She was very friendly and offered help throughout the trail ride. I rode Millie who was very sweet and had a little spunk. Very easy check-in that was all done online. My boyfriend's horse was pretty slow, but at least he was well-mannered. read more

Happy On Hooves - Horseback Riding Near Me - Hampstead, Maryland

Got the group on deal. My girl friend and I had a good time. Is a quaint little farm with nice horses some oh which are rescues. The lasted about an hour as we rode threw the woods surrounding the farm. Our guide was nice and even let of go faster when we asked. All in all a good time and a good value. read more

I bought a Groupon for the basic trail ride and had similar problems with the booking site that other reviewers had. The site refused the Groupon. I emailed the business though and got a response back the next day from Tara. I booked our second-choice date since the first-choice date was full. Our guide was super friendly and chatted with us the whole time we rode. We mostly walked. The horses seemed tired (it was the last trail of the day), and the couple who rode with us preferred to stick to a walk. Both my friend and I agreed that we should book a private ride next time to be able to trot/canter, but that's not the barn's fault. Side note: Other reviewers mentioned that it was 40 minute ride not an hour. It's very common, in my experience, for the trail ride barns to include mounting time in with the ride time. Oh also if anyone rides Marco, he REALLY did not like Fish. He stopped specifically to bite Fish at one point, and he tried to kick Fish multiple times throughout the trail. I suggest if you want to ride with someone else maybe not sit on those horses. Marco seemed to like Polo though. read more

Loved this! The horse back riding was such a fun experience. I've rode a few times before but my boyfriend had never. The instruction was extremely friendly and helpful to all experience ranges. We had bought the groupon deal but still worth the original price. Definitely would recommend this to all my friends. read more

Happy On Hooves - Horseback Riding Near Me - Hampstead, Maryland

I guess she got some bad feedback and got her stuff together because i also did the voucher thing and I had a great experience. The grounds are nice. The process seemed really easy. I would do it again especially for the price point. I'm deathly afraid of heights and I hate animals but surprisingly this experience was pretty comfortable. You get basic directions on how to ride properly and off you go! I'd say, take the risk. It was fun. read more

Sorry Mandy, but this is the truth. I want to advise readers about the HORRIBLE experience I had with Mandy! If the horses were running the show I would have got 10x the service. I purchased the Livingsocial deal over the summer. Oh hey - sometimes you get what you pay for. These are the three basic reasons for why this establishment deserves 1 star (zero if it were only possible!) 1. The address listed on the Livingsocial coupon was NOT the address that the stables were located at. 2. Mandy had a terrible attitude when we arrived late (address change) and the ride was cut short. 3. Given a saddle too large, when my horse galloped I FELL OFF on my back - with no sympathy from Mandy other than asking if I wanted to continue the ride. Now, I will elaborate. Thank you to those who will read it until the end. I promise these explanations may help you in the future from wasting your money... On the day of the horseback ride, my boyfriend and I headed up from Hopkins an hour early to guarantee we would be punctual. Plugging in the address on the Livingsocial voucher to our GPS, we ended up at a house. We noticed a very small sign giving the new address. Already late, we rushed over. Contrary to the "White balloons tied to mailbox to help you find it easier," there were no balloons or sign (looked like a regular house). Also the Happy On Hooves people who answer the phone seem to be outsourced and they didn't know what we were talking about when we asked about the new location. Anyway, relieved, we saw Mandy tending to the horses and introduced ourselves. Our first impression of her was her unfriendly demeanor. She remarked how late we were and that our ride would be cut short though we explained that the location was not what the coupon claimed it to be. She shrugged this off with no apology (there was another email we were supposed to have seen?). I asked to use the restroom before beginning the ride and she looked appalled. She said I needed to drive several miles down to use the gas station's. Seriously, what type of business does not provide facilities for its customers?! At the gas station we contemplated going home, but decided to make the most of things after driving for an hour. Starting the ride, she gave my boyfriend a very gentle looking horse with a cute little blanket around it. I, on the other hand, was paired with a stubborn horse that kept trying to bite at a bucket of food. Mandy sharply told me to hold back the horse. She saddled up and after a minute explanation of how to stop and turn (obviously enough for the novice rider), we were off. Before beginning, I told Mandy my feet would not reach the bottom of the stirrup and kept slipping out. She responded that that was the smallest size she had (although I have been horseback riding before where my feet fit perfectly). I was a little nervous, but what could I do - she must know best. At every hop my feet would slide from the stirrups. Honestly at every skip I thought I would fall. I kept tapping my horse like Mandy said to slow him and she was already far ahead, not glancing back to check on us. At one particular gallop, my feet slipped out and I went sailing off that horse - seeing blue sky, then the bushes, then hitting my back against the ground. My boyfriend behind me yelled out and only then did Mandy look back. She came back, asked if I was ok, and asked if we would like to continue the ride. By then I was bleeding and asked to go back. Of course my horse practically ran the rest of the way again. As we were almost back, I noticed my camera had slipped out of my pocket and was on the ground. I asked Mandy if we could stop to pick it up. She then gave me the dirtiest look and told me in a what-the-hell kind of way "I TOLD you not to bring those things." I'm sorry lady; I wanted to photograph my wonderful horseback ride. Granted, I did bring it, but still it was a bit rude of her to all-out reprimand us. Finally, we reached the stables. Mandy quickly excused herself to take the horses back. We fed some horses (the best part that wasn't included in the coupon), and for the rest of our time there she stayed out of sight. As we left we couldn't see her so we yelled bye and she responded but didn't come around to see us off. WORST SERVICE EXPERIENCE EVER. It seems like a chain of wrong events - some which are unlucky occurrences, but that still does not excuse Mandy's lack of service. I remember a yelp account for Happy On Hooves did not exist prior to my livingsocial purchase or else I would have thought twice. I hope my advice can help someone out, especially when spending hard earned money. Perhaps we caught Mandy on an off-day, but if this is her true personality I'm sorry for the horses she hangs out with. My lower back has been sore since that day and recently at yoga I threw it out :( Thank you, Mandy. read more

Not sure why my previous review was removed - this place was a ripoff. She took us on a trail ride for a quarter of the time the deal was for. I am a legit Yelper with just under 500 reviews. Stay away from this place. read more

It would have been more fitting to rate Happy on Hooves with zero stars as we never actually had our experience, but 1 star will have to suffice. We received a Groupon gift certificate for a trail ride in December 2012. Nine months later, we have given up trying to redeem the gift certificate. Happy on Hooves has cancelled on us 4 times, claiming muddy conditions each time despite that on two of the occasions, it had not rained for weeks. One of the times, we were not even notified of the cancellation before driving over an hour to get to the farm. (By way of consolation for our inconvenience, Mandy, the owner, literally threw us gift cards for a free ride from a second story balcony, not even bothering to speak to us face to face). Happy on Hooves has extremely questionable business practices and I would emphatically dissuade anyone from patronizing them. read more

OK. Wow, after reading some of the other reviews I almost feel bad writing a good one. Let's see. We had Mandy as our guide. She was helpful and worked with the 7 folks who went on the ride. There were 3 families total. We were on a Living Social deal as well. I didn't see this stuff as bad but a few other reviewers have. Don't expect a huge modern expansive set of stables. You are riding on the back of a farm thru woods, down a hill across some water and back up another hill. A big circle. I'm not sure what others expected. We didn't jump any gates, storm any forts. We walked in a circle. Pretty much what I expected. It's a cute farm. Chickens, puppies, peacocks and at least seven horses. This was my 2nd trip. The 1st time we went there, yes an hour drive for us too and they cancelled - giving us a choice to cancel because of a chance of rain. I can't blame them for rain and would rather have them cancel than take our money and return because of rain. The 2nd trip went fine. We all got a horse, yeah they walked at different speeds - they're freaking animals not animatronics. One pee'd (like a racehorse - sorry had to say that) one took an impressive crap. I blame nature for that as well. The ride - advertised on our coupon was scheduled for about an hour. It took about an hour. Now that included getting on the horse, learning how to steer the beast, and the ride. The minute my large butt hit the saddle I figured the clock started. Hey I was on a horse!! Everyone had fun. The groups did get split up. The horses really didn't care if your mom or kids got ahead of you. They got in and out of the line as they wanted. I told my horse that my daughter was two horses back. Mr. Ed would have answered but mine just farted and ate grass. The families all looked out for each other. I watched someone else's kid near me, my 14 year old watched the kid stuck in the back. When necessary Mandy went to the back and helped those who needed it. We had a blast. It was fun, informal and "hey, we rode horses" that's what we had expected to do. read more

I tried my code for the amazon local deal i had purchased and it didnt work at first. I called and left a message, they called back the same day. They sent me an email and it was all fixed. No problems and the lady Mandy was nice and sweet. It was my first time riding after 8 years and it was an okay experience. The leader was rude and kept yelling at me. I didnt feel 100% comfortable riding since it had been such a long time. She yelled at us for being late when we got there ON TIME (it was an hour and 15 min drive) . I rode a horse that wasnt fed or given water and I had to tug really hard on him when he tried to drink water from the creek. I almost fell off, that could have been avoided if the leader didnt blame us for talking to her and distracting her. If we were "late" then she should have gotten it done. She also barked at us to write and sign a disclaimer for the place but couldnt have typed it to make it easier and expected it to be done in 1 minute. I think her name was cindy. I dont know if I would go again if she was working. Disappointed. BUT the horses were nice, they were beautiful. I would go if she wasn't working. read more

Today I road with Happy On Hooves for the first time. I have previously owned horses, but upon moving etc I had to sell them. Since then I have been looking for some place to ride that I feel comfortable and is not going to cost me a fortune! I have searched everywhere in a 150 mile radius of Baltimore! Today I think I found "my place", but there are somethings that might keep it from being someone else's "place" so I want to be sure to be clear about both the good and the not so good. (Negative) The location is a little difficult to find so plan to get there early and get lost a few times before you find it. All trail rides leave at the schedule time even if you are not there yet!!! I don't blame them here though! Why should everyone else who paid for an hour trail ride have to spend 15 minutes of it waiting on someone to show up! (Positive) Booking is incredibly easy and all online. You just pick the kind of trail ride, then select the number in your party, and it shows you the dates available instantly. Then you can conveniently pay right there with paypal or credit card. The prices are very reasonable $50.00 for a 1 hour trail ride/ $70.00 for a extreme 1 hour trail ride. Other places are way more expensive, and you get less time. I recommend the extreme trail ride for experienced riders who want to do more than play follow the leader. The extreme trail ride includes, cantering and running. At no point did I ever find the trail ride boring, but I love every minute that I am with a horse. (Negative) They have really bad customer service skills at the ranch, and I don't think they realize it :( No one greets you, and if you wait for it at your vehicle like you are suppose to you would stand there all day! So you just have to walk up and introduce yourself. Then the guide goes back to doing what she was doing and you just stand around until she tells you to choose a helmet and horse. She talks to you one-on-one if needed about safety, and throughout the tour. When its over though she helps you off and that's it. No goodbye, no thank you for coming/ etc. She just starts putting the horses away and gets ready for the next tour like a robot. This is something she really needs to work on especially to make inexperienced riders feel more comfortable. **Needs improvement!! (Positive)The horses are wonderful! They are very well behaved. They have a variety of horses. Some that are more spirited for the experienced, and some that are very mellow for children or non-experienced riders. Our guide was about safety requiring every rider to wear a helmet and finding a horse that was a good match for your experience. We didn't leave until everyone was comfortable with their horse, and the directions. (Positive for me/Negative for some) This place is small which I love. The stable only holds their 7-8 horses and various other animals. There is very little parking. It is not a big huge company/stable. The people there truly love the horses and it shows. It is not a high class riding school and if that is what you are looking for you are not going to find it here. The guide even rides in typical clothing which I find is wonderful! If she was all dressed in riding show clothing I would feel uncomfortable and out of place in my typical clothes. It reminds me more of a personal barnyard stable setting with a nice outhouse port-o-potty :) No indoor bathroom here and that ok with me! read more

SAD PLACE!! Even after reading reviews, I came here optimistic. I just wanted to ride the horses, use my groupon, and just ignore all the negative, simply enjoy my day. I thought it was interesting to see other animals running around, though I am not sure how safe it is when an ostrich goes loose (it was guided back to its place though). As soon as I saw the horses arriving from their previous trail walk, I was shocked. They looked dirty (not just some mud, but they look like they have not been cleaned for months!) and exhausted! I felt so badly for them! I kept asking horses if they were okay! Lol I just couldn't help it seeing the tired look in their eyes. There was no one there to greet us and even when there were staff at the stable no one made an effort to welcome us. Once we more or less figured out who worked there and who were visiting, we just had to squeeze ourselves into the mix. Some of the staff were a bit more professional than others, but overall we felt as if we were intruders on their private yard bugging them for a free ride. They were not accommodating to the horse that I wanted. Even my second choice was taken by one of the staff who was not a guide at the time who just grabbed a horse to show off (in my opinion), yelling and hitting the horse. When that horse got annoyed with the way she rode her, she yelled at the horse and turned back. During the trail walk the staff talked about complaints of past visitors, laughing off accusations of horses not being given enough water. When the horse that I was on wanted to nibble on tree leaves, one of the staff got annoyed saying that the horse was just tricking me, so what? We just made sure to give the horses we were on a bit of joy doing what they wished since we were not having fun ourselves. Overall, this seems like an unprofessional place where staff appear to be annoyed with their horses and visitors. One positive is that they allow you to bring carrots and apples to feed horses after the ride. That is a happy moment. Try to bring organic if you have a tree in your yard ;) We set out for a day of adventure, it was quiet far from where we live. We made the best of what was offered. We are not coming back... read more

The staff is not friendly at all. I'm an experienced horse rider. The horse they assigned me to was VERY stubborn and didn't want to follow the group or listen to anything I told it to do. He kept slamming my legs into trees or fence posts while on the trail. It REALLY hurt and I am so sore now due to it. When I told the guide, while on the ride, all she had to say was, "He's not doing it on purpose". I wish they had better trained horses. Don't waste you're time or money!! read more

Why is ZERO STARS not an option??? Bought a Groupon for a ride for 4 people. When I tried to book, the system they use -- something called Zozi which is is a nightmare all to itself -- thought I was booking for one person, not my family of four. So I dug around a bit and found the e-mail address for Mandy, the owner. I personally corresponded with her in October. She confirmed our appointment. See below: Happy on Hooves - Main (ride@happyonhooves.com) 10/23/14 To: joejackson@hotmail.com Cc: amanown.c715fe4c@e-mail.happy-on-hooves.bestdayever.podio.com ride@happyonhooves.com Hi Joe! I am sorry about the trouble. I booked you for 4 horses on November 22 at 1:45. You will get an e-mail confirmation shortly. Can I have a number to reach you in the event of rain? Talk to you soon! Mandy We traded cell numbers. All good, right? Imagine my confusion when my kids came up from college in VA so we could all go horseback riding together as scheduled and I received this the night before: When: Saturday, November 22, 2014 at 4:30pm EST Who: Happy on Hooves What: Basic Trail Ride - 54" height requirement For: 4 people So I sent along a note: Mandy -- we're looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 1:45 as we discussed a while back. The e-mail reminder I just got said 4:30. I suspect we might be another zozi-fail on our hands. Please confirm we're still on for 1:45. And if you wouldn't mind, please send along the address so we can make sure we have good directions. No reply. I sent it again. No reply. Tried calling, no answer. Left a voice message. So the next day, we got in the car and headed up to Hampstead, assuming this was all a simple mistake and that we had the appointment that the owner of the business had personally told me we had. On the way, I tried one last time via the hands-free in the car. Got Mandy on the phone. she complained about not having access to the internet, but I eventually gleaned that she expected us at 4:30 "because that's what's in the system" and had another family coming at 1:45. Could I come at 4:30 as scheduled. I told her this was unacceptable; we'd selected the time to give my daughters time to return to college that afternoon. She began to get shrill and asked me what I wanted her to do. I told her I wanted her to honor the appointment she'd given me and confirmed six week previously. She then screamed that she was unwilling to cancel with the other family (I get that) and could not just make horses 'magically appear'. (This was news to me, as I had thought she was the horse fairy.) She then told me that I must be perfect and never make mistakes on the computer. As we reached an impasse, my kids who had heard the interchange said they'd rather just pass. They had no interest in dealing with Mandy. I have brought the issue to Groupon and expect they'll send me a refund. I really hope anyone who is thinking about dealing with Happy on Hooves has a chance to read this first. read more

I bought this deal on living social about a month ago (April) and scheduled a ride for May in advance. I have always wanted to do horseback riding lessons of some sort but the location and timing never added up. I had a party of 4 riders with me and their were 3 other riders (7 total for trail ride). From reading previous reviews I did not take the chance of being late. We arrived about 15-20 minutes early and parked in front of a yellow cottage and walked to the stables where you can clearly see and was greeted by staff and two volunteer staff (they were very nice). We were told we could walk around the farm to see the other animals until the previous party finished up and where to use the bathroom before our ride. We saddled up on our horses (I had the sassy Sadie who fit me perfectly) and was given a quick instruction on how to steer the horse from left, right, back up, and stop (very easy to follow IF you pay attention). We began our basic trail ride on time at 3:15pm with all party members. The trail was beautiful and took us through the woods with water creeks and hills. If you follow basic instruction and feel relaxed with your horse everything will go as planned TRUST ME! coming from someone who freaked out just a little from getting on the horse being that high up. Once we completed the trail we got off our horses and took pictures with them and got to pet and feed them for their wonderful journey. The all were sweethearts! The entire staff was beyond helpful and nice and I would definitely go back again for another lesson with them. We did provide them with a tip for their service which they appreciated it and gave us recommendations for next trips and horses since me and my party are avid animal lovers. FYI: there are MANY farm animals including, turkeys, dogs, sheep, goats, and large birds roaming around the farm freely so be aware of that when arriving as well AND ARRIVE ON TIME! OVERALL LOVED IT! read more

I was taken on this trail for my birthday back in June. I really did enjoy the trail, however I will only give it a one star for the fact that I fell off of my horse due to a lack of proper safety measures to secure the saddle. I noticed when we arrived the horses had just come back from another ride. They hastily checked the saddles, before we were off. We had gotten to a part of the trail where there was an incline. In leaning forward as you're supposed to do, the saddle suddenly slipped and twisted on the horse and next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I do have riding experience & I have fallen from a horse before, but I still didn't feel like the saddle had been properly secured after it had been placed back onto the horse. I was uncomfortable for the rest of the trail. It didn't make me feel better that the trail guides were young teenagers. I'm just really glad I wasn't severely injured. read more

We had a fantastic experience on our trail ride! Our guide was excellent and made us feel comfortable the entire time.

Save your money and do not patronize this poorly run establishment. Signing up with Living Social and Groupon was clearly a way to generate revenue and then not deliver service. The money is in the proprietor's pocket and she has no intention of delivering the service contracted for. I arrived for my first appointment to find out that I wasn't on the schedule. This is after calling that morning to confirm that I was booked. There was a young woman instructing a child rider and she told me if "she could get the owner to come over, she would take me on the trail and the owner could take over the lesson". I waited while she called and heard the owner say over the phone she wouldn't do it and it was "too bad" they had screwed up the appt. So, rescheduled for another day and watched the girl enter the appt. onto the online calendar. I show up for the lesson today.....did I mention this is a 56 mile round trip from my home? When I arrived at the stables there was a "Closed" sign hanging at the end of the driveway. There was a woman, who I assume was Mandy/owner, given the unpleasant descriptions of her in various reviews. I said, "you aren't really closed are you?" And she replied, "Yes, we sent out emails. You should check your email." I explained I check my email throughout the day and there was no email sent from Happy on Hooves. She could not have cared less. Save your money. This is a sham and unprofessional operation. I have to believe the horses are more professional than the management. So glad this venue exists to alert people to this kind of rip-off. read more

UNHAPPY ON HOOVES. I had the same experience as some other reviewers. My daughter purchased a groupon and we have scheduled a ride three times now. Each time we get an email the day before cancelling the ride. I don't believe they intend to ever honor the groupons they offer. They are ripping people off. read more

I have to agree with the reviews below- I did not have the best experience. This was another Living Social deal experience. I went with a friend. However, she did say she received an e-mail about the location change. Even so, the location was a little hard to spot. Our ride started late because the horses were already out on the trail with another group. A few horses were in their stable and we were able to feed them treats while we waited. One horse, Sadie, was going wild in her stall. A woman who worked there said she was on Sadie (with the group currently riding) and Sadie was trying to buck her off and was "moody". I made a mental note NOT to ride Sadie. We got to pick our horses. I just chose the one in front of me- Fish. I was a total beginner and no one told me Fish was only 3 years old... Our group was full. Not a single horse left. Unfortunately, another couple riding with us didn't have a choice of horse and the woman had to take Sadie. (Which gave her trouble the whole trip). The ride started and my horse fell dead last. In fact, Fish wouldn't even move. I tried to kick him like I was instructed to. One woman who worked there got Fish moving and then went to get me a riding crop. She said she would catch up to me. A riding crop! Why would I need that as a beginner and as someone who was riding a horse that does this trail multiple times a day! I'm trailing behind miserably already. As soon as I turned the bend on the barn, Fish went all Hi Ho Silver on me and took OFF. I was SO startled and taken aback. I was frantically trying to pull the reins and get a grip. As soon as the horse stopped bucking tears immediately came to my eyes. I just wanted to get off. The riding crop woman came to hand me the crop and settle the horse. The instructor, Mandy, just looked back from WAY ahead and said "are you okay?" And kept going. NO, I'm NOT okay. I was scared and not interested in riding any longer. But what choice did I have. I rode in fear the full hour or so. I basically stayed behind as we wound through the woods. There were times Fish wasn't in the mood to move which scared me because I didn't want him to take off. At one point Sadie wouldn't move and the instructor had to get off her horse and grabbed a stick to smack Sadie until she moved! This was right in front of me. Some of the horses were getting into little fights along the way as well. As soon as we got back to the stable, people were taking pictures on their horses. Meanwhile, Fish was trying to run me into the barn. He was trying to get back into his little stable with me on him! When I refused to be decapitated, he tried walking sideways into the barn and smashing my leg. I bailed off the horse. On top of the awful ride, the ground was just littered with horse poop. All you did was step in it and there was no avoiding it. There were all kinds of random goats and dogs running around wild. The place was a zoo. I think the circus is more orderly than Happy Hooves. Best of luck to those who go- don't choose Fish. read more

This review is going to say the same as everyone else's, but I figured I would add my voice. Happy on Hooves has the worst business practices ever. I had purchased a Groupon that was about to expire, so I went ahead and scheduled my ride, thus "redeeming" it. On the day of my ride we drove an hour up to their "barn" which is in someone's backyard. No joke - it's creepy. We stood around for about 30 minutes while it sort of sprinkled, and then Mandy was like, oh, yeah we're just going to cancel the ride. Reschedule! So we drove home. This was in June. I tried rescheduling and couldn't get in until July, but whatever. The night before the July ride, lo and behold, it gets canceled "due to weather". It wasn't even raining! Nor did it the day of the ride! So I rescheduled AGAIN, and this time I couldn't get in until September. When I emailed about this, Mandy's solution was, "Just check back every day, we have cancellations all the time." Well, I'm sorry, but my schedule doesn't permit me to just drop everything to go an hour away for something last minute. So I scheduled the ride for September and patiently waited. Until I got the weather cancellation email the night before my ride. This is the third time now that this has been canceled, and I'm starting to feel scammed. When I emailed Mandy, she was very rude about it, which seems to be how she operates. Groupon has been unhelpful because there is a weather clause. Now, I would totally get it if it's actually inclement weather, as you have to protect your horses and the people. But it's kind of fishy that they can just cancel the night before and make me keep rescheduling, all while they hold onto my money. I'm just going to walk away, but I wanted to warn other people not to go here. If you already bought the Groupon or Living Social thing then I wish you luck trying to use it and I hope you have a pleasant ride. But if you haven't and you're just looking for a nice place to go, this isn't it. I'm really disappointed because I love to ride, but what can you do? read more

I went to the address listed on the Living Social coupon initially as well. If this has been an ongoing problem, I'm not sure why Happy on Hooves has not yet corrected the address. Anyway, I drove 1.5 hours to Hampstead, MD for my first appointment, only to get lost and miss the appointment. I was able to go back the following weekend, which was actually beneficial because the weather was much nicer. Apparently 4 people were scheduled during my ride time, but 2 additional people arrived early for their appointment and they let them ride with our group as well. This sucked because they told us beforehand to expect to be there about an hour. Getting 2 additional people into their horses ate into our ride time. The guide spent a good 25 minutes getting everyone on their horses. I don't remember the guide's name, but she was visibly stoned and was doing everything very slowly. I spent more time sitting in the courtyard area on my hourse than I did on the actual ride. The actual ride was 30 minutes at most. I doubt we even covered a mile during the trail ride. We rode along the fence, went across a small stream, went back through the stream, then through a wooded area and back to the stable. After we went through the wooded area, a rider's saddle slipped and she fell off the horse. She wasn't injured, but the guide spent about 10 minutes getting this lady back on her horse. That was more lost riding time for the rest of us because we had to sit there on our horses...again. I was glad I had the Living Social coupon because the ticket was half off the price they quoted on their website. If I had paid full price for that rip-off, I really would have been upset! My advice for anyone considering going to this place: don't waste your time or your money! read more

My son and I had a ride at Happy on Hooves this past spring. We had a really good time, and my son wanted to go again. I received the email from them for the half price deal and immediately signed up. We are supposed to be going this Sunday. But I went to the email they sent me to fill out the liability form, and the link was bad. The mailbox for the phone number on their website is full. When I send an email to ride@happyonhooves.com, I get a kickback from this company they are customers of (Nutshell). Very frustrated. I have no idea if I should drive the 1.5 hours to see if we are going or not. We had a good time, last time. But all of this is making me wonder if they are in business any more. Do I go through Paypal to get my money back? read more

This is the biggest waste of money ever. Find somewhere else to trail ride. First off, the trainers treat the horses rudely. Mine and my boyfriends horse were acting up. The trainer hit his horse on the nose and was like "Cowboy, what the f!ck is wrong with you??"... We never started our trail ride. About 10 minutes in of just doing the intro my horse bucked me off... into a pile of sticks and snow. The trail leader did ask me if I was okay, but after I said yes she just left me there and went back to the barn. She didn't walk with me or anything. Not even worth rescheduling our trail ride because none of the horses know how to behave except for the trail leaders horse, and what fair is that..? These horses are not trained to do trail rides. They don't have the patience and are not friendly or well behaved. Did talk to Mandy who said she would refund my money, which is nice because this is definitely not worth a single penny. read more

My husband and I went today and had an AMAZING time. Our tour guide was Christina and she was just the sweetest, most kind-hearted person. You could tell that she and her assistant/ volunteer, Ella loved horses and enjoyed their job. The trails were great. We did the basic ride and we were able to trot for a bit, womens up and down some small hills and saw some gorgeous scenery. It was a great time and we plan to come back for their longer version! My horse Marco was very sweet and had a funny personality. They evwn had a pig, a got and some puos walking around. So much fun petting them. Overall an awesome experience! read more

My GF and I went for an 8:15 appointment. She had a horse named Marco, and I got Polo, isnt that cute? lol. Anyway, we had a small group of 4 and for it to be a BASIC trail ride, it was awesome. I was expecting just what we got. My GF had never been on a horse before and she was the best one out of the bunch. Mandy was our trail guide and she was great. The weather was great and the instructions were easy to follow. If you would like a spunkier horse, Catalina is the horse for you! read more

OMG this place is horrible first off the trail is not fit for beginner riders it is to narrow and close to a creak sitting that high on a horse on the edge of a creek is dangerous. So I went with my daughter as a birthday outing she has never rode before so my family was 4 or the group of 6. When we got to the first crossing of this creek it was scary it goes do hill and it was muddy when we rode so it made the area slippery. I am number 4 in the line of use single file going across the horse in front of me stops abruptly I try to stop but they bump which makes the horse in front of me buck at least 6 feet in the air and landed on my left shin!!!! I screamed out and the instructor moved the group ahead then checked on me. He stated he didn't believe I was kicked just got scared NO I was kicked, they had no emergency transporter of any kind I had to continue the ride back to the barn, I was in terrible pain and I was bleeding. Once back to the barn instructor never spoke to my group on the other 2 riders I left on my own and went straight to the ER. I have a severe bone bruise very similar to a break without the break, I am in a boot and on crutches for the next 4 to 6 wks. To this day I have not heard a word from these people the knew because of the waiver I wouldn't sue so they did not care. I TELL ANYBODY WHO WILL LISTEN ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT HAPPY ON THOSE HOOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

My son and I had a very good experience on the trail yesterday. He had never been on a horse before, but the introduction to riding by Julia was so good that, by the end of the ride I could tell he was quite comfortable with the horse. He wants to ride again and bring a friend! my wife and I will probably join them. read more

My husband and I had not been on horses for many, many years and thought a short trail ride would be the perfect re-introduction. I think the ride was probably about 45 minutes - I understand that an hour-long appointment will not mean an hour-long ride because they need to account for getting everyone on and off the horses, so we were quite happy with the length. My husband was happy that he had some control over what the horse he was riding did rather than all the horses just being trained to ride in a line (like country fair pony rides.) We had a wonderful time and although the ranch was about an hour from home, it was a pleasant drive and thought it was well worth. We have already decided we will probably go again and can't wait for our daughter to be old enough to join us. read more

We used the Living Social deal. It was a beautiful day. Yes, the ride was shorter than I expected, but I am not sure how much shorter. I was actually a bit relieved as my horse kept passing too close to trees and fences, and if I tried to get her going in the other direction, she went too far over. My husband and I both enjoyed being out there and were OK with the ride. We might go back again, but it would have to be with another deal, as we didn't feel the full price would have been worth it. read more

I got the trail ride for two. The email said to expect to be there for an hour to an hour and a half... it was almost an hour. Other than it feeling short, everything else about it was enjoyable. The scheduling was easy, the trail guide was very nice and the horses seemed happy and were very cute. As the pictures show there are also very cute emus, chickens, peacocks and a hilarious looking goat. read more

I have been to Happy on Hooves several times, and have had a vastly different experience from the other reviewers! While the place can be a bit difficult to find, the email I received the morning before my scheduled trail ride gave precise directions that were useful when my GPS gave up towards the end of the trip. There's now a sign out front which helped alot. . The owner, Mandy, is not especially talkative, but was very polite and answered any questions I had on my first trip. When I explained I had a bad back and was unsure if I would be able to ride without pain, she was extremely kind, and took the time to walk the horse around the paddock so I could test it out before we left. The trail leads through the woods and over a couple streams which is fun, and way more interesting than just riding on a path would be. It's in a really beautiful area, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing. . Last time I went, I rode with a guide named Stephanie, who was extremely friendly and funny. My husband, who has never been around horses before, came with me, and she did a great job making sure he felt comfortable and teaching him the basics. All of my rides up there have definitely been an hour - sometimes a little over, when the other people in our group mount up quickly enough. It's absolutely worth the cost, especially if you can find a groupon for it! read more

I will begin by saying that I am throwing my 2 cents because the other two reviews only provided 1 star, for which I severely disagree. I, too, went to Happy on Hooves (with my girlfriend) because of a living social deal in July 2012. However, I actually have rather pleasant memories of the experience... enough to write a review to oppose the other negative reviews. The location was indeed far, far out there, and in one of those locations where every farm plot and country road looks like the other. I may have had a little difficulty reaching the location, but I don't remember it being a problem. I found Mandy, the owner, to be quite friendly. She welcomed us, introduced us to the horses, and provided good answers to every question we had, especially given our first time interacting with horses. I found her to be a good conversationalist, but not too chatty, especially when we were on the horses, if memory serves me well. But, I didn't care, as I felt like I was in good care. Plus, half-shouting from on tops of horses didn't quite match the serenity of the ride. I found the horse ride was a pleasant trot from the developed part of their very large plot of land into the undeveloped woods in the back. I thought it was a beautiful ride, as the worn trail was narrow, and the undeveloped woods (beautiful scenery and vegetation) was just so close. Sitting on a horse, towering above and staying out of the bushes, leaves, and grass was a new experience for me. There were also substantial changes in elevation on this plot of land, adding to the beauty of the experience, but also contributing a bit to the challenge factor of hanging on as the horse climbed. I also noticed that Mandy had taken very good care of cutting all the branches that would otherwise smack us in the face, too. After a long figure-8 style route that also, at times, crossed a little water, we came back to the stables(?), dismounted, took pictures, and left. The horses did have a personality of their own, and my horse would walk slow, fall behind, and then surge forwards catch up. While we did have the option to guide the horse, it was mostly a passive experience of just sitting on the horse as it followed the lead of Mandy's horse. The ride length was good- Longer than I had expected, but shorter than I grew to desire. I don't recall exactly how long the ride was, other than thinking that the value was 'a great deal with the living social' but 'perhaps a tad pricy to be doing it all the time without living social or a membership-type deal" In conclusion... I had a great time with my girlfriend here, and I didn't find any of the bad stories on the previous reviews to be relevant. read more

My family and I have been to Happy on Hooves twice and have yet to ride a horse. Our first try did end up having bad weather later that day but we had been told an Email would be sent out to notify of a cancelation. We sat in the driveway calling for a half hour before getting an answer and a "oops, you didn't get the message"? This morning we again made the hour drive to make our reserved ride only to find they had overbooked. 10 riders and 6 horses. I would strongly advise against this place and even with two free passes (there are four of us) we will not make the drive again. read more