Go elsewhere! Hillside facilities are very run down and have a lot of deferred maintenance, but my daughter started riding here because I liked the owner Kathy Pead. Unfortunately, as time went on, it was apparent that her lesson instructor Destiny, who is only 18 years old, needed some additional teaching experience and mentorship. She is quite young and doesn't have the best judgement yet (however, in Destiny's defense, it seems like she has a lot of responsibility at the barn and is doing the best she can). Sadly, my 12 year old daughter was put on a horse named Daishar who was too advanced for her skillset and he BOLTED off during a lesson. My daughter was screaming and crying as she had no control over the horse, but eventually was able to roll off him when he slowed down. Thankfully, she did not sustain any injuries. This scary incident could have been prevented as she asked Destiny to get off the horse before leaving the arena, and also asked Destiny to grab the reigns to help guide her out as she sensed Daishar's energy changing and told her she was scared. Destiny did not take these requests seriously and told her no. I'm also horrified that Destiny had her get back ON the horse after this happened (despite my telling her I didn't think that was a good idea). After this situation, I thought it was important to discuss the situation with Kathy and confirm she had insurance coverage. I requested a declarations page to show the policy is paid up and active as I understand she is on MediCal and insurance is expensive. She said I am the first customer in 50 years to ever request this and told us we are not welcome for lessons anymore. If she had the coverage, don't you think she would've just showed it to me? In hindsight, this was a blessing in disguise as I am looking forward to finding a barn that takes my child's safety more seriously. Be careful if you decide to take lessons here. read more

Positives: -Great location: easy access to Orangevale Park for trail rides, etc. -Affordable -Owner is pleasant and lives on-site -Riding lessons for beginners and mommy-and-me available weekdays and weekends -Relaxed environment -Kid friendly! -Work Exchange Accepted! You can work in exchange for lessons and boarding of horses. Cons: -No front gate between main road and facility -Many areas where maintenance is overdue -Limited training or lessons for intermediate or advanced riders/horses -Many of the barn staff lack general horse knowledge and/or are under 18yrs old. read more

I've had a great experience with this stable; Kathy is very knowledgeable & is ready & willing to answer any & all questions I have. I am currently earning my lessons & riding time by cleaning stables & their system is very fair & thorough. I'm glad to say they take very good care of the horses; they are happy & well-trained horses. I appreciate learning how to properly/efficiently take care of the horses & understanding how to communicate with the horses effectively. I've been around horses my entire life, always rode western & no one has taught me how a horse's mind works in quite this way before. In a short time I have learned quite a bit & have done away with old habits that weren't making my life any easier. (Haha) Kathy has also been teaching me English riding & it is quite different than what I'm used to but I'm getting the hang of it & am free to learn at my own pace. I can't imagine how much more I'll be learning in the future! read more

Hillside Training Stables - The horses greet me as I come in to clean their home - Horseback Riding Near Me - Orangevale, California

I don't get it when someone with experience with animals and training horses but hire someone someone that don't know how to train and put the other person with the training experience on the back burner Wich is bs. read more

This stable has an awesome lesson program that is organized and fun for all ages . The trainers are very professional and really care about their riders. read more

This barn is very low quality. I have moved numerous times and have ridden at a stable each time. Kathy thinks she is the best trainer around, which is false. She is was very rude many times but I just shrugged it off. One of my favorite trainers told me to give the shitty looking barns a try because you never know what you'll find. I should have stuck to my gut. There are two very small arenas which are completely mud. It was so concerning to see the horses standing in their own filth and mud week after week. It was extremely hard to schedule a time to ride and she just kept moving the time around. I rode there for a few months and learned nothing! First time at a new barn and I learned something new. If you want to actually grow or learn correctly- ride with heather Kelly at los Lagos equestrian center. read more

This review below was left by another Yelper and I felt like I was writing it- it is under the " not recommended" reviews but this was my same experience. I went there to set up lessons because no one answered my phone calls and I felt so awkward arriving at someone's house and no office or even a sign for what to do that I left and went home. Eventually I got lessons for mommy and me and I wasn't ever told what to bring or what to expect. It rained the day before and the muddy ring didn't drain. I have been riding before and they took us on a nice trail around the lake -- here we rode in small muddy circles - so odd!! I also arrived and stood around awkwardly until someone asked if I was there for a lesson. The girl made us clean a filthy muddy horse which my 4 yr old nor I did not want to do. Do I speak up at that point? All in all the communication is completely lacking in the preparation part. The instruction is spot on but the location of the riding is awful. Won't go back. "" The owners are really nice. They are polite, friendly, and accommodating. They are really nice. I am saying this a lot because I want to get it across that this is not a bad review. Unfortunately, I found their "customer service" needed a new approach. It seemed like they assumed everyone knew what to do when you get there. Do you go to their front door? Do you head to the stables? Why is no one around? I felt more like a trespasser than a client/customer. It was very awkward. I followed one of the nice ladies around for a good five minutes until she told me everything was done and I could go. I felt bad, and there is a lot of confusion when you don't know what to expect. I do plan on coming back, but maybe not for a while. I can still feel the awkwardness."" read more

This Stable offers a unique experience when learning how to ride dressage, jump, show, or just having fun. All ages learn the proper ways in how to approach their assigned horse, halter them, groom and tack up. Ive seen so many kids grow attatched to their horse just from this learning experience, and it has made the ride more enjoyable. I, myself, have taken some lessons and its absolutely incredible. The horses are well cared for, and the trainers never bring a horse out that the rider cant handle. Absolutely amazing!! read more

My nine-year-old daughter has had two lessons with Savannah and it has been amazing to watch her fall in love with horseback riding! Savannah is patient, explains things well, and breaks down the process in a way that is easy to understand. She is very patient with my daughter, who is very cautious. She strikes just the right balance between challenging her a little but not pushing too much. My daughter is so proud of all she's learning about grooming as well as riding! And Tony is just such a sweet little horse to learn on. Great experience all the way around! read more

My daughter rode at Hillside for a year in a half and she learned so much. She became a strong rider, learning her jumps and grooming. The instructors that she had were so awesome! Even during her falls off the horses, they encouraged her to get back on and she did. The facility is nice. There are a lot of horses there although the workers there are not very inviting for the kids to tour the stables. I give this place 2 stars because of the owner Kathy. She is the reason we ultimately decided to not return. She is not inviting at all, not polite, and very difficult to talk to. My daughter was bit by one of her horses and her response was "you don't need to cry, it's not like a dog bite". She charges extra for the kids to groom the horses, when they are doing the work for her. Lastly, my daughter broke her tail bone from falling off of one of her horses causing her to be out for some time. Kathy NEVER once called to check on her. It was like she was nothing to her. She did not care one bit. It is all about the money to her and getting kids in there so she can get paid. My daughter loved this place so it was a huge disappointment having to pull her just because of Kathy. Her staff doesn't last either. Both of my daughters instructors left and went to other stables. read more

If you are looking to learn safe horsemanship from someone who is both very knowledgeable and passionate, this is the place to go! Kathy has a lot of very valuable experience and is passionate about sharing her know-how with her students. It is obvious that close attention is paid to the health and safety of the riders and horses and well as teaching the best horsemanship practices. I have ridden in many different stables, and these are some of the most well trained lesson horses I have seen. Great job Kathy! read more

After over a decade of not riding (I hurt myself badly falling off my own horse in 2001) I met Kathy and her crew as a part of checking out a riding program for my husband, who has never ridden in his life. Fast forward a few visits, I decided to TRY to take a lesson for the first time in years again today after years away from riding and a number of surgeries behind me. I just love this place! Fabulous people, as my confidence was frail. I can't wait to TRY again - I had a very good lesson on their lovely mare today, Midnight (just what I needed, not a push button horse but a kind babysitter horse that will teach you) Cant say enough good things other than assuming my back comes back a bit, I will be back. Thank you for running such a great place! Perfect for first timers or old people like me and everything inbetween! read more

We did a 2 hour birthday party for our daughter's 8th birthday. It was great! We had 8 kids total, everyone got a chance to ride both horses after they spent some time grooming. The girls that worked the party were friendly and made sure the kids had fun. I suggest bringing some small activities for the kids to do while they wait their turn. There is a nice park across the street for cake and presents. read more

They are kind, my daughter loved there summer program when she went. really hands on...you own a horse for the week!

My niece visited from out of town and she asked to ride horses. So I took my niece there for a lesson. What a great place! Kathy is so friendly and was able to accommodate a one time lesson. The trainer was Soo great with my niece. They are all very friendly and knowledgeable. We will definitely go back again! read more

AWFUL! Go anywhere else!!! The owner Kathy was not very nice, her daughter was our trainer and she seems odd, like she can't relate to people at all and she kept trying to get us to buy her little self published novel. We used a voucher payment system from my child's school and they acted like we weren't worth training since it wasn't our private funds used to pay for lessons. The stalls are a complete mess and small and overcrowded. If animal control saw the mess the horses stood in, they would be appalled like I was. The lesson time was constantly cut short. One day it was cut by an entire 30 minutes and no one called to tell me to pick up my kid! He just waited around for me! Nor were we credited any time we paid for! The lesson horse was a good slow beginner horse and very calm, but they never even taught my child basic SAFETY around a horse! No one told him never to walk up behind a horse or be careful of getting kicked. I can see their horse would likely never kick anyone, but still BASIC SAFETY is lacking! That is the FIRST thing you should teach a child around horses! At least a helmet was provided! After our lessons were up, we did not renew even though they are the only place close to us! I have owned horses for 10 years but wanted my child to get the basic lessons from a better beginner horse and from someone else to make sure the safety gets drilled into him, but after riding with Hillside, I still had to fill in the most basic gaps. I can do a better job and I do not consider myself a professional! Like I said, go ANYWHERE else if you value learning and customer service! read more