The equestrian center is linked to the forest preserve. Visitors can walk around and weather…read morepermitting look at all the beautiful horses that have been turned out to graze. We love walking around here and the forest preserve beyond. You feel like you are a walking in the country side, there are tractors and farm equipment around and you can walk in between the horse pastures. Last time we were here the volunteers were in one of the larger areas where there is also a shelter for horses. We were talking to one of the volunteers and the horses were milling around very close to us. My son was super excited to see them up close.

i never rode horses here, so i can't really speak for that aspect of the center. however, i used to…read moretake my animal-loving client here all the time when i worked as a family support staff for kids with autism. said client never had much interest in the cosley animal zoo; i guess she liked to watch animals running around vs. sleeping in a cage. the staff were always friendly and obliging without being overly invasive, which is WAY more than i can say for most places/their treatment of people with disabilities. there was also a great set of wooded and prairie hiking trails; we had a lot of fun spotting birds by the pond. maybe i'm just nostalgic about this place/that job, but there's something to be said for it. my client had a lot of difficulty exercising and a lot of anxiety about venturing into the community, and she always felt right at home here. i guess this an oddly slanted view, especially for a first review. oh well.

I feel a responsibility to caring horse owners hence this review. Sunset Hills is a depressing,…read moreunhealthy stable and after only two weeks I have moved my horses to another barn. In just days they are already much happier and not so anxious and hungry all the time. My horses were together in an outdoor paddock with small shelter. After asking nicely to have this paddock cleaned ( poop everywhere including inside shelter), I finally had to give a worker there $$$ to have it cleaned. The horses are fed twice a day, 2nd feeding way too early at 3pm leaving the horses w/o food for up to 16 hrs (NO). I got yelled at for feeding my horses hay in the evening, even though I bought this hay myself and many of the other boarders did the same. My horses were fed in the mud due to laziness when they had a feeder available. No one would feed the ration balancer I provided because " they don't need it," even tho graining is supposed to be included and my horses LIVE for this little bit of grain. Eating their ration of hay thrown on the mud while standing in that mud is NOT acceptable. The staff is rude, argumentative and very unprofessional but no surprise as the MANAGER was also rude, unprofessional, condescending and crossed boundaries. As horse owners we all know the barn is supposed to be our " happy place," the place we relax and enjoy our horse(es). Sunset Hills is not that place. Even some of the nosey boarders gave attitude and made other boarders' business their own. The goats were always in their stall and badly in need of hoof trims, the indoor stalled horses were kept in stalls in a dark barn with little to no turnout, brought in very early. Of course they went right to their stalls... they knew hay would be there and they were hungry. IMO horses should not be locked in a small stall forced to breathe In and eat in their own urine and poop, being stalked for literally 16 hrs or so. Beware. This barn does not live up to its claims. For $460 a month per horse for outdoor shelter I expected at least basic horse care. This barn does NOT care. You and your horse deserve better than this place and believe me, better barns are out there! Good luck :)

I take western lessons here. I am a beginner rider as I've only been riding for around a year and a…read morehalf and being an equestrian is super challenging if you start late. I have a lot of anxiety about riding in general as I've had some very bad experiences. But Georgette has been super welcoming. She puts me on Bandit, a very sweet gentle lesson mare. I always feel very safe riding here and I learn so much every lesson. The indoor arena is nice and big with plenty of room for motion. There's a nice selection of tack to borrow for lessons if you don't have your own. I'm really thankful I found this barn!

This farm is awesome for all level of riders. Our daughter Lexi has been riding here for a bit…read moreover 2 years now. Started out with Bonnie...great trainer who helps the students stay focused and serious during their lesson. Her patience with the younger riders is spot on. She's so supportive of her students and has taught our daughter a ton. The summer camps she leads are tons of fun and a great learning experience for the riders. As of lately our daughter has also been training with Carmine as well. She really is such a skilled trainer and her demeanor is so professional and focused and supportive. What I love about Carmine's approach is at the end of each lesson she spends 5 minutes talking with us about our daughters lesson...why she did well...and what can be worked on. You can tell Carmine takes great pride in teaching the riders. We absolutely love this place. Great horses and trainers with a strong focus on safety in a friendly family like environment for your equestrian to ride!!!!

Perfecta Farm is a wonderful facility that caters to all levels of riders from beginners to…read moreadvanced. My daughter has ridden with Kim Gardiner and Mara Olseng for a little over 2 years and has qualified and attended Maclay Finals and the Pennsylvania horse show. This farm is dedicated to their horse and riders. You definitely get top notch training at this facility.

Its been a couple months shy of a year now and I see sooooo much improvement in myself. I came to…read moredunham woods with high nervousness around horses from my earlier childhood experience. Now I am much less nervous and have developed many new skills. I enjoy working with the trainers here, they are very patient and understanding. The horses are great as well, they have my different personalities and options for ever level of riders. I highly recommend this club to anyone looking to get into riding horses, or equestrian sports.

Rose and Michelle are two of the best in the business. Not only are they genuine and honest, they…read moreare true horsewomen who prioritize the well being of horse and rider above all else.

Love Kinvarra! I took a break from riding after college and didn't ride for 6 years and was very…read morenervous to start up again in a new city where I didn't know anyone/ my riding skills were quite rusty. I was put on safe, level appropriate (and extremely nice!) horses and I have never been remotely uncomfortable. I take 2 lessons a week and they have done a wonderful job of getting me back in riding shape both physically and mentally. I learn something new each time, and am progressing faster than I imagined/expected thanks to their careful and extremely knowledgeable instruction. Everyone (instructors AND boarders) are very kind, encouraging. A very professional, well run, and safe, barn with a positive environment!!!

I signed my nine year old daughter up for lessons at Kinvarra because they were the only barn that…read morehad ponies and I specifically wanted her to learn on a suitable size animal. My daughter was riding twice a week and loving the barn, new friends and the two ponies she was riding. The trainer started pressuring me right away to lease a horse and I wasn't interested until she had at least six months of lessons. They bought in a pony and wanted me to see it...it was really old and overweight...I really couldn't believe it!!! They asked me for THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS a year to lease this horrible looking pony....I actually did laugh as it was so ridiculous...A half lease anywhere costs 250.00 a month at ANY barn. I have been an equestrian for thirty years...they just didn't know it. We arrived at our next lesson and a seventeen hand horse that was way to advanced for a beginner was given to my daughter...I questioned what was going on and was coldly told that the ponies would not be available any further to us as we did not want to lease!!!! My daughter was in the very small arena and they bought in an out of control horse that was bucking and rearing to lunge...with my nine year old in the ring just ten feet away....I entered quickly and took my daughter down and left Kinvarra for good. It was the most dangerous , negligent ...on purpose bunch of crap I have ever seen at a barn. These people are con artists and if they don't get what they want they will put your child in danger.

I've taken my daughter twice, this time my mom went as well. The staff is great, the horses are…read morebeautiful and well trained. Both times had a very nice ride.

The ride was good, the staff didn't really talk to us when we first arrived or even when we were…read moredone. The ride we booked supposedly came with a bonfire. We were not guided or talked to about the bonfire everyone just left.

Parts of the trail is very nice. Through the woods. However, part is actually on a busy street…read morewhich is strange. Some hills and some flat areas. Good for hiking.

It's sunny, let's go. Paul Douglas Forest Preserve,…read moreparking off Central. One small parking lot and a large, looping paved trail around the forest. Go walk, run, or roll. Home to birds and animals, millipedes abound. People are quite few, the land is kind of boring, but hey, it's nature. The highway nearby is easily heard inside, that's kind of a shame. I wish there were more unpaved paths and tree cover. Fall is still lovely. Thanks for a nice walk. Who knows if we will be back. And now my poem ends.