Basically, if you are looking for a TRAIL ride this is a TRAIL ride. They took us on several trails around the grounds of the stables and it was PERFECT for my daughter's (age 9) first experience on a horse. We were lead around the area 3-4 times, got some "time" to hang out with our horses, and got some pictures. The horses were slow but very sweet. My daughter fell in love with "Misty" and she just enjoyed the ride. She keeps talking about going back to go horseback riding again. If you are looking for scenic, beach, or mountainous horseback riding, then this is not for you. It was perfect for us since we wanted my daughter's first ride to be mellow and just a good experience. The staff was friendly and seemed to know the horses very well. None of them yelled things out and they all were very patient with us. LOCATION ALERT, finding the place is not easy. DON'T use the maps by Yelp app! Find he kokohead botanical gardens and drive to the end. You will see the signs then. Don't stay on Kaelahou St. You will get lost like us. Lucky we were EXTRA early or we would have been late. Bring your own helmets or wear one that they offer. They require you to wear one. I wish my horse would have trotted or done something besides eat grass and walk slow but overall it was a pleasant experience for the family. read more

This review is for the riding lessons, which are EXCELLENT! After far too many episodes of Horseland on Netflix, my horse-crazy 7 year old was obsessed with learning to ride. I looked into a few options and called around. Koko Crater was the first to return my call (almost immediately on a Saturday night) and the owner was friendly, organized and able to get us into a lesson the next day. Given the response and the distance, which was closer to our house than lessons in Waimanalo, we signed up (despite the fact they were more expensive). The instructor Pete is a gifted teacher. He's got an easygoing way about him that makes a ring full of young girls pay attention, despite each being at different ability levels. He knows his stuff, always has encouraging words and confident instruction, and is equally kind to people AND the animals. After only a couple lessons, my daughter was riding independently and gets better every week. And unlike all the other lessons I've put her in over the years, my daughter is as interested as ever and looks forward to coming each time. It's definitely the priciest activity we've ever done, but I couldn't imagine a better learning experience or opportunity. I highly recommend them! read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - Riding lessons with the amazing instructor Pete - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We bought a groupon for an hour trail ride for 4 of us for our daughter's 23rd birthday. We're all beginners and only had a window of 5 days when we could redeem our voucher, so we called several times to try and get answers to our questions. Several times, Emogene (not sure if the spelling) said she'd call us back, but never did. My husband had to keep following up. When we finally confirmed our appointment and arrived for our ride, not much time was given for instruction for us newbies. And when my daughter had trouble with her horses, Emogene said, "it's your fault the horse isn't listening" which wasn't very encouraging or fun. And I agree with the other reviewer that the helmets were unsanitary (not cleaned after previous ride group) and the horses we were assigned had just come back from another group ride. read more

I bought a living social deal for here. I thought the price is good and I've never ridden a horse. I've never been on a horse before and I got the biggest one. Herbie was taller than me. He was also very hungry. He kept eating grass every chance he got. You get up there and whoa, this is pretty high. It's an english saddle so you don't get that thing in front to grab onto that I remember from watching TV as a kid. Kristen has only been here a month, and she was great giving instructions to all of us on what to do. Would I do it again, probably not. It's a lot harder than it looks. read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - The mounting block - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

To echo what other users have posted, make sure to follow the sign to the botanical gardens and then head to the left for the stables. They really should post a sign by the gardens, too! Although our group had some miscommunication and one individual was not properly booked for our ride, the owner was kind enough to let us come back in the afternoon when they had enough horses, even though they would have been able to take the day off early. None of us had any experiences with riding horses, so this was a perfect trip for us. The ride was beautiful and relaxing. The owner is extremely knowledgeable about the land, the horses, and little tips and tricks to riding. Overall, we were pleased with our trip and the helpful staff members. Note: they usually don't answer their phones immediately, so just leave a message. Sometimes my calls were returned quickly, but other times it took a day or two to get a callback. read more

Emogene the equestrian Manager was informative and welcoming...Kristen our trainer trail ride guide was also friendly, no pretense, amiable and experienced...Amy accompanied Kristen was also friendly and took photos of our ride. If you are looking for an ocean trail ride this is not it. It is a simple but enjoyable trail ride on stable grounds that are rustic old Hawaii ...nothing fancy...straight talking gals ...not for prissy touristy uppity types... Right next to the botanical garden area...park out front and walk up the dirt gravel driveway...the horses were friendly and the gals take the time to place you on the horse best suited for you...just let them know...if you're the whiney high maintenance person this is not for you. read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - Getting Christmas ready - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

GROUPON gave us a deal, and I guess THAT is why I couldn't stop laughing as we went around the grounds ONCE with the head horse being lead by a trainer...ON FOOT! Couldn't she at least get ON a horse herself and we could go FASTER? as if it couldn't get ANY funnier, we were lead around a SECOND time around the stables and grounds, WOW! Did they think we weren't paying attention?! Okay and on our left we have the same sad horses standing bored in the stables all scrawny, oh and watch your head for low hanging branches-wait! Why does that horse in the back have no rider?! I think it would be great for KIDS or people afraid of horsies, but if you expect to trot through breathtaking views on Oahu...NOT going to happen! read more

First things, first: To get here, enter "Koko Crater Botanical Gardens" into GPS. When you're in the gravel, DON'T PARK at the gardens, but rather, continue down the lane to the stables. You will see signs for it over to your left as you enter the parking lot for the gardens. We got a group of 4 trail ride off of Groupon that came out to ~$34 a person. A little pricey now that I know what I was paying for. This was one of my blind adventures where I didn't check Yelp prior to coming...oops...I should know better. It took us a while to get a concrete date and time. We called and booked and were later told that we could no longer come on the day and time that we had originally planned. So, we rescheduled. Suddenly, we were allowed to book again for the original date and time that we wanted. Wtf? Glad it worked out, but seriously, get your crap together... That was my first reason to be frustrated. My second was that wearing a helmet was required. Boo. I've ridden enough in my life to not need to wear a helmet, plus I signed a waiver relieving them of any legal repercussions should I get injured...if I don't want to wear a helmet, that's my own stupid decision, yeah? No. Still gotta wear a helmet. We got started pretty late after our appointment time...no biggie, not like I had any other plans during the day. If I had, though...that would've been a whole 'nother story...anyways... We got paired up with horses. I had Muffin. The poor thing was breathing so heavy, she was so hot and tired. She stumbled several times on the trail and the guide walking with us just slapped her butt and told her to walk faster. I probably should've dismounted and led her at that point...hindsight is 20/20... The trail was a dinky little cut out of a few intersecting trails on Koko Crater Stables' property. There weren't really any good views. At one point, we all lined up in the show/dressage practice ring and got a picture. Both of our guides were sweet - I feel bad for not having had any extra cash to tip them - but overall I just wasn't thrilled. I'm a little concerned as to how hard these horses are ridden...the horses we got had literally just gotten back from a riding lesson group. I think they should have switched them out - most of them on our trail ride seemed restless, hungry, or like mine, were stumbling and struggling to move another inch. I feel bad for the horses. On our way out, two girls said they were there for their noon trail ride. Our guide said she had no ride scheduled for noon but that she had one for 1 pm. She couldn't find the girls' names on that schedule though and told them they would have to leave. They seemed pretty ticked off - rightfully so, I would have been, too. I would like to give the Stables the benefit of the doubt, but considering our scheduling fiasco, I don't put it past them to have screwed up those two girls' riding day/time. read more

Purchased the groupon on for an hour trail ride for 2. After multiple attempts to contact them through the phone number provided, I received one message back and when attempting to phone back no answer. I let a month go by and called this past Monday: no response. Called on Tuesday and someone picked up the phone. She informed me that due to a recent move trail rides were not being honored and I could either call groupon for a refund or take an hour lesson with Peter instead. I texted Peter and attempted to arrange a lesson for Saturday. Cancelled on me four days prior due to something coming up and I responded "What date/time works for you?" NO RESPONSE. I am attempting to accommodate your schedule, which is completely inappropriate from a consumer's position and then you have the audacity to not even respond. I will make sure to never recommend this place to anyone and thank goodness their Groupon has expired as I would write a review warning other grouponers about this business's complete carelessness. read more

1.Use groupon to get major discount. 2.Trail is made for BEGGINERS! (don't expect racing horses) 3. Wear sunscreen & bring water! koko Crater Equestrian Center is a great place for begginers. Its a small trail around the back of the center with a small pasture to graze or let the horses ride. Then you are taken around the grounds until your hour is up. The people who guide you are VOLUNTEERS! They are not paid. So for those reviews that say that the trail sucks or that the staff is unprofessional at times. You have to remember they aren't paid a cent and they really don't have to help you. There taking the time to be there for the horses The only reward is to be able ride the horse after all the tours are done and its not even guranteed they'll get to ride. My sister is a volunteer here. You get what you paid for. If you are a experienced rider I wouldn't recommend this place, you will be supervised the whole trail. Also the horses her are sweethearts and are not meant for galloping all over the valley. They are truly for beginners which is great for those who use the groupon tickets! read more

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Just too, too bad. I love animals and love horses. I felt bad for them. I saw that some other person on this review had Christmas as their horse. I liked her a lot, but the woman who was getting her out of the stable and getting her ready was very mean and kept hitting her on the face. I went up to Christmas' face to pet her and my sister came up to me and pointed to a sign: Christmas Bites! I think I can understand why. Gorgeous place, but they are there to make money out of the horses. The trail ride was lead by someone on foot, as referred to by someone else on this review. One trainer was nice enough. But, I would like to dissuade people before purchasing Groupons and deals. This place is good in the sense that it just happened to be in Hawaii. The place itself sucks and don't really like the way they are treating the animals. read more

This trail is for beginners in one sense, but I would never put a beginner on the horses that the Koko Crater stables have. These horses are spirited with very unique personalities. The staff loved telling us about each horse and the little nuances that make them special. If the staff wasn't on top of it, horse drama would have definitely occurred. If you're looking for a head-to-tail trail ride with robotic-like horses, this is not the place for you. If you love horses and love the outdoors and just want to enjoy being around great people and majestic animals, this is a great trail. We used our Groupon and it was totally worth it. Also, if you're kama'aina, they're looking for volunteers to help work the stables. When you work a certain amount of hours, you get a free hour of riding lessons. DEAL. read more

My husband fell off the horse because of this stable's incompetence! Don't waste your time or money on this place! Not only is this "trail" a joke, but it is more importantly NOT safe. Upon arrival, my husband and I are greeted by the owner who is wearing protective body gear that looks like a bullet proof vest. She later tells us that the horses can kick you if your horse is too close or it can buck you off. If that's the case, why is she the only one wearing this body armor? The trail is led by the owner donned in a helmet and body gear. As the trail proceeds, she's talking the whole time gesturing and pointing. The problem was, no one was able to hear her, as she was literally 50-70 feet away from the group most of time. We bought the this excursion from Groupon which had promised a 60 minute trail with ocean views. From start to finish it was 43 minutes long and there were definitely no ocean views. It was literally a trail of going around a medium sized stable twice. Yes, twice. Along the trail, there were low hanging branches which made it dangerous to ride through because you're too worried about dodging the trees. My husband was hit with a first branch in which his clothes got tangled on. By the time he untangled himself from that branch he hit a much bigger branch that totally knocked him off the horse. My husband sustained bruises and scratches on his face, chest, back and arms, and had neck pain. There was so much blood on his shirt we had to throw it away. My husband is young, very strong and athletic. If this were anyone else, this could've been very serious. As a wife seeing this happen to her husband, it was terrifying. Remember what happened to Christopher Reeve?! I was mad that this stable was so incompetent, as to not even trim their damn trees! And remember what the owner was wearing? Body gear. Had my husband been wearing the same gear, he wouldn't have sustained all of those scratches and bruises on his back and chest. It just doesn't seem right that the "expert" gets the gear, but not us beginner riders. Other cons worth noting: -The owner was rude and barked out instructions that didn't even make sense. Scary for a first time horse rider. - The helmets came in only one size, medium, and they were smellier than funk. These helmets were obviously not cleaned or sanitized after use. -After riding these horses, you're feeling a bit dirty. The owner offers a sink and soap for you to wash your hands. But no paper towels. There was one pro of this whole place, and that was Gina who ever so graciously made me feel comfortable on my horse. She stayed with us the whole time by foot, helping our horses stay on track and giving us encouragement as some of us felt nervous being on a horse for the first time or just confused by what the owner was trying to instruct us. Thank you so much Gina and the helpers who helped us mount our houses and helped my husband after his fall. No thanks to the very rude and disconnected stable owner in body gear. read more

Okay, so I'll be the lone horse (yes...pun intended) here and write a semi-positive review. I purchased a groupon special for 4 riders for 1 hour trail ride. We did get a little lost finding the place (go pass the golf course and look for the botanical gardens signs, the horse center will be on the left hand side of the gardens). While we were on time, the previous trail ride was 30 minutes late and hence it pushed us 30 minutes late. No one was in the office or to be found, so we thought they forgot about our reservations. I called the office number (always goes to voicemail) and someone returned my call quickly (around the same time a worker came by). Needless to say, despite the lack of hospitality in the beginning, we became a fan after actually getting to ride the horses. Melanie was our horse riding guide and was wonderful! My 3 teens and I really enjoyed this trail ride, which was basically riding around the ranch 3 times through different trails. What we really liked about this experience was that we were taught HOW to ride a horse, as opposed to just riding a horse. These were some key things we learned: 1) How to direct a horse forward, back, sideways, to go, and stop. 2) We were taught how to trot in the pens 3) My horse was a stubborn, but sweet horse, so I had the extra lesson of how to get a stubborn horse moving (boy did he want to stop and eat everything). 4) How to sit properly riding, how to hold our reigns, and how to get on/off the horse. We are NOT experienced riders, so we found this very educational and relaxing. Maybe the experience depends on your guide. Melanie was personable and taught us a lot within the hour. By the way, wee did go the full hour on our tour as paid for. If you purchased a Groupon special, maybe ask for Melanie to be your guide. By the way, you can bring carrots or horse treats to feed the horses after. :) read more

Someone on their Facebook page said the following: "I regret to inform you that Emogene Yoshimura's tenure at Koko Crater will come to an end on May 31, 2015. As of June 1, the stable will be run by a different concessionaire. Emogene will continue her business at a stable in Waimanalo (41-739 Mooiki Street, Waimanalo, 96795), and Pieter Mathews will still be the instructor. Thank you all for your patronage & friendship. Aloha & Mahalo! Just thought the public would like to know who's moving where...I tried to find out if trial rides are still offered but I am not sure. Comment below if you know. Mahalo. read more

After reading all of the terrible reviews, I wasn't very enthusiastic about our ride that my boyfriend booked through groupon. However, this turned out to be a great experience. I've never ridden a horse before, but our guide Janine did a wonderful job at teaching me. She did mention a few stories of people falling off, but that's something that can't really be controlled by the guides so that didn't affect my rating. My boyfriend and I had very timid horses, so I felt very comfortable right away and we didn't have any issues. The trail takes you around their property, which doesn't have great views but I still enjoyed it. If you're not a beginner, you might not enjoy it as much but I had a great time so I'd highly recommend this place. read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We loved this place. My niece and I took a lesson. We had no expectations and we had a great time! everybody was so nice and we got to meet all the horses! We learned to to ride properly. So we will be back for another lesson! We brought carrots and apples for the horses and got to give them all a treat! we will definitely come back for another lesson. Thanks Emma Jean for the great experience!!! read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - Great time with horses! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I learned to ride horses at this stables back in 2004. I was stationed there so perhaps I went during off season, I don't remember. I never did trail rides but actually learned here. Perhaps that's why my experience was different. read more

Koko Crater Equestrian Center - Horseback Riding Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Oh, Groupons. Sometimes you show me hidden gems while other times you show me rocks that were never meant to be discovered in the first place. This equestrian center was one of them. If you, Yelper, need simple advice and don't want to read the long story that's about to unfold then this is all you need to know: their advertised "trail" rides are just a jaunt around the backyard or the perimeter of their stables. You'd be better off going to a touristy place and doing a thorough trail ride in actual pretty scenery. The only reason why I'm giving this three stars and not two is because I actually had fun interacting with my horse. And it's a nice center/location. But the actual advertised service was of two star quality. However, the set-up to said disappointment made me believe that what was going to take place was the most adventurous horseback riding experience of my life. After all, wearing mandatory helmets seems to insinuate this. After assigned to a horse, we were allowed to lead our horses to the pasture, we each got in a line to wait to be adjusted on the saddle. So far, so good. But by the time half of us got on our horses we quickly learned that we were handling very munchy animals--all of them wouldn't stop eating the grass, for which WE were basically yelled at for not preventing. "Don't let them eat the grass!" "Pull their head up!" Okay, so how were we supposed to know YOUR horses are gluttonous beasts who like to nibble? It seemed innocent enough, but I'm sure there's some very good equine-expert reason as to why they shouldn't eat when there's a rider on them. Nevertheless, they never told us why and in the middle of one of the worker's speech about the history and legend of Koko Crater she would interrupt herself and say "Don't let them eat the grass!!" Then continue. It was so...weird, to say the least. But eventually this got me hyped for the presumably awesome ride around the trail we were about to have, as she explained we would be going on the "inner crater." She pointed somewhere into the distance. Little did I know that this distance was just the other side of the fence. It was kind of a fun idea when we were put into the little fenced off pasture to trot or gallop the horses. Too bad they wouldn't do either. Lazy grass-eaters. Then they asked us what we wanted to do next--stay in the pasture or go on the trail ride? Uh, we DID pay for a scenic trail ride, didn't we? So the group "decided" to do that, and then we began the slow walk around the block. I think you could see the barn the entire time. At one point when we came back around to the beginning of where we started I made a joke to another rider and said "Well, that's it! Nice trail ride! Ha ha ha!" Sadly, I was right. The guide didn't laugh. There also seems to be a strange lack of professionalism in which the workers' little quarrels surface in front of customers. Maybe that's just a rare occurrence but still, privileged horse people, get your sh*t together. In conclusion, I basically paid $37 to pet a horse. That's cool. I absolutely love them and thoroughly enjoyed trying to be a horse whisperer for half an hour. I wonder if mine understood me when I muttered under my breath, "this is such a rip off." read more

This was one terrible experience after another. We bought a $500 book of 10 lessons for our daughter. Almost every time we took her, they asked us to come back in a hour or another day. They said that since we didn't come regularly, they couldn't accommodate us- EVEN THOUGH we had a reservation each time! Still we get another book of lessons, again with the no-can-do attitude. We decided to take a break for a few months, when I called to make another reservation, they told us that prepaid lessons expired after 14 weeks and they threw them away but we could buy a new set of lessons if we wanted. WHAT?! That's like throwing away about $400 of our money!! Soooooo shady. They suck. Don't waste your time or money. read more

NO NO NO AND NO! I repeat, the trail ride is not what you think you're getting! I volunteered here for 3+ YEARS and 8 hours EVERY Saturday. The volunteers are supposed to get free lessons, but in my 3 years there, I can count on one hand how many lessons I got. In the beginning, I didn't notice, because I was there for the horses, but I also wanted to learn to ride! I had been coming here for years before. I feel so sorry for the horses, mainly Hiapatha, Vinnie and Apache. I did anything and everything here. From cleaning to mucking to leading trail rides. The horses are not well trained (this is not their fault), and the just basically go on one trail ride after another on the same horses. The guides are required to walk the full hour (which is mostly not even a full hour), and "lead" from the ground. I lead trail rides for hours on end, and I was never offered a break. I always felt like everyone there acted like they knew more about horses and I wasn't welcome, but I was always to go-to girl. For one semester, I acted as an intern to Emogene, and I did not learn anything. I mucked stalls and rarely saw her. She might give an introduction or two and lead one trail ride WHILE RIDING A HORSE while the rest of the volunteers had to walk. The trail ride is basically up the hill, to the pasture above and around then through the parking lot. I have been bit by the poor horses because I was told to feed them and put them back, only to bring them back and saddle them 5 minutes later! The barn is in shambles and needs a good clean. Pete, the instructor could never remember my name (despite me being there for so long), and I always felt so bad for the people riding that I refused to accept tips. There also was another "instructor" (Megan) who only rode herself but to my knowledge, did not have any certification and always texted while she was supposed to be supervising for safety. The last straw for me, was when I called Emogene for a job. I figured I had been volunteering there for so long, I might as well work there. She offered me a cleaning job which I declined, seeing as it was bad hours, and I chose to accept her offer as an assistant for the "horse camp". Within the first week I came home and my mother asked to see my W-2 form for my payment. I called Emogene to ask about it and she told me "we weren't paying you for this, it was volunteer", when I insisted, I was uninvited and told "well we don't need you then". She pays under the table and is very rude after all I had given to them. I apologize for my long review, but I thought someone might need to know! I had good times there, and I was mainly there to be around horses. My whole time there though, I never learned past a trot. Hopefully the stables will change hands and be better. You are better off going to Kualoa and spending the money on a beautiful ride with well trained horses (Koko Crater's horses have thrown people off countless times) and kind and accommodating staff. read more

A group of us went here for a one hour trail ride using a Groupon special deal. Two of us had rode horses before and the other two never had. Even for the two that never rode it was pretty boring. I wouldn't even call it a trail ride since the guides (that's another story) took us basically around the back of the Equestrian center and then put us all in a pen for about 10 minutes and had us "walk" the horses around the pen. We were instructed to not make the horses go faster than "walking" speed. I don't think that was a problem as these horse didn't seem to want to do anything but walk. After the pen "walk", our guides took us back around the front of the Equestrian center and that was basically the end of our so called "trail" ride. It was barely 45 minutes and we purchased a 60 minute ride. I didn't want to complain since we all pretty much were bored off our behinds....besides there was really no one to complain too since everyone there was kids. All of our guides were kids and our main guide was a little strange, but she was sweet. Oh well! I think this would be a perfect ride for young kids that have never been on a horse or gone horse back riding. Everyone else.....you will be bored! read more

We bought the groupon way back when without checking yelp... bad idea! We were hoping for an easy but beautiful ride, which is what the groupon advertized. But it was not easy, nor beautiful. The groupon promised ocean views, but we just rode around the stables three times, through tall thorny brush and low hanging branches, no views of anything. It was also steep going up and down in places, and the saddles didn't have the knobs to grab onto. The guide told us if we feel unstable to grab the horses mane, but when this is a beginner ride, why put us in a position where we will be unstable in the first place? My husbands horse stumbled pretty badly at one point, we found out after that it had been going for hours without a drink or rest. In addition, my husband and I both got 'cranky' horses. My husband's would'nt go, and mine wouldn't stop or take direction. I was told at the beginning to be careful pulling back on the reins because my horse has a sensitive mouth and tends to rear, but the guide didn't seem to think that it was a problem that my horse also has a mood that doesn't take direction well... not a good combo for a beginner. And if we weren't keeping up, or my horse was trying to go in its own direction, she got annoyed with us! Over all, not what was advertized. For supposedly this being a regular offering of the stable, it was extremely poorly thought out. We were told to arrive early, but the tour started 30, nim late, and somehow still managed to get back early, the hour we planned on tuned into 30min of waiting around, and 25 min of being on a horse that didn't want us on it and being told to keep up by a tour guide who plainly didn't want us there either. The owner, however was a sweet lady, while we were waiting she chatted with us, told us about the neighboring gardens, and told us to wander around and enjoy the grounds (although later the tour guide yelled at us for doing just that.) All in all, not worth what we paid for the groupon, but a bonding experience for my husband and myself, trying to support each other through the experience. read more

I don't even know where to start. I agree with the reviewer who said they don't even deserve a single star. Same complaints as everyone else. Repeated phone calls to schedule. The employee showing up late, no apology. Total attitude. The horses seemed miserable. I am appalled they had the nerve to call it a one hour trail ride. It was 3 walking loops around a property that obviously has had zero upkeep done. I couldn't believe how rude the owner was, but I should have expected it from my unreturned phone calls. AVOID this place! Total disaster! read more

What a disappointment! I scheduled a "trail ride" as a birthday gift for my granddaughter who loves horses. The "ride" consisted of a stable employee walking at the head of the lead horse in our small group as she criss-crossed a small area of the crater that never got farther than probably 100 yards from the stable area. Another stable employee walked at the rear of the group. The horses were nags, and ride lasted less than an hour. If you're looking for a horse riding experience, go somewhere else. Koko Crater Stable is no more than one step up from the pony rides at a carnival. read more

this review is so mixed for me. i spent a good many years learning how to ride here, with an amazing trainer and a damn fine horse named master vintner - a.k.a vinney. i did accomplish my goal, so for that i give kokocrater 5 stars, specifically for one said trainer and one said horse. but that's it. unfortunately the management here lacks customer service, consistency and loyalty. if you don't get too involved with the barn politics and read your contract carefully, it is a good starting point for any rider. read more

I really wish I didn't have to give this place one star, but after countless phone calls going unanswered and constant rescheduling, I feel like I was pulling teeth to give this place my money to ride a horse. I wanted to give my friends a fun christmas present, so after seeing the deal on groupon, I bought the deal. I was pretty excited, but after 10 tries of trying to book my appointment, I started to become frustrated. Finally after leaving 2 voicemails, three days later I received a call back. Booking my appointment was easy, as they seemed pretty flexible. However a month after I booked our date, I received a phone call asking to push the time back 1 hour, which I didn't find a problem, because it was just an hour. Then they called back a few days later asking if we could reschedule another day. My girlfriends and I were a little peeved because one of them were visiting, so she only had a set time, and as we had booked this appointment a month in advance it was disappointing. However we made it work after rearranging our schedule. The lady said to be there 20 mins early, so since our appointment was at 12, our group of 6 decided to meet at 1030, so that way we could take one car from kailua and arrive at the stables by 1130. At 1045 we received a call saying that there was an emergency at the barn, so our appointment was cancelled. We couldn't do another rescheduling because my friend was leaving in 2 days, and she had already made plans. The only left to do was refund our ticket, which I told the worker. At 12 (our supposedly scheduled appointment) I received a voicemail saying to please give them a call back, but the worker seemed to be getting another call as she was leaving her voicemail, so she hung up in the middle without completing her sentence. I'm not sure if we just had bad timing, but my honest opinion is that if this is a reoccurring problem, the stable should think about investing in a better communication and organization system. read more

When I found this deal on Groupon I was excited because it went along well with my theme for this year's Christmas...experience rather than material. So I purchased the ride for 4 to accomodate me and all three of my boys 2 of whom happened to be visiting from college over the break. We scheduled the trail ride and I use the term trail loosely here and were excited to experience the ride. The weather didn't cooperate, high winds, and the stable cancelled. A bit of a disappointment but after explaining the situation to the owner that my boys were leaving, she shortly called me back and offeredto take us out at noon on Sunday. Impressed at her willingness to make the customer happy because they apparently do not typically ride at noon because that's when they feed the horses... Riding Day- We arrive at the stables. They are off the beaten path but not too difficult to find if you use the directions on the Groupon (although one of the street names is misspelled) and the owner freely gives very detailed directions over the phone. After wandering up to the main building and standing around for a few moments we were greeted by two ladies, one of which was the one I ad been speaking to on the phone and she asked...May I help you? Yes I say, we're here for the noon ride. She replies, we don't do rides at noon. After refreshing her memory, she states that she kind of remembers but the horses won't get to eat now, said we had to wait until noon because the horses were busy, told us to fill out the paperwork she put on the picnic table and walked off. At 12ish the horses were brought over, we were told to get helmets (I recommend bringing your own if you have one. Many were bicycle or skate helmets, dirty, and generally in poor repair). The horses were beautiful. At around 12:15 we mounted the horses, we were walked around the stable on a path, the lead guide was on foot and holding the rein, then we were taken to a fenced area where we rode for 5-10 minutes then on the path and around another stable. The lead asked what time it was 20 minutes into the ride and then again at 30. When I told her we had only been on the horses for 30 minutes she apologized and said she would take us into another fenced area where we could ride, gallop, etc but the ride would have to be cut short because the horses needed tending to before the afternoon rides. So we walked back, dismounted and somewhat dismissed. I had to ask if we were finished. All of this being said, I want to say that the experience of getting on the horse was beautiful but I didn't feel like I got what I had paid for. This was not a trail ride. It was a walk and a slow one around the stables with 2 brief pauses in a fenced pen. The staff were polite and I like to hope that their intentions were good but they were misleading and I would not recommend nor do business with them again if this is the way they do business on a regular basis. I did enjoy spending time with my boys, and it was a new experience so I am happy to have had the time with them read more

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE. SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY. Unless you like getting the run around and wasting time. They are completely unprofessional. I don't know how this place is still in business. I tried calling several times over the course of two weeks to make an appointment. No one would pick up so I left messages. When I did get in touch with someone they blew me off, 'call back and leave a message' or had attitude. Bad reflection on their business. I told them I had already left messages with no response. Obviously they don't care about getting customers. I'm not sure if their lack of regard was because I had already bought a living social and they already had the money. I was so frustrated and returned my living social. If this is the way the act over the phone I don't want to support them. This was my first bad experience buying a groupon or living social. Look at the other reviews and save yourself the trouble read more

Our family of five came for what was advertised as an hour-long horse ride. We were told to come twenty minutes before our 1pm appointment, so we did. However, they appeared to be understaffed, overbooked, and didn't have enough horses available. As a result, we had to wait 50 min from our arrival (1:30) before the owner came around to get us started. Even then, it took us at least 20 min to get all the horses for our group and then put on the saddles. I felt sorry for the owner, who was an older lady, that she didn't have any staff help. But we reserved this weeks ago and they should have been ready for our group. When we were all finally on our horses, the owner tried to explain what to do, but it was difficult to hear her and the instructions were confusing. We practiced in a ring for about 15 min, which was a good thing for our mostly-beginner group. Then we rode to a larger field to take pictures, but instead of going straight to the trail the owner told us stories of the history of horseback riding and the area. It was nice, but we didn't want a history lecture, we wanted to ride. We spent 20 min in this field listening to her stories. Finally we started the trail--only it's not a real trail. It's a little path that goes around the field and has tons of branches that we had to dodge while riding. The entire trail lasted less than 5 minutes, and that's who our horses stopping every 10 feet. We went around once, took some more pictures, and then we were done. Because we had to wait so long to get started, we ended up missing an event we planned for later. Cons: -Not enough actual riding time -Unstructured and unorganized -The owner/guide gave confusing, hard to hear instructions. -The horses were restless and some of them just came from the previous group without any food or water. -The trail is short and hazardous, especially for beginner riders on difficult horses. -The owner told us that a certain horse we were given was prone to kick other horses/riders. -The mandatory helmets were unsanitary. Pros: -The owner was sweet, but she spent most of the time chatting with us, and not really giving us the opportunity to ride. My husband and I have been to Gunstock Ranch in Laie, and it was much better staffed, the horses are clearly better cared for, and they have a fantastic view on their trail (that actually takes about an hour!). Go there instead. read more

I joined Yelp just so I could post this review, that's how frustrated I got...I was going to let it go, but now I see that they are selling Groupon's again, and people have had similar experiences. First strike was when I called and asked if it was the Koko Crater Stables. I was corrected with attitude, no...this is the Koko Crater Equestrian Center. Whatever. I was in the middle of speaking with her and she abruptly cut me off and said she had to go. Said she would call me back..didn't of course. I got this groupon, the one that is being offered now ages ago, and I called multiple times to try and set up a riding lesson and left messages each time. I got no response. I stopped calling after awhile, but then I decided, I paid for it, so I might as well get something out of it, because of groupon's policy that while the promotional value might end, what you paid for it doesn't. Plus I was soon to be off island and I wanted to have the experience. So she said that I could use my $40 groupon, but I would have to pay another $40 as the lessons are $80 supposedly. At this point, I just wanted a good lesson, so I said no worries and scheduled the lesson. Come lesson time, I drive out to the farm (which is in Waimanalo, no where near Koko Crater, but that's beside the point). Nobody is there. I wait considerably past my noon lesson start time. Nothing. I get on the phone and ask what is going on..and she says the instructor is sick and can't come. I completely understand things do happen, but there was no attempt to call me or notify me. There was also zero follow up. She claimed that she didn't have my number somehow, which is beyond me. And now I was supposed to directly negotiate with the instructor about rescheduling. I was so frustrated at this point that I gave up. Another lady at the barn was so kind to me and let me ride her horse. Which meant the world to me as it was one of my last Saturday's that I would live in Hawaii. She showed kindness and accountability where Koko Crater Stables couldn't. There was no follow up, nothing..I have ridden horses nearly my whole life and competed through many organizations and this place should not be an organized business by what I experienced. Groupon usually sells quality deals, but this case is the exception. Go to Gunstock Ranch, they are professional on every level! read more

After two attempts to reserve a horseback ride at Koko Crater Stables for my son's Spring Break activities, this has not been one that he can go back to school to brag about. Keep in mind, the older women who takes reservations is a sweet/fast talker. I made reservations the first time about two months before my 7 year old son's Spring Break. I could not call the day before to confirm our scheduled reservation, because no one would pick up. I went to the stables only to find out they had no horses available, because of a week long class. So, I rescheduled. The second time, I tried calling again to confirm my reservation for the next day and got the same thing, no one picking up. I drove to the stable, more positive, thinking it couldn't happen twice. Wrong! This time she was trying to tell me I came on the wrong day, but I know what day I reserved, because it was the same day as Dave & Busters half price day and I remembers being hesitant to take the reservation, having already made plans for D&B. I listened to her blame me for missing my reservation, then made a new reservation, knowing myself I was never going back there again. The plus side of things, the online deal where this fiasco originated from credited me the price I paid for the deal. I was very grateful and continue to demote this activity with friends and colleagues. A better option would probably be Kualoa Ranch on the Leeward side of Oahu. The scenery is much better and the trail ride is much more exciting, but not dangerous. read more

I read the bad reviews after I had bought the groupon. For someone who has not been on a horse in 20 years, it was ok. For anyone else, it would bore you to tears. Sounds like a good idea....but it is not. read more

So bummed....I want a refund and I haven't even done the ride! In general, making reservations and rescheduling are impossible at this place. They have very little openings. If you are a tourist and have limited time on Oahu, don't bother. However, if you can wait for 3 months or longer, then you might get a reservation and get to do the ride! I brought via Groupon for a one hour trail ride back in late February 2013 for my daughter & me. I called them in mid March and was told they have no openings until July. The stable lacks customer service skills, especially with making reservations and rescheduling. They can't seem to accommodate their current volume. If you have to wait for 3 months, that's too long in my opinion. I gave them over 10 different dates and still couldn't get a slot. Finally, by some kind of miracle, the lady gave me a spot in late May. A few days later I found out that I have to work that day & called back to reschedule. The lady who answers the phone is rude and unprofessional. She is upset that I had to reschedule my May reservation but that is part of doing business. She is inconsistent in offering me their riding times/reservation openings. As of today I still don't have a reservation, but have left a message for her to call me back to reschedule. At this point, I am so disappointed with the experience so far that I would rather have my money back, but I don't think I can because I purchased it via Groupon. Let's see if the lady will call me back and reschedule me for another time in May. Stay tuned.... read more

First off, I'm just going to say how are these people still even in business? We called dozens of times to make and appointment using our living social voucher. No one EVER answered the phones. We left a voicemail every time stating "please book us for this time and date if it was available". Never once did we receive a call back. I want to say we bought the voucher back in November. We ended up just asking for a refund since people are clearly incapable of running a business that deals with communicating with their customers. read more

We had a Groupon deal for an hour horse-back riding. We made a reservation and confirmed the day before. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain in Honolulu by the Arizona Memorial. We called to confirm but kept getting voice mail. We were finally told it wasn't raining there so we arrived early for our ride only to wait over 40 minutes. It was my second time on a horse and Vinny was a good horse to ride. The horses were very tame and didn't go very fast which is what I wanted since I was almost thrown during my first ride on a horse. Overall, I enjoyed the ride and there were many photo ops for my vacation book. I think it was definitely worth the Groupon deal but be aware that the staff doesn't seemed concerned about time so plan on being there awhile. read more

Used the groupon special and thought it was well worth the price. If you are an experienced rider this is not for you. Melanie was our guide, she was extremely nice and very informative. She explained the appropriate ways to ride, which I found helpful for a beginner like myself, haven't rode a horse since I was 10. Anyway, the ride was relaxing and chill.. if you wanted to go faster you could, but make sure you don't go ahead of the person in front of you. There were 4 of us and each horse was lined up according to their personality, I presume. The horse behind me was known for kicking, Melanie made sure that horse was always kept at the end. My horse, Vinny took the liberty of stopping for a moment to do his stallion business.. and being that he took awhile there was a good amount of space between myself and the person in front of me .. So I kicked my heels and we throttled on faster... that was actually the plethora of the ride, besides the fact that we were able to take pictures with the koko crater as our backdrop. We went around the grounds twice, different paths of course. The hour went by really quick. Tips: Don't forget to tip your guide and bring carrots :) Don't be late either, there was a couple who came 5 minutes late and had to reschedule. Bring a helmet, unless you want to use their dingy ones. read more

I found a home away from home with the horses, trainers and other riders here. Nothing's perfect so I never really give 5 stars, but Koko Crater Stables has something for every level rider -- For my needs and goals its perfect. Its casual, but safe - the location is amazing with cool breezes, shady trees and plenty of space to ride in 3 arenas. The horses have large open stalls and enjoy a bath at the end of their day. Students learn to care for the horses as well as ride. The "Horsing Around Program" is a great deal and let's me feel like I almost own my own horse even though I'm on a budget. No matter your budget you can find a way to connect to the horses here whether for just 1 trail ride, weekly lessons, or boarding your horse. If you're on a very tight budget, ask about volunteering - Thumbs up!! read more

I'm not impressed with the place, no one seems to know anything. I had appointment at 1:00 and was told there were too many people and we needed to wait an hour. I guess they over book people a lot according to another staff member. There's not even an office to talk to anyone about this or if there was no one. I wouldn't recommend this place! I will say the trail guide Jessica was very nice and gave us a great trail ride to try to make up for it but I'm still wouldn't come back read more

This was one of the worst horse back riding experiences I've ever had. I've been riding horses for most of my life and my daughter surprised me with a gift cert for a 1 hour ride. We NEVER left the riding arena!!! Our appointment was at noon and we finally got on the horse about 1:30 after we had to saddle up our own horse. The poor horses were all hungry and anytime you walked by a blade of grass they would stop to eat. I would stay far away from this stable. read more