I was here for a dinner party last week for the conference I was attending at nearby Sheraton Wild Horse Pass. To close up the mindfully enriching day of seminars, we had dinner at the Koli Equestrian Center. After a few hundred of us met at the meeting area at the hotel, we all hopped on horse-drawn wagons to get to the Center. If you weren't up for an adventure with sitting on a wagon, there were shuttle buses that got attendees there. I was holding on to my dear bottle of Corona as I sat on a bail of hay for the two mile trek to the Koli Equestrian Center. It was a fun ride, everyone was feeling good and cheerful due to the effects of cocktail hour prior to hopping on. Cheers! When we arrived at the Center, we were greeted with smiles from servers with trays of of margaritas served in mason jars. Nice, but I didn't have any and kept to the beer...didn't want to mix it up and regret it the next morning, y'know? Before dinner, we were all given the opportunity to do some fun activities at the different stations set up for entertainment. I got to throw a tomahawk at a target, shoot a bow & arrow (which I sucked at), throw some horseshoes around, lasso a fake bull all the while listening to a live country music band nearby. We didn't get to ride horsies, but we did see a lot on the way there just galloping around aimlessly in all the free space they had. The food served here were all Native American-inspired dishes. Game stew and corn polenta (that was purple, but tasty) were a few dishes I can remember, but there were plenty more. The dishes I did try were good, nothing I've ever tried before in my life, but glad I did, they were all really flavorful. This place is seriously in the middle of nowhere, it was a lot of fun for our event and I had a great time learning how to line dance with my boss. We all took the shuttle back to the hotel a few hours later which was a good idea; who knows how many people would have fallen off the wagon after a couple of brewskis in them? Side note: hosted bars are awesome. read more

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Had a great time with my daughter. Robert was our guide for a 2 hour, easy ride. We saw the wild horses and they came up close and roamed right by us. My daughter was amazed, as she loves horses. I particularly liked this ride and our guide as you can actually ride and steer the horses. A lot of horseback riding "tours" are just follow the leader and geared for people who don't normally ride horses. Here you can and must actually ride your horse and guide them, so it's a much more hands on experience. And for us, the horses we rode, we're awesome. I would highly recommend to anyone. read more

KOLI Equestrian Center - Up close with wild horses - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Everybody here was so warm and inviting! My 8 yr old niece and I did this together. Syd was an awesome trail ride insteuctor. She cant wait to go again. read more

We had a great ride! Five of us went. We love riding anyway, and this was a fun place to do it with great guides and great horses. Plus we saw a herd of wild horses! read more

Robert was AMAZING!! I booked a private ride for my 6 year old autistic non verbal son and 10 year old daughter. He was so observant, patient, respectful and so kind. This ride was so much fun for my kids and now they want to go all the time. They also got to see quails and rabbits on the trail and Robert made sure to educate as well as listen and have fun and talk. Everyone at Koli was so nice and the horses are healthy, beautiful and loved. Robert is such an asset to Koli Equestrian and have made us customers for life. Thank you read more

KOLI Equestrian Center - Robert leading a private ride at Koli Equestrian Center in Chandler,AZ - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We had the BEST ride at KOLI! The scenery was great. We opted for a private ride for the four of us...two adults, two children ages 11 and 7. Ray was our fabulous guide. We had an afternoon ride and were lucky enough to see the wild horses. He took pictures of us on our horses that turned out great. He was always courteous and quite informative making sure we enjoyed our ride to the fullest. He was able to point out lots of wildlife we would have missed. Being up close and personal with the wild horses was a "once in a lifetime" experience for me. I'll go again for sure but there's never a guarantee to see the wild horses like we did. Even without that, it was a super ride because we didn't have to stay in a straight line like most places make you do. They walk the whole time making it a safe and calming experience. If you are a more experienced rider I believe they have options for that too. Highly recommend! read more

I love this place so much I was able to book a ride 2 days before and I had such a lovely lovely time Gabby was so sweet amazing and Robert is super sweet; both young but very mature, experienced wranglers. The horses were so gentle and beautiful. I cannot wait to go back! Thank you for the wonderful experience. read more

What an peaceful place. I had a private 90 minute ride and just loved it. I'll definitely be back. Thank you!

Nice, family owned place offering 60-90 minute rides. I did the early morn,7:30 am, one hour ride. Very thorough check in and quick instructions for us not adept at riding, luckily the horses know what to do. Friendly and outgoing staff. Reasonable rates. read more

Fantastic place that cares about it animals and the people who ride them. My husband and me did the sunset an margaritas ride and loved every minute of it. The staff are professional and knowledgeable; while still being fun. Big thank you to Ben our amazing guide who relieved my anxiety of mounting the horse and made me feel super comfortable. Highly recommend. read more

My friend Lisa, who was visiting Arizona for the first time from Michigan, treated us to a horseback ride with a guide for just the two of us. It was a fantastic experience, thanks to Ben, our knowledgeable and fun guide. We set out at 8 am after a quick lesson from Ben on how to handle our horses. I rode "Clyde," and Lisa rode "River." Both of them were gentle and responsive horses. We rode for about an hour and a half, and got to spend about 20 minutes observing wild horses, including a baby who had been born only about three days earlier! Another little mare came running out to greet us, it was an amazing experience. Thank you, Ben! read more

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I loved this! My girlfriend and I did the sunset horseback ride. Highly recommend. Good times.

I was very impressed with this facility and would highly recommend it for trail rides. They had beautiful horses who all appeared to be happy and well cared for, and the staff were all super friendly & helpful as well. Their prices, esp for value provided, are also very reasonable. In particular, I really appreciated that they could do private rides geared to the skill level of the rider. Most facilities I contacted only do nose-to-tail group rides. My daughter had some experience riding already, and they were happy to accommodate our request for a larger mare and a ride that would be more challenging for her. She was able to meet some of the other horses while waiting (which she loved). She said her guide, Chief Mesquite Tree :-), was great and they had a fun ride. Thank you for making her birthday extra special! read more

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This was a wonderful experience! My guide, Robert, was friendly, professional, and made the ride an enjoyable experience. Highly recommend! Thank you, Aspen, too! read more

We had a wonderful Morning ride. My son is more a horse lover and I am a total fail...but Roger was patient with me and took great pictures and chose good horses according to our experience levels and we had a great first morning in AZ! I would definately recommend! read more

KOLI Equestrian Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Beautiful horses, well cared for. Extremely reasonably priced. Great value for the money. Our wranglers name was Justino and he was great. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. My wife's horses was acting up and Justino immediately switched horses with her in the middle of the ride. We got to see a group of wild horses, a coyote, red tail hawk and jack rabbits. We own our own horses back home that we trail ride frequently and this was still a great experience. Whether you are new to riding or an experienced rider, you will enjoy this. No nose to tail follow the leader, guide your horse where you want it to go. Thanks for the fun ride. read more

What a happy experience this was. I was staying at the nearby Sheraton and decided to go for a ride. The horses are all beautiful and so well cared for. I rode Leggs - what a kind, lovely horse! My wrangler, Sydney, rode Rain- equally beautiful. We had some arena time first in which I was able jog, trot, and lope a bit and then we took a nice walk into the desert. With some wonderful conversation snd amazing desert views we had a perfect afternoon/ the free shuttle back to the hotel was much appreciated. It was great that once on the horse I was instructed to remove the mask. This was a great day. read more

My wife had never been on the back of a horse and I wanted to take her for our 2 year wedding anniversary and it was an amazing choice going with KOLI. The trail guide Chuck was amazing and made sure that my wife, who was really nervous, feel safe throughout the entire ride. We did the sunset margarita ride and the hospitality with the margaritas and the entire experience was extremely enjoyable and would definitely recommend here if you're looking for a nice horse back ride date. read more

Took the Sunset Margarita Horseback ride on my trip and it was the best experience. Beautiful scenery and sunset views of the mountains and our tour guide Ben was so engaging and makes everyone laugh and feel comfortable. I especially appreciate the non traditional way to guide the group by not having the horses follow in a single line but to ride side by side or whatever feels natural. Weather was very nice and loved the laid back feel of the ride. Margaritas served after the ride was super delicious and the best way to end a fun time. Super recommend!! read more

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Best trail rides ever!!! Awesome facility, beautiful horses, and an amazing ride! It's an easy and relaxed environment, and you may even get to see some wild horses!!! I would definitely come back again! read more

Great time, very pretty. Saw some jackrabbits and wild stallions. We had a good guide who told us a lot about history and the wildlife in the area. I rode Butch. read more

KOLI Equestrian Center - I rode Butch!! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Our private ride with Chuy was the best experience of our trip in AZ. (Experience of a lifetime.) Chuy was extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to, had us laughing, and learning a lot about the region and reservation. The sunset was perfect, we had such a romantic time. Highly, highly recommend Chuy as a guide, along with Stilts & Patas :) read more

Loved my time here, James the guide is awesome and highly recommended, truly a horse expert... morning ride was absolutely gorgeous, nice and cool, and my horse Cochise was just beautiful and very sweet... plus there were jackrabbits kicking it up all around, a wonderful adventure and a true AZ experience! read more

I wanted to provide an update, in my original review it seemed like I was upset or down on KOLI for not using Groupon, and I don't want people to think that. KOLI while they don't use them they do keep prices in check. Other places we called had Groupons which made them either the same as KOLI or slightly more. KOLI is in the price range about in the middle. For what you get though, it's dirt cheap! The other places you're riding tail to head and you don't get the experience. I have recommended KOLI to friends and family over the past few weeks and no one has left disappointed! They are professional, and they do a great job. Groupons are often used to make you think you're getting a deal and you're not. My friends went and called and asked for a discount and they took care of them. Thank you KOLI, you've made a customer for life! read more

So this was my first time riding a horse and I was very nervous. I'm great with animals but riding a horse is a whole different ball game. Anyways, I was greeted by Nate and I told him I was nervous and he was like I got you. He said he would give me a mellow horse. So as I'm getting on the horse, his cousin Marcus helped me up and I was struggling a bit to lift myself and my helmet was even on backwards. I wasn't having fun but I was trying to relax. I was trying to calm myself but my nerves were getting worse the best of me. As we started taking off as group my horse started nudging the other horse and I didn't know what to do. I was panicking. I felt out of control and sure enough Nate came to my rescue because I was crying at this point and I wanted to give up. He's like if you get off now, you're gonna regret it. I'll hold your rope for you (which was attached to my horse, so he has control of it) he's like when you're ready, if you want, I'll let it go.) well after the pep talk and panic attack, I calmed down. I was able to enjoy the ride, the scenery and let myself go. He held my rope the entire time, I wasn't confident enough to let it go, but I have to say, if it wasn't for his patience, and support, I would have quit. I needed that push and I'm so glad I experienced horseback riding. You won't regret it! Their hospitality was truly appreciated. They even gave us chips & salsa, plus margaritas afterwards. Thank you gentlemen :) I would definitely come back again. read more

The man running the place was condescending. He made my daughter feel horrible, and the entire point of this excursion was to have a fun time together before she starts college. He chastised her for putting the rein around the saddle horn. Then she grabbed the reins with both of her hands because she was scorned and so she was trying to be extra careful to do it right - and he reprimanded her and told her to always only use one hand to handle the reins. He actually said to her "you should know better"! Well, it's been 10 years since she's ridden a horse, and if she knew when she was 9 years old, sorry - she's forgotten. A little patience would have been nice - but better would have been to just tell her upfront what to do and what not to do, rather than waiting for her to do it incorrectly and chastise her for it. Her entire ride then was terrible, as she was scared to do anything wrong. The horse she was given was BoBo - a horse that likes to "get high and then eat". The horse was stubborn and very difficult to ride. That horse should NOT be rented for rides! I felt bad for my daughter as she was riding and offered to switch horses with her since it was clearly not going well. Even on a private one hour tip, you're not allowed to trot or gallop. Only walk. Sure, they say you don't have to walk in a row, but they take you on a well worn path, and the horses are inclined to follow each other in a row! It takes some doing to persuade the horses to walk side by side, and it's a constant trial. My daughter's horse would not follow her commands. On top of this, the price for a one hour ride far exceeds other stables in the area. We chose this one because the others were totally booked for the day. Now I know why. We will most definitely choose another stable next time - if I am able to encourage my daughter to ride again ever! read more

Loved this sooo much. The scenery is fantastic and what better way to see it then on horseback. The guides are very informative and engaging. The horse are beautiful! Highly suggest this center! read more

My two boys and I did the trail with our guide, Chuck. We had a great time and Chuck made the experience fun and entertaining! My youngest son was a little hesitant as this was his first time on a horse. Chuck was very helpful providing easy instructions for him and really encouraging him to feel comfortable! We had such a fun morning and both boys were asking when we could go again! read more

If you want to empower your child, build self confidence, build compassion, Kids Club in Sunday mornings is the best! read more

KOLI Equestrian Center - Empower your child,build self confidence, the kids club on Sundays is the best! We look forward to this every week! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Gentle, well trained horses. Clean lobby. Clean stable. Well kept pastures. Friendly, knowledgeable guide. Reasonably priced.

This is my go-to activity whenever I'm in the area. Such a convenient location. Guides are funny, knowledgeable, and easy to be around. I've been on several rides and no two have been the same. Horses are very well taken care of and well behaved. Office staff is professional and very accomodating. Koli is like my barn away from home. read more

If I can give this 10 stars, I would. Took my grandkids and rest of the family there after reading reviews on TripAdvisor. AMAZING is just one of the things I can say. Our wrangler, Robert (Bob) made our ride not only enjoyable, but very knowledgeable as well. The horses were very well kept as well as the surroundings, an equestrian center run with absolute pride. Robert made sure we were all happy no matter what age from young to old and was always aware of our wellbeing. Robert, thank you very much for making our day a memorable one. I HIGHLY recommend them to all. The Sauve family. read more

This place is great! The trail guide, Robert, was knowledgeable and patient with my 10 year old. He made her feel safe and confident with her first time on a horse. I will absolutely be letting her go here again! read more

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We did the 60 minute sunset ride and it was amazing! The horses are well trained and it was a nice relaxing ride. James was our guide and he was down to earth and cool. read more

A perfect way to end a great Az family vacation....a horseback ride into the sunset, we couldn't end our trip better. James was our cowboy he was awesome and had a genuine love for the horses. read more

Fantastic Ride! If you love nature, learning about people, and want to ride a horse- this is the place to be. The staff goes above and beyond to accommodate absolutely everyone. We had a party of 11, aged 8-76. The kindness, fun spirit, and safety we felt was immense. This is a special place full of caring people. I would go back in a minute to learn more, and ride their beautiful horses out to the wild blue yonder beauty of the desert. We saw wild desert blooms, wild horses, gophers, and thankfully, for me, no snakes! The majestic mountain back drop adds a surreal feeling to an incredible memorable experience! read more

My son and I had a great time during our ride. The horses were very nice and well-behaved. Our guide, who was a native of the Indian reservation where Koli is located, provided interesting descriptions of the area, people, and animals. Our ride was about 1.5 hours. The Center is very clean and everyone we met was polite and helpful. We went on a ride with a family that had small children (4-7 years old). Our guide was very careful with the children, always making sure they were ok. The horses these children rode were calm and good-tempered. There's no running or trotting because of the hot, dry weather and the many gopher holes (that could break the leg of a horse). This is typical of riding centers in this area. We walked next to each other, which was nice and made for easier conversation. I would recommend Koli to anyone looking for a fun ride in the desert. read more

This place was great- if you are on East side near Wild Horse this is a good place to ride across the desert I brought a party of Nine - Plan ahead so they know you have a group!!! Great EC read more

Can't say enough about KOLI and our wrangler, Sydney! We did the 90 minute group ride and it was worth every penny. The horses were wonderful and very familiar with the terrain. The group does not go tail-to-nose, so you're able to spread out and really experience the ride. Sydney was fun and engaging, and made sure everyone felt included. You can make reservations online, which is great, and you also pay in advance. Because of this, don't forget to bring cash for a tip!! I definitely recommend, as this was one of the better trail rides I've been on. read more

Loved going here! The guide was super funny and nice! Would totally go again whenever I visit Arizona again. It was nice learning so much about the land and natives. So interesting read more