Had a great experience! Loved the owner and the horses. The owner/trainer is very knowledgeable…read moreand willing to share what she knows. Watched a few lessons and a birthday party. The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for a different non commercial experience.

From the owner: We offer: Riding lessons…read more Birthday parties Horse camps Breeding Sales Horse lease

What recently brought our Boy Scout troop to earn their horsemanship merit badge. Bobbi was…read moreprepared, thorough, and covered the entire badge. It was a wonderful outing and a great day! I recommend this business.

Genuine Western horse riding lessons taught by an experienced and patient instructor. Bobbi Jo…read moreteaches about horses and how they behave, not just how to ride them. And safety is always emphasized. Each lesson starts with grooming the designated horse, saddling up, exercising the horse, and only then, riding. This was a bucket list thing for me and has become a high point of my week. This is a working ranch and stable, not a fancy club. I leave all the stress of daily life behind when I turn down the road into the ranch on Sunday mornings. One special memory is the day we worked in the small arena and she told me to close my eyes while riding. I could really feel the movement of the horse then, and felt no fear at all. A second was the day she pronounced me no longer a beginner and sent me off for a solo victory lap around the big arena. And a third was when we first rode at speed between poles. So far we have worked on three different horses, each selected as the best for that day's learning. I have learned a lot about horses, but also a lot about myself. Rates for lessons are truly reasonable, especially when purchased in blocks of five.

I started at Cascade as a beginner at age 54. Although I rode as a child, the instruction I…read morereceived back then doesn't compare to what I have experienced here. Over the past eight months, I have spent time at the barn almost daily after being offered the opportunity to lease a beautiful horse, with all the support I needed to learn, build confidence, and feel safe. One of the things I appreciate most is the lease program. It has been very affordable and has given me opportunities I never imagined having, especially with an American Saddlebred. I have loved getting to know this beautiful breed and look forward to continuing my journey as a rider. The horses receive exceptional care, and it shows. Everyone at the barn is welcoming, helpful, and genuinely invested in creating a positive experience for both horses and riders. I've also enjoyed the trail rides. The horses are calm and dependable, and riding through the park is peaceful and beautiful. Whether you're new to horses or returning to riding later in life as I did, Cascade is a wonderful place to learn, grow, and be part of a supportive equestrian community. I highly recommend it. Barbe Smith has a huge heart and does a lot for the community. Her son and daughter in law are professional trainers and are excellent to learn from. I love my lessons with Wylie too - her 1-1 and group lessons are a blast!

The guide was terrible and completely disengaged from the start. He didn't say a word to us when we…read morestarted the trail and wasn't even paying attention. He was impatient and seemed like he didn't want to be there. If you don't have any experience riding horses, this is not the place for you. (You can check one of two boxes for any experience from riding 0-10 times or more than 10 times.) The horse, Oreo, only wanted to eat grass, and I struggled as soon as we got to the park. We were told both horses were calm. The guide barked instruction from the front of the other rider instead of coming over to explain. He just kept telling me to kick the horse harder and pull the reins harder. I would pull the reins up and the horse would immediately put his head back down to eat grass. I tried multiple times to get him away from the grassy area. I was afraid and felt unstable, so I grabbed the saddle and the guide fussed at me for grabbing the saddle. He repeated the same instructions over again, which weren't working, and eventually came over to me. I ended up being terrified on top of the horse. So, the guide called someone to come out and help. I didn't feel safe at that point and just asked to get down. I ended up walking back and will never get on another horse after this experience. There's no refunds. It was a total waste of time. The other workers didn't seem to believe me when I complained about the guide (big guy named Lane, I think) until the one other rider explained how disengaged the guide acted. My friend has done a bunch of trail rides and never experienced such bad service. Save your money and go do something else. This stable doesn't care about its riders.

I have been doing the Horse Help Challenge from Horse Haven Ranch. The Gascon's are very…read moreknowledgeable in regard to horse training and care. I highly recommend anyone who is looking for professional horse training the Gascon's and Horse Haven is the place to be!!!!

What an amazing family, they gladly share all of their tips and knowledge. They truly want every…read morehorse to be happy in every owner to be happy. There's no Horse that Michael cannot help you make into a wonderful lifetime friend.

Angel's Grove Ranch was the setting for our 9 year old daughter's farm themed birthday party…read more Beautiful location in the country, 20 minutes from downtown Covington. Arranged for a 3 hour party- arts and craft time in a barn with AC, games, animals to pet, horse back riding, and a hayride. A nice patio with tables and benches overlooking the riding rings and barn allows adults to watch over the activities. Incredibly nice and thoughtful people and very safety conscious. All for a noble and humane cause of rescuing at risk horses. Everyone had a great afternoon and we'll be starting riding lessons next. Highly recommended!

From the owner: Want to get away from the hustle of city life for a day? Schedule a day at the ranch! Only 10…read moreminutes from Covington and Abita Springs, we are a volunteer run, non- profit horse rescue facility. All proceeds from our many services go toward the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of these majestic animals! We offer: horseback riding lessons, birthday parties, a petting zoo, summer camp, holiday camp, trail rides and much more. Ask us about our Horse Sponsorship program and our 12 week Jr Horsemanship program-a great present for the horse crazy person in your family. Looking for a volunteer opportunity? We are always looking for dependable volunteers to help with our special events and help around the ranch. Visit our website for more information.

As a starter this is the best maintained bike trail I've ever ridden. There virtually no ruts or…read morefrost heaves and the surface is smooth from end to end. I really enjoyed the ride from both ends once I got started. However, the signage to get on the main trail, whether starting in Slidell at the part on the Trailhead Center in Covington was abysmal. We came from Lexington, Kentucky just to ride on the trail and spent over half an hour on both ends getting onto the trail that took us to other end. The small sign upon leaving the park area in Slidell indicated we were "on the trail" but more signage was needed to indicate which way to go and turn to get on the trail to Covington. In Covington there had a great museum but the worker and the museum failed to give any indication that the beginning part of the trail was closed due to bridge repair. We only found out about the "detour" from a bike shop owner who gave good but complex directions about how to navigate the detour. Thirty minutes later after walking and asking for help did we finally get on the trail. There is no way that any agency responsible the trail can claim there isn't any money for signage. When you have a million plus dollar trail of this caliber you certainly have $50 to spend for small signs. Please get this corrected. People using the trail deserve better service.

One of the best things this area has done in the past 20yrs is develop an old rail line into this…read morerunning/biking trail. The scenery is beautiful on this 28-mile long trail. The Trace has so much to offer for trail users of all ages. From the brewery and brew pub in Abita to the numerous playgrounds and parks that line the trail, you won't lack for things to see and do as you make your way from Covington to Slidell. And the trail is almost entirely flat and can even be ridden on a single speed bicycle with no problem. Of course it is also nice for walking, inline skating and jogging. Portions of the trail are also available for horseback riding but horses are not allowed to cross the Bayou Lacombe drawbridge. Many visitors to the Trace will access it from New Orleans. If you get hungry you can find great places to eat in Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe, and Slidell. In between, you will see some beautiful Louisiana countryside and wildlife, especially in the Fontainebleau State Park and two different wildlife refuges. Some other helpful tips: Check out the Kid's Konnection playground. It is a very nice handicap-accessible playground for all the kids. Also no dogs are allowed anywhere on the Trace. Tammany Trace is the premier running/biking trail in the metro area!!

We visited Splendor farms as a last second get away for a Saturday evening. I called Saturday…read moremorning to see about a vacancy that evening. Kelly, the owner, answered and was polite and prompt about getting back to me about an opening that evening. We heading out, and arrived around 4:15. The farm was easy to find, about 30 minutes from the Covington exit off of I-12. It was quickly evident that the farm was a working farm and that friendly dogs were present. However, although the farm was not super manicured and landscaped, it was laid out very well and clean. There was a kennel close to the house which housed alot of eager to let you know they were there puppies. Kelly quickly showed us around, and let us know to review the welcome packet, as it had important information. She showed us the dining room, with its games, coffee and beautiful table. We were next shown our room, the Ponderosa room, which had a microwave, and mini fridge on its screened in porch. The room was beautiful, exuded warmth and the decor was on theme. After reviewing the rules we explored. There is a saltwater pool (closed for the season), a hot tub (that we unfortunately didn't enjoy, no bathing suits) and a fire pit (which we later heavily enjoyed) all close to the house and the rooms. The farm has a gorgeous white pony, 2 burros (one was pregnant), a few goats, chicken,and 2 super fluffy bunnies. We followed the rules as we explored, ie if you open a gate close it. We were escorted by 2 super old and friendly farm dogs, and encountered multiple super sweet farm cats. The fields were a bit muddy, but it had obviously rained a few days before. We only explored one field with horses, but they were super sweet and the fields were well cared for. We went to the local Hog Heaven for BBQ (highly recommend, 15 minutes away, huge portions, delicious). After dinner we headed back and enjoyed the fire pit. We turned in early, because the bed was soooo comfortable. Unfortunately, the temperature dropped super quickly overnight, but it was on the forecast. Breakfast in the dining room the next morning was delicious, the french toast was perfect and the huervos rancheros was authentic. We decided to opt out of the trail ride the following morning because we hadn't packed for the rain (silly us). Kelly however offered coats and gloves, which was a kind gesture and really appreciated. We will definitely be back in the summer and better prepared. A few things to remember about this place, there is a kennel on site as Kelly is a dog breeder, so there is barking and some smell. However, Kelly provided ear plugs in the rooms for the barking and its outside, so the smell isn't terrible. Another thing to note is as this is a small business. check or cash is preferred, since credit card companies charge that nasty transaction fee to businesses, but Kelly will take credit cards if necessary. Additionally, Kelly teaches lessons, does camp, and trails rides, so she knows her horses. Just like any horse person I've encountered over the years, Kelly has a no nonsense attitude about her place. However, she manages to be clear about her farm and the rules while being warm and friendly. This is obviously what she is born to do and she is amazing at it. We will be visiting again, multiple times and with family!

I contacted Kelly McKinney, owner of Splendor Farms in Bush, LA, in March 2026 to inquire about the…read morepurchase of an adult mini dachshund to enjoy a wonderful life as a companion to my 75-year-old mother. I paid $3650 and flew to Gulfport, MS to pick up this dog, "W." Almost immediately after she was in our possession, our communication with Kelly became contentious and our nightmare began.  It would be impossible to describe what an emotional and physical wreck this almost three-year-old dog was in without sounding like I am exaggerating. She would not eat, would not walk outside on a leash, and was not housebroken. She was frantic, ran, and cringed every time every time we tried to gently approach her. We asked Kelly multiple times what could be going on with W but she either gave us a condescending answer (e.g. "you are apparently scary to her") or didn't respond at all.  These troubles were soon surpassed by much more pressing ones when, weeks later, she W developed a hacking cough and began to completely refuse the little bit of food we had been able to get into her via hand feeding. We sent a video of her coughing to Kelly and begged her to please offer her knowledge to help us figure out what was behind W's rapid decline. She did not respond.  Sedated X-rays ordered by our vet revealed that W's lungs were filled with either a fungal infection or lymphoma. She was immediately transferred to an emergency hospital two hours away for oxygen support and diagnostics, where further testing (urine assay test and bronchoalveolar lavage) solved the case: W had Blastomycosis, an often-fatal fungal disease. Again, we had had W for seven weeks at this point. My final text to Kelly said "if you are at all concerned about the unbelievable suffering [W] - and we - have experienced in the past week, please contact me." She didn't.  W spent 11 days in intensive care, receiving IV meds, constant oxygen, and nutrition through an NG tube. W survived this ordeal, miraculously, but it took someone like my mother who was willing to spend $25,000 on a dog we had only had for two months to save her. She may have permanent lung damage and the treatment for Blasto will be long and expensive. She will be on anti-fungal meds for many months and will need ongoing testing. The total bill for saving her life will likely be in the range of $35,000 but we think she's worth it. Nonetheless, it has been an exhausting, terrifying, expensive nightmare.  Everything above is our own experience and our own opinion. I only wish that, before buying W, we had read reviews available online about adult dogs sold by Splendor Farms, as I now have done and encourage others to do. PLEASE - BUYER BEWARE.

Keep your horses here. Ride your horses here…read more Take lessons on your horses here. OR, if you don't own a horse, use Magnolia's horses to take lessons! Great family owned horse farm.

This is a great place to board in a convenient location. They turn out daily and have a covered…read morearena with a special polymerized sand that is not dusty and is great for your horse's legs. The people who own and run the place are super friendly and knowledgeable about horses. I wouldnt keep my horse anywhere else in the area!