We LOVE visiting Lawton Stables. The horses (aside from boarders) are true rescues and this serves as their gentle retirement gig. How magical a fate for a work horse to end up on an island with friends?! Our first visit was for my birthday and we now bring all visitors for either a trail ride, pony ride, or to feed the farm animals (which is only $5!) The staff is a delight- shout out to recent Trail Guide Olivia who completely made our visit!! They are knowledgeable, kind, and funny. Support the stables in one way or another- we are so lucky they are here! Thanks again Olivia!! read more

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Healthy horses! Professional and friendly instructors. You will be given a quick tutorial. The ride is gorgeous! Go early! You will wear a helmet. No experience or sunglasses needed! Enjoy! We will be back! read more

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Be sure to arrive early! Your trail ride will probably start before your scheduled time. Ours was at 5, we were out walking by 20 til. We found the grounds, staff, and experience really enjoyable. Everyone was knowledgeable about the animals and taught you what to look out for with them (particularly for inexperienced riders, like how to turn, stop, and deal with common quirks like when they stop to eat instead of keep walking). Overall a really "hands off" trail ride, the animals know what to do. The farm is really gorgeous. read more

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We went during a cold rainy day, with 2 adults and 2 teens. We had a great time!!! The tour guide provided a lot of interesting information about the area, and details on our horses. They had 3 Belgians in our group and they are beautiful horses that I've never seen in person, so that was a treat. The ladies running it (from the checkin to the guides) were phenomenal. I highly recommend doing a trail ride if you're in the area, we all loved it. read more

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We have been to Lawton Stables several times. The staff is friendly and professional; the horses are well cared for and get more vacation time than I do! I really enjoy going through the preseve. I will be back again this year. read more

An awesome time was had by all. This was our first visit. My teens and tween had a great time on the trail ride. They said they saw more of the Sea Pines grounds and that it was a peaceful ride. They also mentioned the leader pointing out alligators along the way, which they thought was cool. My toddler took his first pony ride. We weren't sure if he'd cry or resist, but he did it and had a great time. The petting zoo was also a hit. We'd definitely visit again in the future. Tip: If you struggle with extreme heat and humidity, go for the earliest or latest ride of the day. read more

Lawton Stables - Pony ride - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

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The staff and animals were fantastic and helped make our visit a great one. My granddaughter loved the pony ride and feeding the different animals in the pens. Would definitely return to do it all over again. read more

We were looking forward to a trail ride while on vacation in Hilton Head. We bought our tickets online ahead of time, and arrived early to ride. Checkin was easy and lots of horses were tacked up and waiting for riders. Here are our thoughts: The good: The staff was friendly and knew the horses. The horses looked well cared for. The horses were "bomb proof". The views on the ride were beautiful. The not so good: The cost was a little high for an hour ride. The ride only lasted about 40-45 minutes. After recent rains, the path from the beginning corral to the trail line up had the horses standing in mud above their fetlocks. If you are at the rear of the trail line, you cannot hear anything the guide is saying. Overall impression - trail rides might be better when the weather is dryer, so I don't want to be too negative here. For us, this was just an ok experience. read more

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What an amazing experience we had. Thank you so much. I'm a pro now lol. It was our first time on a horse and the instructor was patient and informative. Such a smooth ride. It wasn't scary at all. Can't wait to lol read more

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Lawton Stables is a stop on our family trip to Hilton Head every year. We stay in Sea Pines so it is easy to bike to the stables. If you bike to the stables on Plantation Drive you can pet and feed a few horses before you even get inside. Once inside the Lawton Stables grounds there is lots of parking and bike parking. The free Petting Farm area is to the right. There is less shade than in the past. Bring water for everyone in your party. The water fountains are currently taped off due to Covid. There is animal feed in machines on the front porch which take change. You may also bring carrots or cored apples for the horses. There is shaded seating on the front porch, and down near the pony ride area. Pony Rides are for children ages 18 months to 7 years old (55 pound max). A parent or adult can walk with the child and horse. Be sure to wear the correct shoes for sand/mud/horse droppings. Pre-Covid Pony Rides were $8 a child. Now (Summer 2021) Pony Rides are $15 each. There is no difference in the amount of times around the track, which is twice. Pro-Tip if you want great pictures of a toddler on a pony ride, walk into the grass just to the left of the barn house (below the rocking chairs on the porch). Stand in the grass and look left, take great video and still pictures from this spot. There are also Adult Trail Rides from this Stable. read more

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This was probably our favorite part of the sea pines resort. We paid $5 for our group to walk around a little animal feeding area, which included the first feed free. The decided to pay the extra $3 for another feed. The animal farm isn't big but you can take your time seeing the animals. We went and watched the horses play and prance around. Definitely would go back to see them again. read more

Lawton Stables - Woody the horse. - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Amazing 9am trail ride with Forrest. This is a must do whenever I come down here for vacation. Amazing staff and amazing horses!

Great experience from start to finish!!! Friendly, knowledgeable staff, and beautiful horses!!!! The horses are obviously very well taken care of and we felt comfortable the entire time! This was the BEST experience with my daughter! Loved it! read more

My daughter hasn't seen a llama up close and this was a great opportunity to do so. Quite busy over Thanksgiving weekend but they had an organized system that managed to keep social distancing in place. Because we weren't riding, we went over to the small animal farm where we saw chickens, a donkey, a rather old horse who was quite "beggy" for treats and finally, the llamas. Close enough to touch and pet (and smell). Very cool. Would recommend. [Review 14352 overall, 1676 of 2020, number 719 in South Carolina.] read more

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Overall a very well run business. Staff was courteous and friendly. Everything was done on time and as expected. Horses were clean and fun to ride through the trail. Only thought is... the tour guide talked the entire hour. A little quiet time would've been nice. She also carried on extensively about two alligator attacks that resulted in dead dogs despite me asking her to move on because it was bothering my younger daughter. She needs a little guidance on what's necessary or appropriate. read more

Lawton Stables - Riding along! - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Loved our tour!! Beautiful island and tour! We loved our tour guide, she knew so much history about the area. The weather was perfect! read more

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Beautiful, calm and scenic ride through the Sea Pines preserve. The horse trail tour guides were amazing and knowledgeable. Very attentive to riders of all age levels. Highly recommend!! read more

This was a great experience for us both. The staff was awesome, the staff member gave clear instructions for us feel comfortable and experts on trail. The staff person guiding was knowledgeable and very attendance to all horses and riders. Will return on to visit in the future! read more

we drove an 1hr and 30m from our rental, and didn't know our exact weight so we estimated, when we arrived they weighed us and someone in our group was 20lbs over the limit, i understand that, but not letting us get a refund since it was a "full ride", and Instead they gave us a gift certificate. Dont recommend. read more

Great trail ride. Informative guides and beautiful scenery of the Sea Pines Forest preserve. Horses were kind and gentle, great experience!

Great for a first time trail ride! My newly minted 8 year old was thrilled with the experience and the horses were calm, gentle, and smooth to ride. read more

The horseback riding was so fun and had beautiful scenery!! Super enjoyable for a first time rider and the horses were gorgeous and calm!! read more

Lawton Stables - horseriding - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

It was my first time riding a horse on a trail and I'll do it again for sure. You can tell the staff loved what they did being they were happy and the way they treated the animals. I was a little nervous getting on the horse but the staff was friendly and knew what they were doing. The trail was beautiful and so were the horses. I highly recommend this stable!! Maggie and king were great!!! read more

Lawton Stables - My first horse ride - king! - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The horses are well trained. The guides are phenomenal. The trail is serene and beautiful.

Very helpful staff. the instructor made it feel way more than just a horseback riding experience with also adding history of the surrounding. read more

This is the place for children. My daughter rode a pony and also fed animals such as goats, pigs, llamas, chickens. The entire family had a blast. read more

really nice spot,especially to take your kids. the guides were really nice and gave us a lot of info about the island. the tour was really beautiful, got to take in alot of nature.! horses we very well trained new there part with very little direction on my part needed .. read more

Lawton Stables - just a small part of the trail ride . - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Recently was on vacation in Hilton Head Island, we chose to go to Lawton Stables for a trail ride. The ride lasts an hour a half total for 30 minutes to check in and a one hour trail ride. The entire experience was excellent including the booking process at the desk, check in, brief lesson of safety with the horse and the actual trail ride. The guide was very knowledgeable of history of the island and different plants and animals seen along the trail ride. You do not have to be an experienced rider to go here. The horses were all very calm. We will definitely be back! read more

Hi do like animals, if answered yes then Lawton Stables is a place that you must visit!! If you're do plan on here then please heed this warning in the immortal words of Randy Moss bring straight cash homie. In order to visit you've got to go through Sea Pines and pay for a visitors pass for a day which cost $8.00. This information is located on the company's website, the animals here were as cute as can be and so friendly. You can feed the different animals and they also have horse back riding available too ( the sell food inside their store ) FYI . I'll definitely recommend coming here if you've gotta soft spot in your heart for animals. The animals and the grounds are well taken care, you can tell that the staff puts in a lot of work. read more

I was on a family yearly Hilton Head vacation: we thought it would be great to go horse back riding. We arrived early as ask and was weighted in. We all passed but my uncle he they rudely told us he couldn't ride. Didn't you read the contract ??? We were asked they give us a look of death. I could go on but I'm getting upset all over agin ! Main points staff is rude and can give a heck long as they get their $75 also they stated $65 :$75 what makes the ten dollars difference Thanks for the reply but why does the staff have to be so rude ? read more

Back again for another adventure, but this time we sent the teens and early 20 something's on a 1 hour horseback ride alone while we lingered about feeding the animals again (I promise it just doesn't get old). My 10 year old was totally thrilled because he was chosen along with his horse Lacey to lead the pack. It always makes a dad proud to see their son have a small yet significant moment that he will be talking about for weeks or maybe even years. His little brother stayed behind because children must be at least 8 years old to ride and they do not allow two riders. That's too bad, because I would have rode just to give him another fun experience. He was a little heartbroken considering we've taken him on rides before when he was much younger... however, he accepted our consolation prize which was a few laps around the stables on a Shetland Pony. The first lap was with a stubborn little pony who was just not in a very agreeable mood, so they switched to another. It took them nearly 40 minutes to get that little booger back in his stall. I didn't know they could be so stubborn, and fiesty!!! He was also in a biting mood and gave his handler a heck of a time. Can you tazer animals? LOL Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Harley (the Clydesdale) limping back to his stable after his medical treatment and I ran over. He was in a restricted area so I asked if I could have a few moments to visit and my request was granted. I LOVE Harley!!! He is such a magnificent horse and it really made us sad to see him in such pain. He stood a while and let me pet him, all the while keeping weight off his rear right hoof due to a painful abscess. All of his beautiful leg hair that makes Clydesdale's so distinctive was shaved on all four legs, but it didn't matter!!! Harley is amazingly handsome despite his current condition. Get well buddy, I'm glad I got to see you!!! It was a great end to another fun visit!!! read more

Had a great experience here! We booked a 7:30am trail ride and got there early since they recommend getting there 30 minutes early. The girls were so nice chatting with my daughter before the ride it made the time fly by waiting. The ride itself was relaxing. The horses were all great so well behaved anyone can ride them! The ride was a relaxing walk through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Would highly recommend this the stables were beautiful, staff was friendly and the horses were absolutely perfect! read more

Our bigger kids loved the pony rides, although our little one was a little fearful. We do wish the pony rides were a bit longer. They really enjoyed the petting zoo, especially the goats! read more

Ok. I could not do a ride after looking at how these horses live. Not very well taken care of based on the fact they were standing in mud pasture area. I wish these places would take better care of their animals. read more

We had a wonderful trail ride with Eli and Chloe today at Lawton Stables. They were very attentive to riders of all skill levels and definitely kept us entertained on the ride! Would recommend to friends visiting the area and will definitely be back! read more

This was a fun experience for our toddler. They have a big horse and two ponies you can feed in the front. Then a few other animals in the petting zoo section--donkeys, cows, turtles, goats, and more. Just remember to bring some apples and carrots if you want to feed the horses. If you're in the area with kiddos, you should also check out the playground nearby. read more

The first thing I will say about Lawton Stables is that the facilities are absolutely gorgeous. It's easy to find, and easy to navigate. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful to us. If you are taking smaller children, the pony rides are ideal. Tiny little ponies that look like they wouldn't hurt a fly, and max speed of probably 3mph, hahaha. The rides aren't too long so it may seem expensive, but considering it's geared towards the average child and not your individual kid, that's probably a good thing because they're not likely to become overwhelmed or bored. Trail rides are also kind of pricey, but that is something that has happened across the board with regards to "tourist" stables. It doesn't matter if you're at the beach or in the mountains- you will have to sign paperwork to avoid lawsuits, pay increasingly high prices (mostly due to rising insurance cost I assume, since insurance reasons is the #1 reason given for stables NOT offering trail rides anymore), and have a pretty sedate, almost lackluster ride. The good thing about Lawton is that, while you're not having some rip-roaring adventure galloping along on horseback, you can take kids or complete novices because the ride is less about the horses, and more about enjoying the beautiful scenery and wildlife as you pass by. If you're just passing by on your way to Harbour Town, or don't have a lot of time, or maybe horses just aren't your thing, there is still a great petting zoo for the kids. It's free, well-maintained, and you can feed the animals. The highlight is definitely Callie the deer, who was apparently found abandoned as a fawn and raised at the stables. She is as tame as a pet and super sweet, but has her own area in the center of the petting zoo where she can retreat if the kids are getting to be too much (wild animals ARE unpredictable so I appreciated that). My kids had more fun at the petting zoo than anything, I think- and did I mention it's FREE?? Definitely a must-do for parents of young kids while vacationing on HHI. read more

Lawton Stables - Callie the deer. - Horse Boarding Near Me - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

This is a really nice Stables the horses are very well taken care of. The staff is just great friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. But if you're an experienced rider you will be board and disappointed, the groups are up to 16 with the most have no idea how to ride. Your made to stay in line with no deviation and there's always that person who can't control their horse irritating. They really need at least one ride a day for experienced riders. read more

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Got to the stables for the hour trail ride early as they state on their requirements that riders must get there 30 minutes before the scheduled ride or you will lose your payment of $75 per rider. With respect to their schedule we made sure we got there with time to spare. After about 10 other riders were on their horses the riders sat in line for about 15 mins.waiting for a family of 4 or 5. They arrived at about 5 mins. before the hour started and after they got their schooling on the horses the riders could go.So rude to the others. The horses looked tired and unkept. We will not recommend. read more

The horse trail ride at Lawton Stables was an enjoyable experience. I made an online reservation for three a couple weeks before our arrival on Hilton Head. A travel hiccup forced us to reschedule the morning of our scheduled ride; the Lawton staff happily accomodated the last minute change. The ride itself was great. We had perfect weather and the nature reserve is beautiful. I wish I recalled our trail guide's name (Wed, Apr 18 at 11 am) she was fantastic: engaging, knowledgeable, and friendly. Our horses were calm and behaved; I have very limited experience with horses and felt safe the entire time. I recommend this experience to add to your visit to Sea Pines on Hilton Head. Worth the money. read more