Five stars for the horseback ride, but negative stars for the guide's political comments. I'm all…read morefor freedom of speech, but I also believe in good customer service. It's so hard to escape from politics in this country right now, although I was naively hoping that I could try to cordon myself off with a relaxing mountain trip. That's what I paid for when I signed up for a two hour horseback ride through the woods, but that's not what I received. I genuinely believe that people should feel free to express their views, and despite my whining here, I actually (mostly) agreed with the guide. There's a right time and place, however. That said, if this wouldn't bother you, it is truly a five star horseback ride.

Visited Autumn Breeze Stables in September 2023 and what a great experience. Their horses are…read moregorgeous. I rode Lacey a beautiful horse and very responsive. Caroline was a great guide! Had a wonderful 2 hour trail ride with beautiful scenery! I would highly recommend!

I worked for Mike in Crozet and Raphine. He surrended the horses after neglecting them all winter…read more All horses went 6 months without getting their feet done. They went days without food or water. I lived on the propriety and was banned from going near the horses. He was banned from using the trails so he took customers down a busy road that was hard gravel with no guard rails and steep drop offs. I watched my heart horse lose over 200 lbs and became skin and bones. He surrendered them to Hopes legacy and two horses were immediately euthanized due to neglect and severe arthritis and navicular disease. He took the horses off their arthritis meds bc he had no money. He would beat the horses and scream at them. Please stop supporting the trail riding business.

I got this horse ride as a present for my husband birthday! He never rode a horse before and always…read morewanted, there are a lot of horse riding experiences around but this one stands out! If you want real people that care and love their horses and are just absolutely sweet, carrying and kind- Morning star is a place for you. Starting with stunning views that you can enjoy on a slow and fun ride while Mike is telling you a history of a land and a house, continuing with him showing spectacularly beautiful barn that he rebuilt himself and can be used as a beautiful wedding venue! For me what speaks volumes is that I had unpleasant experience once with a horse long time ago and was very worried going into this ride but Kathleen literally hold my hand for a bit in the beginning and Mike was nothing but considerate and supportive during the whole ride, he helped me battle my fears and was nothing but patient and kind towards me. I would recommend this treat for everyone, thank you, guys

Jeannette was our trail leader. My wife had never ridden a horse before, so it was surely going to…read morebe an adventure! Jeannette both exhibited and explained in short, precise detail on how to get on the horse properly, how to manage the horse while riding, and more. We had Schuyler and Scout, both very good horses. The ride took us through a couple of stream crossings, through lovely forest and meadow as well. It was very enjoyable. The horses seemed to be taken care of very well.

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my husband and I booked a trail ride. I appreciate that our…read moreguide gave us information on our horses first (as I am quite new to horseback riding) as well as only booked us for the appointment. It was a very intimate and beautiful highlight of our trip. We will be back!

What an amazing weekend!! Im not sure there are enough words to properly explain how much fun this…read moretrip was and how amazing Dwight, Jennifer, and Eliza were. From the very first moment when I accidentally parked in Dwight's driveway instead of the bunk house to our bittersweet goodbye there genuinely was not a single bad moment during our cowgirl weekend! They went above and beyond to make sure we all had a great time and by the time we were saying goodbye it felt like leaving a family reunion rather than saying goodbye to people we met 2 days prior. I came into this weekend with 0 horse experience, I'd never even pet one but Dwight knew exactly which of his amazing horses to pair me with for my ride (shoutout to Little Bear) and Eliza coached us throughout the ride on how to navigate seating positions so that I knew how to keep my balance and position on the terrain. When we weren't riding we had amazing meals that Jennifer brought and set up for us in the bunk house, starting a campfire for us, and making sure we had everything we needed to have the perfect night! I left the weekend ready to come back and do it all again (and I will be coming back)!!

Extremely rude, disorganized, shocking experience. I really…read moretry not to leave bad reviews but I am shocked at how my dad and I were treated for horseback riding. I had purchased 3 gift certificates from Dwight last June. We weren't able to book last year and after winter I tried several times to get a hold of him to book the half day rides we had purchased. I eventually had to get in touch with them through Facebook messenger. We booked for April 25 at 8:45. We were about to head to the trail and another group drove up and they had also been booked for 9:30. Dwight had overbooked not remembering. They also had a wedding that evening. I understand mistakes are made and everyone is human. However, Dwight proceeded to be extremely rude telling us we had to wait over an hour for them to saddle up four more horses. We were expecting storms that afternoon, that Dwight had called me twice about concerned for the weather that day. We also had paid for 3 people which Dwight had initially said that would guarantee us our own time and private ride. He snapped out me saying no I was mistaken we would have paid $500 for a private ride. I asked him to not speak to me or my father that way and he yelled at me to get off his land and he would refund me. This was so shocking. He knew I had gotten this horseback riding trip for my dad because my mom passed away two years ago in April. I was extremely upset and he wrote me a check for a refund which ended up being $495. I would have paid the extra $5 if that would have actually gotten us a private ride. He was so unbelievably rude we couldn't believe it. I advise to never work with Dwight. The girls that were the trail guides were very nice.

The trail ride was great, we rode through fields, through two creeks and woods, very nice trails,…read morethe horses were good, it was most enjoyable and well worth it. You don't need any experience as a rider.

Took our two kids on a lovely ride at Star B. Abby our trail guide was incredible, the horses were…read morehappy sillies and the setting and trails are world class. Best day trip we took on our corona "staycation". You get more time than they promise, you cross a good sized creek, you ascend alongside truly breathtaking ravines and get blasted by the beautiful Virginia scenery. We're definitely coming back.....

wow! what a terrific ride!…read more At the start, the guide demo'ed and had us try some fundamental riding techniques to make the ride safe and comfortable, and then led us on a 2+ hour trail ride suited to our interests and skill levels. She periodically asked about our comfort levels and what we wanted us to see, while pointing out things about the environment (such as a bear scrape on a tree). The trails were well-maintained, the views gorgeous and -- most importantly -- the horses seem contented, healthy and well cared for. Hoss and Charger were lovely horses and gentle for us beginners to ride. All in all, a fantastic and fun outing and a great way to experience time with beautiful horses in beautiful surroundings.

Great experience! Mimi and Lilly were awesome. The horses and ride are amazing. The mountain…read moreviews were lovely. This is a must do!

My husband and I had such a great time doing the vineyard trail ride. It was an absolutely…read morebeautiful view and with such amazing horses. They all had their own goofy personality and it was all around just really enjoyable. Anna, the trail guide, was amazing, knowledgeable, and very kind.

The whole crew and horses were amazing out there we road for two hours and it was the best time of…read moreour lives .

awesome experience! everyone is great. highly recommend! went for a trail ride. guides are very…read moreexperienced

Do not board your horse here…read more Poor pasture and forage. Hay is absolute shit, often riddled with weedy invasives that the horses won't touch--in some cases partially rotted bales are brought out to boarding horses. Pastures are flooded with buttercups in the spring, indicating acidic soil about which nothing has been done in at least two seasons. Fields are being taken over by prickly amaranth and other invasives. Run-in sheds are collapsing and in some cases dangerous. Post-Helene, fences stayed down--with wire all over the field--for well over a month. Overall conditions for horses are poor and less than safe. Poor fencing that is aged and badly in need of replacement. Very often horses are forced to be in standing water and mud. There's a reason field board is so cheap here relative to other farms with better accommodation. Farm is under resourced and the land owner is not a fair employer. Underpaid hands and poor working/living conditions. Do not board your horse here.

Mechum View Farm is a fabulous place to board and ride your horse…read more If you don't have a horse, you can join the rideshare program and use one of the wonderful horses on the farm. There are lots of trails to ride and beautiful open fields for troting and cantering.