Liberty Stables is an absolute disaster. The owner is awful to work with, and has been involved in…read moremore lawsuits than I can count. I watched around a dozen staff members turn over in less than a year's time due to not being paid by Mandy, so there was no consistency in the care of horses, or instruction of riders. They also have a skinny horse problem for sure - none of the horses were at an ideal weight that I saw, and many were horribly trained to top it all off. I've been a life-long rider, and I signed my daughter up for "horsemanship" lesson to get her involved. Every lesson horse was lame at one point or another over the course of the 10 weeks. I have personally been at many barns over the years, and have never seen lameness and injury issues like this. For several of my daughter's lessons they didn't have enough safe, un-injured horses for the students to ride that, so they put her on an advanced horse that was FAR too much for her to handle - I was very concerned, and we have not ridden there since. The instructors for their "horsemanship" classes are well-meaning, but hardly the professionals that are advertised - they are just boarders with, at best, intermediate riding skills, and many of them are other children! Hardly worth the nearly $400 to put my child on an unsafe horse with mediocre instruction. Finally, the facilities are a mess. The "paddocks" are complete mud pits that Mandy refuses to invest in fixing. The pastures are over-grazed, and fencing is falling down - I saw several broken gates during our time there. The indoor arena has VERY minimal footing that I saw several horses slip on, and the outdoor is literally built on a hill. The stalls in the lower barn are depressingly small, and they had 1-2 horses in them that just simply did not fit - they could barely turn around appropriately, and were asking for injury if they tried to lay down. AVOID. Go literally anywhere else. There are amazing barns and amazing trainers in the Madison area that actually care for their hard-working horses.

As an adult who is just learning, the horsemanship class has been great to learn to ride, but also…read morelearn to groom, tack-up and care for horses. After talking with some of the parents of the children in the course before mine, it sounds like the youth horsemanship courses are just as good. I am about half way through the session, and I have improved so much. Friendly, personable, and knowledgeable staff are very flexible and adjust the course material to both the horse and the rider. Miriam has been an absolutely fantastic instructor. They take the time to try and pair you with a horse that you will really connect with. Every horse I have worked with has been very gentle and safe. The barn has a port-a-potty instead of a bathroom with running water, but it is well taken care of and fairly clean. I thought I would just take one session of classes, but I am definitely going to sign up for more!

I've taken my oldest grandson for one stable tour and two lessons; his two younger siblings just…read moretook their first tour and I'll be getting some lessons for them as well. By the end of our tour, our very reluctant granddaughter was feeling comfortable around horses and ready to try an actual ride. You can just feel the energy in the barn! Every visit has been informative, inclusive, and fun. Neva and all of the staff are knowledgeable, helpful, and eager to introduce you to the world of saddlebred horses. LaFleur has a variety of excellent programs that teach you all the different aspects of horse care and riding, and they are ready to work with both casual and competitive riders.

My daughter has been coming here 4 or 5 years now weekly. She loves her lessons, the horses, the…read morestable and her coaches. She has learned so much and has gained a confidence both on the horses and in life. There is no where she is happier than at La Fleur's. She's attended the day camps in the past and is now a camp counselor. Those camps allowed her to gain an understanding of the care and keeping or a horse, the responsibility that goes with it and so much additional one on one with the horses that the lessons just don't have time for. It's also fun to hear her talk about what they do for fun like horse weddings or scavenger hunts, getting the minis out with the carts.. I recommend anyone serious about horses to go to LaFleur Stables. I have included pictures of her from the recent stable show as well as her first lesson.

Pam and Phil are the best. I have been a client here for a little over a year now and have had…read morenothing but positive experiences. They put a lot of care into all the horses there. This is a hunter/jumper barn with a great lesson program. Private lessons are offered for all skill levels - beginner (never been on a horse) to advanced. They have ponies for small riders and beginner-safe horses. You don't need to have any of your own equipment, as everything is provided. Currently, I'm leasing a 16.3hh thoroughbred. I love him! This is just one of the many opportunities here for advancing your riding skills. I've been riding for 13 years now, and still have much more to work on. Pam is really great about finding local clinics to go to or even just for fun horse-related events in the area. In the past year, I've done the Racine Pony Club Hunter Pace and a Brad Hall clinic. We also go to the IronWorks schooling shows regularly. Meinpferde Farm is super laid back, which I love. Even though the trainers are primarily focus on hunter/jumper training, they welcome boarders of all disciplines. It's a very welcoming place. There's also a large hunt field in the back, where sometimes we ride. There are jumps set up there too, so it's super fun! In addition to lessons and boarding, they have a breeding program. It's a great place to go pony shopping! Their horses are very sweet and eager to learn.

Best boarding facility I've ever boarded at. I've been back and fourth from the area over the last…read more10 years and Steph and Matt have always taken great care of my horses and provided a fantastic environment and community to be a part of. Top notch! Couldn't recommend them enough. Great for lessons and summer kids camps too!

Friendly atmosphere and great lesson horses. All equipment provided, too!read more

Pros: owners live on-site, repairs generally done in a timely manner, water containers heated in…read morewinter, good ventilation Cons: piles of stuff everywhere (arena, pastures, along trail), UNcomposted manure is regularly spread on pastures, incredibly overcrowded, horses only get actual pasture every 3 days and stand in small mud/manure paddocks otherwise, arena has never had good footing or been properly maintained for dust, rusty metal considered decorative, water containers and buckets dirty, no outdoor arena, trails very limited, hay is poor quality, several horses seen nibbling manure, located along a busy road Maybe ok for a beginner, absentee owner, or a horse that can't be on pasture. Otherwise, look elsewhere for a much more comfortable environment and you'll get much more out of your horse.

I give this business one star. Went and looked at the place and just didn't like…read moreWhat I saw. Really no place to ride outside unless you want to ride right pass the road. The path is less than 100 feet from The road. That's like my only complaint from going to see the place but there are more reviews from some other places and I wouldn't have looked if I read them first.

We really enjoyed our trail ride here!…read more I think the very few more negative reviews are a little overly critical. Yes there is only a port-a-potty and hand sanitizer/water jug situation for washing your hands but... it's a farm. I'm not sure what else is expected. The port-a-potty was in totally acceptable condition for what it was. We did wait quite a while to get on our horses and get going, but we got the treats for the horses (+$10) and really enjoyed just watching the work being done there and petting the dogs and cats and feeding the horses. For us, this waiting portion was a really enjoyable part of our time there! I think it's a matter of your perspective and what experience you're hoping to have. The guides were great with our 6 year old daughter, who wanted to ride her own horse but was nervous about having to control it. She got a very docile horse and the guide was very kind leading her the entire time. The trail was beautiful and the guides were very friendly and kind. They are no-nonsense in some ways but I think that's required! I didn't think I was going to convince our daughter to leave at the end, she was so attached to her horse and all the dogs running around. Overall a great experience and would highly recommend.

Best horseback riding around, hands down. They are consistently top notch - they care about the…read morecustomer, and care very much about their horses - they match riders with horse's temperaments very well. We have gone for 10 years running now, and never had a less than stellar experience.

My daughter and I booked a 1.5 hour long trail ride with Wild 3L Ranch and loved it. It set a high…read morebar for all future trail rides and I expect we will be driving up from Chicago specifically to ride with them again. Lisa and Taylor who were guides on our ride were friendly, helpful and very encouraging. Most trail rides are a simple walk through the woods. With Wild 3L Ranch they work with you to do more if you prefer and if you are ready. We enjoyed trotting and cantering with our horses. I highly recommend a ride with Wild 3L Ranch.

They were super friendly and knowledgeable playing trivia and horse games it was a great timeread more

My mother had never rode a horse and she wanted to check it off her bucket list. Canyon Creek…read moreRiding Stable was the closest horseback riding activity near our hotel. Initially you pay and sign waivers at a small building and the actual stable where you ride the horses is right across the street. I paid a little over $50 for the both of us, at the stable you walk onto a tall platform where the employees walk a horse up to you and you get on. My mother got a horse named Pepper and I got a horse named Scrappy (his name is quite suiting). This experience reminded me of why I don't like riding horses and why I hope to never ride one again. Although, they are beautiful and majestic Mr. Scrappy made it very clear that he was the one in charge lol. Despite my efforts to steer him with the reins, Scrappy was in his own little world. He would sometimes stop in the middle of the trail and when I gently kicked his side he just looked at me like I was stupid from his peripheral, he would turn completely around and just stand still facing away from the rest of the group, he would leave the single file line to grab a little snack (the surrounding plants), and he kept invading Pepper's personal space by walking too closely behind him/her. Scrappy was beautiful but he terrified me lol. (Obviously, the staff can't control the horse's behavior, this portion of the review is not reflected in the rating). The trail was beautiful and we even got the opportunity to see some deer. I agree with previous reviews about the animatronics being too much or a little tacky. I just think they're unnecessary, the trail is beautiful in itself, no need for the extra props. I definitely feel like you get your money's worth, the ride last about an hour, no exaggeration. Unfortunately for me I was ready to get off Scrappy 15 mins into the walk lol. I've seen some reviews complaining about the staff not being friendly, I have to disagree. I never felt like the staff was being rude. However, some Horses did have a bad cough including Scrappy (for the first portion of the trail), additionally the staff is really strict about taking pictures, I'm not sure why. It's unfortunate I couldn't take pictures of Scrappy or the trail. After Horseback riding you have the opportunity to checkout the petting zoo. They recommend you go to the petting zoo after riding with the horses because apparently the horses don't like the smell of the other animals (which mostly consist of goats and I saw 1 donkey). All in all Canyon Creek is really good for beginner riders and first timers. Staff is friendly, and the trail is pretty. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

This was one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. The staff was rude,…read moreunwelcoming, and made us feel like we were an inconvenience from the moment we arrived. The older woman working at the front desk was especially unfriendly and came across as mean and dismissive. A front desk employee sets the tone for the entire experience, and unfortunately she did the opposite. If this stable wants to improve its reputation, it should seriously reconsider who represents the business at the front desk. We came expecting a fun experience and left feeling disappointed. I would not recommend this place based on how we were treated. Oh and someone ahead of us go extremely hurt and the ambulance should up to rescue the rider.

Our daughter has taken lessons at 3 locations in the Dane county area and Wingait has been the most…read morecomprehensive by far. She has progressed further this year than she had in 4 years previous, and she enjoys her time with Anita, Jeff and Carmen. The cost is comparable, but we feel she gets higher quality lessons and time at Wingait