The trail is very beautiful and the place was well maintained! They ask you if you ever rode before. They just took out on the trail without a lesson. The staff were very friendly. read more

Clean facility. Gorgeous horses. Friendly staff. Our group outing to Lord Stirling Park Riding Stable was lovely! The weather was in the high 70's ... not too bad for us humans but the staff at LSP made sure their horses were sprayed down and wore a protective cover over their ears, eyes and head which I'm assuming is to keep them from getting burnt by the hot sun. This level of care of their horses is exactly the type of institution that I love to support. You can tell they love and understand their horses. The entire staff was engaging and a gentleman named Rodney was superb. He made our experience an amusing one with his knowledge of the horses and their personalities. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone! P.S. Got the pleasure of seeing what they called the "biggest horse" at the stable. His name is Norbit and he reminded me of one of the horses you in see in Budweiser commercial. Definitely a sight to see! read more

Lord Stirling Park Riding Stable - "The circle" - Horseback Riding Near Me - Basking Ridge, New Jersey

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I no longer ride here as I have outgrown the facility as a rider, but I still think it's the best place around for kids and timid adults to start their riding careers at. Their patient, safe horses are great for those just starting out or those who just want to enjoy riding horses for pleasure as a pastime. I outgrew the stable once I gained my confidence back after a very bad fall at another barn. This is a great barn to do this at as most of the instructors patient with timid riders and they even have special classes designed for them! This stable has wonderful community involvement as well and everyone there will always feel like family. LSS would not be for you if you are aiming toward horse ownership or would like to learn to train and show horses. Even though they have "advanced" levels, that should be taken lightly as the kind of instruction here will not make you into an advanced rider/trainer. Will it make you a good rider? Sure! You will have the experience of riding many different horses and ponies and that's invaluable. Also if you want to learn all around horsemanship like grooming, tacking, feeding, cleaning, bathing and ground work the opportunities here are few and far between, that's why I suggest that if you are really serious about horses and immersing yourself in them, then maybe you want to look elsewhere, but regardless this is a great place to start out! read more

Really like this place. Especially for the start of the season. Well organized friendly people, good lite eats .The park terrain is designed with the horse in mind. Perfect for the low intermediate to low advanced. I've done this pace twice and both times took second. This time I was particularly happy because I lead for the first time. The Set up was a lot of bending around turns w some hairpins ,some time for controlled canton and at times gallop. Loads of consistent jump design along the way. No place like it !!!! Private Horse Hunter Pace The Annual Spring Private Horse Hunter Pace will be held at Lord Stirling Stable on Sunday, April 24, 2016. Teams of two or three competitors will ride a well-marked course approximately 6 - 8 miles in length designed for those horses still being brought back into condition after their winter break. Thirty to 40 fences vary in height up to three feet. All jumps have ample room to go around for riders who prefer to stay on the flat, making the course very friendly to green horses. Western riders are encouraged to participate. The event includes five divisions: Open, Senior, Junior, Hilltopper, and Family. Ribbons are awarded to the six teams in each division that finish the course closest to the "ideal time" set by the Pace Team. Participants may register between 9am - 1pm. All riders must wear an ASTM/SEI approved equestrian helmet. There is ample parking for trailers. This event is co-sponsored by the Somerset County Park Commission and the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable read more

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Great horses and great staff. The staff truly cares about the horses and you must be able to ride English and at least perform a posting trot. No beginners are allowed to "hack" - rent a horse. If you weigh over 250 lbs don't even think about it. If it's over 90 degrees you must call ahead as the horses come first. Instructors are patient and great with beginners. Not for the advanced rider as you will easily surpass your instructor at the AAA level. Great pricing. Good horses and well kept stables. BEST SCENIC RIDING TRAILS in NJ. You get one hour, you will forget who you are. The trails are part of the Great Swamp, wildlife abounds and beautiful scenery will take your breath away. One of a kind. read more

Lord Stirling Stable has wonderful people, organizes nice events, but if you are looking to learn about REAL riding and horsemanship, this is not the place to go. At lessons, horses follow nose to tail, and the advanced groups? Honey, most of those people aren't even cantering controlled yet. When they are cantering (not learning to canter, but what they call cantering), the horse's head is to the outside, they are galloping up the long side, and nobody knows enough to know that that is extremely wrong, so when asked how the canter is, they say "good". And for god sakes, the horses are out in paddocks all day! After a lesson in the hot sun, there's no bath! They just put them back outside! If you want to really learn how to care for and ride your horse, don't go to lss. That's the best advice I can offer you. read more

This place is wonderful - a dream come true, really. I have a 4 year old girl who is super-obsessed with horses, which usually means $10 pony rides that you wait in a huge line to go around a small circle twice. The staff is SO friendly - I cannot stress this enough. Even the riders walking by are helpful and friendly. I called around to several places to get information on getting my daughter some riding time, and most people I spoke to didn't know the answers I needed. I had been promised call-backs, which took more than a day. Then I needed to make reservations, and there wasn't any availability for when I needed. When I called LSP, I got an answer right away, plus a ton more information! It was comforting right off the bat. Then we got there and I was so happy. read more

This is a wonderful riding school. You do not have to own a horse -- Lord Stirling Stable has awesome school horses. It's a great place to meet new friends, equine, human -- and canine. There are dog walks on Saturdays. Riding lessons are held during the day, in the evening and on Saturdays so chances are good that you will find a class you love. read more

You're stuck doing the same thing over and over again without progression. It's a waste of time and the instructors don't teach. If you want to learn to jump this place isn't the stable for you. You're stuck doing basic flatwork and no variety each lesson. read more

My three-year-old son and I were very well attended today. I took him for a walk using the lead line. $13 for a half hour, just the two of us walking around the ring. Our horse was named Jingle Bells, a bit unruly at times but manageable. The woman in the front office was very warm and accommodating, and patient fitting my son with his helmet. read more

I don't normally write reviews, but after a friend shared Mr. P's post I felt I had to respond. Mr. P does not know what he is talking about, but I do as I formerly competed successfully on the A circuit. This place is the best. I come here to ride now that I no longer have horses of my own. I am bringing my granddaughter here to ride too, to rebuild her confidence after an extremely negative and scary experience at another facility. That was my granddaughter he mentioned in his post at just her second attempt to canter. The Instructor was praising her because she finally had the courage to try. Her canter wasn't perfect or pretty, but she was safe. The horses are well trained and are taken good care of - every horse is groomed daily. Horses are supposed to be outside as much as possible - not stuck in a barn for hours on end. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and compassionate. Safety is their top priority. Is it a fancy competitive show barn - no, it is a county owned and operated facility that serves the purpose of affording the general public a safe place where they can come and learn the basics about horses. If Mr. P is the same person I am thinking he is, I was there when he came to ride while his friends watched from the indoor arena viewing room. He apparently didn't tell the truth to the office staff when he rented the horse. The ring watcher made him get off the horse when it was obvious to everyone in the ring that he didn't know what he was doing and was a safety threat to everyone else. He was trying to unsuccessfully show off to his friends. When he was told he could not continue to ride he was given his money back. I applaud Lord Stirling for taking safety and the welfare of their other riders and horses over making money. read more

I took my children here on a Saturday afternoon and had a great experience. The staff was welcoming and patient as we don't have much experience horseback riding. The prices were also more reasonable than I was expecting. I plan on coming back with the kids soon. read more

Lord Stirling Stables is the least expensive riding stables near me. The horses vary from level to level, but i am always satisfied in each lesson. As you get through each session of riding, (a total of ten weeks) the teacher will decide if you are good enough to pass on to the next level. Most kids spend 2-4 seasons in each level. The teachers are mostly great, although i have picked out my favorites! Some teachers are more challenging then others. this stables offers a variety of horses, abilities, ages, and teachers. The levels start from beginner 1 (D-1) and go to The C's then the B's then end with the A's. The last level that lord Stirling offers is AAA, or A-3. In each individual level, the teacher addresses what you need to work on, and somehow mixes it in to the lesson. The stables only allows kids that are 8+, and only offers the style of English riding. I have been going there since I was 8, and have been loving it forever. If you love great horses, trails, and prices, give Lord Stirling Stables a try! read more