My daughter has been riding at Sun Fire Stables for 3 years. We approached during COVID looking…read morefor something outdoors, physical, and safe. We found a new home. My daughter rides consistently and the prices are so affordable that I don't mind. She is being taught everything from grooming and tacking and riding to cleaning up, personal responsibility, safety, and riding etiquette. Every lesson is different. There are different types available for riders of different skill level, type, age, and approach. The stable owner and trainer is hands on, patient, funny and so respectful. I am just never anything but impressed with her and the team of workers and volunteers that help her out (including Husband Dean). We had our first birthday party there this year and it put things just up and over the top. I had to do a review. I cannot recommend this place any higher. Its a home away from home. 5 stars and beyond.

From the owner: Professional, knowledgeable, comfortable, family friendly, safety-conscious equine facility…read moreoffering recreational riding lessons for ages 6 and older for all levels and disciplines of riders since 2003. Our facility has indoor & outdoor arenas as well as wooded trails & bridle paths. On-facility fun shows are offered as well as the ability to join the SFS show team that travels to local open horse shows. Jennifer, owner & instructor has an Associate degree in Equine Management, WHC, AQHA, APHA, member and is a certified ARIA instructor for over 20 years with focus on practical, considerate and safe horsemanship. Youth Day Camp is celebrating it 20th anniversary in 2023 & is offered June- August. Leasing is available to students who have ascended in the lesson program and are ready for the next level in their horsemanship. SFS is a one of a kind Equine facility!

wonderful atmosphere and the people managing the barn are very friendly. They show both western and…read moreenglish and are very involved in showing horses. 10/10 would recommend this barn to anyone that likes riding and a great barn family

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.

The website does not currently work. I would love to change this review once the site stops…read morephishing/ pretending to have hacked my phone or sends me to a gene therapy website. I believe you need to supply a new link. Please fix asap.

From the owner: Two Hearts Equestrian Center is the Premier boarding and training facility located in Cambridge,…read moreWI. Servicing all of Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and other surrounding area's. We have multiple options for Boarding and treat every horse as our own. We supply the highest quality hay and grain. We work closely with an equine nutritionist and establish a unique feeding routine for each horse. We also offer: - Heated and Unheated stall board options - Daily turn out in small herds - Heated viewing lounge with restroom - Wash stall with hot and cold water - 80x200 outdoor arena - 60x160 indoor arena - 2 round pens - Tack rooms in each barn - Automatic waterers in pastures and heated barn Training: We work with all breeds and all ages of horses. And specialize in starting young horses and working with problem horses. We put a solid foundation on every horse that we work with. We focus on giving each horse the building blocks that they will take with them their entire lives and that will easily carry over to any discipline that they choose to continue onto. We strive to give each horse the confidence they need to succeed, and believe in a strong partnership between horse and rider. We evaluate and work with every horse in a manner that is best for them and build the training program around each specific horse, not force the horse to mold to a specific training program. Two trainers on site and have extensive experience in multiple disciplines including dressage, hunter jumper,

I bought my granddaughter a horse experience for Christmas and they were so nice and accommodating…read more It's a beautiful farm!!!

My daughter has been riding at Knollwood Farm since she turned 4 years old, which makes 7 years…read morenow! Many of you probably think it was stupid to put a 4 year old on a big horse and so did I. However I'm a softy for the tears and she was in love with horses so I took her there expecting a lesson or two and we would be done. WRONG! The professionalism of the trainers, the huge selection of school horses (I think about 28) and the eye on safety over hurt feelings really set them apart from all others. As far as the selection of horses, they start with Willie, "The Golden Sofa". Willie is the wonderful starter horse that knows what he is to do and gently carries the youngest to oldest beginners around the arena so they can get their first feel of the saddle without fear. Once when he was carrying a little girl, she lost her balance and started to slip off, before she fell, he simply stopped where he was and allowed the trainer to help her back up onto the saddle. He made it much more comfortable for my 4 year old to learn to ride (and for my nerves). For the most experienced riders there is Baxter, Hooper, Reggie and Merlin,. These are the real (academy) show horses and a thrill for those who get to ride them. My daughter has worked her way up from Willie through all the horses to Merlin and loves every minute of it. Safety. This is the main reason why we have remained at Knollwood for so long. The safety of my child means more to me than any stupid ribbon, a trophy or even her hurt feelings! Her first few times in the show ring off lead line, she rode an old pony named KC. She had rode several bigger better horses including Saddlebreds, but for safety, "bomb proof" KC was brought to the show just for her. Riding as a 4 year old she RODE THAT PONY and won her class against older kids (many over-mounted and unsafe) riding the prettier Saddlebreds. She went on to a fourth place finish in the championship against kids up to more than twice her age. At shows, I have witnessed kids, from other barns, so over-mounted (horse that is too powerful and beyond the kids abilities) getting run off with, falls and flopping around like a rag doll in the saddle. I even saw a little lead line girl get bucked off and stepped on. SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY. Some barns don't want their kids to wear helmets! They think that in a show they will be judged poorly for the helmet even though it is not to be part of the judging. Ribbons before safety, that's plain STUPID! Finally, in a lesson, if your kid is doing something that will get them hurt, it will be pointed out. If they ignore the instructor it will continue to get sterner. If they cry, the warnings continue over the tears, because the hurt feelings heal easier than bones. After so many years around Knollwood, I could go on and on (more than I already have). Another very important thing about Knollwood is rider participation in caring for the horses. Many kids and adults volunteer as helpers at the barn, they tack, groom, feed and cleanup after the horses. They help other riders and teach other riders about caring for the horses. My daughter was taught how to groom and tack at about 5 years old. If a horse poops, some kid is going to grab a rake-like thing to pick it up and put it in a muck bucket. I started writing this review after reading someone else's review of another barn far away, where she stated that their barn smelled, the horses were not groomed etc. etc. All I could think was, that this Little Princess would die at Knollwood because SHE would learn to care for the horses that she rides. Caring for the animals that work for THEM has countless positive impacts on a child's life. If you're looking for a pony ride, take your kid to the zoo. If you want a safe place for them to learn to ride and the responsibility of caring for the animal, I highly recommend Knollwood.

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!

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