Great facility. I will definitely be back there looking to board my horses if I'm down in the area.

Negative reviews from before the change of ownership have dragged down their rating. Emily is wonderful, as are the other trainers. My daughter rides here, and she loves this place very much. I've watched her ride before and seen the horses. They are well-behaved and cared for. She always comes home with a smile on her face after coming from Mt Miguel Equestrian Center. read more

Incredible family style facility. The young and the not so young all embrace the environment. It's rustic and casual looking but don't be fooled the lessons and training are the best barr non. It's a welcoming happy atmosphere for all ages and stages of horse loving people with fantastic holiday camps for kids that book up quickly! read more

I took lessons here for a few years. They're okay. Nothing to write home about, but they're better than most other horse ranches I've been to. First off, the trainer I spent most of my time with, Laura, treated me very well. Differently than most other horse people I've interacted with. Very easy going and good-natured overall. Emily, on the other hand, was nothing but condescending to me. Would not recommend. Unfortunately, Laura is retired now. The facility is okay, but it's very barren. It feels more like you are in the middle of the Sahara than on an actual horse ranch. Sand sand sand as far as the eye can see. I suppose that's okay if you're used to deadly heat and areas where nothing grows, but it's not my style. (Now if only I could go to Sweetwater Farms, I'd have it made... That's one place that is much more well-irrigated!) read more

My both kids like to horse riding, my boy 10 years old, my daughter 9 years old ... they are riding the horse almost 2 years . The instructor very nice , the farm very big and clean . read more

Emily is nothing short of amazing! She is so patient and is so intuitive in ways of improving form and bonding with the horse. The facility isn't too far from everything, just time enough for a few errands. The horses mostly seem to be off track racers in great health with good dispositions. I would love to live in this area, so peaceful! read more

Mt Miguel Equestrian Center - Horse Boarding Near Me - Bonita, California

See all

Hello all! I just wanted to tell you about a wonderful experience here today. I called ahead of time to ask if they had any horse poop that they could either sell me or give it to me for free. The girl on the phone was extremely friendly and advised me that YES we could come during opening hours. We drove down there and found a lovely place! They have many horses that they do boarder care for and the horses are beautiful and well taken care of. They have a volunteer program for people to come down and brush the horses and if you are knowledgeable maybe even turn them out (Take them to the coral and walk them out for exercise). Athena was the first impression of this establishment. I advised her that we were there to get Poop. She giggled and then directed us toward where we should go. Athena changed her mind and walked us over to where it was. That was nice because it was a little bit far away. While we were walking we asked if there were a possibility of the Grand babies petting a horse. She said "Absolutely" and walked us over to Her horse and allowed the babies to pet her horse. My Grands were so excited and afraid at the same time that they might have pooped on themselves. The horses were clearly very happy here. Prior to leaving a customer name Emily (At least that is what I think her name was) started chatting us up. She advised us of the different programs that they have here including the volunteer stuff I mentioned above. Including riding lessons and teenage volunteers. Turns out that the great customer service girl was only 14 years old. AMAZING! If you have a horse that needs to be boarded this is a great place for you. I also learned about another amazing experience. Did you know that you can lease a horse? IE: If a person boards their horse there and are unable to brush or walk their horses frequently you can lease them. According to my understanding it is an individual contract with the owners of the horse. You go and brush, groom (if you have the skill) and ride the horse along with possible re-shoeing fees and pay a monthly fee toward their boarding to have an unmentioned un-contractual ownership of the horse. I will be coming back to volunteer to help take care of them just because I have already found a kinship with several of the horses. Funny how animals make you fall in love at first sight! I want my grands to take lessons and I will update you on that part later. PS: I love this place! read more

See all

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP! Mt. Miguel Equestrian Center has been under new ownership since September 1st of 2017. Same great facility with amazing people. It is my home away from home and I love being there with everyone. We now have 1 large arena, 1 small arena and 1 large round pen, as well as access to great trails. I've been riding here since Oct 2016 and moved my horse from NorCal to Mt. Miguel Equestrian Center this past August and could not be happier with my decision. My horse has never been happier and our training has improved so much. read more

Review part 2. I was Fuming. Monday evening after work I confronted Emily trying not to display my displeasure. I specifically ask her what days she was training my horse. She said it changed frequently. I rephrased to what days last week. She said she thinks it was Tuesday and Thursday. I ask her if she was able to find additional leasers. She said she had some people show interest but nothing yet. I asked how many times current leaser worked with my horse the previous week. She stated she was sure it was only 2 times. I observed her interacting with the Leaser 5 days that week. My composure must have changed because she quickly ask me if something was wrong. I let it go on everything I observed in the week I was watching. But she had a rebuttal to everything. She couldn't personally ride my horse that week so she had leaser give him training but that was the first time. The 2 other girls were contemplating leasing a she gave the a week to try my horse out before signing a lease. All of it was a lie. I ask for a refund for boarding and training since I'd paid for the up coming month the previous week and that month hadn't started yet but we would keep my daughter in lessons. I'd have my horse moved before the Start of the month. She said there is a no refund policy. So I was stuck there another month. What was even worse was Wednesday my wife came home after my daughters lesson and asked if I had some cash. She Emily asked for money for my daughters lesson. I told her I had been paying for her lessons as part of a package deal. My wife said Emily told her a few months before she would give a 10% discount for my daughters lessons if she paid cash. We looked and for the 3 previous months and now the 4th month Emily was getting paid twice. The following day I went to ask about this and at first she said my wife didn't pay the previous day. When I showed her that receipt and the 3 previous months of receipts she said it must have been a small error or oversight. I have to give credit, great business model except how sustainable is your business when you screw people over. Recap. 1.) Charge each parent for lessons separately until they catch it. 2.) Charge horse owner boarding. 3.) Charge horse owner for training but have inexperienced person conduct the training. 4.) Make the owner feel good by getting them 1 lease but in the background have 2 other side leases going on but not giving that money to the owner. 5.) Charge a person for lessons and talk them into a lease so they can always work with the same Horse. Make them feel good because they lease for 2 days pay for 5 days of lessons but get to ride 6 days a week. So she makes money on the boarding, horse training, the leasing, lessons. Paid twice from owner, twice from Leaser, and has side leases she doesn't tell the horse owner about. read more

There are many boarding faculties my horse Cody has been to in the past 11 years that I've owned him and have been unhappy with about 70% of them. Mt Miguel Equestrain Center is surly not one of them. I have been boarding him here for a few years now and my horse and I have been truly happy! Judy the owner of this barn is professional, knowledgeable and takes pride with passion in her business and her clients (horses) She takes the time to walk around grounds and checks on all the horses just to make sure everyone is doing AOK, especially during hot seasons. She will also help out financially during vet clinics if something comes up unexpectedly with your horse. I have never had feeding or cleaning issues. My horses stall is ALWAYS clean with consistent workers. My boys gets nervous and upset when A barn is forever changing hands. Anytime I've ever needed anything fixed it is done immediately My boy Cody also participated in the training. Emily is his trainer and we love her! She steps out of the box to help or answer questions you may have pertaining training with your horse or yourself. She is kind and loves her horse family. She owns many lessons horses to accommodate all needs. Whether you're into Hunter Jumper, Huntseat or Western she has it! Don't worry about your training level, Emily concours all. The arena is huge so there is always room to ride even during lessons or kids camp! This barn has truly been a great experience for Cody and I and i'm proud to say we've been a part of this faculty. Cody and I will be soon moving and this saddens me and hope and pray that our new location will be half as good as this barn has been. If not we will be back! Cody and I wish you all the best in life and we give big thanks to Judy, her team and Emily for caring for us when we needed you!!! God bless you all. read more

Mt Miguel Equestrian Center - Horse Boarding Near Me - Bonita, California

I have nothing but the best things to say about this facility! It is professionally run and kept immaculate at all times! The staff is caring and takes amazing care of all of the horses there! The owners are great make sure that you feel welcome at all times! read more

I have had the pleasure to not only board my horse at this facility, but also receive lessons from its new owner and head trainer, Emily Ruocco. Her background in the horse world is extensive, and she even helped me achieve my goals in competing in the Greater San Diego Circuit. Plus, she taught me how to truly train a horse; I have never heard such accurate insight about the horses' mind until I met her. Her lessons can be exciting and challenging, but the barn still has a laid back and family-like attitude. Every day I see the ranch hands focusing on a new project to update the facility, and if it rains, they are working hard to drain the arenas. More than once the team has been attentive when it came to my horses health. If they aren't the ones to call me when something is wrong with my horse, another boarder will; 24/7 care and safety. Great place to take lessons for beginners, great place to take lessons if you're competitive. Love this facility. (Plus, I recently received a job at the UC Davis Equestrian Center and was quickly promoted after only a few weeks of work. They were pleasantly surprised with my horse knowledge, leadership skills, and tenacity to be responsible. I learned this all from Ruocco Equestrian Training. Every time I visit Mount Miguel I see children learning these same qualities. Riders that join Emily Ruocco's program advance in the equestrian world, but also in the real world too.) read more

I would not recommend Mt. Miguel Equestrian Center to anyone who truly cares about the well being of their horse(s). The entire facility is crowded with way too many horses on property (60+ on 5 acres). There are a lot of skinny and neglected horses that stand in muddy corrals for weeks. One horse continuously had open bleeding sores with no medical treatment. The arena sometimes has upwards of 20 people riding in it at a time, toddlers, jumpers and lessons being conducted all at the same time. The footing throughout the facility is horrible - verified by not only my farrier but also by my veterinarian! The barn manager is extremely rude, unprofessional and has poor business ethics and will nickel and dime you for every "service" - down to the exact penny. There are two "trainers" on site. One solely gives lessons and no longer trains horses, the other has no idea what she is doing and puts people and horses at RISK. Do your research and avoid this place. read more

Very good place to learn how to ride a horse. Highly recommend it to anyone interested!

I love Mt. Miguel Equestrian Center! Have had my horses boarded there for years! The only skinny horses are the ones coming in from other ranches. Owner and staff bend over backwards to make sure my needs and those of my horses are met. Mt. Miguel is full of people who love their horses. That makes the center busy and fun and I have lots of friends there. I've personally known the barn manager/owner for over 40 years and she is educated, professional, has a strong ethical compass, is passionate about safety/rules/regulations and following the law. read more

I just came on to write a review and saw Linda F review dated 11/8/13. Athena is my daughter we have been riding with Emily for over 4 years, Emily is one of the trainers at the facility and my daughter has been working with her for the past 3 years, and it was with much sadness that we had to make the decision to move our horse and leave Emily. After trying to work with the owner/manager to make improvements on the arena, we made the decision to move to a facility that has adequate footing so that we can do what we enjoy with our horse and not worry about them getting injured. I gave my 30 day notice and planned on leaving as difficult as it was to leave Emily, as well as other good people who board at the barn. Athena was going to continue working with Emily until she and myself were told we could no longer come back. Judy the owner/manager in my opinion is dishonest, unfriendly and does not know how to give good customer service or run a business. My daughter is none of these things and I am not surprised Linda had such a wonderful experience with her. However she does not represent what you would get if you were dealing with the owner/manger at Mt. Miguel. read more

Clearly the one reveiwer has an axe to grind, and is NOT a true yelper!!!! Most probably "Bully" is an unethical competitor. People with less than 25 reviews I don't take seriously! We keep our horse here, she is not a competition horse, more of a pet with an extreme pedigree! The paddocks are cleaned daily, the hay is of good quality and the rates are reasonable. They have 3 round pens, tilled daily, and a large riding arena. The footing is not bad, it does get dusty though. This is home to many young riders who want to simply enjoy their mounts in a friendly setting, it is not a competive show barn, though each have their places within the equestrian community! Perhaps horses at MMEC may have more leg wrappings/problems or vet visits as horses get passed down to younger, less experienced riders as they age. These older horses do require more care, chiropractic and otherwise. It speaks to kindness and compassion at this barn that these older mounts get the care needed and are still doing a job they know to do well, as opposed to being neglected and put out to pasture. A horse with a job is always a happier horse! These horses are more forgiving and very valuable in teaching a young rider to become better. There are different barns for different riders, disciplines, levels, incomes and this barn serves a good purpose. BTW; we don't and never have worked with any of the trainers here! I hope this helps clear up for you what I found to be an illigitimate earlier review. Feel free to peruse my other reviews, you will realize I tell it like I see it, hoping it helps you. read more

Had this place recommended for lessons for my daughter and hopefully her friends. I called and left at least two messages, none of which were returned. I kept calling but never got anyone to answer. Went out to see if anyone was there but apparently they were "closed" that day and we were told to leave by a not friendly lady. Ended up going to a different trainer around the same area who answered the first call I made. Thankfully I found her instead this place after I heard the stores and what people experienced here. Beware of this place. read more

My daughter has never enjoyed sports like her older brother, so we were looking for something that she could look forward to each week...and we found it! She is 8 years-old and has been taking weekly riding lessons with Emily since September. She loves it so much that she asked to have her birthday party there, which we did, with five inexperienced riders. Emily's young volunteers (who were professional and knowledgeable) gave a mini lesson on basic horse care and handling, then off they all went for actual riding in the large arena. My daughter declared this "the BEST birthday party ever!!" In addition to watching her ride, I love watching my daughter's confidence grow each week :) read more

The facility is extremely shabby. Too many horses on property. The owner, barn manager "Judy" is extremely rude and very unprofessional. They will nickel and dime you for every last piece of food you feed your horse or every last shaving put in the stall. The arena footing is like concrete. There are about 25% of the horses at the facility in special protective pads because of the footing. Not to mention the chiropractic work that is done monthly. One of the last vet calls had 14 horses getting chiropractic work done because of the footing, and the barn owner doesn't care. Her attitude is "If you don't like it here you can leave. It's a free country". Those words are verbatim. AVOID this facility unless you can afford huge vet bills to keep your horse healthy. There is a cult like following to the trainers, very disturbing.....I have even heard the barn owner threatening children!! Who does that? read more