This was such a cool experience today! The owner invited me to take a tour of the place and see the…read morehorses and talked to me about what they do. It was so cool! I will take all my friends and family there for horseback riding. Look at this silly one taking out his tongue for the selfie as if he knows what to do already. All the horses there were friendly and they wanted to be petted. I definitely recommend it!

As an adult returning to riding after almost a 15 year hiatus, I've been thrilled to find such a…read morewelcoming community at Trillium. Etsuko, Yulia and Alexis are incredible trainers - each with their distinctive style & a deep passion for equitation. They go above & beyond to make themselves available to their students and are invested in seeing them improve and reach their goals - all while having fun along the way. I've progressed more in my riding in the past two months than I ever did learning to ride in my early teen years. The schooling horses are absolute gems, the barn is wonderful & well maintained, and the Trillium community is vibrant! I've loved getting to know my fellow classmates and encouraging one another to learn and grow. Being part of Trillium has been a pure joy. I've loved my experience so far and would recommend to anyone - no matter your age or level of experience!

The Great American West and what living use to be like back then. Lemmy tell ya most people living…read morein the Bay Area haven't a clue as to what it was like back then. From: concrete jungles, venti lattes, not knowing your neighbors, and paying 1/2 your months salary in rent. For those looking for an escape from the mundane and a change of pace from their liberal strongholds, the Chaparral Ranch trainers/hands/horse masters will provide you a temporary way out. Nestled in the Woodside hills with winding trails, scenic views, birds, trees, rabbits, more trees...and oh yes horses will give you a taste of olde School California. Mixing history with activity I can see no other better weekend escape. Take a trail ride or get a lesson, who cares just get out and enjoy nature! The horses and staff are experts on gettin you up and havin a guud olde time. So get off your butt and getta ridin!

Never got to ride with them. Took 10 days to respond to voice messages, and website is outdated &…read moreconvoluted. Found Bay Area Ridge Riders at same time, and had a great experience. My advice is to keep looking.

I've been boarding and riding at Ciara West for over a year. Ciara West has a great barn manager,…read moreSteven. He is incredibly engaged in making Ciara West run well and comfortably for horses and people alike. The facilities include an indoor arena, an outdoor dressage court, and a round pen. There are several small trails for general exercise around the property. You can keep your horse in a box stall with turnout, in a solo paddock with cover, or full time paddock. Ciara West feeds real deal hay three times a day. There are three bathrooms one in the upper and two in the lower barn. The weather at along skyline is typically not so hot as down in the valley. The view at sunset of the ocean is spectacular. Finally, there are trainers available across multiple disciplines. And the community of equestrians is welcome and friendly.

Great barn with no drama, excellent trainers and all day turnout. Management is thoughtful and…read moreresponsive, workers appear happy, and horses do well there. Even the barn cats are extra cute!

Done a few hikes through wunderlich park but haven't ridden a horse. Took the trail ride with…read morechaparral. It was fun and relaxing and serene to ride the horses through the woods. They have lessons for those who want to master horseback riding. Been a few times already and their horses are great. They're docile and understand command. Great ride.

Great place for a first riding lesson for kids. Summer camp options seem great too. The horses are…read morewell trained and the trails are easy

I came to this Barn 1 year ago and have found the coaching to be excellent and very supportive…read more When I got to Oakhaven I was afraid to jump an X now I am confident and moving up. Have had great results mid- circuit reserve champion in the Thermal Adult in 2013. Wendy Missy and Jenny Rock!!! The guys take great care of the horses, a great group of armatures and the trail riding is beyond compare.

From the owner: We specialize in all levels of hunter/jumper horseback riding.. from beginner lessons on our great…read morelesson horse (seriously, we refer to her as the Old Professor), all the way up to private training at high competition levels on the A-rated horse show circuit! Located at the beautiful Folger Stable in Wunderlich Park, you'll love the vibe of our facility and you'll LOVE the awesome trainers that head our program!

Where do I begin? I found White Horse Dressage around 5 years ago after searching for a truly…read moreclassical dressage trainer for almost 10 years! I have been riding since I was 8 and rode with a classical dressage trainer since the age of 11. She became very ill and unable to teach when I was 18. After that I rode with many Bay Area trainers searching for an actual classical trainer. Petra of WHD is incredibly knowledgeable, excellent at explaining her knowledge, and also genuinely kind and puts the horses best interest first. Her teaching style is warm and kind. She is an expert in long lining and in hand work. She is a master of teaching horses correct piaffe. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

From the owner: Classical dressage ridingread more

Adding onto all the positive reviews below (and in 100% agreement with all the great things said!),…read moreour teenage daughter changed barns and started riding with Harley and Olivia a year ago. HBE has exceeded all our expectations and our only wish is that we had joined them sooner. In addition to being excellent trainers themselves, the Browns have a fantastic team of trainers (Lauren and Amanda!) assisting them, and wonderful grooms at the barn who take the best care of our horses. Our daughter has learned and progressed at an extraordinary rate and sees the results in both her daily riding and in the show ring. There is a healthy level of competitive spirit at HBE. Everyone is supportive and encouraging... this is really evident at shows when all the HBE riders keep tabs on one another's class schedules and make the effort to go watch each other compete. There are riders of different ages and skill levels at the barn, which is inspiring to all. Olivia is especially gifted at finding horses for her clients. In a previous situation, our search for a new horse took months, and ended poorly. Olivia found the perfect horse for us to lease in record time. The Browns are not only accomplished equestrians themselves, and great trainers, but also they run an organized and efficient business. (anyone who has spent time in the horse world knows that combined skill set isn't always a given...) Harley and Olivia balance the serious and the fun... which makes for serious fun! Thanks HBE!!!

I rode at Harley's barn about six years ago. He was usually at shows so he rarely taught me, but…read morehis assistant, Amanda, was super nice and a very good Instructor. Unfortunately, Harley was not nice. He screamed at one girl in a lesson because she lost her stirrup. We were in an entirely different arena and could hear him. And there were at least two times when I personally saw him say rude things to an owner/rider while off horses, I was a client. My horse was having problems (that weren't being resolved) and I couldn't manage them so I needed to sell him. Harley declined to help....in fact he couldn't let it go at that - he said "I don't even want that horse in my barn". He seemed to only want horses he had purchased for you. And if your horse became injured you must be able to buy another. A friend of mine went through three horses in under two years...all of which were purchased by Harley from Europe. Showing was the goal. Sadly, the girls in the barn followed his lead when it came to attitude and said nasty things about their teammate while she was jumping. I was shocked. In all the barns that I have known, competitors support each other. He gets one star because the facility is nice and the grooms were top notch. Hopefully, he has improved his behavior since I rode there and the atmosphere has improved. Read less

I know of no better horse trainer, rider and teacher than Laura Stevens. She is absolutely the…read morebest. I have worked with her since 1997. If you get a chance to take lessons from her, learn from her, lease a Welsh Cob or Pony, it will be an experience you will treasure for your entire life.

Laura Stevens is one of the finest horsewomen I have ever had the privilege to learn from. Her…read moreintuition is uncanny, and horses thrive under her care. She has taught both my children as well as me, with consistent attention to safety, kindness, and excellence.

I've been riding with Pam and her crew for almost 4 years now and can definitely recommend it. She…read morereally cares about her horses' welfare as well as safety for all. Even though I don't take private lessons, her attention to detail in group settings has improved my riding more in a one year than it had over several years with other instructors. Her assistant instructors are timely, excellent riders and instructors who are patient and respectful. Frankly, all of them have been provided better instruction in individual or group settings that I have gotten almost 95% of the time in the past 20 years of riding from lead instructors, no joking. She'll also never over-mount you or put you on a horse that you need to tune up for the program so she can make money off the horse before it's actually ready to be a program horse. Also if you do package lessons or lease, she'll help you squeeze in extra rides if she has horses that need to be ridden. This helps your riding and also helps fit in make-ups if you are, sick, traveling or lessons were rained-out. Pam is also incredibly ethical; she's the most ethical person I know in any line of business. This means she's not putting her interest in making money over yours: she won't try to sell you a horse, push you into a lease or lesson packages you can't afford or won't benefit from. If you're nor interested in any of these options; she'll treat you just as fairly and equally as any other rider. Regardless of whether you ride once a month, once a week, or 6 times a week, she treats all student the same: with respect, patience, fairness and diplomacy. The final part is that it is a relaxed barn atmosphere. Safety is upmost: but no one cares what attire and equipment you wear as long as it is functional and meets current standards. Horses are kept tidy, but there are no full time grooms handing you fully groomed, impeccably trimmed and polished horses. The upside is there are no high-maintenance people, nor is there pressure to show, or pressure to fit into a certain mold in terms of fashion, dress, or brands of attire.

Seven Oaks was recommended to me when we moved to the bay area. I have been riding for over 20…read moreyears and have found that these ladies really know their stuff! I've been riding with them for the past 4 years. All of the instructors teach Carrie Coe's and Pamela Miller's carefully thought out training program, so you never need to worry about who is teaching you because they all follow the same methodology. Also, they have been working with my horse and have helped us go from training level to third level while keeping my horse happy all along our dressage journey. I would recommend Seven Oaks for anyone interested in dressage. Not only is it a fun, friendly environment, but if you are interested in competing, they can help you reach any goal you set for yourself.