Located just down the street from Richmond Country Farms and just shy of Riverport Entertainment…read morecomplex, Blue Meadow is a lovely riding facility in south east Richmond. It's really easy to get to as the bus to Riverport stops right at Palmberg, and it's just a hop and skip down Steveston Hwy off Highway 99. Blue Meadow has both an outdoor arena and a covered arena (not a completely indoor arena, but sheltered) which is great for our wet climate. The area footing is excellent. It's not soggy and water-logged, which can be a problem in Richmond as we're so close to sea level. The farm is three acres--plenty of room for the horses to graze and run around--and is owned by a family who leases it to the barn manager Yolanda Bloomers. Yolanda has school horses available for lessons and there are also boarding facilities. Blue Meadow has certified Equine Canada instructors/trainers who coach numerous English riding disciplines including dressage and jumping. The Equine Canada certification was important for me when researching a riding instructor, and as I don't own my own horse (yet!?), I needed someone with school horses available. I've recently started taking lessons with Yolanda who came highly recommended from other barn friends. When I emailed Yolanda, she suggested I first come and observe a lesson, so I could see her teaching style. I really appreciated this! It was so great to see her interacting with a rider to see her style, her mannerisms, and her competency. I definitely wanted to take lessons! I've had a couple lessons with Yolanda already at Blue Meadows, and I *definitely* intend to keep going. The price for a private lesson with use of a school horse is fair--equestrian sports are expensive--and I also think it's great value. What I really love about Yolanda's teaching style is that she explains the "why" of things--when this particular exercise is useful, the benefit of lunging in both directions, or how to do this weird terminology thing. Instead of shouting at you from across the arena, she either uses a small microphone and fanny-pack speaker, or walks with you (not beside you, but comes down to the end of the arena you're working in). She also gives the rider ample notice, like a GPS in the car would say "in 500 metres, turn left". I really appreciate that Yolanda gives positive feedback with the constructive criticism. I've worked with a lot of kids, and I've also worked as an instructor (not horseback riding), so I know the benefits of the "compliment sandwich". Yolanda also explains why the horse might not be responding to what the rider is asking, listing a couple possible reasons and then saying what to try adjusting the next go around. I can't wait to continue lessons, despite my sore muscles the day after!

I've been riding here for almost three years now and I love this place. It's clear that everyone is…read morehere because they love and care about the horses and their welfare, not to show off social status and appearance like some stables can be. Yolanda is an excellent instructor for beginners and advanced students alike, and knows her horses' capabilities and personalities well. The boarders and other riders are unpretentious and enthusiastic, and the horses are sensible and lovely, and great teachers themselves. It's low-key and friendly here, a wonderful environment whether you're a human or an equine.

I've recently started taking lessons here with Academie Duello School of Modern Swordplay through…read moretheir Cavaliere Program for mounted combat. The facilities are great, the people are friendly, it's a great location and there is on-site parking. Some of the horses are owned by Academie Duello (Jack & Flavie) and some are owned by individuals who are boarding on the farm. Leasing is available for some of the horses and there are live-in caregivers on the property full time.

Red Colt is a unique horse boarding facility in Richmond, offering full horse board, lessons and…read moreleasing programs. I've boarded my mare at Red Colt for the past two years and love it there. She is well taken care of and the people are very friendly. It's also small (about 10-13 horses) and affordable - which is wonderful as it's so close to the city. I would totally recommend it!

The most unprofessional stables I have ever encountered in my 10+ years of riding !…read more I have been riding for over 10 years and I can't believe the unprofessionalism of this place . I drove all the way to Richmond (45min-1 hour drive ) from New Westminster to have my test and no one showed up. Apparently my test got cancelled and they didn't even bother to call me or give me any notice . I spoke to a lady that lived in s trailer on the property and she told me to wait for a while and see if the instructor showed up and I told her I would go and acquaint myself with the horses . As soon as I went and pet a horse she FREAKED out and questioned my experience ( apparently you can't pet the horses here which is ridiculous at a riding school) . Huge waste of time (over two hour commute). They didn't even call or message me to say SORRY least or compensate me in any way ! Insane , no way to treat customers at all .Not to mention this place also looks extremely run down . So many better options in the city !

From the owner: A long-standing equestrian facility that provides beginner and intermediate and advanced horse…read moreriding lessons. Horse ownership not required. Operating all year round in beautiful indoor and outdoor riding halls. We also train students for high level competitions in hunter and jumper divisions.

I had the pleasure of meeting Janice when I brought my daughters 10/8 for their first lessons. Her…read moreapproach and attitude show she genuinely cares about teach the children the correct way to ride and care for a horse. We had tried with other instructors that simply cared to rush us in and out. Janicea exceptional teach and we will definitely continue to have our kids attend lessons.

I take my kids to JM Sporthorse for their riding lessons and they absolutely love it. They barely…read morerode before, and now it is the best part of their week. Janice is so great with them and has taught them so much! You can tell she honestly cares about her role and the people she teaches. More than that, Janice is a thoughtful instructor who treats her horses with the kindness and respect that they deserve. The horses are wonderful, kind, responsive, and patient with my kids. I could not recommend enough!

I first found out about Crescent Stables through livingsocial. The voucher was for two 45 minute…read moreriding sessions or one 90 minute session. When I redeemed the voucher I asked if it was ok if I used one session and my sister used one session on the same day and she said it was fine. When we got there we signed our waivers then picked out riding boots and helmets. We got our horse ready (brushed, saddled, cleaned out his hoofs etc) and then it was time for the lesson. Carly was so patient and friendly with us. My sister and I hadn't been near a horse in years so it was nice to have such a good teacher who clearly adores horses! The lesson was fun. I highly recommend Carly!! We rode Squirty and he was so patient and gentle. I will be back to ride again.

Thea is an excellent instructor! She is very knowledgeable and encouraging…read more I started out with a groupon for two lessons. If you're doing the Groupon, I highly reccomend doing more than one lesson. I liked it, so I kept going! It has been YEARS since I rode as a child, so it took about 3 before I really got the hang of it again. Crescent Stables has great rates for lessons, and wonderful facilities. You can do individual lessons, but they also have packages by the month or buy 10, get one free. This is something I have not seen from other stables in the area. Go to Crescent!

We went on a wonderful trail ride- horses were well groomed, generally listened well. Kids 10 and…read moreabove could ride a horse on their own; using their helmets is mandatory for kids. Kids younger than 10 need to have a guide hold their horse the entire way, so each group can only have one kid less than age 10. They have big horses that can accommodate up to 240lbs. The one hr ride we went on took us around blueberry and raspberry fields, with really pretty views. For last 1/3 of ride it was through forest area and we got to go through a creek. Wildflowers were gorgeous and we even saw a bear! Around 11 am it was pretty hot and sunny- would recommend big shady hats and lots of sunscreen. Parts got pretty dusty so if sensitive, bring a balaclava. Not allowed to have anything around neck (not even a cross body purse) so consider a Fanny pack if you wanted to bring stuff with you, or a wristlet type attachment if you want to use your phone for photos during ride. The staff were super friendly and welcoming. We would go again in a heartbeat.

Girls riding with us were extremely sweet and the horses were well behaved! The trail itself was a…read morebit boring but other than that the horses were easy to ride and get alone with. Though for the price and trail, I wouldn't say it was worth it.

The best well-managed barn I have experienced. The care of the horses is top notch - Wendy is…read moremeticulous and on top of each animal's well being. Shoeing, vet visits, vaccinations; all organized for you. The people are great; it's a true family atmosphere. And the in-house coach (Heather) is an amazing horse-woman and teacher.

If you truly love horses, it is a great place to be! I love…read moreeverything about Freestyle Horsemanship! The horses, the barn, the instructor/owner (Aidan) is absolutely wonderful! I definitely agree with previous reviewers. Aidan has very nice view for her business, and horses. She is so respectful, and friendly! I love having her teaching me how to work with a horse. She teaches me how to be a leader, how to read horses' body language, and how to be a great rider. I recommend this place to everyone! This place is very different from other barns and horseback riding schools, and that is why it is the nicest place I've ever been to. You can see that horses are very calm and relaxed. I feel safe around Aidan's horses! Aidan keep doing what you are doing!

Aidan was amazing. I signed up for a lesson to see if I wanted to pursue this as I hadn't been…read morearound horses for many years. She was very patient with me, walked me around to meet all the horses and then we groomed Neesha, a beautiful black horse. I was tentative but she showed me and gave me the confidence to perform all the tasks and helped with the hind hooves when it was a little more challenging for me. We lead the horse around and she showed me how to use my intentions to guide the horse. She is so gentle with the animals and really tries to get that across. Once I was comfortable leading the horse on the ground I got on a very thin saddle. And from there I was lead around while learning how the horse can feel my body in order to determine the correct action. And then I was on my own! Directing the horse by myself was so rewarding. It is only the beginning of my adventure but I would hands down recommend her if you are a novice like myself. She also teaches more advance riders and although I cannot speak for those riders, I think she would be a wonderful teacher for all levels. And just mentioning again how gentle her methods are!

I've been riding at NSEC for 2 years now, and all my experiences have been positive! The teacher's…read moreare always very friendly and helpful in lessons and outside, the atmosphere at the place is always enjoyable and there is always someone around (teacher or student) who you can ask for help if you ever need any. The horses are always wonderful to ride and you always learn a lot from each one. There is room for improvement regarding the pace at which students improve throughout the year, as I sometimes find other students in my class eager learn new things or try higher jumps. Overall, I love coming here every week; it's a beautiful place to ride at and a great sport to practice!

My daughter started riding in Sept 2014. She looks forward to riding all week, she always knows…read morewhen it's Wednesday. Riding has given her a real sense of responsibility and self confidence. It has been wonderful to watch her grow. It is amazing to watch these young children tack a horse on their own or with the assistance of a young volunteer. We only have experience with one teacher and she has been wonderful, always offering encouragement to the kids.