Fun spot to come for a hike if you want to see some horses and experience a variety of scenery…read more You start in a pretty big open hilly field, this area is mostly brush, though there is a clear trail. There's a tree at the top of the hill, though no shade other than that. This is the area where we saw the horses. We tried following along with All Trails, but the route on there did a lot of figure 8's and was hard to really comprehend. Luckily with the guidance from other hikers we were able to extend our hike out of this immediate area and make it back to the car. The trail continues out of this fenced in area with multiple different ways to go. There is some signage, though it's rather old and you can tell that some of the directional signs have fallen off. We headed down the hill, out of the gate, next to a house with a vineyard, then down into a tree covered path that went next to the mostly dried up creek. This area was nice and shaded, a little steep in some areas, but not too bad. I liked that you had a number of different routes you could take to make this hike longer or shorter depending on your adventure, but more and better signage would be a welcome addition. We parked at the trail head, it was a pretty big lot with a lot of spots. By the time we got back, it was pretty packed, but there was another area before you enter with some extra parking if this area is full. We were pretty surprised to see so many cars, as the trail didn't feel crowded and we often went long stretches without seeing anyone.

This is a great hidden spot for hiking. It's a 55-acre nature preserve in Los Altos Hills. It's…read morequiet and peaceful with a great change of scenery. If you park in the parking lot on Altamont, you see rolling hills and pasture. Once you walk into the preserve it becomes more of a wooded and shaded area. The paths are well worn and well marked. Please be careful when it rains. The path looks like mostly clay and is really slippery. Look out for horses because it's a horse path. Dogs need to be on leashes for this park.

Kristen is an amazing instructor! Not only is she incredibly kind, flexible, and patient, but she's…read morealso a very skilled teacher for anyone looking to learn western riding. Her lesson horses are all wonderful to learn on, and I love the warm and welcoming community Kristen has fostered at her barn over the years. Through Kristen, I have become a better horsewoman, and she has even helped me through the process of owning my first horse! I highly recommend Rancho de las Reinas for beginning riders and anyone looking to learn more about western riding.

Learning how to ride horses with Kristen Zuraek at Rancho de las Reinas has changed my life. Before…read morestarting lessons with Kristen over 4 years ago, I had minimal experience with horses, no riding knowledge, but a desire to learn how to interact with these powerful animals. Thanks to her down-to-earth, patient instruction, I am now a skilled Western trail rider. Every week, I look forward to my time in the saddle; centering myself on the beautiful trails of Los Altos Hills; and getting in touch with the horse. Horses are wonderful creatures that can teach us so much about ourselves, and the lesson horses at Rancho de las Reinas are no exception. If you are looking for beginner Western riding lessons on trustworthy horses, taught by a friendly, knowledgeable professional, then look no further! Going to Rancho de las Reinas might just be the best decision you ever made.

What a beautiful area to go on a hike, located right off of Page Mill! I was there to do a quick…read morevisit to see the horses at the stables! Such beautiful animals, and some of the stables were decorated for Christmas!

Absolutely gorgeous. Loved seeing the Barn and walking the trail. Lots of horse poop near the trail…read morebut once you get up the hill a bit there is less. We saw deer and lots of horses.

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.

Incredible place to learn more about horseback riding and humanity! Among the absolute best…read moreteachers that our kids have ever experienced.

I normally give very good reviews, so this is my "venting" review so to say…read more.. I have taken two lessons at Misty Ridge Farm of the Portola Pastures. The lessons were with Bobbi Petrov. I am extremely upset with the outcome of the whole thing. I paid for 4 lessons: $230 and could not attend two of them due to a very rigorous work schedule. When I e-mailed Bobbi to let her know I was not gonna be able to make it, I was informed that she needed a 24 hours notice if I wanted to cancel the class and then retake it at a later time. This was not explained to me beforehand and I am very upset w/ them, since I paid for 4 lessons and I only got 2 out of it. I wasn't even given time to read over what I signed, because Bobbi was late to the first session and I was simply given a form and asked to sign it. Now, in terms of the lessons themselves- Bobbi probably does care for the horses, since you're given about 30 minutes to groom and tack your horse first and then almost 1 hr on the horse and 30 more minutes to untack and get the horse ready for feeding and bedtime. My problem with the lessons was that Bobbi didn't actually show me anything. The more advanced girls were asked to show me things and then she was just yelling instructions from this little stage area next to the barn. I am very disappointed with the way lessons are taught here and I am also disappointed with the way they do business. I doubt I will ever take classes here again. Or at least not at this farm. Portola Pastures has a lot of opportunities for lessons, so I might end up choosing a different farm and/or instructor.

The horses are great, the management is friendly and horse care oriented and the lessons are…read moreexcellent. This is a great barn - they're hard to come by! I have been here 4 years and am having the time of my life! Heather the manager, is horse knowledgeable, friendly and an incredible instructor who explains things clearly! Sierra is fabulous at taking riders up to the next level and wonderful to work with and an excellent teaching style!

SUMMER CAMP REVIEW:…read more My daughters had a great time at summer camp here, Although we signed up through another equestrian-riding site... The location was at Glenoaks merged with their summer-camp. The girls became comfortable with riding horses and learned how to care for them. The camp counselor (Maya) that was in charge of my daughters group was great at handling both the kids and the horses. :) There was lots of other activities as well including crafts, games, and time to run through sprinklers on a hot day.