Love learning to ride at Rio. I'm a beginner and have ridden there about 9 months. Trainers are fantastic and it's friendly for adults or kids. You can keep it casual with weekly lessons or camp for kids but watch out it's addictive! It is a serious show barn but very friendly to non show ppl and with 600 acres on the Colorado River, it's a beautiful spot to get away. Horses are well cared for and lesson horses get lots of turn out. read more

This place has it all. They offer multiple lesson times and schedules, at various prices (ranging from $35 an hour for group lessons to $60 for private lessons). They take good care of their lesson horses and offer a variety of sizes and levels of horses to ride. Located just east of Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Rio Vista is great if you want to avoid a commute up north after work. They also offer a shuttle service after school from Westlake for kids whose parents are unable to drive them out for their lessons. They have a great summer camp program where they make sure children learn the basics of horsemanship and riding. Rio Vista has a sprawling facility, set on rolling grassy pastures. Their barns are airy and made with the horse in mind. They attend national-level shows as well as host their own local horse shows during the show season. Check the schedule on their website as visitors are always welcome to come out and watch the events. read more

Rio Vista Farm - Rio Vista Farm - Horseback Riding Near Me - Dripping Springs, Texas

Rio vista is the best barn around! Great training, friends,opportunities, and they take great care of the horses!

We love Rio Vista. My daughter has attended spring break camp, summer camps, taken weekly lessons (with Natalie), and just recently started leasing and boarding her first horse and taking twice weekly lessons (with Amy). Rio Vista is a spectacularly beautiful place (the rolling green hills, graceful trees, horses frolicking in the fields...not to mention only 20 min from downtown Austin) - but the reason we love Rio Vista so much is because of the trainers and fellow riders who continually inspire my daughter to work hard, be her best, be kind to others, and believe in herself. The trainers and the owners are all accomplished riders in their own right and they know their stuff. The trainers don't "baby" the new riders - they expect them to work hard from the beginning. The students LOVE their trainers and really look up to them...which I think says a lot about the trainers. Most importantly though, I feel very confident that the trainers and the owners at Rio Vista are 100% focused on the safety and health of the riders. As for the horses - I think the lesson horses are great...and most importantly, SAFE for my young rider. My daughter has ridden probably 15 different lesson horses in the past 3 years... she learned a TON on those lesson horses and adores every one of them. Some are stubborn - but learning how to get a stubborn horse to go is part of learning the sport. When it was time to lease a horse, we worked directly with the owner, Susan, who was knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely helpful. Susan's expertise in all things horses is important for parents like us who are new to the horse world. Susan also consulted with the trainers (who knew my daughter best) on what sort of horse would be the right match for my daughter's skill level. I was impressed with Susan's knowledge and felt confident in her recommendations. I highly recommend Rio Vista to anyone wanting to explore equestrian sports for their children...It's a magical place! read more

The instructors not only help you build your skills as a rider but they help you build relationships with the horses. This barn is incredible. I feel like I'm around family. The animals are sweet and loving, this is the barn to be at. read more

Horrible barn and terrible beginners instructor - Stay away! The instructor for beginner students was very weak, not communicative, taught me very little and it was a struggle to make her work the whole 45 minute lesson time. The private lessons are expensive and she would cheat and cut corners. I always showed up 40 minutes before the lesson to groom & tack up the horse, she would say I was late and that I was grooming during lesson time. Ugh, I was too tired to argue and let her get away with it. I profoundly resent it now though and feel cheated. She stared at her phone a lot, it was just me and her, private lessons and I am an adult so no parent could monitor her and ensure she was doing her job and giving me my money's worth. The owner is rude, never introduced herself once. Arrogant, haughty. Had only time for boarders, the customers who owned horses. She'd email us constantly and if you tried to reschedule a lesson due to travel or illness she was rude and combative. ugh Regarding email, be careful, the owner sends these newsletters where she does not hide email addresses so now hundreds of people have my private email address. She was constantly soliciting for more business in these newsletters, buy this, lease that. But they can t even handle properly the business they ve got. I was not positively impressed. They care more about their boarders, barely interact with lesson folks, this was my experience. What they fail to realize is that a student who loves riding and loves horse can become a boarder. Everyone should be treated with respect. Their lesson horses are old broken down and desensitized. One had to keep kicking, no response to leg or hand aids. Their tack for lesson horses is old, dirty and broken down too. It was never cleaned once in the 2.5 months I was there.They don t care about lesson students and it shows. There are too many nice barns in Austin where they take pride in their work and horses and love to teach to waste your time and money at Rio Vista Farm. One final note: They also have a down payment policy and will try to cheat you out of it*- hence my referring to the owner as dishonest. Beware, get receipts, do not give them your email or a credit card. *This happened to me, they would not let me make up 2 lessons despite my hurting my foot and having to fly home to Washington DC for the funeral arrangements of my dear sister who passed away suddenly. I had to walk away from well over $100. I was shocked by how callous, uncaring and cruel the owner was. Arguing with me over $100 while I was heart sick and greviing for my poor sister. Stay away from this place, pay by cash or check if you must go. Go with a friend or someone who can ensure that you are not being cheated out of your time & request better horses and insist that the tack be clean and in good working order. Rio Vista Farm was a nightmare. I won't sue for the $100 they owe me but I tell everyone who asks me about riding and barns in Austin about my nightmare experience. As a part time language tutor and instructor I work with many children. It will catch up with them eventually. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the City of Austin as well. Very poor service, no professionalism, dishonest practices, with payment and rendering services provided (cheating clients out of time) and low quality tack and horses. A big mistake. read more

Over the years working as a Realtor and horse property specialist buying and selling real estate for equestrians of all disciplines, I have seen a lot of boarding and training facilities through out the southwest, and the Rio Vista Farm in Del Valle is one of the cleanest best managed facilities for hunter jumpers I have seen! Very impressed with the facilities and their wonderful lesson program! Would recommend them to anyone. read more

I have to agree with the previous review about the owner's uncaring attitude. My daughter attended several sessions of camp here over the past four years, mainly because this is one of only two camps that buses from North Austin. She then did a stint of lessons this past spring. If I were rating the camp itself, I would give it three or four stars for beginners and two stars, at most, for more experienced riders. Feel free to contact me for additional details. The one star is for the lousy customer service. I had not had reason to interact with the owner until this past spring, when I had three separate unpleasant incidents with her. I'll only detail one of them here. When I enrolled for lessons, I let the owner know we could only afford three months of lessons. She had me pay the entire amount upfront, rather than through the usual process of paying by the month. The agreement I signed said late monthly payments would be charged to a credit card and incur a late/processing fee. I paid the full three months by credit card before our first lesson and was charged a $25 processing fee. When I called to question the fee, the owner said the form clearly stated any credit card charge would be charged a fee, which it did not, and refused to acknowledge any possible issue with clarity of the form. She also refused to reimburse the credit card so I could pay through a preferred means which would not incur a charge. I've never before had a business refuse to rectify a situation in which I was not properly informed of charges. My credit card company agreed with my contention that the charge was unfair, based on the form I signed, and said while I could not dispute a partial charge, they would give me a courtesy credit for the $25. The card company then processed it incorrectly as a dispute, however, causing the owner to call and tell me she needed the $25 back, and asking me if $25 was worth this hassle to me. While the credit card company finally resolved the issue, I would like to ask her the same question, if $25 is worth the goodwill of her customers. As I said, I had several incidents like this over a short period of time. Rio Vista may be a great place for serious riders who sign up for the full program of lessons and shows, but the customer service did not work for me. read more

I want to give them 10 Stars!!!! It really feel like we have found a small piece of heaven at Rio Vista! What a beautiful place, friendly atmosphere and gorgeous horses!!! My two daughters takes lessons with Natalie. She is an amazing instructor, knows exactly how to teach children and she knows her horses. It is so wonderful to see how much freedom she is able to give the kids with the horses. The kids grow confidence very quickly and they are able to advance quickly without too much pressure. Just enough pressure to make them believe in themselves to take the next step. This is also thanks to the amazing horses Rio Vista uses for their lessons, and Natalie's ability to match the rider with the right horse. The horses/ponies are well mannered and and look really healthy and happy. Natalie knows exactly what she can trust the horses to do with the girls but at the same time, teach the girls to have respect for the big animals. We have fallen in love with many of the horses already and their personalities. They get to try different horses and different sizes, just because one is big, doesn't mean he is faster. The horses teach the children a lot of lessons too. They learn to take care of them before and after riding as well as the tack. It is not just about riding. Susan runs a beautiful place with a wholesome environment for children and adults. I am thanking our lucky stars we found it!!!! Another thing is that the girls can grow so much in this one place. They have shows several times a year at Rio Vista that the children can participate in. (different levels) This is really inspiring for them to to and makes them want to work harder and learn more! I can't recommend it enough!!!!! - small part of me want to keep it secret so it doesn't get crowded. But then again... isn't that what it is all about... Share the joy and make new friends!!!! :) :) :) read more

I have been "Blessed" by the last 3 years at Rio Vista: In a World that sometimes: Complains about? This and that! A Place of complete Horseman Ship:) This is the PLACE! The quality of care for all the horses: bars NONE/ I have never had a better experience after 30 plus yrs of riding, From my youth as a pony rider? To the past summer: Showing my own horse:) The Facility and Staff: Complete: The entire Horse experience: From the "Vista" and their paddox: No other place: I have been to: Including Ireland, England Fox Hunting, to the East Coast: from Pa: to Carolina: Polo, 3 day Eventing Etc. Etc, I tip my Hat:) to THE ENTIRE STAFF: ALL THE BOARDERS: This is a place I will TRULY miss:( If? Any Horse Person that is looking for Quality Horse care: Quality Training: If you are willing to LEARN? Or if you just want a Wonderful Experience:) I Highly recommend Rio Vista:) You will not be disappointed. Seattle read more

Visited a few months ago to look into boarding...trainer was rude and only gave me only a few seconds of her time even though I had made an appointment. Clearly the barn didn't want my money. The atmosphere was stuffy, no one was friendly or helpful when I was lost. The horses are all in tiny dirt pastures just standing around. The trainer made a comment to the effect of "I would never turn my derby winners out in the pasture." Kind of showed me where her priorities were at. The equestrian community in Texas talks, and from what they unanimously say, this isn't a place to go if you want the best for your horse. read more

Totally professional, organized, and knowledgeable. This is a tremendous program and the horses are happy and healthy. This is a winning program that can take your kid from learning the basics all the way to the show ring. read more

My daughter has been riding here for two years. She started with the summer camp, which she loved, and she now takes weekly lessons. She has learned so much. She competes regularly in theshows hosted by Rio Vista. The place is beautiful and the horses are very well kept. It is a secret gem so close to town read more

If you're looking for a hunter/jumper barn, look no further. My daughter and I joined the lesson program a couple months ago after trying several barns in the area. They have a fab lesson program. This is the only place I found that has a large selection of horses and ponies, so they can teach beginners through advanced. The school horses are well cared for and know their job. We love our lessons with Haylee :) She's really brought our riding on in these few months. All the instructors I've met and observed are great. And everyone we've met, boarders, non-boarders, and staff have been friendly and helpful. We really enjoy our time at the barn even when not riding. Rio Vista also has many group lessons available as well as camp (though we've not tried that). Whether you're looking for lessons only or boarding and lessons, I recommend Rio Vista. read more