Equestrian Community…read more This reflects my personal experience and opinion. It is shared solely so others can make informed decisions when considering boarding, training, or riding lessons at this facility. Background: I am a multi-horse owner originally from the Bay Area. I purchased my first horse in 1992 and have been riding, training, and competing for over 30 years. I currently own 5 horses. I have competed successfully up to the 1.10m level in show jumping and have won multiple state titles across various disciplines. Over the years, I have boarded and trained at top facilities in Portola Valley and Woodside, and I kept horses on my own property for nearly a decade. Prior to the experiences described below, I had never had a complaint or dispute with any facility and remain in contact with many former barn owners, managers, and trainers. Facility History: I boarded multiple horses at Indian Springs Ranch (ISR) from 2015 to 2025, including after it became Connections Boarding Stables. From 2015 - 2021 - ISR had 2 different barn managers. During that time, I experienced no issues. SPCA and HHK were excellent! July 2021 - October 2025 (Connections Boarding Stables) The following occurred while my horses were boarded at the facility: September 2021 I was required to move two horses from pens they had lived in for five years to smaller pens. The move itself was not my concern. One pen was located directly next to the manure pile, and the other lacked proper base footing and consisted of dirt and manure dumped by staff. I expressed concerns about these conditions. November 1, 2021 One horse housed in the unsanitary pen died following complications that professionals involved indicated were consistent with unsanitary conditions and improper stall cleaning. January 2022 One horse experienced colic that veterinarians attributed to wet, sub-standard hay and being fed outdoors in the rain rather than inside his shelter. At that time, three of my horses had shelters (a stall, a shed, and a covered area). Only one was consistently fed under cover. The other two were fed in the rain, and staff drilled a hole in one of my water buckets and used it as a feeder because it would otherwise fill with water. July 2022 One horse sustained a leg injury due to unsecured fencing in his pen. I had previously requested that this fencing be secured after the pen was reconfigured in 2021. It was not addressed, and I ultimately secured it myself. 2021-2025 My tack locker was damaged multiple times when staff rammed into it with a feed cart. December 2023 One horse whose stall was adjacent to the manure pile contracted pigeon fever. Veterinarians indicated this was consistent with poor manure management and lack of fly control. 2021-2025 (Ongoing Horse Welfare Issues) My horses lost significant weight. One horse lost approximately 200 pounds and four inches in girth. Veterinary evaluations documented that my horses were underweight. Staff refused to increase feed, dismissed both me and my veterinarians, stated my horses were "fat," and further rationed feed after I purchased my own hay to supplement. One horse began chewing holes in his rubber stall mats--behavior he had never exhibited in the 13 years I owned him and has not exhibited since relocating. The hay provided appeared to be low-quality "cow hay." My young horse's growth was visibly stunted from approximately four months to two-and-a-half years of age. Within two months of leaving the facility, he gained over 100 pounds, shed an abnormal matted coat, and grew approximately one hand. March 2025 My 20-month-old horse sustained a fractured tuber coxae after a makeshift pen was attached to his enclosure, allowing another horse access to him. February 2024 - October 2025 (Safety Concerns) I witnessed numerous unsafe situations involving lesson horses, staff, and minor students, both on the property and at local horse shows. At one show, I observed a student fall from the same school horse 3 times over 2 days after the horse exhibited dangerous behavior. I reported this incident to management. After doing so, my relationship with management and staff deteriorated significantly. October 2025 While away at a horse show, I received an eviction notice. Following my eviction, the barn manager sent an email to other boarders containing statements about me that I believe were defamatory and derogatory. I requested a written apology and received no response. I am not sharing this because I wish to return to this facility--I do not. I am sharing because horse welfare and rider safety matter, and in my experience under the facility's current management, both were repeatedly compromised. I have 4 years of documentation supporting my experiences. I will not be sharing that documentation publicly at this time. I encourage anyone considering boarding, training, or lessons to conduct thorough, independent research and to actively advocate for their horses and their own safety

One star is too many. I have boarded there. I attempted to talk to Troy about the amount of hay my…read morehorses were being fed because 4 lbs per feeding is not enough (and yes, I weigh my hay). Troy said my horse was fat and lazy and wasted hay. When I replied that he didn't eat it all because it was the quality of cow hay, he became verbally hostile, and then threatened to "never feed my horses again". He also told me that because I was purchasing my own hay to supplement, he would feed my horses less. I attempted to discuss what my vet recommended and he responded that it did not matter what I wanted nor what my vet recommended, that he would feed what he wanted to. This is after my horse had previously lost a significant amount of weight and his ribs were showing. I had no choice but to supplement his feed to bring him up to proper weight. I have boarded there for over 12 years, through multiple managements, and live half a mile from there. I chose to move my horses and now drive farther to ensure proper care for my horses and peace for myself. I won't stay anywhere that I feel my horses are not being properly cared for or where I can't have a conversation with the person who feeds my horses without them becoming hostile and yelling at me. Sheryl is the manager. She was standing right there for the whole conversation and did nothing to stop Troy from yelling at me or threatening to not feed my horses. At that point it was a wrap for me. No drama, no fuss. Found a new facility, gave my notice, and gone. No regrets, just wish I would have done it sooner!

I went to the Ferrari Challenge dinner at Stonepine a few weeks ago. The famous house and…read moreequestrian property is now a "Private Function" retreat only. No more hotel though rooms are available if part of the function. Think Weddings, Corp Events. If you ever read the Great Gatsby or saw the movie you'd feel like you were back in time. An elegance that felt more European than US.

Wow! Our wedding was at Stonepine Estate and it was an incredible weekend. The venue is so unique…read morefor California and it truly feels like you are transported to Italy. Each space is so well thought out, detailed, and beautiful. We loved the charming Italian feel of the Chateau and the Western contrast of the Double H Ranch. We incorporated both into our wedding day and our guests were continuously wow-d as they moved through the spaces. The venue also needs very minimal decorations for a wedding since it is so grand. We stayed on-site in the Chateau which was so amazing. The grounds are beautiful and it was fun to use the pool and enjoy the many available spaces over our three days there (and the incredible breakfasts!). Stonepine has an amazing team. Oceanne and Ari helped us navigate every detail and gave so much care into the planning of our day. Nathan and Julie were excellent hosts in the Chateau and went above and beyond to make our stay wonderful. The wedding truly could not have been a more beautiful or special day.

My horse died suddenly in Sept 2025 at C4 from severe dehydration and stones=NEGLECT. Barn mgr…read moreCecelia unwilling to calmly discuss offering grass hay mix to boarders instead of 100% alfalfa. I will not ever return or recommend C4 for this reason alone--too many horses die at C4 every year from unnatural causes: severe dehydration triggering colic, plus stones from alfalfa-only hay--a deadly combo. At the ER vet I learned too late that 100% alfalfa hay causes stones. Cecelia knows this and continues feeding 100% alfalfa. I hope she changes her ways, and stops worrying so much about profit. If one does what's best for horses' nutritional needs (grass hay mix) , it will pay out 10 fold in other ways she will hopefully one day realize.

The best riding and boarding facility in the county! I'd recommend C4 Stables to anyone who's…read morelooking to board their horse or learn how to ride. Cecilia is an amazing instructor.

I stayed here recently, it seemed like an amazing idea - Elephants delivering breakfast right to…read moreyour doorstep... a perfect trip for an animal lover like myself. The reasons I was charitable enough to give this place one star: *The fact that some of these animals were rescued from "worse" futures (euthenasia, animal shelters) and routinely given vitamins and supplements to help their health; *Our view of the elephants from our bungalow was super cool; *the bungalow itself was adorable; *the ostrich performed a mating ritual in front of me and my sister, repeating with encores when encouraged by applause; *the abundance of stars in the sky - something I don't see as a city girl; *the fact that the elephants had more than 10 square feet to walk around in, which leads me to... The reason I only give this place one star: You guys are lucky you got one. The treatment of animals there is abysmal. We read the brochure, watched your promo video and heard your stories behind this huge preserve - a preserve that supposedly spreads 50 acres. During the tour, a group of us was led around to various cages, each housing a trained animal retired from various stints in movies, commercials, calender shoots, etc. Each animal was given about 20 square feet to live in - barely enough room, in some cases, to complete an entire stride, much less walk fast or run. The cages the animals are kept in have no greenery, no dirt, just concrete floors (easily to hose down, I presume). I had a difficult time believing the lions, jaguar, alligator and other creatures actually lived in these tiny cages - so I asked "where do they get their exercise?" I recieved a vague response: "oh we take them out regularly". Take them out, regularly? How thoughtful of you. These animals have a right to clean, attractive spaces that allow them to move freely and enjoy their lives. At least the elephants got a nice big acre. But what about the rest of these gorgeous creatures? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Spend some money and provide these poor, lovely animals a real home.

I have to agree with the other reviews. This place kinda depressed me a little. I LOVE animals and…read morebeing a Leo, Lions are my all time favorite. First of all thank god the tour was only $10 a person because if my date had paid more I would have felt horrible. I entered this place with excitement and couldn't wait to see this "rescued" animals in a "happy" environment. Now maybe some of the animals are better off where they are, but man the cats seemed so depressed. First off the tour was super speedy, a ot of the animals seemed sedated or just plain sad. The lion didnt even move when we walked over. The king of the jungle just layed there, that was the ONE animal i was stoked on seeing and I couldn't even get a good pic of it. UGH. The lionesses were beautiful but were in this tiny cage. Same with the other cats, the jaguar, cougar, lynx, tigers, leopard, all them...TINY cages. They were pacing, which means they were nervous or just plain fricken antsy. How the hell could cat that size be kept cooped up in a cage like that most of their days?!! The elephants, ostridge (however you spell it) and zebras had TONS of room. So these guys I didn't feel bad for. The bungalows looked pretty cute and I had originally planned on goin back to maybe stay over night. But honestly I left feeling so down I'm not sure I'd want to go back. They take these animals out on a fricken leash to get their exercise...are you kidding me? Now maybe I didn't get the fulls story..maybe these huge cats have a larger area they get to go play in and run and be somewhat the wild cats that they are. I hope to god I am not fully informed and their only time out of those cages are NOT walking on a damn leash. They seemed like they loved the people that worked there but were dying for attention. They wanted to be petted and i would have loved to have touched them...but the cost for a more advanced tour where you get to touch the animals was fricken $900!!! Um...$150 maybe even $200..ok but $900 ....good lord. Everyone here seemed really nice so it's hard to diss this place, but seriously as a cat lover...it didn't leave me with a good feeling. =( Even the zoo's have larger cages than this place. Not very nice. =( I mean it was nice to get out and do something different but because it made me sad I can't give it more than 2 stars. And the second star is only for good measure...because maybe just maybe there is something I'm not getting about this place. The animals didn't look unhealthy so maybe they are ok after all.

Had such a fun time celebrating our anniversary with Monterey Bay Equestrian Center! Charlie was…read moregreat in teaching us how to ride safely since we were both first-timers, and he was kind and super easy to talk to as he guided us through our 1h15min ride along the trail and on the beach. We booked for the 12pm ride and the weather was great -- the fog cleared up and the sun came out but stayed nice and cool. I rode Torino and my boyfriend rode Ben, and they were both great! This was such a great and relaxing experience for the both of us -- we'd definitely come back and recommend this place (and Charlie!) to anyone interested in a horseback riding experience! They also give you a voucher at the end for a free appetizer at Old Fisherman's Grotto on the wharf and The Fish Hopper at Cannery Row!

Charlie was such a down to earth tour guide. He was calm, relaxed and made our entire experience…read morethe best. I found this place thru Chat GPT when looking for horse back riding on the beach. This place is a hidden gem. $175 to ride for 1 hour and 15 minutes was totally worth it. Ocean front. Will def book again!

I love Garland ranch. There are several different walking trails. They have a visitor center and…read morebathrooms. Make sure you have on good hiking shoes and bring sunblock and water on warm days. Bring your dog or come solo, the beauty of nature is always so peaceful here. Our kiddos definitely enjoyed getting out to enjoy the area, we will return!

Wonderful park to explore and hike if you are ever in the Carmel Valley area. Plenty of parking…read moreboth on the street as well as in a designated parking lot. Much of the area in the lower section is flat and easy to walk around, however, there are also some trails with steeper elevation climbs for those who want to get more of a scenic view of the area. Cool historic barn is easy to get to and on hotter days you will definitely want to take some water as some of the trails are exposed to the sun. There is a public bathroom area by the visitor center.

Mike and crew were great guides. Horses healthy and well taken care of. Beach ride is a trail…read moreride, nose to tail, but was still enjoyable.

Ten years ago exactly, I met Steve and his horses while on my travels (from England). It was a…read morelife-changer. I'll never forget his kindness, respect and map drawing in the sand while I rode Bailey - forwards and backwards; a far cry from the suburban nose-to-tails in Richmond Park, Surrey. Such fond memories and much missed, all of it. Highly recommended.