After seeing so many positive reviews, I was excited to book a lesson with Ashley Duke. I had taken…read morea pause from riding and was really looking forward to getting back in the saddle. We reconfirmed our appointment earlier in the day, and I even asked which payment method she preferred, so I truly thought everything was set. However, when I arrived and finally found the front gate I waited and, no one was there. I called Ashley and no answer. I left a voicemail and sent a few texts, but never heard back. I honestly hoped it was just a misunderstanding or that something serious had come up, but after several days, I still received no response at all. I don't typically write reviews, but I took time out of my workday for this lesson only to be completely stood up without explanation. What's worse is that a friend of mine saw Ashley at the IEC in Ramona just days after this happened, so it clearly wasn't an emergency. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend her services. If you value your time and reliability, I'd suggest looking elsewhere

Had a really amazing experience. Wanted to get back into the saddle after 4.5 years of not riding…read more Felt really comfortable around both Ashley and Sasha. I had my lesson specifically with Sasha, she was great! Ashley was giving a lesson at the same time and everyone was interacting with each other, had a really great time. Some barns can be really difficult to feel comfortable in but it was great I loved it. I rode count and he was AH-MAZING! So so so fun!! I'll be going back for sure, already scheduled my next lesson. Also, very reasonably priced! Can't wait to become a regular and build lasting relationships with both the people and horses at the barn. Can't wait to get my 2.5 yr old daughter involved too!!

The Blue Apple Ranch is part of the Toby Wells Foundation. It is a place where rescued horses and…read moredisadvantaged youth can come together! It is a place for philanthropy and for volunteers to donate their time to help both youth and horses - making the world a better place! I don't know about you, but I support good causes!

This is a bit of an overdue review, but I had such an amazing time horseback riding! I hadn't…read moreridden since I was about 5 years old, so I was definitely a little nervous going into it. I'm not sure it's exactly like riding a bike--but Karen made me feel completely at ease from the start. Kiwi, my horse, was incredibly patient and gentle with me. I swear she knew I needed a little extra TLC! It made the whole experience so enjoyable and stress-free. I even got to do a tiny bit of trotting, which was such a fun bonus. Overall, it was such a great experience, and I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking to try horseback riding or get back into it!

We've been here a few different occasions already, and each time has been a special experience! My…read moredaughter first visited when she was 3 years old, and now she is 6, and still loves it. Susie is always very kind and welcoming, and patient with our daughter. She even let us visit the chicken coop, let my daughter pick a few eggs and feed the chickens just for fun. The animals on the farm are all so sweet and calm too. We're very thankful for this business, great memories made here!

I had always wanted to check this out and was not disappointed. There are ample walking trails that…read moretake you through oak woodland, and open grasslands. Lots of Raptors and great for birdwatching.

Fun little place to go for a hike or take pictures…read more There are plenty of trails, loop trails, signs. Some are shorter, some longer. Some easier, some harder. Only about 35 - 40 minutes E of Oceanside, so not too bad. There are plenty of animals to see the 3 or 4 times that I have been there. Including ground squirrels, rabbits, snakes, cows, coyotes, birds of all kinds such as woodpeckers, meadow larks, hawks, vulture or condors, etc. Pretty much dirt, so if it rains, mud. During the spring bloom there are some pretty flowers. There is 1 trail that leads to a pond, with some ducks, etc. There may be people riding horses, make sure you yield to them, whether walking, walking your dog, riding a bike, etc. There is a porta-potty at the beginning of the trail in the parking lot. Make sure you lock the gate when you enter the trails.

Candy is an amazing trainer and person. I just started riding lessons at age 52 and it's quite…read morechallenging. I had some bad experiences with trainers in Rancho Santafe and my disappointment led me to find Candy and her beautiful Arabian horse Suga. The drive out to Ramona is beautiful and driving from Del Sur, happily I don't have to get on any freeways. Candy is a very kind and sweet lady who teaches more then just riding, she gives you her positive insight along the way and offers her wisdom through her many years of riding and being around horses. The horse I'm training on is a dream, Suga is very responsive and has a gently trot which really helps me learn and practice my posting trot. She is a sweet, safe and a very gentle horse which is perfect for a beginner like myself. Suga is a beautiful grey Arabian, I adore her. Candy charges a very reasonable rate for her hourly training, and is wonderful to be around. I look forward to my weekly lessons with this dynamic duo! Candy and Suga thank you so much for helping my dream of riding horses come true!

I board my horses in the same center as Candy Regal does and see her almost every day working her…read morebeautiful horses. I haven't taken lessons yet but see others taking their lessons. Would highly recommend Candy for an instructor based on her calm professional attitude.

I took some time to type this review as I would never want to negatively impact a company but…read morethought I owed it to the community to share our experience. We recently had a very disappointing and concerning experience with this horseback riding company. Unfortunately, the horses provided for our group did not appear to be properly trained or well-managed. Several of the horses were extremely difficult to control, and their behavior raised serious safety concerns from the start. During the ride, two horses became particularly unruly and ended up bucking, throwing two members of our group off onto the ground. This was a frightening and potentially dangerous situation that could have resulted in serious injury. While we understand that working with animals always carries some risk, this level of behavior suggests a lack of adequate training, supervision, or proper matching of horses to riders. After this negative experience the Owner refused to reimburse us. She offered us a credit to come back and take another ride with them. After this experience, the ladies are terrified to get on another horse. I would strongly encourage the company to review their safety protocols, horse training practices, and staff preparedness to ensure a safer experience for future guests. I leave you all with the horses are beautiful and you can tell they are well taken care but you should be a very experienced rider if you book with this company.

PLEASE READ THIS!!!! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY. FOR…read moreYOUR SAFTEY TRY ANOTHER HORSE COMPANY WITH BETTER TRAINED HORSES AND A MORE CARING OWNERS. This what I sent to the owner after my other friend send a massage. We were offered some type of credit. There's no way in hell I would ever return here! To top it off... the owner said she replied with an email after several attempts to get her to respond. Nothing! To give you an idea of our experience, I'm being very transparent and showing you what I sent to the owner and her not responding with any type of concern. Good afternoon, My name is Jonnie Thomas, and I was one of the eight riders on the Saturday, April 18th 2:30 PM trail ride with Gabby. I am writing to formally request a full refund for all eight participants due to the unsafe conditions and negligence we experienced during this ride. While we understand that waivers were signed, those waivers do not absolve your business from responsibility when horses are knowingly placed into service in unsafe conditions. Several horses appeared overworked (some reportedly on their third ride of the day), hungry, and agitated--conditions that directly contributed to dangerous and unpredictable behavior. I was assigned the horse Maverick and was explicitly warned about his aggressive tendencies. Despite having prior riding experience, it became immediately clear that this horse was not suitable for a group trail ride. During the ride: * Maverick attempted to buck me off early on. * He later bit Gabby, causing her to bleed. * On the return, he became unresponsive, agitated, and ultimately bucked me off causing myself injury. * He then ran off, spooking the other horses and causing a chain reaction that resulted in two additional riders falling. As a direct result of this incident: * Two riders required medical attention at urgent care. Sprained wrist and CT scan. * Multiple riders experienced significant emotional distress. * The ride became chaotic and unsafe for all participants. It is also concerning that, despite this being described as an "investigation," no one from your organization has contacted the riders involved to obtain firsthand statements. A proper and credible investigation must include the accounts of those directly affected. Given the severity of this incident, we expect: 1 A full refund for all eight riders 2 A prompt and direct response addressing this matter We request a response within 5 business days. If this matter is not resolved promptly, we will be forced to pursue additional steps, including formal complaints and public reviews detailing our experience. We would strongly prefer to resolve this matter professionally and without escalation. Please respond at your earliest convenience. Nothing! The owner is very unprofessional! Be warned! Please go somewhere else. *** I honestly can't believe the responses from this owner and Gabby!!!! Gabby was in the front so did not see the craziness that happened in the back. I have 8 girls saw Gabby get bit, so for her to deny she was bit is wild to me. 2 of our girls went to the hospital and yes, in fact had injuries. I wish I could upload our hospital paperwork. For the record, everyone wore a helmet. We were hesitant because of the nastiness and conditions of the helmet. Maverick should've never been taking out. Plain and simple! At this point I'm fighting for the principle of the outcome. I don't even care about the refund anymore. It's clear that the owner isn't going to give it and just continues to lie to protect her company, including her wrangler Gabby. Very disappointed! But this review is to warn the public! So many other options. I typically leave only POSITIVE reviews but I can't with this company.

Perfect! Can't recommend enough!!! This place is beyond perfect. My daughter wanted a medieval…read moreprincess themed party with unicorns and this was the place! The kids (and even parents) loved running around with all the animals. A lot of room for parking, tables for everything. It was great. Everyone was impressed with how relaxed it felt. The best part the unicorns were BEAUTIFUL. The little princess and knights loved them! I'll be back for sure! I see all these bad reviews and I'm Shocked! As long as you understand these are real people with real jobs (not just doing this) you'll be okay. I'll definitely be back!

Came here on a Sat with 3 kids and 1 Adult that rode horses for about 20min each and we were…read morecharged 300$ plus for less that 3 hours at the ranch. Apparently using a very dirty picnic table was an extra charge. The portal potties were completely unusable not cleaned in years. For this kind of money I would expect at least a clean table and toilet. But even then ridiculously overpriced! Interaction with the animals was nice but not worth the price.

I have been at CJ Ranches for over a year now and can't imagine being anywhere else. I have been…read moreriding for most of my life and Jen Willson is by far the best trainer I have had the pleasure of working with. She has a natural talent with horses and has elevated my riding beyond what I thought possible. I started off taking lessons with a lease horse most of the past year. The experience was so educational and really helped get my confidence back. Recently with Jen's help I purchased a 3 year old thoroughbred and have him currently in training with Jen. The experience has been so rewarding and he is progressing so nicely, I couldn't be happier! My two horses (20 year old and 3 year old thoroughbreds) are so happy at CJ Ranch. They enjoy the activity around the barn and all the familiar faces that stop by and say hi. I travel often for work and its so nice to not have to worry about my horses while I am gone because I know that Jen and the rest of the CJ Ranches team are taking good care of them. The barn has a wonderful family environment and great people who truly love their horses. I can't say enough good things about CJ Ranches, Jen or the rest of the CJ Ranches family.

Cj ranches is the best riding facility I have had the privilege to ride and train with. Jen and…read moreChris are amazing trainers who have continued to grow my confidence and knowledge. Amazing horses, great clients, and a family atmosphere. Took me from not having jumped before to competing in the 3' jumpers in less than 2 years. English, western, or both, CJ ranches can help you. Casual lessons to serious competitors. Can not recommend enough.