We have been here for 9 months now and I can say it is such a wonderful barn. The training is top…read morenotch, Nikki is an amazing teacher and my son has brought his riding skills up so much in a short time. The other trainers Gail and Catlin are also very good. The people boarding and in training program treat you like family. The barn and grounds are kept up nicely with improvements all the time. The barn manager Natalie is awesome, always helpful and responsive to any needs. We have our 2nd horse coming here tomorrow. I would recommend this place to everyone!

I have been training at this barn for several months now with my son (age 11). I am so impressed…read morewith the great care that they take of the horses. Also, everyone is so warm and friendly. It is a great community of people who are passionate about riding. I am especially impressed with the owner/trainer, Nikki. She really knows how to bring out the best in you. I can see so much improvement in our riding during the few months that we have been working with Nikki. She is a great balance of pushing you to grow in a way that feels supportive and super positive. I just can't say enough good things about this barn.

I started taking riding lessons with DaNae in late summer 2024 and I am so genuinely pleased with…read moremy experience so far. I went to Los Lagos as a beginner rider. I'll admit, it's pretty daunting to pick up riding as an adult. It's *a lot* to learn! But I appreciate and love how DaNae motivates and challenges me each time I'm there. The facility is so beautiful and it's a huge perk to have a covered arena! And if we can't ride on rare occasions, we've got educational lessons. Everyone I've met at the facility has been welcoming. And I've also been really lucky to take my lessons with a great group of girls. I recently heard that DaNae purchased the property and it's so clear that she's putting so much love into the space. I can only anticipate positive changes ahead. Looking forward to continuing my riding lessons and can't wait to see how much I'll learn in time. Who knows...maybe I'll have a horse of my own and board it at Los Lagos someday!

Excellent equestrian center with great people working to make it the best. I took a riding lesson…read morethere and was very impressed.

I recently decided that I'd like to take riding lessons and I had the opportunity to take a number…read moreof group lessons with my sister and sister-in-law at Knicker Knob. The trainer who worked with us, Amy, is incredibly patient and kind. Her teaching style is so thorough and clear. She and the other trainers stress horsemanship -- you learn how to get your horse, tack them up, and you learn about the anatomy of the horse and so much more. It's not just a lesson where you jump on an already tacked up horse, ride, and go home. You truly get the full experience and the goal is to prepare you for a day when you might own your very own horse. The barn has a very welcoming and relaxed feel, everyone is so kind and wonderful. The lesson horses are also great! Whether you're an adult looking for lessons or you have kids who want to take lessons, I would definitely recommend checking out this place and trying it out. It's also amazing that they have access to Folsom Lake trails.

This is the best barn. Jennifer is a great trainer and goes out of her way to make sure boarders…read moreare comfortable and lessons are great. We searched many barns to find the right one. This is it. Highly recommened checking out this barn before making any decisions.

I love Horsey Hilton! I have my first little horse boarded there and they take great care of him…read more He has pasture to run in and a nice shelter. I have met a lot of great friends here too. I can highly recommend this horse boarding facility!

Mimi was so nice to start and then if your hirse got injured on property she'd hold a $750 last and…read moretake it following month you have to put your horse in hospital or rehab no compassion all money oriented Then you get hurt she agrees says she'll keep your poles property pick up whenever being kindly then all the sudden you then find she steals your poles probably sells gets money and all the time says no worries can get they are in a safe place just call and then you call text email she takes them hundreds of dollars value

This is a well run, clean boarding facility. Ideal for your equine. The family operating Whirlawind…read moreis highly experienced, friendly and very good, patient instructors. I highly recommend Whirlawind for lessons, training and boarding.

Danielle, my trainer, is amazing. She has improved my riding skills in a very short time…read more The facility is always clean and the horses look well cared for. Many of their horses have been rescued, rehabed and put to good use. What a great thing to do. Love this place!

Been riding out here since I was 7; so 15 years now. This barn has become family and takes great…read morecare of all horses. Lessons, boarding, training, and more at GCEC and they take everyone in as if they were family. GCEC is geared toward more entry level riding up to B Rated shows. The amount of riding one does is up to you (the client) and the level of training you want is up to you as well.

Great riding place, lots of fun for kids! Everyone is extremely nice and their are about 100…read moredifferent kinds of horses there (all breeds and sizes). Again a great and safe place that teaches good responsibility and helps you meet new friends that also love horses (all ages). If your interested in horses, you should check them out!

My friend's daughter had her 7th birthday party here and it was great!! The place was very easy to…read morefind, with ample parking in the pasture. All the horses look healthy and well taken care off, The party package includes a horse ride, walking the miniature horse, a petting zoo and crafting time. Everything was well organized and adults were having as much as the kiddos. The staff were amazing!! I got my car stuck in the wet mud and they helped me pull it out!! Yay!! Highly recommended for a kids birthday party destination.

Was up for sale according to trainer. That was told to me in March 2022 so no idea if there is a…read morenew owner. If not, dont even think of leaving your horse in this horrible place if you care for it at all. See pictures of what happened to my filly due to their negligence.

The Good: The facility is nice with 1 large arena with…read morelights and 1 round pen, both with great footing. The boarders are friendly and the horses have plenty of room to roam in their pastures. Each pasture has off the ground feeders. We were told Folsom Lake was a short ride across a neighbor's property however we were (understandably) denied access at the time due to the heavy rains and uneven footing so I cannot attest as to the distance of the trails. Four very sweet dogs greet you upon arrival and Rory (owner's son and ranch hand) and Greg (owner's husband) are both incredibly sweet and easy to talk to. The Bad: Tack Space / Trailer Parking: Originally we were offered space in the community tack shed. Upon arriving with our horse, we were advised that community tack shed would not be provided because it was free tack storage OR (not and) free trailer parking. We were told to use our trailer for tack and supplies. That is not what was quoted prior to arrival, as you can check on craigslist posts. Restrooms: There are none outside of the owner's home. Fine for adults, difficult with kids. Self-Cleaning: This facility requires self-cleaning of the pastures every day (shared with your partner). There was a gal there you can pay however as of 03/22/17 she is no longer offering cleaning services. Our unfortunate experience: Our boarding adventures at 8 Oaks lasted all of two months before things escalated beyond acceptability. Our horse is a post-impaction survivor as of only 5 months prior and oat and other cereal hays are highly discouraged by his vet. We were skeptical to move to 8 Oaks as they offer grass and oat hay in a 2-horse shared pasture setting. After many conversations, Cathy Andrews (the owner) ensured us that our horses' diet (grass & alfalfa/ digestive smartpaks) would be accommodated by separating the two horses during breakfast as our intended pasture mate was also on an alternative diet and would need to be separated for breakfast (only) regardless of who he shared with. The accommodations were honored for a short duration. It didn't take long before we were repeatedly reminded by the owner of the inconvenience separating during breakfast caused. We were asked to compensate additional monthly funds to supply our hay choice outside of our boarding agreement on two occasions. We were later then "offered" the option of picking up the hay ourselves. There were several instances where our horse was injured, in which we felt we should have been notified yet weren't, including obvious lameness due to a bloody leg injury. When various concerns were brought up to the owner her responses were indifferent or dismissive. On one occasion, upon seeing my horses injuries, the owner noted in passing that "I saw that a couple of days ago, and thought about texting you..." but she obviously didn't, then redirected it back on me as my fault for not having been there the last 2 days. Additionally, it was discovered that our horse was being left in the breakfast pen until mid - late evenings. This was contrary to assurances from the owner that he was to be moved back to pasture after breakfast. The pen had nothing in regards to shade or shelter, and is too small for him for that long duration of time as well as denied the option of shelter from sun/rain/hail that the normal pasture provided. The client-customer relationship degraded further when we found him in that breakfast pen mid evening, surrounded by the debris of a broken metal structure that had fallen apart. Overall I felt the lack of care and concern demonstrated by the owner to be unprofessional and in our case, inhumane. Since leaving, I've heard a few horror stories regarding others' experiences at 8 Oaks that I wish had been published when I was looking, including issues with another past boarder that had a similar experience with feed. I wish better luck to the next person, but would advise against boarding there if you expect communication of any sort if your horse is ever injured or ill, or if your horse has dietary needs other than grass/oat hay. *************Response to Owner Rebuttal************* Unfortunately there's a character limit so I've attached a picture to my original review containing my response to owner's rebuttal.

I feel so fortunate that when our horse needed a new barn, now that hes retired from the show…read moreworld, 8 Oaks Ranch had an opening. I met with Cathy, the owner and immediately got good vibes. The property is gorgeous and well maintained. No easy feat for property of this size but its obvious this is a labor of love by Cathy and her family. The communication here is wonderful, there are group emails sent to boarders advising of this or that relating to ranch info or just for Cathy to invite people to ride with her on beautiful Folsom Lake Trails, a few minutes down the lane. Any questions or concerns are easily brought up and discussed, Cathy is so easy to talk to.