This is a wonderful place to acquire horsemanship skills. Shelley is an exceptional instructor and…read moreis great with both people and horses!! She has in depth knowledge of horsemanship and how to teach it. I recently arrived from the Midwest and was afraid I would not find a trainer here. After many years of instruction I rank Shelley as one of the best teachers I have encountered. She has dozens of young people following her around the barn hanging on her every word. She exemplifies the best in teaching horsemanship. Her love of the sport is evident and radiates through her teaching experience. The horses are beautiful and so is the property. Young or old; you can not find a better place to ride. Deb B

Sterling Riding Academy is a great resource for beginner riders up to experienced riders. I took…read morelessons from Shelley and Melissa, starting in their beginner program through the city, until I graduated from high school where I was riding and competing regularly with them. They have a very strong beginners program with many safe and reliable horses and a well rounded lesson program. Beginner riders learn about grooming and tacking up a horse, basic horse care as well as how to ride. One of the best parts of Sterling for me, was Melissa's commitment to making me a well rounded rider. I rode many many different horses throughout my time at Sterling, each with their own quirks and challenges. Similarly, though I competed in Hunters and Equitation, Mellissa also taught me jumper, cross country and dressage lessons. Even though they each have a different skill set and purpose this kind of "cross training" is instrumental in being a good rider. I highly recommend any of the programs at Sterling and I really appreciate the family that Shelley and Melissa have built there.

I've enjoyed my time at this facility. My mare is very happy, I enjoy the community, and I…read moreespecially appreciate the flexibility this barn has to offer. I am allowed to bring in and store my own food (orchard grass from Higby's) with the standard stall rate and have arranged for fan service for a fee (Matt graciously installed the fan in my mare's stall) so my mare gets TLC when it is hot. The stalls (x-small wood chips covered + matted paddock) are kept very clean, with someone coming to remove manure at least twice a day. It is a busy barn with some boarded horses and a many lesson horses, so it is easy to arrange for someone to help blanket and provide grain to my mare, daily. The owners live at the barn so there is someone keeping an eye on horses 24/7. I have learned so much from my trainer CeCe who has a background in eventing. I feel safe during our sessions, and she takes the fitness level and soundness of my horse into consideration. Pine Trails offers large number of lessons weekdays after school and weekend mornings, so it can become a very busy during these times, but my mare enjoys the higher level of activity at this barn and would be bored otherwise! I generally ride during the late evenings and there are usually at least one or two people out and about for company. During the hot days of summer, there is the option of riding your own horse at the coolest hours of the day. As mentioned before I truly appreciate the flexibility Michelle, the owner, offers. Arena lights are on until 10PM. The footing in the four arenas is sand, crushed walnut shells, or a combination of both, watered once a day and dragged a few times a week. Ivan, a local farrier, is wonderful and comes to the barn every week, so arranging appointments is easy. The barn-cats, dog, geese, ducks, and many other animals are a fun bonus to the experience.

My daughter had an amazing time on her first riding lesson here. Meghan was great with her, patient…read moreand very informative. She showed her everything from the beginning like brushing, feeding and treating a horse before the actual riding. She honestly exceeded our expectations. We will surely be coming back whenever we're back in Davis.

TROTR is an amazing resource for healing and learning. They have a lot of wonderful lesson and…read moretherapy horses and great instructors. I highly recommend TROTR for equine therapy, learning to ride, and boarding your horse.

I took my granddaughter to the 'Ponies and Pumpkins' fundraiser yesterday (10/20/24). We walked to…read morethe barn where the animals were, and when we tried to enter, one of the girls (had a blue TROTR t-shirt on) abruptly said, "Where's your ticket?" I told her that I didn't know we needed tickets and she told me I had to go to the booth by the food trucks if I wanted to enter. Ok. My granddaughter and I walked towards the other section and decided to stop at the 'Authentic Tacos' truck to get bottled waters (it was warm outside). I said, "Hi!" to the guy at the open window, who barked, "We aren't taking any more orders!" I said that I just wanted a couple of bottles of water, he said, "Yeah, I guess" and got the two bottles. He stood there holding them until I asked how much, I gave him $4, and said thank you, but he didn't say anything. Next, we went to the ticket booth, a woman sitting there said, "What do you need?"...not "hi", " hello" or any type of greeting, just, "What do you need?" I said that we wanted to see the animals in the barn, she ripped off 4 tickets, and said, "$20". Ok. We walked back to the barn, saw about 10 animals, and left. The teens swept right in front of us without an "excuse me". What happened to teaching manners? The only friendly person was the woman at the entrance who made us sign waivers. First and last time supporting that local nonprofit! I apologized to my granddaughter and we went to Home Goods for some much-needed retail therapy.

We love it here! my daughter attends weekly horseback riding but not only does she learn to ride…read morebut learns about various animals and how to care for them. Her weekly classes are always a highlight. The staff members are kind, knowledgeable, and respectful. I would suggest them to anyone.

Ran by wonderful people who have a love for horses and incredible human compassion. Highly…read morerecommend.

Shadow Glen Riding Stables was hands down the best field trip we have been on in years!…read moreAs a 3rd-grade teacher, I cannot say enough good things about Terry and the wranglers. They were welcoming, patient, knowledgeable, and made every student feel included. Our students had an incredible opportunity to learn about ranch and farm life, tractors, horses, foals, farm animals, hay, and the daily responsibilities of caring for a ranch. The hands-on experiences were the highlight of the day. Students were able to groom horses, interact with animals, ask questions, and gain a real appreciation for agriculture and animal care. Terry and his team kept the students engaged from beginning to end. What made this experience even more special was Terry Howard's generosity. Shadow Glen donated approximately three hours of their time at no charge to educate three classes of Center Joint Unified School District students. That level of community support is truly appreciated. Our students are still talking about the trip, and the adults had just as much fun as the kids. It was an outstanding experience from start to finish.

I must admit so was a bit anxious about riding, since I hadn't really been on a horse except…read morebriefly as an adult and also as a child. However, the horses were very well behaved and easy to handle. Big shout out to Cheryl, our wrangler, who made it fun with her cheerfulness and experience. My husband and I both enjoyed our rides and wouldn't mind going again. It's so relaxing being out in nature on a horse. Recommend whether it's your first time riding a horse or you are a seasoned rider!

My daughter that's 6yrs old has such control over every horse she has ridden because of the lessons…read morehere at valley brook! Kind, firm and direct teaching is excellent and help form the discipline involved in equine sportsmanship. I can't say enough amazing things about this stable.1

LIterally the best barn ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have Amazing horses. Shout out to London,…read moreBubbles And shadow Also Devon And Laura Thay are the BEST!

Me and my gf had an amazing experience horseback riding with the help of Kiera and Katie, guiding…read moreus through and making sure we are comfortable and safe. I had a wonderful time with Dozer! I highly recommend trying this experience as a beginner like me :))

Katie and Kiera were awesome! Beautiful experience and lovely setting. Highly recommendread more

My son and niece had the best week last week at A-1 Horse Programs at Owen Ranch in Middletown…read more Helen, the ranch owner, and the instructor knew what each kid needed to be successful in their horsemanship journey, whether it was confidence, courage, encouragement, discipline, etc, she was there to provide what each kid needed to succeed. I was so impressed with her innate ability to understand the needs of the kids and provide what was needed at the moment to get the best results. It was really hot while we were there, like triple digits hot! The kids were hot and tired after each day, but they were still excited about camp and eager to go back each morning. Helen and her assistant Sam were good about keeping an eye on the kids and cooling them down frequently with a hose down, which the kids loved, lol. The kids also absolutely adored their horses. Both horses were very sweet and gentle. The kids loved rewarding their horses at the end of each day with an apple. From day one the kids were hands-on learning how to properly care for their horse and prepare it for a ride. On the very first day they learned how to securely tie it to a post when not being ridden and not in a pen, they learned how to harness and lead their horse out of the pen, they learned how to brush their horse before saddling, they learned how to bridle and saddle their horses. They learned how to walk their horses to warm them up before a ride, they learned how to properly hose a hot horse down to cool it down after a ride in hot temps. They did all that and still had some arena time so that they were also able to learn how to properly control their horse. Day 2 they did all their horse prep and care then had some arena time to strengthen riding skills and then they were off for a trail ride that was about an hour long. The rest of the week was about the same with the kids in the saddle a good 2 hours each day. On the 4th day they learned how to wash the horses and the last day was dedicated to a show the kids put on for the parents to show how well they had learned to direct their horses. On his first day my son was slouching in his saddle and saying he couldn't do a lot of what was asked of him. By mid-week his riding posture was greatly improved and Helen had him saying "I can, instead of I can't" She told him if he could control a 1000 lb horse at just 7 years old, he could do anything! I hope he remembers that forever! He was even excited to carry his horse's rather heavy saddle by himself by the end of the week because he knew he could do anything. Thank you Helen for the best week we had all summer, we will be back.

This place exceeded our expectations! Our non-equestrian family had an amazing time at the ranch…read more Helen was a patient, well versed trainer. She welcomed us to play with the goats while she saddled the horses. She matched us perfectly with the horses, from my 6'4" husband, my 60+ yr old mother, and my elementary age children. She was great with instruction and safety, and the trail ride, which included a walk through the running water was an hour perfectly spent. She even took photos that she shared with us at the end of the experience. Incredible customer service. Absolutely worth every penny!