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.

Jennifer and her mom are extremely knowledgable and excellent trainers. I have taken about 8…read morelessons so far and love it there! If you are looking for a hunter jumper trainer I would highly recommend them!

Watched my granddaughter's horse riding lesson. Wonderful people and she really really enjoying…read morelearning to ride a horse!!

If you're looking for a riding instructor with decades of experience, incredible patience, and a…read moredeep love and appreciation of horses, look no further than Karen Young. A year ago, my daughter fell off a horse and broke her arm, and Karen has been invaluable in helping restore her skills and confidence. Six months ago, my daughter wouldn't go faster than a walk; now she is walking, trotting, cantering, and even jumping a bit. When we made the decision to purchase her first horse, Karen gave us expert advice and regularly came with us when we looked. She guided us on exactly what to look for, and thanks to her knowledge, wisdom, and advice, she helped us find the perfect horse. While Karen's specialty is Western dressage, she has expert knowledge of both English and Western riding, including dressage, hunter/jumper, equitation, and pleasure riding. We're so grateful to have found her.

I've been riding my whole life and decided to go on a trail ride as a treat for myself. All my…read morehorses are now gone so I was excited to get back in the saddle. Marina was the guide and she did a great job. Bomba was the horse I had the pleasure to ride. He was a very fun horse and I just adored him. There were other people on the trail ride who did not have much experience but Marina was great helping them out while also making sure we didn't slow down. I recommend this place to everyone it's truly great.

We had came from far away to do another horse riding lesson with two kids that have already done…read morelessons. When we first got on the horse the instructor was already screaming and staring at the kids with such a rude attitude.We started the trail and she was not patient with us at all, with even more screaming and made our experience so stressful.One of the kids was having a hard time and started to cry and instead of helping she kept screaming and telling him to go. There was also another person with us on the trail and I heard the instructor make comments! This was not a good experience and especially for the kids that were so excited. They are not patient at all and really need to work on their attitude and way of speaking to kids! Thank you for responding, I already knew this was a trail ride and the kids had more than 5 rides already.There is still no need to be shouting and being extra mean since the beginning even before the ride, it does not make it enjoyable and It does not qualify someone for this job. I will not recommend this place to anyone.

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!

Amber Forney is the best! We retired from San Jose last year and decided with all the Equestrian…read moreCenters nearby that we could finally learn how to ride a horse. So my husband (age 57) and I (age 58) got started with Amber at Cornerstone Training at Royal Oak Farms in Granite Bay. During our weekly lessons Amber taught us everything about horses; how to groom, how to saddle, how to mount & dismount, how to post a trot, and how to canter. She went at exactly the right pace of learning for us. Amber introduced us to new goals each week, including intro to dressage and trotting over low barriers. Amber is fun, her training horses are sweet, and the equestrian center is well groomed.

Very disappointed in this facility. Home of the 20 minutes lesson and little accountability. My…read moredaughter took lessons for one year and I have many issues with this place. I tried to be patient because the owners are very nice, but at the end of the day I wasted a lot of money and wasted a year of lessons for my daughter. I paid for an hour lesson and sometimes my daughter would be on a horse for 20 minutes!!! when I called the owner on it, she told me it wasn't quantity but quality that mattered. I happened to disagree, if I am paying for an hour lesson, I expect my child to be on a horse for an hour. She also got very little guidance in grooming and tacking, had to do it mostly on her own, which didn't help with her confidence in the process. Finally, they have very few riding horses and kept her on their Welsh pony Molly for a year. Now that she is at a professional riding facility, she is very unprepared to ride a real horse and has to start as a beginner due to her lack of confidence. I have also found myself alone, with no adult nor responsible person on the facility and two children waiting for a lesson. The owners are very laid back and do not seem to get involved with their students personally, they are more interested in their own performances but happy to send you an invoice that they may not be able to honor. I do not recommend this facility, it was a waste of time and money for our family.

My 10 month old Quarter horse filly became combative, dangerous when she turned 1years old . I've…read morebeen riding since I was 2 years old but never trained a filly ground matters. She wouldn't let my husband get out of the chicken coop when he was feeding our chickens. I was referred to Windward Natural Equine Center by an unprofessional trainer trying to help me with my beautiful filly . I was learned that I was the one that needed training to . Sierra my Fillies trainer works with me and Stormy together And I'm so excited to say Sierra is magic, consistent, punctual, so gifted with her training techniques. It's a God thing.I highly recommend Sierra and the amazing stable .They keep her stalls cleaned and it's a wonderful place to board your horse and for training. The owner Sandy is amazing and really helpful to me . She also gives riding lessons . Thank you all that work at the stable too! Dean ,Andy & Bob.. 5 stars plus for Windward Natural Equine Center . Thank you so very much! Suzanne

This review is mostly based on Jenna who we take horse lessons from. Jenna came highly recommended…read moreand they were spot on! My daughter started lessons at the age of 3!!! Miss Jenna has a long history with horses and is eager to share her knowledge. She's incredibly patient and calm. My daughter has rode 2 of her horses. I'm incredibly impressed at how well behaved her horses are. If you're looking for lessons I would highly recommend her! As for the facility we love going here and saying high to all the horses. Every person we've met here is so nice and welcoming. The horses are well looked after.

Another great charity event at Project Ride. Annual Spaghetti Feed 2025 was awesome. Excellent…read morespaghetti, salad and garlic bread. This fun, kid friendly supports a great cause for special needs kids and young adults. Good price for tickets, raffle tickets with great prizes and the UCD Equestrian Team was there to help, big help. Thanks to the Sacramento Sheriff's Office cadets, local high school young people. So much fun!

The volunteer opportunities seem great but I was denied entry to one just because I didn't have a…read moreliability form and although I completely understand safety concerns and what not, I wasted time to drive out then have to go back home right after. I am very disappointed because my dad was there and he would have signed another liability form but the check in lady said no, "you have to be on my list, your teacher should have sent the forms out already" and this was for the Spaghetti feed today. After that she told me "well there is another opportunity in January you can do" but I will definitely never volunteer for this place again.