I got to know Bright Ranch and the Bright family. They are all caring. I have known them from when…read moreI was 8 years to when I was 19. I did weekly lessons and learned a lot about the horse and riding. I learned how to ride all kinds of horses from green (not fully trained) horses to the competition horses. It was one of the reasons why I became so into horseback riding. I loved Dennis's deep knowledge on horses and how he worked and partnered with the amazing horses he has in the stable. I also learned to work with cows and learned to do advanced techniques over the years. Dennis teaches you that patience helps you a lot around horses. He teaches you to be safe on the ground and in the saddle. Yes, it takes years to learn to horseback ride. It is the same for all sports and even learning instruments. You gotta understand that things take time. I describe horseback riding is like a tree. You learn the basics or the standard skill. Each basic technique you learn branches off to more advanced skills. Also, repetitions are key! Anyway, I recommend Dennis Bright as a caring and acknowledgeable horseback riding mentor. He has the safest horses to ride compared to the other stables I visited. The biggest thing he makes sure is that you the student is safe. Not many horseback riding teachers do this! - Kathryn K.

My 8 year old daughter did a week long summer camp here and I cannot recommend it highly enough!…read moreShe got a horse riding lesson every day, got to brush the horses and help take care of the other animals on the farm, learned about the garden and helped harvest the vegetables... basically every 8 year old's dream! The camp counselors were all so friendly and the owners were so helpful and seemed to genuinely care about the kids learning and having a good summer camp experience. We will definitely be back next summer! I wish we lived close enough to do riding lessons here on a regular basis!

We've had such a wonderful experience with this barn! My son is taking horseback riding lessons…read morewith Johnny, and she is absolutely amazing. She's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and clearly passionate about what she does. She has such a special gift for teaching children--making them feel confident, safe, and excited to learn. My son looks forward to every lesson, and we've seen so much growth in his skills and confidence. Highly recommend to any families looking for a positive and supportive environment for their kids!

We love riding horses, and this experience meant so much to us. My daughter has special needs, and…read moreJohnny and Amanda treated her with genuine respect, patience, and kindness from the very beginning. Johnny took the time to understand her riding ability and encouraged her in just the right way, pushing her enough to grow while making her feel safe and supported. Because of that, she not only excelled but continues to build confidence every time she rides. We're incredibly grateful for such a thoughtful and inclusive experience. We look forward to our next session. We Highly recommend Johnny 6 Stables!

For my daughters bday, they did a wonderful job of last minute accommodation! No doubt about the…read morefantastic service when it comes to making a great impression there BUT the instructor didn't seem to pleased to be very sociable. I mentioned it was my daughters bday many times. Not much conversation to my daughter to make her feel very welcome. For example, "hows your bday going so far? Or, Glad we were able to squeeze you in today to make a dream come true, or thanks for choosing is hope to see you back have a nice rest of your bday" Nope. Still gave her a nice tip though, even if her vibe was not happy to have us there ‍

I love this place! The people I met there all went out of their way to be friendly and kind, the…read moregiant arena has great footing that is groomed every day, the spaces for the horses are big and comfortable. There is a lovely covered arena, a big round pen, mini trails, tons of turnouts, exceptional quality hay even my draft cross kept weight on. There is a picnic area and even a kids playground. This barn is both kid and dog friendly which is incredibly rare these days. They have jumps and barrels and sometimes in barn events. They are constantly improving and keeping things in tip top shape. There are comfy lounges and every thing is always tidy and neat. The owner Karla is a truly good human who is dedicated, professional and at the same time down to earth and kind. If you are looking for a place for your horse and there is an opening snatch it up quickly because this place is heavenly.

When I imagine what a barn should be, Three Horse Farm is exactly what comes to mind. The head…read moretrainer, Lizzy Green, is kind, supportive, talented, and truly cares about her clients. No matter where you are in your riding journey, beginner to advanced, she will bring out the best in you with positive and empathetic coaching. My riding has improved to levels far beyond what I ever thought I could reach. My fellow riders and I cheer each other on and celebrate successes, and support each other through the tough days. We truly have the best barn family ; there's nowhere else I'd rather be!

A friend and I stumbled upon Three Horse Farms after purchasing a Livingsocial.com deal for a 1…read morehour riding lesson-- what luck! Julia (a co-owner of the business) gave us a very informative and fun lesson. She is VERY knowledgeable about horses and as such I always felt safe while we were grooming or riding. I'm so glad we were able to experience riding-- even only for a short while-- with THF. I would love to come back as soon as possible! Thanks Julia!!

Shannon is an exceptional instructor. She has been teaching my daughter horseback riding for the…read morepast 10 years, and my daughter absolutely loves her kind, patient, and encouraging approach. Shannon has played a huge role in helping her grow and progress through the levels with confidence. My daughter truly loves the horses and the entire stable environment. It's also a wonderful place to spend time while waiting--calm, peaceful, and welcoming. We're so grateful for Shannon and the entire team.

We have been attending lessons at Painted Star Equestrian for 5 months now. We LOVE Shannen's…read morecurriculum for horseback riding. The kids always know what their next goals are and how to level up and what they need to do to get there. My youngest fell in love with horseback riding here. She is often overshadowed by her two older sisters' achievements and she has found her own "thing" here. She has learned a greater level of responsibility and independence. Her confidence has grown both on and off the arena and we couldn't be more proud of her and thankful for Painted Star!

FHS and trainer Stephanie Walker are the best. She has created an exceptional environment where the…read morehorses' comfort and happiness are always the priority. She helps all levels of riders realize their full potential in a very unintimidating way. I would highly recommend this barn for boarding, leasing, training, and lessons.

Stephanie Walker at Free Heart Stables is a true horseman. She understands the equine holistically…read moreand teaches her clients from where the horse is at physically and mentally, and always for the good of the horse. My daughter entered into the horse world via typical horseback lesson experience. She received excellent instruction in rider form at a top riding school but she became bored with just jumping on a horse for the purpose of getting through the transitions and jumps while looking good. She craved a deeper bond with her equine partners. So, being a brand new horse person myself, and only to support my daughter from afar, I found Stephanie in a Google search. I figured some horseback lessons that simulated actual horse ownership would cure the bug. I also decided that since this experience would be more than just tacking up the horse and riding, I decided to take lessons too so I could supervise my daughter from the ground. When my daughter first started riding, I wouldn't even pet the horses, and I was the least likely candidate to be a horse owner, that's how resistant I was to this whole horse fever she caught. I thought for sure these true "horsemanship" lessons would end this nonsense. Well, Stephanie didn't cure the horse bug. She made it worse, it was contagious, and I caught it. She stirred a new passion in my daughter and I that opened up a whole new world where horses are now more than a hobby, we have a new lifestyle. Fast forward to today, we are the humble owners of a beautiful, dramatic, and sensitive thoroughbred gelding and Stephanie is our trainer. Forget thinking that this is your typical trainer situation where the expert does the hard work of training your horse and you come out only to ride and experience the fruit of that labor. Stephanie is teaching US how to train our horse. Her lessons involve us in every part of the equine from the how the horse thinks to how the horse moves - on good days and bad days. Some of our best lessons, even when we first started, have been in (and continue to be in) imperfect conditions where we were making mistakes and Stephanie patiently taught us what was going on with the horse mentally, how we created the situation, and how to correct it. She will not do it for you, and she will make you take it slow to do things right. You can do things fast, or you can do them right. Thankfully, she has the patience and calm demeanor of a saint with kids and nervous, newbie, somewhat resistant, older adults. Stephanie just has something special to offer people that is vitally lacking in our fast paced, over tech'd, and over-achieving culture. The character qualities that are being instilled in my daughter (and myself) through this journey is not something the fanciest training barn or most expensive private school could ever teach. It is hard work that teaches you how to slow down, be present, and be teachable. Though the word has lost its meaning, Stephanie is a true natural horseman and she will teach you how to understand and communicate with the horse from the moment you make contact. If you want a truly fulfilling equine partnership that is unlike anything offered at training and lesson barns, contact Stephanie. Your horse will thank you.

We tried to schedule a horseback ride with this operation and it was frustrating…read more It took repeated phone calls before anyone answered (there is no email address and calls were not returned). The person we spoke with (Olivia) said she was incredibly busy and could not talk then. After a second call that she answered, she texted us a form that asked for names, weights, heights, contact info, etc. We texted all this as requested. We assumed (naively) this was a confirmation since she had given us a time and date for the ride. Wrong! It meant nothing. We got no response to that text or another text requesting a written confirmation. We showed up on the day of the ride, earlier than the time scheduled for us. However, there was no record of anything! They might get great reviews by people who have actually gotten to ride; however, buyer beware. If you do not have a definite confirmation (and we have no idea what that might consist of), you have an excellent chance of not having a ride. In our opinion, this is not a customer-friendly and professional operation.

What a good time! Olivia was a fantastic guide and the horses were so well behaved. Also such a…read morebeautiful trail. Will definitely be coming back again!

This used to be a really nice facility but unfortunately has been going downhill for awhile…read more Britteny Streeval is the latest in a revolving door of barn managers. No one wants to work for the barn owner for long. He is rude, doesn't respect women, and condescending. Brittney doesn't know anything about horses or the care that they need. She outright refuses to address potential safety hazards, instead prioritizing weed whacking. If boarders come to her with complaints she is likely to lose her temper, yelling and waving her hands violently. There are many trainers with excellent programs, but if any handicap person wants to come watch their child ride there is no handicap bathroom for them to go to. Very disappointing that a public facility doesn't have handicap accomodations. In addition to this, the bathrooms chronically have difficulty flushing and the toilets are almost always full of poop. The arenas dragging is poorly done, leading to bad footing and rivets in the sand. This is a shame because the arenas used to have extraordinary footing, especially in the indoor arena. Break ins to vehicles is not uncommon, as well as cigarette butts found in horses stalls. Communication between management and boarders is limited. The board has been raised twice in the last 6 months, even during the decline in quality. On July 4th the horses didn't get fed until 10pm Sometimes the hay is moldy. Boarders are not always notified when their horse gets out. Stall cleaners do not always remember to chain gates.

I moved to Charis around a year and a half ago after having multiple bad experiences at different…read morebarns, and it is one of the best choices I have ever made. I came to Charis scared to ride over poles on the ground and since then I have gone to numerous shows and competed up to the 2'6 confidently to close out my junior career. This program has made me a fundamentally more confident and better rider, and given me countless opportunities to grow and gain experience in an amazing learning environment, on safe and quality horses. Charis truly has the horses', students', and clients' best interest at heart and goes above and beyond as a mentor, instructor, and professional to help rider's reach their goals and literally make dreams come true. This truly is the best program in the Bay Area for hunters, jumpers, and equitation. The facility is wonderful with ample turnout (a rarity in California) and top quality footing. This program has fundamentally allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a professional, which would have never been possible without Charis, her expertise, or any of her amazing horses! Weather you are an ambitious junior looking to compete and win on the 'A' circuit, looking to import or bring along a young horse, or just someone looking to have fun or learn to ride, there is no better place than this program.

I just moved to the area in June and was so nervous about finding a new trainer since I was coming…read moreall the way from North Carolina. The trainer Charis was so friendly and extremely responsive to messages when I first reached out. She even made herself available for our first meeting while she was actively at a horse show to give me info on her training program and about her barn. All the people sitting around her were beyond welcoming and chimed in enthusiastically. I decided to go ahead and book my first lesson. I honestly haven't looked back. As someone who values a community so much and feeling comfortable with the people I spend time with, she is that person.

Lone Oak is a great boarding stable. The facility is very clean and quiet. They have several…read morearenas. You will most likely have the arena to yourself. The arenas have great footing. They take pride in the facility and security. The only downside is fall is in the winter time only the covered arena is open sometimes. They do seal the outside arenas. So once the outside arenas dry out they open them back up.

Well kept covered arena. Happy , cared for horses…read more Bathrooms (not outhouses ) Easy to access off freeway.