When writing a review here on Yelp, I try to speak from the heart and share great places that I…read morelike. I mean that's what Yelp is all about, to share, not to sell. Equi Spirit Experience by Dyane Golding Dyane's home & business in Rio Verde is well worth the drive of only 45 minutes from my home in Phoenix for an amazing experience. She invited us into her home, her business and the herd that she caters to daily Chrissy ( Matriarch ), Black Jack ( Lead Stallion ), Roja ( Young Buck ) and Essie ( Wounded Spirit ). The property has sweeping views of the McDowell Mountains and the Four Peaks, impressively situated on 4 acres at Broken Ranch Road. We went through 3 different exercises that allow you to better connect with yourself by how the horses perceive your communication with them. If 90% of communication is through body language, why do we tend to focus on the 10% that is verbal? Horses have an amazing ability to communicate primarily through their energy and it is very clear to them, whether or not they believe you, trust you, even wish to be in your presence. Each of the horses had their own personality, just like us with our good and bad traits. My personal experience was with Chrissy, the Matriarch of the herd. She is 16 years old and doesn't take much from anyone, it is a challenge to be present and connected with her because of her aloofness. I guess that's why I was attracted to working with her when we were invited to "lead a horse". I learned that in order to lead a horse, they need to believe in you, that you are heading in a good direction - with Conviction! I thought that I was leading, but was informed by Dyane's watchful eye that the opposite was true, I was sending mixed messages. As I was attempting to walk forward, I would look back at her. She doesn't need to me to WATCH her walk to move forward, she only needed to BELIEVE that I was walking in the right direction. Simply enough, once I was confident in MY DIRECTION, she would walk with me. It felt so completely grounding for me to connect with her energy as we moved forward together. Dyane mentioned that there are often Corporate Consultants that come and participate in similar 3 hour sessions so that they might better understand communication. I mean, that's what life is about, right? Communicating. As an individual that connects with people directly, I truly valued Dyane's gift of sharing her love of horses, it comes through so purely. If your at a crossroads in life, want to better connect with a partner, teach your children great basic lessons, call Dyane and make an appointment to have an experience that will forever change your life.

I worked with Lori setting up a half-day 'Group Event' and could not have been more pleased with…read morehow it turned out. We had a group of six people and everyone had a fantastic time. I had been looking for something with more immersion than a simple trail ride, and wanted the members of our group to experience a taste of horsemanship, rather than just hopping on a horse and going nose-to-tail for an hour. Lori worked with me to put together a full agenda including everything from a facility tour, safety/horse psychology seminar, gathering horses, to grooming, tacking up, lunch, then bridling and getting some basic riding lessons in the arena before tackling a trail ride together. We had the great privilege of meeting the one and only Rocco and having him give us a phenomenal overview of horse psychology and sharing well informed views on safety around these powerful animals. While their horses are supremely well trained (especially Jimmy!), Rocco made sure everyone understood that part of being a good horseman is having respect for the dangers associated with what you're about to do, and an understanding of how to stay safe. Lori and her wranglers, along with Rocco, joined us on the trail ride. Most barns will have only a couple wranglers for a group of our size, but Lori arranged for us to have one wrangler per guest, which was fantastic and likely helped people's confidence, since only two of us had ever ridden before. The trail ride was outstanding and so much better than your typical "follow this well worn dirt path on level ground" that I've experienced in the past with other trail riding outfits. It was much more free form and spontaneous and that made it a lot more fun. It was a great privilege to personally meet and then ride the trail with both Lori and Rocco. Their enthusiasm and energy were infectious and kept everyone in our group engaged and excited for what we were doing. In fact, every single person we dealt with was super friendly, professional and courteous. It's unfortunately quite rare to find a trail riding barn where the management appreciates that they are in a people business, not a horse business. I was really happy to see that this place was the rare exception. At the end of the day, everyone was thrilled with the experience and had a fantastic, memorable time. This was so much more than a simple trail ride, and I am so grateful that Lori was able to help me put this together. I would highly recommend this barn, whether for a trail ride or something more involved like this half-day event. It was absolutely worth it and a tremendous value that was competitively priced. Please give them a try and see for yourself, you will NOT be disappointed.

It was a really great experience such an enjoyable trail ride I would definitely recommend. It was…read morea very beautiful ride through the desert. I can't wait to do it again.

This is absolutely the best place if you want your horses to be cared for by true horse men and…read morewomen. Also a great place for children to learn basics up to the Grand Prix. They also have a great kids camp I cannot say enough good things about the people and the facility. Hard to find honest hard-working trainers and horse people these days. I have known the family for 30 years and will start my girls riding there next year when they turn five. I may start them in the summer camp this summer because I think it's so great when they meet friends through Horses. We have horses at home but it's nice to have the barn atmosphere and the friendships that goes with it. This is the place for your horse or your child if you truly want quality and kindness.

From the owner: Dapple Gray Farm is a hunter jumper training stable located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The staff at…read moreDapple Gray Farm treats each horse as their own and places horsemanship above all else. Trainers Georgie and Audrey Murray can help you reach you riding goals regardless of previous experience. Summer Camps and Pony Club are a regular part of our schedule and help introduce children into the horse community. Keeping in mind that every rider has their own aspirations, our show schedule includes local schooling shows as well as top A rated horse shows across the United States. Our training program includes daily turnout, grooming, riding, feeding of supplements and overall care of your horse. Our beautiful facility offers well-kept stalls equipped with a mister system and individual fans for each horse during hot summer months. Dapple Gray Farm has three riding arenas which are watered and groomed daily, beautiful custom painted jumps, a ¼ mile race track, and access to miles of trails.

Judged POAC /Open show here in March. Very large facility. Housing for guests, or, residents was…read morenewly remodeled and complete. The show grounds are well taken care of. Ground stood up to recent rain. People are the best---

New owners that are fantastic! Came here for a little getaway - some much needed downtime was…read moreexactly what I found! Beautiful property, newly renovated casitas with all the amenities I needed. Stopped at the grocery store on my way to the property, picked up all I needed and then some and then settled in! Trails nearby and the views are beautiful! Owner was very accomodating and made sure I had all I needed! It was a great stay!