This review is long overdue but better late than never! Ali and Alice are hands down the best…read moretrainers I have ever worked with. I grew up riding at various barns in the Santa Cruz area and when I got back in the saddle as an adult, I was so fortunate to find Ali and Alice through a recommendation in a Facebook group. They paired me with a perfect fit for a lease and their training is top tier! What I love most about their methods is that they put a heavy emphasis on horse and rider connection. Though I was "taught to ride" as a young girl, there is SO MUCH that I have learned from them these last couple of years and I could never thank them enough. When the horse I was leasing moved out of state with his owner, Ali and Alice helped me find my first horse. They really know what they're doing and have such expansive knowledge of horses in so many different ways. Once I brought Rosie home, we set up a training plan for both her and me. Even through the setbacks of owning a new horse, they have been there for every question, every doubtful moment, and every win. They are both truly wonderful horsewomen, each with so many strengths. HC Equestrian is like a family. They are a drama-free group which feels hard to find in the horse world at times. Every rider and horse is treated with the same respect. I would 11/10 recommend HC Equestrian to any level of rider, at any age. You and your horse would be so lucky to train here!

My daughters have been working with Ali at HC Equestrian for almost a year, now. Ali is very…read moreknowledgable and professional. She is welcoming, has great boundaries and empowers the girls to ask questions, figure things out and learn from their mistakes rather than dwell on them. Her sense of humor and excellent ability to attune to the student and judge their emotional state allows her to tailor each lesson not only to the student's general abilities but also to their needs on any given day and her extensive experience means that her "tool kit" is vast. My teens have learned a lot in their time with her and gained much more skill and confidence with the horses and in themselves. I appreciate that she is someone they can look up to not only as a riding instructor but also as a model for healthy independence and awareness of others (human and animal). The facilities offer a covered arena, as well, which is a huge bonus during the summer months (no sunburn) and rainy season (no canceled classes due to rain). I have recommended HC Equestrian and Ali to others and will continue to do so. We are grateful to have found them and look forward to every lesson.

I've been riding with Pam and her crew for almost 4 years now and can definitely recommend it. She…read morereally cares about her horses' welfare as well as safety for all. Even though I don't take private lessons, her attention to detail in group settings has improved my riding more in a one year than it had over several years with other instructors. Her assistant instructors are timely, excellent riders and instructors who are patient and respectful. Frankly, all of them have been provided better instruction in individual or group settings that I have gotten almost 95% of the time in the past 20 years of riding from lead instructors, no joking. She'll also never over-mount you or put you on a horse that you need to tune up for the program so she can make money off the horse before it's actually ready to be a program horse. Also if you do package lessons or lease, she'll help you squeeze in extra rides if she has horses that need to be ridden. This helps your riding and also helps fit in make-ups if you are, sick, traveling or lessons were rained-out. Pam is also incredibly ethical; she's the most ethical person I know in any line of business. This means she's not putting her interest in making money over yours: she won't try to sell you a horse, push you into a lease or lesson packages you can't afford or won't benefit from. If you're nor interested in any of these options; she'll treat you just as fairly and equally as any other rider. Regardless of whether you ride once a month, once a week, or 6 times a week, she treats all student the same: with respect, patience, fairness and diplomacy. The final part is that it is a relaxed barn atmosphere. Safety is upmost: but no one cares what attire and equipment you wear as long as it is functional and meets current standards. Horses are kept tidy, but there are no full time grooms handing you fully groomed, impeccably trimmed and polished horses. The upside is there are no high-maintenance people, nor is there pressure to show, or pressure to fit into a certain mold in terms of fashion, dress, or brands of attire.

Seven Oaks was recommended to me when we moved to the bay area. I have been riding for over 20…read moreyears and have found that these ladies really know their stuff! I've been riding with them for the past 4 years. All of the instructors teach Carrie Coe's and Pamela Miller's carefully thought out training program, so you never need to worry about who is teaching you because they all follow the same methodology. Also, they have been working with my horse and have helped us go from training level to third level while keeping my horse happy all along our dressage journey. I would recommend Seven Oaks for anyone interested in dressage. Not only is it a fun, friendly environment, but if you are interested in competing, they can help you reach any goal you set for yourself.

We love Strideaway Farms! Nancy Hey is a local longtime respected rider and trainer. My 10 year…read moreold daughter has been riding with her for 2 years and has grown tremendously as a rider and a young woman. She loves escaping the stress off school and family into the world of horses and Horse people! Check an article about her in Gentry August 2015...

My daughter started riding with the Strideaway Team when she was 5 ... back in 1993…read more Eventually, she was successfully at an advanced level. But competitive success was the least of what I appreciate about Strideaway Farms. Nancy and her team (the assistant trainers, the ponies, the horses, and the grooms) not only taught my daughter how to ride, but how to care for horses and, I think most importantly, character-building skills. Examples of character-building would be: To regard your mount as a being with its own needs and desires. When things don't go as you like, how to bounce back. Another would be, when your performance wasn't what you expected, how to sincerely cheer for a team-mate whose performance exceeded your own. If you want your child (or yourself!) to have a good grounding in horsemanship AND have a family-centered experience, I'd highly recommend Strideaway Farms.

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!

A little over a year ago, I was looking for a place to take lessons. I tried many different barns…read morein the area, but after I rode with Sarah, I stopped looking. I look forward to my riding lesson every week because I really like being sore for 3 days after. No, really. Sarah is an amazing instructor. She cares about all her students/clients, those with or without their own horses , whether you are jumping 1.2m or 6 inches, as long as you are willing to learn. Sarah will challenge you in many ways during her lessons, but remaining positive at the same time. She has high expectations of all her students, but you will learn so much. Highly recommended!!

For over three years now Sarah has educated my daughter in all aspects of riding and horsemanship…read more Sarah have been attentive, knowledgeable and very engaged to help my daughter continue to grow as a rider.. Working with Sarah has been an amazingly positive experience for both myself and my daughter.

Incredible place to learn more about horseback riding and humanity! Among the absolute best…read moreteachers that our kids have ever experienced.

I normally give very good reviews, so this is my "venting" review so to say…read more.. I have taken two lessons at Misty Ridge Farm of the Portola Pastures. The lessons were with Bobbi Petrov. I am extremely upset with the outcome of the whole thing. I paid for 4 lessons: $230 and could not attend two of them due to a very rigorous work schedule. When I e-mailed Bobbi to let her know I was not gonna be able to make it, I was informed that she needed a 24 hours notice if I wanted to cancel the class and then retake it at a later time. This was not explained to me beforehand and I am very upset w/ them, since I paid for 4 lessons and I only got 2 out of it. I wasn't even given time to read over what I signed, because Bobbi was late to the first session and I was simply given a form and asked to sign it. Now, in terms of the lessons themselves- Bobbi probably does care for the horses, since you're given about 30 minutes to groom and tack your horse first and then almost 1 hr on the horse and 30 more minutes to untack and get the horse ready for feeding and bedtime. My problem with the lessons was that Bobbi didn't actually show me anything. The more advanced girls were asked to show me things and then she was just yelling instructions from this little stage area next to the barn. I am very disappointed with the way lessons are taught here and I am also disappointed with the way they do business. I doubt I will ever take classes here again. Or at least not at this farm. Portola Pastures has a lot of opportunities for lessons, so I might end up choosing a different farm and/or instructor.

This was such a cool experience today! The owner invited me to take a tour of the place and see the…read morehorses and talked to me about what they do. It was so cool! I will take all my friends and family there for horseback riding. Look at this silly one taking out his tongue for the selfie as if he knows what to do already. All the horses there were friendly and they wanted to be petted. I definitely recommend it!

As an adult returning to riding after almost a 15 year hiatus, I've been thrilled to find such a…read morewelcoming community at Trillium. Etsuko, Yulia and Alexis are incredible trainers - each with their distinctive style & a deep passion for equitation. They go above & beyond to make themselves available to their students and are invested in seeing them improve and reach their goals - all while having fun along the way. I've progressed more in my riding in the past two months than I ever did learning to ride in my early teen years. The schooling horses are absolute gems, the barn is wonderful & well maintained, and the Trillium community is vibrant! I've loved getting to know my fellow classmates and encouraging one another to learn and grow. Being part of Trillium has been a pure joy. I've loved my experience so far and would recommend to anyone - no matter your age or level of experience!

My daughter used to ride at BC, taking lessons from Pam. Pam coached my daughter through some…read moreconfidence issues that a couple other past instructors had dropped her into. Pam was kind, caring and thoughtful in her teaching and, a rare trait, adapted her teaching style to suit how my daughter learned. The other reviews, claiming Pam is dishonest and the place is run down... Pam is literally the most honest person we know, she tells it like it is, even if you don't like what she has to say (maybe that's your real issues, you didn't like to hear "no" so you make up a story.) She has also been working with the county, who owns the land BCS is on, to get approval for upgrading the roads and property. So maybe take your complaining to them instead? When a land owner is making it difficult to improve conditions it isn't the fault of the property manager. Also, if you go to one of the most popular trail and lesson barns in Saratoga, and go to their not so picturesque front area, you'll see much worse than BCS. So don't judge a book by its cover.

My daughter floated from trainer to trainer, she loves horses but has anxiety that can be difficult…read moreto coach sometimes. With the help of Danielle, she is a confident horse rider who has bloomed through this program. The patience of Danielle and her mom Pam has surpassed my expectations and I appreciate the relax approach that has enabled my daughter to be able to be comfortable with herself on a horse. Thank you Danielle and thank you Pam!