Started riding lessons in April 2024 once a week and now going twice a week and love it!!! Great…read moreset up at the stables. Kristin is a great instructor and her patience, knowledge and guidance has helped me gain confidence and make great progress. Highly recommend Stone Pine Stables!

The best trainer and people around! I started with Karen as an adult who was getting back into…read moreriding. She re- taught me the basics and then the fundamentals. She helped me find a horse to lease that fit my budget (without batting an eye that it was limited) and fit my needs. She went on to help me met every goal I have set for myself. She has thoughtfully and patiently answered my riding questions, horse care questions, and horse show questions and then more questions about my riding. She made my dream of owning a horse a possibly and has built a group of wonderful clients who I am lucky to now call friends. She is deeply knowledgeable and an excellent communicator who is able adjust to the varying needs of her clients. I could not recommend her more.

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!

I know of no better horse trainer, rider and teacher than Laura Stevens. She is absolutely the…read morebest. I have worked with her since 1997. If you get a chance to take lessons from her, learn from her, lease a Welsh Cob or Pony, it will be an experience you will treasure for your entire life.

Laura Stevens is one of the finest horsewomen I have ever had the privilege to learn from. Her…read moreintuition is uncanny, and horses thrive under her care. She has taught both my children as well as me, with consistent attention to safety, kindness, and excellence.

Adding onto all the positive reviews below (and in 100% agreement with all the great things said!),…read moreour teenage daughter changed barns and started riding with Harley and Olivia a year ago. HBE has exceeded all our expectations and our only wish is that we had joined them sooner. In addition to being excellent trainers themselves, the Browns have a fantastic team of trainers (Lauren and Amanda!) assisting them, and wonderful grooms at the barn who take the best care of our horses. Our daughter has learned and progressed at an extraordinary rate and sees the results in both her daily riding and in the show ring. There is a healthy level of competitive spirit at HBE. Everyone is supportive and encouraging... this is really evident at shows when all the HBE riders keep tabs on one another's class schedules and make the effort to go watch each other compete. There are riders of different ages and skill levels at the barn, which is inspiring to all. Olivia is especially gifted at finding horses for her clients. In a previous situation, our search for a new horse took months, and ended poorly. Olivia found the perfect horse for us to lease in record time. The Browns are not only accomplished equestrians themselves, and great trainers, but also they run an organized and efficient business. (anyone who has spent time in the horse world knows that combined skill set isn't always a given...) Harley and Olivia balance the serious and the fun... which makes for serious fun! Thanks HBE!!!

Harley is rude to his customers, I have seen him yell at them for no good reason. I was a client…read more When I needed to sell my horse he declined to help....in fact he couldn't let it go at that- he said he didn't even want my horse in his barn. He seems to only wants horses he has purchased for you, and if your horse is injured you must be able to buy another. a friend of mine went through three horses in under two years...all of which were from Europe. Showing is the goal. Sadly, the girls in the barn follow his lead when it comes to anttitude and said nasty things about their teammate while she was jumping. I was shocked. In all the barns that I have known, competitors support each other. I can't imagine spending money there. For his prices there are many better options. He gets one star because his facility is nice.

Highly recommend VDE. Torie is great! Torie can come across as very strict but she is super helpful…read moreas a trainer ( per my daughter). Torie focuses on how the rider and the horse can tune in to each other instead of helping the rider advance with an experienced horse, she helps how the rider can grow with the horse to become a skilled rider.

First, Torie and the team have been phenomenal about implementing safety policies and practices…read moreduring Covid. But I also just want to update my review to reiterate what fantastic community Torie has built for riders of all levels. Every person I've met in my lessons has been supportive and kind. Theresa, who handles a lot of admin now, is phenomenal -- responsive, organized, warm. Torie now has two other trainers, Molly and Claire, who occasionally fill in for her so she can actually have a day off, and both of them are wonderful as well -- knowledgeable, fun, friendly. Torie continues to make thoughtful decisions about the horses in her lesson program and how students are matched to horses. I really respect her philosophy toward training horses and riders. And as a new(ish) mom, I have been so grateful for Torie's willingness to flex her expectations to accommodate riding as self-care...and then to tell me when she thinks I'm ready to push harder. Highly recommend.

Kristen is an amazing instructor! Not only is she incredibly kind, flexible, and patient, but she's…read morealso a very skilled teacher for anyone looking to learn western riding. Her lesson horses are all wonderful to learn on, and I love the warm and welcoming community Kristen has fostered at her barn over the years. Through Kristen, I have become a better horsewoman, and she has even helped me through the process of owning my first horse! I highly recommend Rancho de las Reinas for beginning riders and anyone looking to learn more about western riding.

Learning how to ride horses with Kristen Zuraek at Rancho de las Reinas has changed my life. Before…read morestarting lessons with Kristen over 4 years ago, I had minimal experience with horses, no riding knowledge, but a desire to learn how to interact with these powerful animals. Thanks to her down-to-earth, patient instruction, I am now a skilled Western trail rider. Every week, I look forward to my time in the saddle; centering myself on the beautiful trails of Los Altos Hills; and getting in touch with the horse. Horses are wonderful creatures that can teach us so much about ourselves, and the lesson horses at Rancho de las Reinas are no exception. If you are looking for beginner Western riding lessons on trustworthy horses, taught by a friendly, knowledgeable professional, then look no further! Going to Rancho de las Reinas might just be the best decision you ever made.

Our family started riding with Olivia in 2014. While our eldest son has headed to university, our…read moreyoungest is thriving in the Dawson Grove program -- and so is his horse! And I am thrilled with the new leased horse that Olivia found for me, a steady schoolmaster, and with Olivia's confidence-building approach to teaching, I'm already jumping courses. I can't wait for our family to get back to the jumper ring in 2022! Whether you're just starting or you have aspirations to compete nationally, Olivia helps riders accomplish their goals. Our family rides for the joy of horses and we always feel safe and cared for while still making progress with our jumping at home and shows. We are never pushed or over-faced. Olivia has a tip top team with her assistant trainers, Amanda and Nicky, and grooms, Manuel, Flo, and Oscar. We have known Amanda almost as long as Olivia and our family is so grateful to her for the patient groundwork in lessons, and her care of all the horses that consistently goes above and beyond. Happy horses, happy riders -- and many congratulations to Olivia on starting Dawson Grove Farm!

Outstanding trainer and barn - producing high quality and competitive Jumper and Equitation riders…read more Olivia and team take excellent care of the horses. Proud to be part of such a professional organization.

I feel so grateful to have found Page Mill Pastures. This is a place for people who are in love…read morewith their horses and see them often. Not a fancy show type barn, but there are people here who show at all kinds of disciplines. I have only met friendly, down to earth folks so far. The manager, Giselle, is one of the best pasture managers I have ever worked with. She is classy, calm, accessible, responsive, personable, knowledgeable, and kind, and keeps a watchful eye on every horse housed here. She cut me a great deal when I first showed up with four horses, having ridden 2000 miles in 6 states over the past 15 months. I loved it so much, I decided to stay, and she quickly made it possible to make that happen as well. The pastures are huge (hundreds of acres), with easy going, well fed, and happy horses galore. The best value I've found in the Palo Alto area. Picnic tables and a laid back atmosphere make me really feel at home and welcome. Lots of wonderful trails to ride on the property, but also adjacent trails to explore. There are also riding arenas and round pens and quite a few stalls with runs if you prefer. I was given a key to a large tack shed to share with one other person. There are a bunch of these - and look like the horse version of the sunset district. Cute! Trailer parking is available in a locked area off Arastadero Road at no extra charge. Two minute drive from the pastures. Nice wash areas, and plenty of places to tie and tack. I haven't found a place to plug in my clippers though - and was told by somebody that her daughter brings a generator to operate her clippers. A small drawback I guess, but I have the feeling I just haven't found the outlet yet... The mares and geldings are separated, and that works for me, although a bit inconvenient since my horses are not together. But totally understandable. There are trainers to work with on the premises, although I haven't met them yet. It is a rare gem of a friendly, horse loving place. I highly recommend it.

Our daughter has been taking riding lessons with Robin Elsinetti (Maple Leaf Equestrian) for over…read morean year and we think that Robin is a very good teacher. She's patient, yet pays attention to details and makes sure the students are safe. Robin used to be at Portola Farms but is now at Page Mill Pastures.