It was my first ride in many years. Starting from ground 0…read more MJ is so encouraging, kind, calm and patient. She was by my side the whole day. She loves what she does and it shows. Thank you~ All Tacked Up! What a day!! Patty

I leased a horse here and was told this would be a full lease. I was told that I would be the only…read moreone leasing the horse, since the previous lessee would no longer be riding him. That turned out not to be true: the horse was being leased to another person at the same time throughout my lease, which I found misleading and which caused ongoing scheduling conflicts for me. I also prepaid for two lessons before my lease officially started. When my lease ended up beginning earlier than planned and those lessons were absorbed into the lease fee, I was told I'd be refunded for the prepaid ones. That refund never came. From what I observed during my time there, the horses were kept mostly in stalls with very limited turnout. There's a substantial body of research on the physical and mental effects of limited turnout. This includes hoof issues, joint issues, GI issues, elevated ulcer risk, behavioral problems, and respiratory issues, among others. If that matters to you, it's worth knowing before you commit. After I posted an honest review of my experience, the owners publicly commented that there was "pending litigation" against me. This claim surfaced only after I posted the review, which was more than a year after my lease had ended. I took the review down shortly afterwards, since at the time I figured it wasn't worth the hassle and drama given how busy I am. I later learned they had in fact filed a small claims case against me over an alleged $500 shortly after their comment, which I believe was directly in response to my review. I'm posting a review now because I believe potential customers deserve accurate information, and because I believe my experience reflects a pattern others may have run into as well. I was only actually riding here for about a month and a half. More than a year later, I'm still dealing with the fallout of that short arrangement. In my opinion, this says something on its own.

This was my first time riding a horse, I went with my partners and 2 friends. We all had a great…read moretime and the staff was very friendly. Thank you to Garret, Thomas, and Addy for making our first horse riding experience a good one.

Very friendly staff who were also knowledgeable and fun! Beautiful ride, and felt very safe. Will…read moredefinitely be coming back for more. Garret, Addie, Thomas, and Shelly were fantastic!

I have been participating in clinics at Rusty Bar for several years now. I always come away with…read morenew knowledge that helps me with training my horses. Kathy's concern for safety is always a priority and she is always willing to share her knowledge and expertise. Her facility is well cared for and clean. I highly recommend!

I signed up for the Unforgettable Riding Experience at Rusty Bar Ranch this past spring, and it was…read moreamazing! I was a bit nervous, having little to no prior experience. We started inside on Sheena the Wonder Horse. I have to say, the state-of-the-art simulator really helps to get comfortable in a number of ways. After that, it was on to the arena & Valentine, a real horse Rusty Bar Ranch owner and trainer, Kathy really knows horses & also cares about them. She was such a kind & patient teacher. I felt totally comfortable & at ease. She teaches at every level, depending on the student. I'm clearly a beginner & if you've been on the fence about horseback riding, I highly recommend this experience. You're NEVER to old to learn something new! Go to the website & sign up. It was definitely an unforgettable experience for me.

I just took my 4 and almost 7 year old girls and my 14 year old Godson on a one hour trail ride and…read moreit was AMAZING!! The horses were ready when we arrived and we learned their back stories and personalities before getting in the saddle. The ride was beautiful and the perfect way to spend a morning. Debbie shared local history and kindly guided us through the woods. My oldest was ecstatic to be on a "a regular size" horse as the lessons she has taken always had her on ponies. My 4 YO safely rode in front of me. I can't say enough good things. My almost 7 YO called it "the best birthday present ever!" And I have no doubt we'll be back for another ride.

Most amazing first experience ride out here. The scenery was very nice and the owner, Debbie made…read moreit very fun. Highly recommended for your first time, or if you want to get out of the city and enjoy nature.

Best place I've taken my daughter to learn how to ride. It's a nice little place with a good…read moreindoor/outdoor arena. The indoor part has a viewing room that's insulated and heated and has several comfy chairs. My daughter is 6 and started riding with Colby and Jericho, two very nice and well tempered small horses. Maddie is an excellent instructor! My daughter does better with firm instruction and Maddie definitely does a great job of teaching young ones. I absolutely recommend this place for learning to ride. Plus they have a blue heeler named Harley who is supe friendly.

I have been riding at Klearmont Farms for about 10 months now and it has been a wonderful…read moreexperience. Kim Pratt is the trainer and she does a wonderful job at taking care of all of the horses. You can tell that she loves her horses and she is deliberate and thoughtful in the care that she gives them. She has been showing in the Northwest for over 30 years and for over 25 years has trained horses and taught children. Klearmont Farms is primarily a hunter/jumper barn and we have riders who do both. She also teaches dressage if you would like a background in dressage. I started riding at this barn for two reasons. One is there is not a lot of riding options in the Lakewood area and most importantly when I walked into the barn the first time to check it out almost everyone I ran into said hi. I was greeted and introduced to almost everyone in the first 10 minutes and everyone was genuinely friendly and since then I have made some wonderful friends. I find that it can be difficult to find a friendly barn that within just a few short months you feel like family. My first 7 months, I did not own a horse and took lessons on her string of school horses. Not once did I ever ride a horse that was not well behaved and able to teach me. I am jumping 2'9" and a lot of barns do not have horses that will jump up that high on schooling horses, but hers were able to. She also has a couple of great beginner school horses that are perfect for the first time rider as young as five. I now have my own little chestnut Thoroughbred at her barn and she has taken wonderful care of him. He gets turned out 6 days a week and fed 3 times a day. The stalls are in good condition and are modified so even the craftiest horses can't get out. The property is fenced in so that if a horse does get loose they are safe. There are two arenas, one larger outdoor arena and a smaller indoor arena, both are large enough to jump in with good footing that is drug everyday. They back up right against Fort Lewis so there are awesome trails that you can spend almost all day on for those days that riding in the arena just isn't good enough. Riding is an expensive sport, but I looked all around the area and found that Klearmont Farms charged the lower end for board and lessons. The best deal is to by your lessons at the beginning of the month for the whole month because that is the when they are the cheapest. I try to take two lessons a week because that is what I have found makes me improve the fastest, but there are all different levels at the barn and many only take one lesson a week. Overall, I have loved my time at Klearmont Farms and am so glad that I chose to ride there. It is a wonderful barn with great people and lot of learning. Perfect for the beginner and advanced rider.

It was a great experience learning to ride a horse for the first time! The owner could be…read morefriendlier to the animals and the customers but people are entitled to their personalities and life choices I will not hold her to it. She was also in really dirty clothes even if it's a ranch I just thought that was interesting from the hospitality perspective of business.

Fantastic experience with the trail ride here with Susan, the owner and trail leader. Most…read moreimportant to note- Know what you're signing up for! Susan is a lovely older woman who keeps her 3+ horses on her own on her expanse of land with love and care. She is definitely a bit gruff (as another reviewer mentioned) around the edges. Talked to her on the phone before meeting in person, and she's sweet in her own way and is passionate about her job taking care of horses and making people happy with her rides. Call to make an appointment at least 24 hours in advance, no walk-in's. Two riders at a time. Trail rides happen twice a day (11am and 1pm), lasting about an hour each. Won't be cancelled except in cases of heavy rain/severe weather. $40 per person for the hour. Can park on her property. No bathrooms nearby. Starts from the property and goes through trodden paths through the forest-y areas nearby. Susan provides the basics for getting on/off the horses, going uphill/downhill, and keeping pace. No experience needed. Just respect the horses and follow directions. The trails aren't the most picturesque, more like a neighborhood forestland. We went through narrow dirt trails and crossed a few streets with cars along the way. Wish there were more available slots per day, but I'm glad the horses get their well earned rest and hay after their shifts. Would definitely love to come back! tl;dr call phone to book with Susan from her website, $40 cash per person (as of March 2022) per person for an hour trail ride, no experience needed, 2 riders max, no special clothing needed (maybe no open toe shoes), take a warm bath at home afterwards!

We scheduled a trial lesson for our 6 year old daughter who has been eating, sleeping, and dreaming…read morehorses day and night for months... and this was an absolute dream come true for her! Tammie has a wonderful way with animals and kids, and was kind and firm in the most perfect way. My daughter was nervous before the lesson, but with Tammie's patient guidance she felt right at home and didn't want to ever leave. Tammie introduced us to her lovely horses and even let us meet the most wonderful baby goat triplets that were born on the farm earlier today! They were so incredibly cute and you can tell they are in the most loving home with Tammie and Doug. Needless to say we have booked regular horseback riding lessons. Thank you Tammie!

I had a wonderful experience riding horses with them, meeting the donkey and riding in the donkey…read morecart. I fed the horses and the donkey carrots and apples. It was a beautiful and healing experience. I want to go there and experience this again. Rosemary G.

It looks good, but probably not cheap. I would definitely try this place. It's looks very cozy and…read morerelaxing.

Crystal cares deeply about our horses and us boarders. My horse and I have landed in the place we…read moreneed. The arena is large and well maintained. The stalls and paddocks are well kept up. Crystal is on it maintaining a safe no drama environment. She checks in to make sure everything is going good. I really appreciate the being present and available. Quality Hay and alfalfa! I've met so many nice and helpful people there. A big plus is they are long time boarders. That says a lot right there.

Amazing facilities and trainers! I sent my 10 year old daughter here for lessons and she loved it!…read moreTino is her favourite!

From the owner: It is our passion to bring the horse experience, which can be healing, rejuvenating, and fun, to…read moreanyone looking to learn. Whether you have a preschooler who is interested in learning about horses for the first time or you are an adult with riding experience under your belt, Feather Equestrian has a place for you.