WAYYY back in the day...to be exact, it was the year 1980 when I was 7, I took my first riding lessons here so I could have my first horse Rascal boarded there as a child. To this day, I have always thought how lucky and thankful I was to get such great instruction so I can learn how to do what I was crazy about... HORSES! ( And, even crazier than boys! Which is crazy too!) But I have fond memories of my first ride on my first horse along Serrano creek. He had the opportunity of giving the most thrilling adrenalin rush with all he's got on a hell ride bent for the length of the creek , in and out of the trail to creek til we got at the end..he stopped, spun around on 1 hoof and booked all the way back to the barn! I got off of him and said to myself..."OMG, this is AMAZING!" It was scarry, extremely challenging, but I was HOOKED! Let me add this was a hackney trotter horse my dad bought off a guy at the harness races at the Orange Co. Fair..an EX-harness racer!! He didn't get to run much in his career (..lolol, Me laughing at my lil funny I just now said and thought, "how come I didn't think about that before?" Duh!!), but he sure did that first day we saddled up, at the stables where I took my first riding lessons, so I could run like the wind down the creekside of Serrano on the lil hackney pony named Rascal and to this day still, I am still riding horses, thanks to the instructors at this place! Good enough to instruct and prepare a 7 yr old girl for the first thrill of her life, that feeling of flying thru the air with the power of motion and the freedom below you and that moment where you fall in love with riding. It's a beautiful thing. Yes, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this riding academy for anyone who's as horse crazy as I was! Be safe! Hallie Brown lake forest, ca. 1973-84 read more

My daughter had a great day learning riding. The place itself is very welcoming and they do help you increase interest in riding. We however went for one time only but the visit was very pleasant. read more

Love love this program for beginners!! Safety- how to ride and more. Love that fact that it's just not riding it's all about horsemanship, breeds,colors, anatomy, health, and more!!! read more

My daughter attended the summer camp and loved it. I've been trying to schedule a one month training session as a Christmas gift and have been emailing and calling for months. I went online and purchased the introductory course and one month session hoping that would allow me to schedule but it's been weeks with no response. I just had to place a claim on PayPal to try to get my money back. read more

My granddaughter has exerienced outstanding riding lessons from the Academy's instructors! These patient instructors teach not only horse riding, but by their example, kind regard and care of the horses! I have enjoyed many visits there and admire all the safety protocols & procedures in place! read more

I have been taking lessons with Silver Stirrup Riding Academy for more than 2 years. They have a very encouraging environment. At this time, they have 1 instructor, Ms. Liza. They each teach multiple lessons a day, all except for Sundays when they are closed. They are very organized and have well trained horses. The SSRA family grows whenever we get a new rider. By being a part of this establishment, you can feel welcome. They teach you how to walk, trot, canter, and if you want to, gallop on a horse. They also teach you how to be safe if your horse acts up, how to behave out on trail, and much more. Silver Stirrup Riding Academy has taught me so much from the time I first walked through the gate. They are absolutely amazing! read more

I contacted them (via e-mail, which is what their website indicated was the best method to contact them) about starting my children in lessons or doing a summer camp back at the end of May. Never heard back from them. I sent a follow-up email more than a week, and still no response. I will be taking my children elsewhere to learn horseback riding. read more

My daughter wanted to go horseback riding for her birthday. We had planned on going to the Irvine Park, but due to the fires the party was canceled. I was referred to SSRA. Liza and Samantha were fantastic! They were nice enough to schedule a horseback lesson for our group for the exact same time! They can not technically do "birthday parties" but this was the best experience for our girls! Liza taught the girls about how horses communicate, what they think and how they respond to behaviors. She taught them about grooming the horses and let them each groom a horse. After they groomed the horses they each got to ride a horse. Not just ride a horse, but an actual lesson on how to ride a horse, how to sit properly and steer the horse and how to get the horse to respond. After they all rode horses together in the arena for 45 minutes they got to give two of the horses a bath. This was a super educational and fun 2.5 hour lesson! There is a park nearby that is perfect for a picnic and cake afterwards. All the girls left very happy and most said it was their favorite birthday party ever. I highly recommend Liza and Samantha. read more

Liza is an exceptional teacher. She is kind, patient and emphasizes safety. Her lessons are great for new riders looking to learn the basic riding skills necessary before moving on to more advanced disciplines. She has fun camps for kids, where they learn all about horses and how to care for them. If you love horses and want to learn how to ride, check her program out. read more

The website says not to call because there is nobody manning the phone and to send an email with dates we are interested in having lessons along with our age, weight and height. I sent an email 8/2/22 with the information requested. No reply. I sent a second email on 8/6/22. Today is 8/9/22, still no reply. read more

My wife has been coming to Liza for lessons for a few months, and I just took my daughter for her first lesson yesterday. Miss Liza is an awesome teacher with a patient yet confident demeanor. She adjusts her teaching style towards her students very well. The location is tucked away, but quite honestly a beautiful respite from all the busyness that surrounds it. read more

We booked a Girl Scout reservation 2 months in advance in Spring 2022. The facility stopped answering calls/e-mails a week ahead of our visit and then canceled on 12 girls with less than a day's notice. More than two months later, they have not refunded our deposit despite many follow ups. They came highly recommended; however, I would never consider using them again. read more

I've been taking lessons with SSRA for a few months now and I love it! I'm not only learning how to ride (and I'm getting pretty good!) but also about horses, horse care, grooming and more. It's crazy how fast a 2 hour lesson goes by! I can't imagine how other places can do only one hour lessons. SSRA really gives the best rates for twice as much time. I'm working on cantering and I love the feel of going around the arena with a little speed! So exhilarating. Worth taking lessons- look into it too! read more

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Our Girl Scout troop spent about 5 hours there today earning our horseback riding badge. This was one of the best events we have ever done. The girls learned so much. Liza and all her staff were so helpful. They are patient with the girls and kept their attention throughout the day. The girls got to do everything...including learning to ride. Best day ever! Highly, highly recommend. read more

My teen daughter has been taking horsemanship/riding classes from SSRA for several months and absolutely loves it. The instructors, Liza and Ally, are the best. They work very well with children of all ages. SSRA has horses for all skill levels and focuses on safety for both the rider and the horse. These aren't just riding lessons, the students learn about horses and horse care. I couldn't be more pleased with our experience at SSRA and would recommend Liza and her school to anyone. read more

Silver Stirrup Riding Academy - Nicole at SSRA - Horseback Riding Near Me - Chino, California

My daughter is 9 and she has been going here for about a year. I have been very happy with their program. My daughter has learned a ton. I love that they have exposure to so many horses. Such a great location, just beautiful. read more

Great program for your kids and the entire family. So consistent with schedule, care of horse and quality of horses. We highly recommend Liza and her team. read more

I honestly wish I could give more stars!!! I planned a romantic adventure ride with my significant other for Valentine's Day & we could not have been more pleased with our experience! Liza, B and Kaitlyn were SO attentive and helpful, the experience itself was amazing and all three ladies made it nothing less than exceptional! I would recommend this to ANYONE & EVERYONE! Definitely check them out!! read more

Best Riding Academy in Southern California! My daughter (now 8) started taking lessons 2 years ago with Silver Stirrup. She has not only grown as a rider but as a person. She is confident and courageous. But safety is ALWAYS #1! They have taught her not just how to ride, but horsemanship, anatomy, horse care, and so on. She impresses senior riders whenever we go with her knowledge and speaks like a rider much older than her years. They take time every lesson to work on "book smarts" before the lessons. She takes written as well as practical exams. It is the most thorough program I have seen. In fact, after riding for 25 years, I started taking lessons because watching her go through the program, I saw how many holes in my knowledge and skills that I had! Finally the team is awesome. Everyone is gracious and kind. There are no big egos or snobby attitudes. Everyone is approachable and sweet as can be. I can't recommend Silver Stirrup Academy enough. If you want to be the best rider you can be, go there. It is worth every penny. read more

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Email the owner twice with questions regard which lesson to sign up and never got response. I guess they are too busy for new customer. Also, my 2 daughters signed up last year for a 1-day horse camp and they said they had very little ride on the horse...about 15 minutes out of 4 hours at the camp. They were very disappointed. That was $95 1-day camp. Not cheap to get only 15 minutes ride on the horse. read more

I have been taking lessons from the Owner/Instructor Liza Hillman for about 3 months now. I knew absolutely nothing about horsemanship and i had to learn because i am going on a horse pack hunt in the Colorado mountains. Liza is extremely knowledgeable and experienced and for a beginner like me, she is extremely patient,no matter how many times i forget to tie the right knot! She gave me confidence right away and she literally teaches from the ground up, from cleaning hooves to cinching your saddle. All the basics you need to build your confidence and knowledge platform. The lessons are priced right and the stables are in easy access from almost anywhere in O.C. I intend to keep taking lessons to build my skills as Liza and her assistant Alley are experienced in teaching from beginner to advanced. The stables are clean all the staff are friendly and most important the horses know exactly what they are doing and what they are supposed to do, if you do what your taught. It's great to have the horse respond to you after being shown how to correctly give the commands. I have no doubt that i will enjoy my hunt much more now that i have taken these lessons and understand some basic rules and guidelines. If you are going to take lessons whether your a little kid or a big kid, i highly recommend Liza Hillman at Silver Stirrup, you wont go wrong. read more

My daughters and I have been taking lessons at Silver Stirrup since July, 2017. All three of us love the program and have learned so much! Liza is an amazing teacher and is incredibly knowledgeable about horses, horsemanship, and instructing riders of all ages. Her program emphasizes safety, understanding of horse body language, working with and understanding the horse, and by far the best riding instruction I have ever come across. She's assisted by Caroline, who is also an amazing and knowledgeable instructor. The program is organized and run so smoothly by Samantha, and Liza has also assembled an amazingly friendly and easy-going team of helpers. Finally, we are in love with the whole collection of amazing horses who are an integral part of the team - shout out to Romeo, Tizzy, & Shorty - three of our faves! read more

We love Silver Stirrup Riding Academy! My daughter Gianna has been taking lessons here for a few months now and couldn't be happier. Her trainer Liza is fantastic and the facility is beautifully done. My daughter has learned so much and is so excited to be there. We love that they offer other fun activities for example: Open Ranch Days, which is free to anyone and everyone and fun summer camps. The horses are very sweet and great with kids. Not only is it the highlight of my daughters week but also mine when I get to see her ride. read more

I've been taking lessons with SSRA for approximately 4 months now and wholeheartedly recommend them for any age rider. As a person who has ridden on and off over the years but never had any formal lessons I wanted to start from the ground up and that is exactly what they do. They being with the basics and teach you how to groom and tack up your horse for lessons, provide written worksheets on all aspects of horsemanship, riding time and after care. The instructors are knowledgeable, patient and fun to learn from. read more

My 8 year old daughter has been taking lessons for a few months now and absolutely loves it. Liza is an exceptional teacher and patient yet firm with the kids. Could not ask for a better teacher for my daughter. read more

I am so impressed with this place! My daughter, whom is 7yrs old, started taking horsemanship classes here with Liza (owner/instructor) and Alley (instructor) and she just loves it! I researched different places and I am so happy that I decided to go with this school. The instructors are very knowledgable and patient and the horses are great lesson horses for working with kids. It is professional and a great first time experience for my daughter. She is getting the full experience, learning to not only ride properly but to take care of a horse and their needs. They also have events throughout the month that we can go to, to further the experience of being around horses, the stables and what to expect in horse ownership. I feel my daughter is in safe hands! I could not be more happy. I recommend Liza and her school to everyone interested in learning true horsemanship! read more

My daughter has been taking lessons at SSRA for a couple of months. She LOVES it. Liza and Ally are wonderful, and the horses are great. They teach everything - how to groom the horses, put on tack, and even different horse breeds and the anatomy of a horse. The stables are clean and the horses are well cared for. They call it a community, and it's true. Everyone is so friendly, and it's fun to even just stop by with treats for the horses who are allowed to have them. My daughter has learned so much even in the short time she has been going, and it's the highlight of her week. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that it can be a little difficult to coordinate lessons when first getting started, before a set lesson time has been established. Other than that, everything has been great! read more

We love Silver Stirrup Riding Academy! My daughter has been taking horsemanship/riding lessons from owner/director Liza Hillman for 9 months now and we couldn't be happier. SSRA offers an excellent balance of horsemanship (everything you need to know about horses) as well as riding. She has blossomed so much under the guidance of Liza and everyone at SSRA. She has already far exceeded our expectations and continues to grow rapidly. My daughter has become a happy and confident rider thanks to SSRA! read more