This place has it all. They offer multiple lesson times and schedules, at various prices (ranging…read morefrom $35 an hour for group lessons to $60 for private lessons). They take good care of their lesson horses and offer a variety of sizes and levels of horses to ride. Located just east of Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Rio Vista is great if you want to avoid a commute up north after work. They also offer a shuttle service after school from Westlake for kids whose parents are unable to drive them out for their lessons. They have a great summer camp program where they make sure children learn the basics of horsemanship and riding. Rio Vista has a sprawling facility, set on rolling grassy pastures. Their barns are airy and made with the horse in mind. They attend national-level shows as well as host their own local horse shows during the show season. Check the schedule on their website as visitors are always welcome to come out and watch the events.

Love learning to ride at Rio. I'm a beginner and have ridden there about 9 months. Trainers are…read morefantastic and it's friendly for adults or kids. You can keep it casual with weekly lessons or camp for kids but watch out it's addictive! It is a serious show barn but very friendly to non show ppl and with 600 acres on the Colorado River, it's a beautiful spot to get away. Horses are well cared for and lesson horses get lots of turn out.

Coraggio is a fantastic place to keep your horse. Extremely knowledgeable staff combined with top…read morenotch facilities and a dedicated trainer means I have improved tremendously over the 3+ years I've been with Paige at Coraggio. The horses are extremely well cared for, and their welfare always comes first. The facilities are fantastic, with a gigantic lighted outdoor ring, covered round pen, and miles of trails, plus lots of grass to hand-graze your horse on. Paige is a great trainer who focuses on both the rider and the horse. She explains concepts in a way that is easy to understand, and took me from barely having jumped to competing in the jumpers at A shows. I have also used her to help buy and sell my horse, and she was extremely professional and upfront about what is realistic during those processes. The assistant trainer Cathy is also just as good, and I've benefited from having two quality trainers to improve my riding skills. There's a great group of people at Coraggio - no barn drama here! It's a nice mix of kids and adults. I would highly recommend this barn if you're looking to board your horse, develop your skills as a rider, or get started with showing on the local or A circuits.

As a 30-something professional woman wanting to revisit my youthful days of riding horses…read morecompetitively, I began my quest to find the best trainer to fit me.  Not just any trainer would do.  A trainer who listened and understood my objectives; who exuded good character; and who exemplified great stewardship in the care of our beloved equestrian partners.    After interviewing several trainers in the Austin area, I found Paige Barnett Irwin.   You can trust Coraggio with your riding aspirations - Paige took the time to carefully assess my ever advancing skills and then re-customized my lesson plans to continue to strengthen my weaknesses with new ever more challenging obstacles.  Success in the show ring soon followed. You can trust Coraggio with the care of your horses - The horses in Paige's care always looked like show horses and simply impressive.  No one could guess my own personal horse's senior age as he looked and rode like a horse half his age.  They are the center of attention at Coraggio and the best care is provided.  Through meticulous barn management, high quality veterinary care and shoeing, careful feeding, and pure love, Paige's horses were clearly physically and emotionally healthy - clean barn, clean buckets, and super shiny coats. There was no mistaking - Absolute Athletes. You can trust the Coraggio Team environment - Perhaps the most important attribute I found in Paige was her character.  Paige is true class; a successful female entrepreneur; and a great mentor to the next generation of up and coming young women. She was never condescending or judgmental, but always supportive and motivating. That spirit is carried throughout Team Coraggio whose members, pridefully bearing the black and gold insignia Coraggio shirts, are all very supportive of one another in and out of the show ring. I think if you invest the time to visit Coraggio, you'll discover all this and more!

I've been riding at Madrone for almost 3 years now and can't say enough good things about the…read moreproperty, staff, and horses! I rode as a kid but wanted to start back at the basics when I returned to the sport as an adult, and Rachel, Cassandra, and MJ have helped me go from lesson horses, to leasing, to purchasing my dream horse. The community is also incredible and so welcoming!

Okay, I'm not just giving this place five stars because I managed it for nearly four years…read more Madrone Ranch Stables is conveniently located in West Austin, just past Lakeway off of Hwy 71 and Hamilton Pool Road. The instruction at Madrone Ranch is superior and the prices are reasonable. While their lesson program is not as large as some of the other barns in Austin, this also means you get a more tailored-approach to your instruction. Madrone Ranch is "new" in the sense that it's only in its 4th year of operation. Since its inception in 2002, Madrone Ranch has grown into one of Austin's leading equine operations. There are beautiful trails to go on along the perimeter of the property, with overlooks out across the Texas Hill Country. Madrone Ranch is also located within an "equestrian community" which means you could have your horse and live there too! There is a sales office on the property if you are interested in looking into the remaining lots for sale.

Laura Persons is an absentee owner who cares more about her own horse show circuit than she does…read moreabout what goes on at her barn. After many months of regular weekly lessons, our child was not past walking the horse in a small enclosure. The large riding ring was always occupied with advanced riders. I emailed a number of requests for progress reports, but never got an answer. The instructor we were assigned lacked basic safety training and put our child in dangerous situations. In one instance she was thrown from a horse. When we tried to discuss the hazards, the the owner refused to acknowledge any responsibility and asked us to " go "elsewhere" for lessons. I strongly recommend staying away from this farm because of overall poor management.

This place is awesome! We have had a great experience here. My daughter went from a total…read morebeginning rider to jumping 3 feet fences here. The two trainers here Laura Persons and Guen Holden clearly care about the girls and the horses. They have helped my daughter reach her goals and have always been open to talking with us. I can't recommend it enough!

My daughter has become a confident and responsible young lady since starting riding here with…read moreKathy! She loves it! And Kathy is great with horses, that's evident, but she has a special gift with children. In just 3 months my daughter has become driven and dedicated to this new passion, and has progressed so much because Kathy is an incredible mentor. I trust her, I love her and I'm grateful we found her and her wonderful Riding Center!

Our whole family loves Bee Caves Riding Center. While our child has a lesson we can just relax on…read morethe beautiful property and unwind. It's our favorite day and time of the week. My child has had lessons here for 5 months and we can not say enough wonderful things about Mrs. Kathy and her staff. All the instructors are so kind with children and really have the inside track on how a child will best understand what instruction is needed. I have owned my own horse and had wonderful instructors and have also been on the other side when my other daughter took riding lessons and they were not nice or seemed to care about my child. I highly recommend Bee Caves Riding Center!!

We love Silver Fox Farms! Bought our awesome horse Clover from them, having them train another…read morehorse, and lessened there.

Having known Owner/Trainer, Colleen since the early 90s I can wholeheartedly say that she is one of…read moremy longest lifetime friends and one of the very few people in this world that I unquestioningly trust, both in word and with any of my horses.

My daughter is 10 and started taking lessons here about eight months ago. The lesson program is…read moreunder new management since December and it has been a wonderful experience. The new head of the lesson program, Lynn, is amazing. She teaches Western and English and has a ton of experience and certifications. She has a wonderful way with both children and adults. Classes have been fun and challenging for my daughter and have really awakened her love of riding. We have a 17 year old gelding that we board here and he is well taken care of. Lynn's lessons looked like so much fun, I decided to start taking lessons too. Great experience and highly recommended.

I took Western riding classes here a long time ago and it seems like nothing has changed. I really…read moreexperienced the favoritism that one recent review has mentioned. The favorite students got all the nice horses (pretty, experienced, still alive, etc) and I got what they called a "plug". I didn't even know that word, but it quickly made sense. I begged the instructor several times to give me a better horse, to no avail. The horse was old, completely uninterested in what he was doing, I guess he just wanted to be left alone and retire. Needless to say, I didn't learn much. The stables made me feel bad for the horses, not nice at all.

Today was the first day of equestrian camp at this location for my son. When we arrived at the…read morecamp, we were greeted by a student who was working on learning how to care for and train new riders. After a brief introduction, my son then went right into his lesson. When I arrived to pick my son up at the end of camp today, he was filling a horse trough and helping with the grooming of Skittles; the newest horse at the stable. This camp/ stable provides lessons without the "fluff". Sydney (the owner) is very direct, open and honest about what it takes to learn to ride and care for a horse. Within the first day, my son learned how to care for a horse as well as was able to trot on a horse without an equestrian saddle. *COVID protocols are followed during the pandemic

I love Idylwood Stables! Sydney is a wonderful human being and has so much passion for horses and…read moretraining. She truly cares about her students and boarders. The number one priority at Idylwood is the happiness and health of the horses. They are treated like royalty! Her training style is very positive and encouraging. She will continue to challenge you, ultimately making you a more confident rider. I have tried almost every barn in the Austin area but none of them have that "barn family" feel like Idylwood! Feels like home.