We have been coming to ZW Ranch for over a year now and we love it! Communication, knowledge,…read moreexperience is phenomenal and super easy to work with. It's also really great because the horses are actually able to roam instead of being so caged all the time.

From the owner: We offer horseback riding lessons and Shareboarding. We are a relaxed atmosphere, family friendly…read morebarn. We emphasize your relationship with horses and try to do things as naturally as possible.

Boarded with the owner for 17 years. Owner on premises- welfare of the horse is the priority…read more Wonderful friendly environment.

I have been boarding with Don Bar for 19 years and counting . Your horses well being is first on…read morethe list for the owner manager and care takers. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere make boarding a pleasure.

Not a fan of this barn- but more so the gross management. Mean barn manager ( Alison) who will…read morecompletely ignore you unless she wants money takes the joy out of horse ownership. I boarded there years ago with a few friends and left rather quickly. I firmly believe the manager is a racist and have witnessed her treat people poorly if they're of any race other than WHITE. I myself am not white and felt invisible and not valued from the first day there. She will judge you if you don't use the farrier or vet she does. When you email or text her, if she doesn't like you she just won't respond. Every barn is extremely dark and dreary and does NOT have any kind of warm welcoming feel to it. The stall walls are covered in manure, cobwebs everywhere, dead mice, and an overwhelming feeling of non cleanliness. It's a crappy barn and I'd never ever board, take lessons, or want any association with them. One of my friends boarded there and was treated like complete crap too. Alison is so unprofessional and will not give you the time of day unless she feels like it. Then tells people "sorry this is business" but doesn't actually run her business unless she randomly decides she wants to on that day. She touched and moved my friends tack and damaged one of her very expensive helmets INSTEAD of simply contacting her and asking her to move her things. But that seems to be the theme of everything at DonBar. Passive aggressiveness with a side of snark. the manager/owner suddenly responded (over a month later) with the difference in board. My friend paid it even though her horse was NOT going to be there for over half of the month. Alison says you need a 30 day notice to leave but if your horse is for sale there's NO way you could know when they're sold. If someone buys your horse, the new owners need to be able to take their new horse home- not keep them at the sellers facility for 30 days! My friend was so lucky to find a new home within 2 days of listing the horse. The following day Alison tried depositing my friend's board check that was given to her weeks earlier because apparently she's too lazy to cash them when they're received. My friend had changed her bank account (this was the first time she'd ever closed an account but did due to fraud concerns) it was already in effect so outstanding checks obviously would not go through. This wouldn't have been an issue had the barn deposited the check when they got it. My friend did not write her a new check because she was not going to be using any of her services and because she was hospitalized with deteriorating health. Instead of understanding the incredibly devastating situation Alison decided to harass her and make her and her entire family (and friends!!) feel so uncomfortable. Not one "How are you doing?" Or anything of that nature. After contacting the police she was advised to block her on all accounts. The board payment (she didn't handle when she should have) was not hers to have since the horse was gone. Had Alison shown any kind of empathy, understanding, or just plain decency she would have sent a new check. But her threatening, degrading, and aggressive attitude was such a disgusting turn off that we took the police's and lawyer's advice to ignore and not respond to this opportunistic narcissist.

Brittany is fantastic! You can tell her passion for students and more importantly the horses…read more Beautiful facility and a great experience all around. Highly recommended for beginners and novice!

Had a blast at the Gurnee location! Everyone was so professional and friendly... I cannot wait to…read morecome back!

The school portion of this stable is great. Lessons based on 'Centered Riding', includes horse…read morecare. The cost is very reasonable.

Just moved my horses here about a month ago! This place is so wonderful! Many different disciplines…read moreof riding! The people are so wonderful! Peggy, is super awesome, and extremely accommodating! The indoor arena is absolutely beautiful! All the stalls are of a great size, and they bed nice and deep! My horses are so happy to be here! And best of all, their prices can't be beat!

This is by far the BEST thing I could have ever done for my daughter. Kristina has opened up a…read morewhole new world for her. My husband and I have never seen her so happy. Parsley ("her" horse) is all she talks about to anyone who will listen. With her being the youngest of 6 children I would never drive 30 minutes twice a week if this didn't change her world. Schoolwork and chores at home are finished at record speed so she can keep her riding privileges. Our shy little girl is becoming more extroverted and confident the more time she spends with her horse and Kristina. You cannot go wrong with this instructor, she will positively impact your child in more ways than you can imagine! We love you Kristina and Parsley!!

From the owner: Schedule your lessons online with our convenient online service! Www.gsperfhorses.comread more

The stables are beautiful and well kept. Accommodating staff. The community events are a great way…read moreto become familiar with the new crew and ammenities offered.

Amazing riding experience. My friend and I used our Groupons together for a 2-hour lesson. Colleen…read moreshowed us how to get our horses prepped and saddled. She is one of the best horse people I've ever come across. She was super fun, knowledgeable and not at all snobby about things we didn't know. The lesson consisted of an hour of training off the horse and then an hour to practice basic riding. We wanted to trot a little bit, but ran out of time and Colleen didn't want to go too fast and risk either of us getting hurt. It was definitely a good move sales-wise, because now both of us really want to come back and continue lessons. It's a bit of a drive, but I'm sure we'll return and recommend it to others!

nicest barn in the North Shore, and Taylor is a very talented horsewoman with a natural feel and…read moreintuitive understanding of people and horses

From the owner: We specialize in Hunters, Jumpers & Equitation as well as restarting off track Thoroughbred horses…read more Developing riders and horses by starting with a solid foundation from the ground up!

This review is hurting my heart to make. My husband and I have been going to the BRF for almost 20…read moreyears. We never missed (aside from Covid). Every year we'd go multiple times. We started a family, we'd bring everyone we knew and loved. It has always been a special tradition for us. We would spend a lot of money. Get the friends of faire passes. Buy food, swords, play games, support the artists and vendors and performers, Etc. Until the prices hikes. The last 2-4 years, we only started going once a year. And what's wild, we were making more money? So how is it that we were having to spend less because of how expensive faire became? We were no longer spending extra because pricing on everything was so expensive. And not just a little expensive... the price jumps have become outlandish. It would be different if there were significant improvements or changes to the grounds, additional bathrooms, better water access or if the workers were getting paid more or new shows were being added. But none of these things have happened from what I've seen or heard. Even some of our favorite vendors left and haven't returned. I'm not sure if my family will be attending BRF this year or any year going forward. And that makes me so incredibly sad. It's always been such a big part of our lives. We started as teenagers that helped in the sand pits during gladiator battles before the joust, to being in our 30s introducing it to our babies, thinking we'd keep going to faire even after we were old and grey. Now faire feels overly commercialized and like the only thing worth caring about is money. I know how popular faire got. Especially after becoming viral on social media. So I understand the need to hike prices a little to compensate for supplies for the amount of people attending, inflation, etc. But what is happening is price gouging, and it's unbelievable. This is not the faire we've always known and loved. If things change we may come back. But until then we will be looking into other alternatives... please do better Bristol. You're losing your long term customer base...

Another summer, another visit to Bristol! We were there for the opening day of Faire which was a…read morelot of fun and tends to be less crowded than later in the season when the themed days start up. We also saved money this year by ordering their "Holidazzle" tickets (buy tickets online in the winter for the following summer season: rather than the $40 gate price or $36 Menards price, we paid $30 for each adult ticket; they are only valid for certain weeks). Despite it being a hot day, there was a breeze most of the time, and there are trees in a lot of spaces, so that helped. One piece of infrastructure I wish they would improve is the sun tarps above the seating areas of all the stages; they are all faded through and really do nothing to stop the sun, and the summers are only getting hotter.... Shows are great, as always. We saw Tiny Girl Big Show, Don Juan and Esmeralda, Dora Viellette the Hurdy Gurdy Lady, Menage a Moi, and Cirque du Sewer. Laugh, interact, and tip your performers!! Lots of food options (I had the amazing garlic mushrooms, a pulled pork sandwich, a Pina colada slushy and candied pecans to take home). Be sure you're hydrating in this weather; a girl passed out while watching one of the shows we were at! Enjoy all the artisan crafts (my friend bought a ring, I always look at Gnome and Fairy Pottery, we got some reading material at Arte of the Book) and of course souvenir merch at the gift shop. At this time of summer the grounds are also particularly lovely: orange day lilies were blooming , and other areas near rest areas with fountains looked nice. Overall, still a solid faire to visit! Huzzah!