We absolutely love this barn! Our 11-year-old daughter takes lessons here and has loved every…read moreminute--so much so that all she wants to do now is ride horses. The trainers and staff are incredibly kind, patient, and knowledgeable, and they truly care about both the riders and the horses. It's a warm, welcoming environment where kids feel supported and confident while learning. We've seen such positive growth in our daughter since starting here and couldn't recommend this place more highly.

What a gem of a space!!! Took our two young children there today and they had a blast. The space is…read morehuge, bright, the animals are happy and well loved. The owner/trainers are very knowledgeable, patient and kind. We will return.

Great horse camp! Highly recommend, the instructor makes it so fun for the kids. My daughter said…read moreit was her favorite camp!

We have been here for almost 2 years now. Kay is great with the kids and the horses. We tried other…read morestables, but here the kids learn how to not just ride but actually taking care of the horses

Though it may be a challenge to tailor riding lessons to small children as well as adult learners…read morelike myself, horsemanship academy makes it look easy. I've been riding with them for a year and have only great things to say. They recently moved to a beautiful new location on Via de la Valle-- same great ponies and instructors though. The instructors are so friendly and competent. Kajsa, the owner, is wonderful and my instructor Laura is a great combination of patient, entertaining and knowledgeable.

This place is amazing!!! All so supportive and building strong kids. My daughter has been with…read moreHorsemanship for 4 years and continues to grow and learn. Great place!

Patty Morton is cruel and petty. Has kicked a 11 year old out of her program. Patty stated that we…read morewere unappreciative of her and not suited for her program. Patty is not upfront with her costs, neglects her horses, and needless to say unprofessional and lacks business experience. Very disappointed after 2.5 years building relationships and then to be treated so crude. My daughter is devastated and fails to understand why someone could be so cruel to a child that loves horses and being at a barn with her friends. I would never recommend this barn after learning how the owner mistreats her clients.

I took riding lessons at Pathfinder Farm through Palomar College over 20 years ago, and looked them…read moreup to see if they were in business after all these years. I've since moved to another state or would have loved to stay on there in some form, even as a volunteer. I am extremely pleased to see that Patty Morton's farm is online and doing well. I had such an incredibly positive experience training there, under Patty"s direction. It was actually a life changing experience for me and a memorable time in my life that I will cherish forever. I turn 50 this year and trained there when I was in my 20s for a semester. It left an impactful impression on me. I used to ride Gracie, and it made me so happy to see her mentioned on the website under featured rider. I can't say enough good things about Pathfinder Farm - great training, positive experience and life changing! I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone considering this experience. Wish there were higher marks than a five.

My 9 year old son has had two riding lessons this far and absolutely loves Meg, the horse he rides,…read moreand the animals! Meg is a wonderful instructor and so encouraging and kind with my son who has sensory challenges. It is a beautiful place and the highlight of our last two weeks! Highly recommend.

The owner charged an insane amount for an evaluation lesson. However, the property is charming.read more

My partner and I came to Rancho Santa Fe for a short vacation and I knew I wanted to get in a…read moreriding lesson. So I searched online and spoke to a couple of trainers and settled on Lena and who was warm, friendly and accommodating. I actually didn't know she was a dressage trainer (I'm used to riding English style, Hunter/Jumper) but it turned out to be a pleasant surprised as Lena was patient and her instruction style was thorough and thoughtful. I rode the lovely Elliot, a dressage school master, sweetheart boy, 16.3hh with a big heart. Now, he definitely made me work throughout the 45min private lesson, haha , he was more woah than go!! But given I hadn't ridden in over a year and never in a dressage saddle he was the perfect gentleman for my introduction to dressage. I've worked on walk to canter transistor, leg yielding and even ended with a little 'Passage' (assisted by Lena's encouragement!) I was able to tack him up and in-tack him after the lesson and Lena was happy to let me spend as much time with him as I wanted. I will definitely visit Lena again in the future and highly recommend her if you're looking for a great lesson with a knowledgeable instructor and lovely horses!

Lena always puts the horse first. We work through issues, weather and distractions with the horse…read more(and safety) in mind. She can be demanding or easygoing as needed. And she's great about pulling out exercises that are fitting for the day, depending on the mood of horse and rider. (For example, I know she snuck in flying change practice to make me smile on a bad day.) She has a keen eye for behaviors and bad habits - both in humans and in horses. I've been riding with Lena since September 2019 and she's made such a difference in my riding!

Does not return deposits given up front for boarding. Refuses to finish paying for a horse Pepper…read moreCreek Equine Center partially bought, with the agreement from PCEC that facility would give remaining funds owed to seller, upon leaving premises, (06/28/2019,) and has used one of my horses for lessons without asking my permission prior to using said horse, which I never would have agreed to. In addition, Cheryl Pierce laughed as she told me she carried a whip to whip my mare in the neck to get her to walk through puddles during the rain, and had smacked my mare on the neck as my mare was afraid to go through puddles. Cheryl laughed as she told me this, and told me she would continue to carry said whip, anytime Cheryl Pierce would need to handle my mare in case she needed to whip my mare on the neck, again. Would be a stellar place if Cheryl Pierce were not involved, as she becomes verbally abusive (to me, and many other past boarders,) in any situation where she is confronted about being in the wrong. Edited to add: PCEC sent back a portion of the monies they owe me for my deposit. They still have NOT paid me back the money they owe me for the colt they bought named Shivar/Sivan. Have picture and video proof of the condition of the pen the day I sold the colt to Cheryl Pierce. I also have pictures and videos of the condition of PCEC prior to moving in, and the day I vacated the premises. Nowhere in any of these pictures is damage shown to the pen the colt lives in. PCEC added wood to the stall a month before I moved out of the facility. (Which I also have pictures of.) For a horse I have not owned for 6 mos, and a pen that did not need any repairments, I should not be fined for a new watering device, lumber, and 6.5 hours of labor.

I am posting about my negative experience with Cheryl Pierce of Pepper Creek Equine Center because…read moreI feel it is important for others to know what has happened during the past month. I moved my two horses to Pepper Creek on October 28th, but quickly realized the commute from work with traffic was just too much for me to handle daily. Since the contract I had signed required a 30-day written notice to vacate (in order to have the deposit refunded), I emailed and mailed my 30-day notice to Cheryl on November 5th. My friend, who had been a boarder there for a couple years, also gave her notice that day - we had both decided to find a place closer to our homes where our horses could all live together. On November 7th, I texted Cheryl and confirmed with her that she had received my notice. Less than 20 minutes later, all the boarders of Pepper Creek were informed that they will now be locking the gates at 8pm, so everyone needs to be off the property by then. This affected both my friend and I because we were the only two boarders there past 6pm every night. That same night my horses were out of water. When my friend had arrived, one of my horses was down. While my friend was filling the buckets, my other horse immediately started drinking. Later that evening, he had stopped eating hay and was also lying down. I was concerned about possible impaction colic due to dehydration, so at 7:45pm I called Cheryl. I was very surprised by how the conversation went because she told me that the horses were not out of water and that they had looked fine at the time of feeding. I was also told that I was not going to be able to stay past 8pm to make sure my down horse was alright. After some arguing, I was told that I could stay but that the gates would still be locked at 8pm and that I would need to text her what time I would need to be let out. I have never experienced a situation like this before, where I had to argue in order to be allowed to stay with my horse and assess what could have been a life-threatening situation. Moments later I encountered Cheryl at the office, where I was told that I had no reason to be in there, even though I was grabbing my friend's refrigerated Banamine. Then I was told that it did not belong in the refrigerator, despite that being where it had been located for months. I proceeded to give my horse the Banamine and left shortly after 8pm, hoping that my horse was going to be okay. The following day, November 8th, I received a 3-day eviction notice by email, stating that I had until 8pm on Sunday, November 11th to vacate the premises. My friend received the same eviction notice. It also stated that all refunds were going to be mailed. This is also the same day that several cameras were installed around the property. By Sunday, I had managed to find a place for my horses to temporarily be boarded. I moved out well before 8pm to avoid any further issues. Since then, I still have not received any refund. After my first email inquiring about when I would be receiving my $1143.33, which would be my $700 deposit and the remaining 19 days of November board, I was simply told that it had been "sent to the bookkeeper for processing." I received this response from her on November 15th. Since then, there has been no response from her after two more attempts. This has caused me great financial hardship. I haven't been able to pay bills, have no money for a vet or my deposit for the new barn, and had to move with no money for these unexpected moving expenses. Luckily, I was able to find someplace where I was allowed to pay my 3 weeks of board a week after moving in. This has also caused myself as well as my horses a lot of stress. Because my horses had to be moved again, so suddenly, to a temporary situation where they have been receiving completely different hay on a different feeding schedule, they both are now having loose stools. I have never left a barn on bad terms, and am truly shocked by what I have had to deal with this past month. I won't mention what my friend has had to deal with during all of this. I can only hope that I will be able to recover the money owed to me.

Sonya is the most fabulous and dedicated trainer I have ever had the pleasure of learning under…read more Not only Does she advance your goals, but also teaches you how to be independent and feel confident while Riding. I have ridden with her for almost two years now and I never thought I would be able To compete. She gives her students every opportunity to learn and become successful. And that's just with students! I had a horse with her for 30days and what came Back to me was a beautifully well trained horse. I've seen her help so many owners and help them get on the right path with their horse. She really cares and loves what she does and it shows.

This ranch deserves all the stars'! First and foremost their horses; their horses are healthy…read morelooking, honestly some of the healthiest and not over worked looking horses at a ranch I've seen in a while. We've been to places that you think "Those horses look sad, like they need to rest and get vitamins", not these horses! So good looking! Impressive! Besides the beautiful well taking care of horses, the owner/ instructor Sonja is a hard working Lady. She has wonderful tips and coaching style in the arena when working one on one and in groups. Impressed that she has such a grasp on Western and riding techniques and coaching queues. Very happy our daughter is riding here now, and can't wait to see where SR and Sonja can get her in the future.