This is an amazing place to come and board your horse. We come here for some lessons and have had…read morenothing but amazing help in learning the horsemanship side of things. The person we are taking lessons from, Shaina with her company Healing Through Broken Strides has been amazing. I realize she boards there and it is not her property, however, the property is very well maintained. I have never seen a broken board or anything out of line. By all appearances all the horses are very well fed and taken care of. None seem to be lacking for anything. There is a variety of horses I have seen here from Arabians to Gypsys, Quarter horses to Paints and Clydesdale. Chris the owner has given tours when I have been around and she is very thorough. She explains all the availability that is on her property, over 200 acres of trails as well for comfortable riding time with your horse. I love that as I usually drive my vehicle in I get greeted by a couple of the older horses who are there living out their best life...they are each over 25 from my understanding. Also to note, there in pens they have goats, every so often I have seen young cows, and I love going and chatting with the the donkeys. It is an amazing place! To note, I also see the hay rings always full, and I see every time I have been there feeding time where the boarding horses are being fed the feed they are prescribed. There is a riding area and 2 round pens and a porta-potty available as well. I reiterate this because of another review states that they didn't have hay, and this is absolutely never ever been the case!

A wonderful, safe, secluded place to board your horse where they will be well fed with quality…read moregrain and hay. Round bales available to your horse 24/7. Huge pastures, many acres in a natural, treed setting. Top notch, ethical, professional management by people you can trust. (Sometimes hard to find in the horse business.) The owner, Chris, is knowledgeable, helpful, fair and kind to people and horses alike. Worming schedule, on site farrier, farm visits by the great Dr. Ball, DVM. Round pen and arena available. All breeds welcome. Highly recommend!

If you in are search of finding an actual "horse whisperer," from which to learn, grow and gain…read moreconfidence, you will find her at "Unbridled Spirit" in Stephanie McGlothlin. I came to Unbridled Spirit originally, because they offer learning on many different types of horses and I love "gaited" horses, which are seldom offered for lessons. With Stephanie McGlothlin as my instructor, I actually learned not just to be a more confident and competent rider, but how to actually "build a relationship" with my horse! What an incredible joy it is to build that bond! The confidence and skills that I have gained in a short time have taken place through lessons, but also, through the targeted clinics and workshops that focus on certain skills and approaches, such as "Liberty." I cannot recommend Stephanie and Unbridled Spirit more highly!

I flew in from California to attend one of her weekend workshops. What Stephanie offers is…read moresomething so unique and amazing. She takes time to explain everything even if you didn't understand the first or second time. Her passion for horseback riding is contagious. She offers tools to learn and implement when working with your horse rather than bandaids for crazy horse behavior. Her horses are patient and kind and I can't wait to bring back my whole family. I could keep going but don't take it from me. Go and see for yourself what you are lacking in your horse connection! You'll be glad you did.

In all fairness to bel canto farms everybody should learn how to groom a horse excuse me spoiled…read morechildren don't understand horses and what's involved

I came to Suzanne at Bel Canto as a beginner (I'd only had about 25 western style lessons but was…read moreseeking something more challenging like hunter/jumper). I'd taken lessons at half a dozen stables around Austin with mixed results...VERY MIXED results... the POINT is that after I found Bel Canto, I stopped looking elsewhere. THE FACILITY: There is a large, breezy barn with tack rooms, an office and a restroom. There's an outdoor horse bathing area, loads of shady outdoor horse pens, 3 large and well-maintained riding arenas with jumps etc, a circular lunge pen and acres of pasture where the horses get to run loose. There's even a short but beautiful trail around the front half of the property for a cool-down ride after your lessons. A good portion of my enjoyment of lessons there is just spending time on the farm away from town. I don't know where some of these other reviewers are used to riding... Buckingham Palace perhaps? But where I come from we DO fetch our own horses, groom them, saddle them, ride them, and then hose them down and put them up ourselves. It takes perhaps half an hour and it doesn't count as lesson time - it isn't like you're PAYING to do it (unlike another stable in town if you read my review on THEM). Also, it's a good bonding and learning experience. THE HORSES: Suzanne has a lot of different types and temperaments at her farm, and no matter what your own temperament and skill level, she's got a horse that is just what you need. When you demonstrate a level of skill that warrants moving on to a more sensitive or challenging horse, she will "graduate" you to another horse. I enjoy getting to know them all. THE INSTRUCTORS: I mostly take lessons from Suzanne. I've met a few of the other instructors, but can't speak to their skill aside from saying that if they are there for long, they must be good at what they do. Suzanne would oust anyone who couldn't do a good job. She wants the lessons to be fun AND informative, and she errs on the side of prudence, which is very important to me. I have always found her to be VERY safe, VERY knowledgeable, and VERY easy to be around. I would just like to mention, having read some of the negative reviews, that you take a risk every time you get on a horse - ANY horse, ANYWHERE. There is always, naturally, some danger in horseback riding. At Bel Canto, all of the possible safety precautions are taken. Only the steadiest, most easy-going veteran horses are used for beginners. But just a warning to idiots: a horse is a huge animal, not a theme park ride (I'm talking to you, herniated disc lady). Bel Canto is a great place to learn if you have half a brain. * To reviewer "Patrick": Don't blame the horse if you're weak in the legs. Girly man.

I had no equine experience when I rescued my mules and went down a rabbit hole trying to learn how…read moreto teach them to survive in this world and have a purpose. When I explored the world of training, I found out that there are various theories and techniques and trying to sort them out and absorb them all seemed overwhelming and confusing. I wanted to preserve the connection I had established with my mules, but train them to have a function. When I met Penny, I could tell that she was very knowledgeable across disciplines and training styles. Having had sessions and workshops with her, I now know what a wealth of knowledge she has and what a good teacher she is. I am so grateful I found a teacher that is insightful, caring and knowledgeable and doesn't undermine my learning process with her ego.

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!

Be sure to bring carrots for your horse! My son loves riding lessons at this farm.read more

we have loved this barn since we got here three years ago. from riding to boarding, everything has…read morebeen an amazing learning experience centered around the health and well being of the horse. Mariah takes top notch care of these horses and her lessons have grown our riding and ground work knowledge exponentially. The community she has developed for horse girls and horse women has been such a blessing! But best of all the horses get to be horses out in the pasture and nothing will fill you up like seeing your horse running with the herd at sunset.

I have repeatedly tried contacting the stable through various avenues. They remain unresponsive and…read morehave not returned any messages regarding boarding. I decided to not keep my horse there because they come off unprofessional.

This is my daughters' first summer at Monarch Stables. Last year we tried a different horseback…read moreriding camp in westlake for a week and it was the highlight of her summer. Then we heard about Monarch from her friend at school and are so glad that we came here! It's really beautiful! All the horses and ponies are gorgeous! The staff and camp counselors are super friendly. The kids are all happy to be there. They do arts and crafts, swimming & fishing in the creek, in addition to taking care of the horses and riding lesson. At the end of the day your kiddo WILL sleep well at night. I'm a little jealous she gets to spend her summer around horses! We will DEFINITELY be back next summer for camp and will look into there after school program this fall.