This has been our experience boarding for the past 11 months at the Blancos' facility in Sacramento, Beach Lakes Stables, and I strongly recommend staying away. Our horse wasn't fed consistently, and we frequently had to come out at night to feed her grain ourselves because the staff wasn't doing it regularly. Turnout is advertised, but in reality, there was no pasture access at all during the winter, and the only "turnout" offered was about 30 minutes in the arena three days a week--often cut short whenever another boarder wanted to ride, at which point our horse was immediately put away. The hay quality was poor, and on two separate occasions, our mare had colic scares after staff put her in a stall without water. Staff repeatedly refused to clean or refill water buckets, saying we don't take care of them because we have an automatic watering system, which they knew was broken and had on order. Really? Basic care and safety were also a problem. Some horses' stalls were not mucked because workers were "afraid" of the horses, so those animals just stood in filth. Pastures were not maintained--only lightly mucked, with no real pasture management. There was a fire on the property, and management never contacted the boarders. A huge oak branch, which we had asked them to remove for months, finally fell in the middle of the night, injuring horses and contributing to laminitis and colic issues. Management still did not notify us or proactively check on our horse. The facility itself feels neglected and unsafe. River rats get into the lockers during the winter and destroy equipment and supplies, and nothing meaningful has been done to address it. Cross ties were unusable for months because the chains were broken and not repaired. At the same time, the owners were posting about new business lines and quietly increasing board rates on the website without directly notifying boarders of the price hikes. The owners' business ethics and behavior are major red flags. Public news coverage shows that Paul Blanco's Good Car Company admitted to hundreds of thousands of violations of California consumer protection and false advertising laws and is now banned from auto sales in the state. (https://kmph.com/news/local/paul-blancos-good-car-company-admits-to-unlawful-practices-670000-state-violations) That history alone is enough to make you think twice after the fire in the main house (an Airbnb). When the owners first arrived from Texas, they openly bragged that they had insurance and didn't care about the house; about a week later, they were suddenly posting about how heartbroken they were that their "family home" had burned down, glossing over the fact that the ranch house had been used as an Airbnb for several years while they lived out of state. On-site, the Blancos show up unannounced, yell at boarders about how "broke" they are, and insist we pay more so they don't have to spend their own money on their property. Consumers should carefully question the legitimacy of every comment, post, and statement they make. Meanwhile, Putu Blanco walks around taking selfies with horses and using them for her personal Instagram content without ever asking permission from the owners. Whenever boarders try to give feedback or raise safety concerns, the response is to yell, dismiss us as "negative," and deny any responsibility. Between the inconsistent feeding, water, and turnout issues, poor maintenance, repeated safety problems, and deeply questionable business practices, this is the worst boarding experience we have ever had. One star only because zero is not an option. read more

This barn is beautiful, great location and a wonderful sense of community and safety. That changed almost overnight when the owners came back into town to run this barn and decided to put their finances and themselves first. They started cutting corners and putting horse safety on the back burner and you CAN'T do that with horses. Due to their lack of horse experience and not putting the horses first, we decided to move our horse to a safer location, as did over half of their boarders. Another concern for us was their desire to turn this barn into a "luxury" camp for people to be around horses and be on the property and we just didn't want any part of that. Look, if this barn is close to you and truly want to move your horse here, I won't stop you, but I want the truth out there with who you would be doing business with. They might not be allowed to sell cars in California anymore due to fraud violations, but they can still run a horse barn for some reason. Please be cautious if you are considering this barn. We would not recommend Beach Lake Stables as long as these current owners are still involved and being hands on. Proceed with caution! read more

I boarded there for over 8 years. Loved the community and the location of the property. The board is on the high end for what you get. Unfortunately in a short period of time it has become obvious that the owners are more concerned about their finances being impacted than the best interest of the boarders and their horses. I would NOT recommend anyone to board at Beach Lake Stables with the current owners now running the ranch. I don't trust anything they say. They are used car sales people not horse people. Almost half the boarders have left over concerns about the care of their horse, future plans that the owners want to implement and ever increasing board fees. read more

Beach lake stables has the potential to be a great facility, but under its current ownership by the Blancos, I cannot recommend it. As a horse owner, safety and proper care are non-negotiable, and during my time there I repeatedly felt concerned by decisions that, in my experience, prioritized convenience over the well-being of the horses. What is especially frustrating is that this place could be great, but without the necessary horse knowledge that potential isn't being met. I am also concerned about plans to expand into a "luxury" overnight outdoor experience, which would allow strangers into areas near boarded horses. This raises serious safety and security concerns for both the animals and their owners. When questions were raised about how this would be insured, the responses did not provide reassurance. At the end of the day, I would not feel comfortable trusting my horse's safety here. Until there are major changes in ownership, management, and overall practices, I would strongly encourage others to look elsewhere for boarding. read more

Beach Lake is a very nice, established stable. It is a little on the pricey side, but they do bed all stalls and have nice turn outs and arenas available. Stalls are about average size. Quality of feed is good. 3 different arenas - One jumping, one indoor and one "western." Western arena is really just a more run -down outdoor arena in the back. Definitely an English focused barn. They have A LOT of rules, one being that you may not jump your horse outside of a lesson, which didn't really work for me. I understand there are safety concerns, but I think I should be able to ride my horse when and how I wish. Overall, I had a nice experience at the barn. read more

This barn is no longer managed by the original owners. The new owners know more about car sales than caring for a beloved horse. Hay quality is poor and watering in care of horses is sub par. Riding facilities are so so and you cannot ride around beach lake anymore due to restrictions- so no trails either. Come winter time the property will flood and your horse will have no pasture space. Avoid. read more

This place was where I spent most of my childhood and early teen years. The old owners always had the horses and people happy and I have made many unforgettable memories here. But as Mr. Blanco came in, everyone thought he was buying the place to make it better but it soon became apparent we were wrong. He is a business man NOT a horse person. Boarding prices went up while nothing got better. The 2 or 3 lesson horses were getting over worked and he put more money into buying statues and fountains rather than the well being of horses and clients. Not only is the footing now a bit...questionable...I think the hay barn should be used as a HAY BARN and not an in home gym... He ruined the sport I loved most and pushed me out of a barn I used to consider a second home. Hopefully he can use his money to invest into books and lessons that'll give him more horse knowledge. read more

Lin Collins is the instructor there. He is on time, responds to calls and texts promptly, and builds lessons around my goals. He is personable, polite, and firm. He offers hands-on lessons - I am learning to saddle, groom, mount, be safe, and of course, ride. I do not just watch - I get to try my hand at everything with him next to me the entire lesson. Lessons are never dull - they are challenging and fun! After just a few lessons with Lin, I saw progress and my confidence is building. I took riding lessons on another ranch for two years and was frustrated - I need real instruction and Lin is a man with a plan. He also cares about the horses and treats them very well. I had the pleasure of taking part in a group lesson and observed him teaching young children to ride, and as a parent, I would trust him to keep my girls safe, build skill, and have a blast. The kids were very responsive and his enthusiasm and expertise made them eager to listen, learn, and remain calm on and around the horses. His prices are reasonable and he is generous with his time. The environment is lovely. It seems he leans more towards English style, but I am working towards learning western. I was 48 the first time I got on a horse - a little late in the game - but with these lessons I might just become the cowgirl I want to be - ok, no barrel racing or bronco busting but you get the idea. I am sure I will be able to go on a moderate level trail adventure by year's end without a guide constantly helping me with tack and travel. Lin is an extrovert; likes to joke and his outgoing nature took me by surprise at first! He is a lighthearted guy who seems to enjoy horses and people but he takes his job seriously and I get a work out every lesson. I recommend taking horse-riding lessons from Lin at Beach Lake Stables. read more

I first found Beach Lake Stables online while browsing for potential stables that would offer affordable riding lessons. Looking at the pictures on the website also helped confirm my origional decision to give them a call and try them out. (The pictures looked like a more relaxed enviorment, instead of the usual stuffy atmosphere of most barns) I first spoke to Kayla Edwards (the trainer) and she was very nice on the phone, answering all my questions and setting up a time for us to meet. Kayla told me to arrive 30 minutes early to the lesson so that we would have time to tack up prior, something that I loved, since too many places will include tacking time into your hour lesson. I was impressed the moment I arrived, the barn itself was very neat and clean, and all of the horses looked very relaxed, Kayla was waiting for me as soon as I arrived and showed me which horse I would be riding. She was very good about showing me where everything was and making me feel welcome. Once we got out to the arena Kayla had me ride Nick, (the horse I was using for the day) around so she could see how much experience I had. We spent the day working on my flat work, and the whole time I had a blast! Kayla was very positive and I truly felt like my riding had improved after that lesson. I have now been back to that barn several times, each time the experience has been amazing! This last time I trained with Lin and I was able to take Nick over some jumps, (by the way, Nick is an awesome horse, very well trained and so fun to ride) I plan on going back this week for more lessons! Overall: best barn I've been to (and I've been to several), the horses are amazing, the trainers are awesome, and it truly is a wonderful experience for any rider! read more

This place is awful! I bought six lessons on amazon local deals. It took three months for Lin Collins to schedule the lessons. He doesn't return phone calls & often late for the lessons. During the lessons he used profanity while teaching my two kids (trying to be funny) and smoked his cigarettes around my children and the horses! After the sessions were over it was obvious he gave us no information on how to continue lessons nor did he thank us for our business. BLS was a dreadful experience! read more

I love it here! Great management. Full service, riding trails, neat, clean, very little drama. Expensive, yes, but also close to home so I come out every day, sometimes twice. read more

BLS is amazing. Lessons are cheaper than in Elk Grove. Beach Lake has pretty trails, three arenas, tons on pasture room, 50stalls, a hotwalker, two round pens, a cow paddock, and lots of crossties. There is an option to rent a locker, or to simply use a tack trunk. The stablehands(Javiar and Jose) are extremely polite, and will help with even the smallst of tasks(undoing a knot to cutting a jammed lock off of a locker). I highly reccomend BLS for new to advanced riders. There are girls that jumpe 3'3 and some who just got on, not to mention all in between. Kayla Edwards and Lin Collins will work to pair you with a lesson horse, (Wesley, Dulce, Vinny, April, or Gemini) to ensure a great bond. For $45 you get a total of 2 hours with a horse. 30min before to groom and tack up, 1hour lesson, and 30min after to clean up and groom. Sooooo fun!! read more

Very disorganized operation, and very disappointing to date. Lin does not return calls, and extremely difficult to schedule lessons. He is very good with kids though, just can't get a second lesson set up. Have prepaid for lessons, and no response after first lesson. Beware!! read more

Very nice facility! Horses look healthy and well taken care of! Nice that there is a breeze that comes off the river!!! A little pricey, but worth it! With all sorts of riding options out there, it beats other boarding options in the area read more