Forget that cowboy stuff, come learn how to ride the way REAL men (and women) do: in *REALLY TIGHT PANTS.* Okay, I think they're actually called "breeches," but whatever. It's a known fact that learning to ride a horse the English way increases your coolness quotient almost as much as having a British accent. Fortunately for you, Bear Creek is an excellent place to learn this coolness-magnifying skill. Paulina, the English instructor here, is totally fantastic. She is upbeat, encouraging, knows everything there is to know about horses, and doesn't make you feel like an ass (even when you are riding like an ass). Having had only a handful of riding lessons in my life, I attribute entirely to Paulina the fact that I have managed to jump a horse at a trot (okay, it was a SMALL jump) without falling off and cracking my head open. Those who know me know I'm not the most GRACEFUL person alive, so me managing to stay on top of a trotting, jumping horse is just short of a Christmas Day miracle. Thanks Paulina! They do classes through UT Informal, but it basically costs the same to sign up for classes right through their website. It's a great place for kids to learn as they have fantastic beginner horses, but it's also a great place for "adult amateurs" to play around in an environment where nobody seems to care that you haven't been riding since you were 7 years old. Bonus: keep at it and be prepared to show off your new *THIGHS OF STEEL.* read more

My daughter is 10 and started taking lessons here about eight months ago. The lesson program is under 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. read more

I took Western riding classes here a long time ago and it seems like nothing has changed. I really experienced 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. read more

I love the people there and the horses are so sweet and they people are so welcoming and the lesson are so good after two of them I stared cantering read more

My daughter (D-15) loved this place. We had taken our girls here for summer camp for a few years and they liked it. D wanted English riding lessons. We started paying Miriam for lessons twice a week and all was fine. ($400 a month) My daughter had an opportunity to lease from a horse at the boarder barn and saw that as a less expensive options to additional lessons. (Starting in January 2022 - 1 lesson a week will be $250 for 4 lessons.) We were told by Miriam (Linda's (owner) daughter and who runs the lessons) that if we lease, D could no longer be in lessons. We agreed. There was some change of heart (so that the money would go directly into their pockets) but we preferred the lease to the lessons. (Also, we had heard a rumor that Miriam is a 'self-taught' instructor and I am unsure about paying that kind of money to a non formally trained instructor. ) My daughter and her friend (we co-lease with another girl) went out to ride the horse. Previously, they had gone out with the horse's owner (K). K had asked them to go out without her to see if the horse could handle them riding without her. While they were out there was some minor talking with one of Miriam's students. No physical contact, no curse words, just minor adolescent snipping. Miriam then came over told my daughter and her friend that if parents didn't come in the next 30 minutes, she'd call the cops on them. (What we found out later was that she had ALREADY called the cops.) my daughter called us and my husband arrived at the same time as the police 20 minutes later. No charges were discussed and we were ordered to leave (which we were trying to do if the police hadn't come.) I short, we will NEVER use this place again. It is dangerous and unsafe. My daughter is asthmatic and started having an attack because of all the situation. We will also be looking into legal action against Miriam for calling the police for no reason. My daughter left a post, which was a bit confusing. I wanted to clarify some of what she said. They do favor the wealthier patrons over people who just want to come out and learn to ride a horse. There was no reason to have the police involved and I fear for the safety of current and future students. People get shot and killed over escalated situations. read more

My daughter started taking private lessons last year and had a great experience with the college age instructors. She moved to group lessons for financial reasons (and the private instructors had left.) At first it was fine, but my daughter wanted more individualized instruction so she could move up. We scheduled private lessons with Miriam, and we liked her, but she cancelled twice in one month. Miriam also wanted all checks made out to her and not the stables, which I thought was strange. My daughter still did not progress, and we ended up stopping lessons. She is trying to lease a horse, but Miriam is throwing up obstacles to that as well. I will say that I really like Linda, the owner, and Zann, the boarding barn manager, but feel that the overall operations have declined since Miriam came on board. read more

Bear Creek Stables..... !!!!! HORRIBLE !!!!! I would give zero stars if I could! I have boarded my horse here for a few years!!! I have never seen so many people come and go. It amazes me this place has been in business for as long as it has. Sure, this place is cheap and you get what you pay for. I never thought it would be the nightmare it turned out to be. They kicked all of the boarders out with less then a 30 day notice. (Well most of the boarders) Some of my tack and equipment has gone missing. My horse had a near death experience while I was out of town and had to get someone to take his to the vet for an emergency visit. Not to mention 5 horses all got sick within 24 hours and 3 ended up at the vet. The lessons are a joke. Self tough "trainers"with little to zero experience. I have been riding literally my whole life and yes, i have taken professional lessons myself. But the lessons they give here are a joke. It amazes me that people learn how to ride. Not to mention the price they charge for lessons. Unbelievable. There have been people falling off and the ambulance has came at least 3 times in the last 2 years to take people away that have fallen off and got seriously injured! Not to mention the cops showing up unannounced. Because the trainer called the cops on people paying to take lessons. The owner gave me a 15 day notice to be out. I made arrangements and had someone to pick up my horse on the 3rd. Linda then threatened to call humane society if I wasn't out on the 31st... remind you I have been nothing but a quite pay on time boarder for 5 years. ... I would never recommend this place to anyone!!!!! Hopefully this helps. read more

Before taking lessons at bear creek I would urge people to thoroughly interview who runs the lesson program, Miriam. Proper horsemanship includes taking care if the horse and rider. There's a lot of risk taking lessons here. Tack is not checked in-between lessons. And many students don't have the experience to know they must do this. My stirrup leather was barely hanging on and nearly torn in two. If I had not checked my tack I'm certain any body weight would have snapped the leather and I would have been injured on the horse. I witnessed a beginner student mount a horse without a helmet and until I had the student get off the horse, the instructor hadn't noticed period. Students are being instructed by working students- who are constantly on their phones and not paying attention to riders. It's my opinion that bear creek under the current lesson director is a inadequate and unsafe barn to learn riding and proper horsemanship. read more

While I am not one to ever give bad reviews, my experience here was so disheartening I feel like I have to share. We signed up for four lessons and paid in full and did not get to go to one lesson. After they changed the initial day on us, I told them prior to the first lesson starting that day/time would no longer work for us and they refused to give us any money back or reschedule. So we paid $275 for four lessons and we received zero instruction, zero flexibility and zero remorse. I understand it is about business, but it's also about customer service and people - and that is what I am rating here. I was really hopeful that I had found a good lesson program but unfortunately we won't get a chance to find out because I would never give them anymore of my money. read more

I used to love taking lessons here. But this barn just has so much drama to it. I took lessons for 8 months and moved up super fast and was told I was amazing in the first 4 months but after that I didn't move any and didn't get any corrections anymore. I love Miriam I do. But after the incident that happened 2 days ago. I will never return and that's not my fault. Miriam has a tendency to favor multiple students and let them do whatever they want to do. This incident has to do with the favoring of one child over another. Miriam (29) called the police on 2 children (14) and (15) because of one girl being favored and me not being able to sit down and have a conversation about the other girls in the program. Miriam will not allow anybody to sit down and have a professional conversation if your not paying her. I've tried making appointments to talk to her and she won't let us. When I was paying her and taking lessons she was so nice to me and would stand up for me and even talk to me. But the moment I stopped paying and stopped her lesson program she could care less about me. I had a amazing opportunity come up to lease a horse from the boarder barn and when I told Miriam she told me I could not be in her program if I lease the horse. So I said okay, and I left the program. Not even 2 days after I told her I was done. She messaged me parents saying I could stay if I wanted in the lessons if I wanted to. So She could not make up her mind especially when she said I wouldn't be allowed in the lesson program legally. Overall, Linda the owner is amazing and sweet but I do NOT recommend this barn for lessons if you want a safe and happy environment. It was very hurtful to see my trainer and old friend call the cops on me and not care that I had a panic attack and was on the floor barely breathing. All she had to say was I was no longer allowed on the property or I would be arrested and she flipped us off and walked away. read more

I Ride here every Monday, shay is literally the best teacher figure I have ever had. This was the first place I rode and now I'm looking into buying a horse of my own. The people here are so kind and understanding, the horses are great and I look forward to riding every week. It's my favorite part of the week. read more

I boarded my horse out at Bear Creek for about 5 months. he lost a lot of weight, i would take him out for the day and take him back to the barn after dinner feeding (which was at 3:30pm) and they would not leave dinner for him. I paid for him to have extra flake of alfalfa at dinner and they only gave him the scraps out of the gator. I heard them tell their trainee that "that horse is a pony and doesn't need a lot of food" as my horse had a heavy workload and dropped weight instantly. I began going out everyday to supplement with my own hay. read more

Bear Creek was amazing! The instructors were amazing and explained very well how to treat, ride, and communicate with the horses. The horses was so mystical and magical, we even got to feed our horses an apple (we brought our own fruit), brush their hair, and just connect before we rode. We had the amazing opportunity of partnering with the stables for our holiday gift exchange and we are so thankful! Hope to work with them again! read more

What beautiful horses!! I decided to visit "Bear Creek Stables" because I grew up having horses of my own and was dying to ride again. The place was clean and inviting. The horses were well cared for and approachable. Miriam took her time with me and was very patient. It was loads of fun and I was oh so happy I decided to check them out. Thank you Miriam! read more

Bear Creek has a really good instructive program for kids. It's so cool to see the self-confidence that kids get from learning to maneuver beasties 10 times their size. It's also cool to see the variety of horses, many of which graze freely on the property. The location is a little difficult to find, tucked back in a neighborhood: use GPS or call ahead for directions. (Don't rely on the map on the website.) But it's like stepping out into the country without going too far out of Austin. read more

I took English lessons here, when I decided to 'get back into' riding after a decade away from the sport. Plus side, it is affordable. Downside, the instructors are not very skilled. Some of the riding I saw being promoted was not only poor, but also dangerous. Instructors were more concerned about getting riders to the 'next step' quickly than instilling good riding habits. For instance, if a kid or even adult rider cannot keep their heels down and get a horse to go in the correct direction at a walk, they should not be asked to trot or canter. Riders should not be asked to keep reins so long that a horse is 'strung-out' when jumping. This place has potential, because it isn't a show barn (so it doesn't have the attitude), but they seriously need to reevaluate their staff and the priorities. read more

If you're looking for a place for horseback riding camps for your kiddos or lessons for yourself or the house lover in your family, this is the place to go! Located just west of Brodie Lane off 1626, Bear Creek is convenient to south Austin. Linda and her husband Eddie have been running this place since the eighties. The stables and the staff are unpretentious and places the safety of horse and humans first. Horses are so will cared for, they live in to their thirties and forties if that tells you anything. My daughter has been attending camp and taking lessons for the last five years. Her riding teacher, Catherine Campbell understands kids and horses and is an amazing teacher. I have never heard her utter a negative word towards any student. They teach more than riding, they also teach horse management. This gives potential owners a true understanding of what it takes to own a horse. Kids don't always understand that horses can live a long time and require a huge commitment. Aside from lessons, Bear Creek offers summer, spring and winter camps. Summer camps are split between riding, swimming and crafts. They also lease horses and offer boarding. So if you're looking for an education with a reasonable price for your horse lover, come check them out!! read more

Bear Creek Stables - Bear Creek is the best!! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Manchaca, Texas

Poor communication in regards to class descriptions and the schedule. Zero COVID safety precautions.

I signed up for Western Riding I through UT's informal classes and loved it. The facilities are nice, the instructor was knowledgeable and friendly, the assistants were sweet and helpful. I liked the horses; they are well treated, and I always felt safe. It ended up being even more fun than I thought possible and very stress relieving. If you've ever dreamed of horseback riding, go! read more

My daughter, Elizabeth, would live at Bear Creek if they would let her! She has been riding with them a few years now and recently started showing. Her favorite horse is Omni, but there are so many amazing horses! Seeing my daughter discover her passion in life has been an amazing experience. I would recommend that every little girl and boy be allowed the opportunity to discover a world with horses and there is no better place than Bear Creek. The instructors are all amazing and push and encourage my daughter to be her best. She's treated like family. We love Bear Creek! read more

Bear Creek Stables - Elizabeth and Web. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Manchaca, Texas

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Amazing lessons different levels of horses since none are the same highly recommended

So happy I choose this place for lessons! I'm an adult rider - I've been riding Western my whole life and I wanted some lessons in English. I'm looking to learn how to jump. I had a great experience here and the horses were awesome. We had a sub teacher my first night and she took really good care of us. Can't wait to go back! No matter what age this is a great place! read more

Bear Creek Stables - This is Snickers- beautiful well suited horse for jumping - Horseback Riding Near Me - Manchaca, Texas

Linda, her husband, and trainers all lead my daughter Lauren Reynolds now 17-yrs old to become what she has become today. Lauren had taken group lessons and summer camp for several years from Bear Creek Stables. Currently, we no longer live in Austin for the past 3-4 yrs now in Houston. With them giving her the early training and desire in horses she is now a professional BARREL RACER AND TRAINER. She was won several prizes and money. Currently, she is a Junior in High School but plans to continue her career in BARREL RACING in college while she studies medicine. THANK YOU LINDA FOR ASSISTING HER IN THE EARLY STAGE TO KEEP IT GOING. I will let you know when she makes it to the NFR that is her GOAL. Tammy Reynolds read more

This is a great place for taking lessons. They just about turned a city gal like me into a cow girl. After I finished reading the book Half Broke Horse and my fiance got a little part in the re make of True Grit, we decided it was time for a little saddle time. We took a beginners western riding class. Our instructor Paulina was fantastic. She brings multi tasking to a new level. Always smiling, never condescending and full of energy. She manages to keep an eye on everyone and holler praise even to dummies like me. This is a great place just outside of Shady Hollow. I was tempted to take a star of for Alli, a horse that gave me the stink eye a couple times when i was grooming her, but you can't blame an old gal with a bit of arthritis for throwing a little attitude around. I plan on going back for the next level of classes when the weather cools down a little. read more

Summer Camp--My daughter (9 years old) just finished a week of camp at Bear Creek Stables. Signed her up well in advance...had to sign 2 legal documents in front of a NOTARY...ok, fine. Mailed it in well in advance. Did receive an email reiterating the rules. Fine. First day drop off (I was 15 minutes late)...no introduction by the camp counselor....I introduced my daughter to her but the counselor just offered an awkward smile. Picked her up on time...no feedback from the camp counselor about the day. The kids were in the pool...a rectangle, basic inground pool...my daughter rode Summer and seemed comfortable with her. Second day I finally asked the counselor what her name was...which I forgot because I often forget insignificant data. As the week progressed I never found out whether my daughter was riding well...never any feedback on anything. They never talked to me...at all!!! The stables themselves are shoddy, at best. Poorly maintained. The last day there was a "horse show"...Again, no open communication when there...pretty much, as a parent, ignored. My daughter did learn a few things about riding. She said they rode only 30-40 minutes a day. Camp was from 8am to 4pm. The rest of the time was spent swimming (3hrs), and crafts. Will NOT be bring her back.... read more

This camp was the biggest waste of $540 that we have ever spent. If you are thinking of trying it, know this: 1. The whole week started on a negative note. When I paid for the camp and filled out the online paperwork, I assumed that was all I needed to do. I received a "confirmation" email that I assumed was a receipt, and didn't open. I received a call a few days before camp was to start saying that I needed to print out the paperwork, get it notarized, and get my children's shot records, and bring them to the camp before my kids could begin. Being a working parent with little time, this was frustrating, because nowhere on the online paperwork did it say I needed to do this. She said it was in the inconspicuous email that I had assumed was the receipt. I told the lady that I would just get my money back. She said that I could do that, but I would be forfeiting over $100 in application fees and deposits. The woman that I spoke with had definitely not been trained in the art of customer service. I told her that I understood the need to go through these steps but that it was frustrating that their communication was so poor. Took an afternoon off work, spent the $10 to get paperwork notarized, sat in the pediatrician's office for 30 minutes to get the shot records, all in the hopes that this camp was worth it. I was sorely disappointed. 2. The kids are outside in the heat all day long, with no reprieve. The counselors are provided with popsicles and eat them in front of the campers, while the sweating children watch and salivate. That is just cruel. For as much as this camp costs, you can't provide the campers with popsicles? Either provide everyone with one, or nobody. 3. There is ONE lifeguard for over 30 kids in the pool. The owner said that this is all that is required, but I looked up the Texas Department of Health Youth Camp Matrix and it states: "For every 35 campers, or fraction thereof, engaged in waterfront activities, there shall be one certified lifeguard and one additional person (either a certified lifeguard or trained adult lookout) on duty." In the pool area, there was ONE adult (I have the photo to prove it). There were some counselors-in-training in the pavilion area, paying not one lick of attention to the children in the pool. I asked the owner if the lifeguard had to jump into the pool to rescue a camper, who would watch the kids still in the pool? She replied that he could yell to a counselor-in-training, who would come and get the owner from the office. I don't know about you but this doesn't make me feel very comforted. 4. The paperwork clearly states that you can drop off when the gates open at 7:45. For working parents, dropping off early is important. My husband got to the camp at 7:40 one day and the gates were open, so he drove in. He was told by one of the employees that if you drop off before 7:50, you will be charged $5 per kid. For one thing, this isn't consistent with what the paperwork states. For another, really? Way to earn repeat customers! To be honest, they don't really seem to care about keeping the parents happy. 5. This camp consists of minimal crafts, 45 minutes of horseback riding, and 30 something kids crammed into a tiny pool, the rest of the time waiting around.... all day long. My kids were so bored that they begged for me to pick them up early every day, and wanted to leave right after the horse show on Friday (10:00 am). Really? I paid this much to have to sign my kids out early and find a babysitter?? kids said they spent most of the day sitting around waiting for their turn, or for the counselors to finish with the horses. Can't you fill the transition times with singing? Games? Doublecreek Farm has activities all day long, plus horseback riding, plus talent shows, singing, archery, REAL swimming lessons in a gigantic pool... kids are entertained every minute. And they provide ice cream... and not just for the counselors. read more

Ahhhh Bear Creek Stables! You want horses? You got em. You want to learn how to ride em? go there. I have known Linda and her loyal gang of horses and helpers for years and they are all great. Linda has something for everyone there. Horses and Kids rule, but if you are a "kid at heart" grown up that "always wanted to learn to ride"...well....giddy up friend...they have a great program here and really good horses and instructors. Take a deep breath, prepare to spend some time... time suspends as you drive down that hill, get used to it and love it. Breathe it in, it doesn't get much better than this. For real. read more

We booked the trailride for 45 USD. We walked back and forth on one trail. Not a great experience and we were expecting a lot more for 45 dollars. Trail boring and full of stone. Good for children under age of 6 and elderly people over 75 years old that have never been near a horse before. Wonderful kind and VERY helpful staff. But the trail was extremely boring and I would never pay to do that again. read more

I am 25 and take Western lessons here. I rode some as a kid and wanted to get back into it and learn real technique. I thought maybe I'd just "try it out" for a month but I'm totally hooked. I take private lessons and group lessons and couldn't be happier. Barbara is my instructor and she's fantastic. Can't recommend this stable enough. read more

We did a trail ride here recently. Although I am sure the lessons are great, the trail ride wasn't much of a trail. We spent 90% of it on pavement in clear view of the stables, with only a small fraction on the dirt in the trees. I was hoping to experience some of the hill country-side. They didn't have room for photos so they didn't offer to take pictures until you were back into the stables. The trail leader was on her phone texting most of the time and not engaging the riders. I have been on several rides, and this one was not worth the money at all. read more

Our two daughters ages 7 and 9 have been taking western riding lessons for 2 years at another stable and have shown interest in learning English. We decided to purchase a lesson at Bear Creek Stables as we were interested in signing them up for English riding at Bear Creek if they enjoyed their 1st lesson. The kids did A LOT of standing around watching the instructor saddle up the FIVE horses which was time consuming and took 20+ minutes. This would have been a great opportunity to teach the students how to saddle up the horses. Instead, the kids were so bored. The lesson was going okay until 2 girls from the class after our class time entered the arena about 30 minutes before the end of class. They approached the horses that were part of the class and hovered from one horse to the next. This caused confusion in itself but they also were telling students to do one thing only to have instructor say to do opposite. For example, one of the girls told my daughter to loosen her reigns only for the instructor to then say out loud to my daughter "for the zillionth time, I told you to shorten the reigns). The same girls would stand in front of horses making it difficult for my daughters to get their horses to move forward to participate in their lesson. At one point, they were loving on the horse by its head which caused the horse my daughter was riding to move backward pushing into horse behind her. Thankfully, that didn't result in a kick. My youngest daughter was keeping her horse still while waiting for the instructor to tell her what to do next. The same girls came back up to the horse hovering again around its head causing the horse to jerk its head down quickly and forceful yanking my daughter forward so quickly and hard that her face slammed into its neck nearly causing her to fall forward off of the horse. This made for a very dangerous scenario and she got very lucky as she could have gotten seriously injured. Thankfully, she held on tight to the reigns otherwise she could have been thrown off of the horse. The instructor was unaware and I had to let her know that my daughter was shaken up and crying. She no longer wanted any part of the lesson. I spoke with the instructor after the lesson asking a. Why are students from the next class in the ring, hovering, causing confusion and making for a dangerous situation? b. Why is a new student/smallest girl (43 pounds) placed on this horse if it is known that he is shaky or to allow other students to engage with this horse during the lesson? The instructor basically said that she felt very overwhelmed during the lesson. I ended up calling Bear Creek Stables after the lesson and spoke with the owner Linda. She could not have been more uncaring. I explained to her that my daughters have been riding for 2 years, feel very comfortable on horses and that now I have one that is completely spooked. She said that maybe she would get over that feeling if she rode another horse one day. When I asked her if she thought it was safe to have students from another class in the arena hovering around the horses like that, Linda said she had to go because she had someone there waiting to talk to her and if she would like to have me call her back. I am still waiting for her to call me back. Needless to say, we will not be going back to Bear Creek. If you are thinking about signing up for lessons at Bear Creek, I would advise against it. At least try out a class before you commit. read more

I'm currently a rider/helper at Bear Creek, and I am completely in love with this stable. Although its not the shiny of all pennies it is the best company I have been apart of my whole life. But as for the reviews about camp i'm completely appalled. I am a camp helper and before that i was in fact a camper. So don't think i'm being biased, i fell in love with the whole vibe and programs that this stable offers. Anyway what I'm trying to get to is the negative, untrue reviews posted about Bear Creek. These facts are from several review pages that i stumbled upon that i wanted to clear up. 1. The horses are in great condition. I have ridden just about every horse the stable has and non of them have been lame when i rode them. And none the tack has been broken, damaged, etc... when i was using it. Our horses are NOT over worked. Actually this past spring break camp i heard and watched the counselors and instructors plan out horses break days for the horses. Several times after helpers get off we meet up and often make snacks, treats and games for the horses to enjoy after a day of their job. 2.About camp being a waste of money. I strongly, strongly disagree. Conselors are NOT ALLOWED to give campers snacks not to be mean but because our insurance doesnt cover if anyone has a reaction or problem with the food. But i do have to agree in summer camp campers only ride once a day but let you know that is very reasonable being that we have an average of 30 campers per week also showing you how good buisness is. Campers are entertained while they are not riding though. We teach campers how to groom, tack, take care, and work with horses. And also arts and crafts are horse involded campers often enjoy finger painting a kind mare of ours omni she loves it and theey also get to bathe her after. She loves the kids loving on her and gets lots of praise after. 3. And last but not least trails. Trail rides are not supposed to be very high energy rides. Quiet frankly thats all i have seen negative about them. Obviously you have not been on many trail rides and to many stables and dont know anything about horse back riding. (son stop juding something you know nothing about) And cost wise i find Bear Creek to be very affordable compared to any other stable. $45 for a trail ride is completely reasonable. 4. and with instructors many of the instructors i'm assuming the negative comments about do not work here anymore. And yes, i have had some bad expirences with past instructors but i switched over to Catherines class and i honestly could not be happier i reccomend bear creek to any age, discpiline, and expirence level person out there read more

I first discovered Bear Creek Stables through the UT Informal Classes two years ago. I was able to participate in two UT sessions (Western Horseback Riding) at Bear Creek. I enjoyed the lessons immensely and appreciated all the assistance (care of the horses) given by the helpers at Bear Creek. I then started Western group lessons at Bear Creek Stables with Miriam Dovers about a year ago. Miriam is an excellent teacher (she also competes and excels in the English and Western riding disciplines) who is able to manage riders with different skill levels with ease. Miriam's classes are well organized, creatively planned, and always positive with the horses and students. I have learned so much this past year and thoroughly enjoy the beautiful horses, instructors, helpers and other students. If a lesson has to be canceled for inclement weather it is easy to schedule a makeup with the stables. I absolutely love the warm and friendly atmosphere at Bear Creek and feel like I'm welcomed each and every lesson. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all riding stables. I'm hopeful that I will be taking lessons here for a long time to come! Vanessa Austin, TX read more

Really refreshing and peaceful tour, guides were very friendly, respectful, and knowledgable about historical sites and facts. Recommended for any family read more

We had a bachelorette party of 15 girls booked to go on a trail ride. All the girls flew in from out of town, spent money on ubers to get there, and when we arrived we were told there was no reservation made. We argued that they took down our info, and took our credit card to hold the reservation, and we were still told they didn't have anything on the books. Well, my friend went into their office, and when the lady Catherine was flipping through their schedule book my friend noticed all of her information and credit card number written down on aa piece of paper and clipped to the schedule book. My friend even confirmed with them a few days beforehand. They are so incompetent, and they never made any step to make it good with us. Only argued that they wouldn't have made the appointment for that day for so many people, even though they had our credit card info and the reservation clipped right in their book. Total incompetent liars. read more

This review is more than 16 years in the making, so I'm a bit late (ha!) but nevertheless still eternally grateful that our family got to experience Bear Creek Stables, their caring staff and wonderful horses. I got hooked on Bear Creek through UT informal classes around 2000 and never wanted to leave. Over time, I was able to volunteer to help out on trail rides and lessons and years later, after I had kids who were old enough to ride, brought them here for their first lessons. Their last instructor in the fall was Kevin, and he was a freaking star: patient, kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable and the perfect teacher for young girls learning how to ride and care for horses for the first time. Linda Dovers, who runs the property, has done a spectacular job with these stables all these years and grown it into a wonderful place. We've since moved and really, really miss Bear Creek Stables. Oh, and we really miss those affordable prices!!! Thanks Bear Creek Stables!!! read more

Great place to horseback ride. Horses were nice and calm, went through the woods and a little through open fields. Just walking the horses, no trotting. Staff was friendly and helpful. Not too far out of the city which was nice. read more

We had my daughters 9th birthday here and I wouldn't recommend it. First we signed up for a trail ride but because the weather was a bit drizzly they decided to just let the girls ride the horsed in the stable. My daughter was upset but I don't blame them for the weather. What I am most upset with them about is their poor customer service. When we arrived we didn't know where to go or what to do. We walked over to the stable and after waiting for 15 min. with 7 excited girls they sent a girl over to them not to welcome them but to ask that they keep quite. Really? It's a birthday party for a 9 yr old. That really set the tone for the next hour. I felt like none of the people that worked there wanted to be there and they did nothing to make it feel like we were celebrating a birthday. No smiles and the girls felt they needed to keep quite for the next hour. I had friends drive up from San Antonio and felt this experience was not worth it. So maybe they shouldn't do birthday parties for kids and just keep their business to riding lessons which looks like they got good reviews for. read more

I love Bear Creek! I took lessons there and learned a lot about my riding! The instructors were all so friendly, and if you took group lessons they made sure everyone got a equal turn and equal teaching. There was a horse for everyone that fit their riding abilities & personalities. It was awesome showing with everyone from Bear Creek. We had a blast, and got to win some ribbons which was a plus! I would definitely go to bear creek for lessons anytime! read more

I absolutely love Bear Creek Stables. I have been taking lessons there and also lease one of their horse and I couldn't be any happier. The instructors and staff are amazing and I am in love with their horses. No matter how much experience a rider has or if you want to ride western or english they will find a matching horse and teach with patience and love. read more