I had a lesson here a few months ago & I still think about what a joke it was. I'd say im a pretty experienced rider with many miles from all types of shows & different horses, I just quit riding about 9 years ago so it had been a while. I wanted to find a good center close to my job to pick back up where I left to compete & possibly purchase a horse. I arrived about 20 minutes early (I wasn't expecting to be seen or anything early) & there was only one girl there who was honestly very rude and obviously hated that I bothered her when I just asked her to confirm that I was in the right place. Sometime later, a lady came to sit next to me and sat with me until a minute after my scheduled time, got up and asked me if I was taking a lesson.... This was the instructor... she was sitting next to me the whole time not even acknowledging my existence. However, I shrugged this off- my problem was the actual lesson. Despite how early I got there, I still was deemed just 20 minutes of riding time ... when I use to take lessons, the lesson horses were always tacked up beforehand thus giving the rider adequate amount time. However I understand that the grooms are busy- so it was fine. But what didn't make sense was how to instructor I rode with took her time giving me a tour, showing me everything, going back & forth from the horse's stall to the tack room and everything in between *just wasting time*. Luckily I know how to brush & tack up so it was quick as possible but I can only imagine how long it would take for an inexperienced person to do so because even doing all of this for me it took a while What absolutely pissed me off was that I didn't get to jump and was NOT told this prior. If I was told- I would not have wasted my time coming at all. I had a fine flat lesson; me not riding for so long had no effect on my muscle memory and did not get any type of coaching from the instructor (which was fine, I'm at the level where I don't need an instructor to remind me to keep my heels down or shoulders back) & instead was complimented. At the end of my flatting, she tells me "you need a safety vest to jump or own your own horse" ... what??!!!? Why did nobody tell me this??? I didn't expect to jump high or do a full course- but I got absolutely nothing. When scheduling, I explained that I had experience- you would think at some point I would be told "by the way you can only jump if you own a horse" or even something like "this will only be a flat lesson". Apparently, it's an insurance liability if riders jump without a vest... I'm not a minor & signed documents understanding that sitting on a horse in general is a liability but okay god forbid there's no safety vest. I was seriously let down and i dont know how they expect riders here to move up. Safe to say I won't get back into competing or purchasing a horse with this center read more

Bridges Equestrian is such an amazing barn! My 10 year old twin daughters have been riding at Bridges for 4 months and have learned so much! Their confidence has grown a ton! We have tried several other barns and I have to say, Bridges has exceeded all of our expectations! Hannah has been their trainer and she is incredible! She is so patient and teaches them the correct way to ride all in a positive way! Ruthanna, Kendra, Sasha, Shayla, Abbie and everyone else at Bridges are the best! Everyone helps everyone out! My girls and I LOVE all the horses and ponies! They are all very well cared for and know how to take care of their riders! You can tell how much Ruthanna and Kendra love their horses! Another added bonus about Bridges, is they offer IEA and Pony Club!! We truly feel so lucky to have found such a great barn! read more

See all

UPDATE - response screenshots below The business has since responded by fabricating false claims and publicly attempting to discredit us in order to protect their image. We have preserved all evidence and fully reserve the right to take legal action if necessary. Original review : This riding school is officially on my lifetime blacklist. I took over a dozen lessons here, and aside from the first trial class, every single session after that was a nightmare. Unfortunately, we foolishly paid for a full package upfront, so we were basically stuck suffering through it. Sharing for your reference： 1. Lesson time is a joke. They advertise 1-hour time slots (e.g., 2:00-3:00 PM), and their policy states the actual riding time is 45 minutes, excluding tacking and untacking--which is fair. But in reality, we've never had a session longer than 20 minutes, and some were as short as 10 minutes! If you arrive late and they deduct your time, that's understandable. But even when we arrived early--for example, we got there at 1:30 for a 2:00 lesson, finished tacking by 1:45, then stood waiting while the instructor chatted with friends--and started riding on time at 2:00, we were still told to dismount by 2:20. I asked why, since we still had 40 minutes left, and she replied, "Well, you started early." Excuse me? Since when does our tacking time count against our riding time? We brought this up multiple times, and nothing changed. I don't know if they treat all beginners this way or just those they think don't know better. Either way--after trying a few other barns where you actually get a 40+ minute lesson--this place just feels like a scam. 2. The instructors are mostly teenage girls with zero teaching experience. Sure, they may have ridden horses for years, but that doesn't mean they know how to teach. Once in a while we'd get someone more experienced, but even then, that person would be assigned two beginners at once--cutting lesson time per student in half. Yes, they literally gave each person 10 minutes in a 20-minute session. Unbelievable. We asked for private one-on-one lessons after that, but then they just started rotating instructors every time. And since they never communicate with each other, we'd end up re-learning how to tack every single session. With only a few minutes of actual riding each time, how is anyone supposed to improve? 3. The horses are so old they can barely walk. I understand giving beginners calm, older horses--but here, the horses are so worn out they don't even move. We'd waste half of our already short lesson just trying to get them to take a step. Imagine paying for 20 minutes of riding and spending 10 of them just coaxing the horse forward. Absurd. 4. They nickel-and-dime you every chance they get. Initially, their policy said you could text them in advance if you might be late, and they'd help get your horse ready. Later, they told us tacking assistance costs $25 extra--for a 5-minute task! A groom's hourly rate probably isn't even $15. So we started coming early to tack ourselves--only to be told that counted against our own lesson time. Also, their phone number is shared among staff, which they never mentioned. Once I tried texting when I couldn't get a reply via email (which is often the case), and someone texted back saying he was just a worker, not the owner. The next day, I got a passive-aggressive email from the owner scolding me for "disturbing staff sleep at midnight." First, how would I know who's using the number? Second, I didn't expect a reply--I just wanted to make sure the message got through since you ignore emails. Third, maybe respond to your emails if you don't want people texting! When I pointed this out, the owner said she only replies to emails she thinks are "important." Seriously? In short: communication is frustrating, service is sloppy, and you pay for stress and disappointment. If you've had similar experiences, it's not your fault. Just leave and find a place that respects your time and money. read more

See all

I had one of the best experiences of my life with the incredible School . Bridges Equestrian in San Juan Capistrano . Ruthanna helped me to organize School riding lesson for My 4 girls birthday bush ( 45 min horse care , 45 min riding . We met 5 beautiful , strong , intelligent horses :Henry , Soldier , Sonny , Orion ,and Jed . And spend time with them . ( so much to learn about horses ) Patty and the girls were our fantastic trainer , teaching us patiently and explaining the care of the horses and first ride . It was fascinating and lovely . They have so much love and passion for this business . I wish them the best . Thank you again. From Agnieszka and the team read more

See all

My 9 year old daughter has been taking lessons at Bridges for about 8 months and has had the most positive experience! She was at another barn for almost 2 years prior and the switch has been great for her confidence while riding. She's had weekly lessons with Kendra, Christina, Hannah, Sasha, and Shayla and she loves them all. They are all calm, kind, patient, and engaging for a young student. Everyone at the barn is always so warm and welcoming, and my daughter loves spending time with everyone there (and I enjoy my time there, too! The girls are the sweetest and their facility is tranquil and has plenty of comfy, shaded seating for parents to watch). We've also done one of their Summer camps and my daughter had a blast! Their ponies are sweet, patient, and well behaved for young riders (my daughter is in love with Skeeter, but they are all great!)... We are all very grateful to have found a wonderful fit here! read more

Bridges Equestrian - Horseback Riding Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

What a wonderful place this is! I love the small, personal feel of this stable--it's so peaceful, and I always look forward to my daughter's lessons. Bridges has some of the best-trained champion horses, and the kids are lucky to ride them during their lessons. The arena and stables are beautifully maintained. My daughter loves both of her instructors--they're positive, encouraging, and incredibly knowledgeable. She's made great friends here, and everyone is supportive and kind to one another. I can't speak highly enough of them. Thank you, Bridges Equestrian, for giving our children this amazing opportunity. read more

This review is long overdue: I've been riding with Bridges for nearly 2 years now, and it has been absolutely amazing in so many ways! All of the instructors and yard staff are kind, energetic, passionate, and they really know their stuff. I have taken lessons with pretty much everyone, and they have all made me a better rider. Each instructor does a great job of challenging you to reach a goal they know you can attain, and then they celebrate with you when that hard work finally pays off! That's definitely what I love the most: how welcoming, encouraging, and enthusiastic the environment is. I truly feel like I'm among friends when I'm there. It's no surprise that I've gone from riding once a week to twice a week and am hoping to lease a horse soon! And don't even get me started on the PONIES! This barn literally has the cutest, sweetest, most snuggle-able ponies on the planet. If everything else isn't enough to make you love Bridges, those tiny angels will do the trick. read more

See all

My daughter and I have gotten so much better riding since starting to ride with Bridges. We ride at another place in Oceanside that is great too, but is more of a fun with horses kind of ride, where as with Bridges we've learned much more about how to ride better. It's been a great bonding experience for me and my daughter and she loves riding there. It's been amazing to see her confidence on horseback grow! read more

Was super excited to have my daughter start lessons here especially because of the good reviews at this place. My daughters trainer Angelica Zdzienicki seemed great at first but the cons began to outweigh the pros with her. During the lessons She was constantly on her phone, she would take her mask off majority of the time, she would walk away leaving my daughter to ask others for help, & she hardly stuck to the scheduled timeframe. Not only that, She feels she can Sass the parents around. This is extremely unacceptable, especially when We are paying a lot of money for these lessons. This place does not follow their own guidelines for wearing masks. Instead of hearing the parents side of the story of how the staff treat us the owner immediately kicked my daughter out of the lessons because I would not tolerate the lies & disrespect of her staff. We have always followed the guidelines for this place especially my daughter who didn't deserve this. Very disappointed with the owner & staff and will NOT continue to support this business. read more

Several month ago, I was looking for an outlet to help balance the effects of a stressful and demanding job. I started sending out e-mails to various trainers and barns in my area requesting information. In a seemingly saturated market, Bridges Equestrian really stood out. All of my many, many (did I say many?) questions were met with understanding, thought, and enthusiasm (thanks Ruthanna). As an adult returning to riding after being away from the horse world for almost two decades, I was considerably nervous about what to expect in my lessons. Enter Aleena. Aleena is not only an accomplished rider but also a skilled trainer who manages to balance making every lesson both challenging and approachable. She also has a knack for identifying each student's style of learning, which makes even a group lesson feel very personalized. I also can't say enough good things about the entire staff. Everyone is incredibly kind, welcoming, helpful and quite frankly fun. Bridges also offers a Horsemasters group for those of us adults wanting to live vicariously through the young riders who get to participate in Pony Club. It makes such a difference as an adult rider to have that support system of other adults who share the same interest. My experience with Bridges Equestrian has been overwhelmingly positive and I would recommend their training program for future hunter/jumpers of any age or skill. read more

We signed up for horse riding clases October 2020 and the day before the class I mentioned to Ruthanna that my child is special needs and she might be afraid of getting in the horse at the beginning of class and she went ahead cancel all my child's classes explaining they don't accept or allow kids with special needs. She didn't even ask what my child disability was or bothered to even work with us. Truly hart braking as a special needs mom I hope she knows how displaced, heartbroken and discriminated we felt. read more

Bridges is a great place to ride. It is a very welcoming place for riders of all ages and levels. For me, it's my zen, happy place where I get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. My experiences with Ruthanna, the owner, have always been professional, pleasant, and I find her to be a very easy person to work with. I communicate with Ruthanna on a monthly basis for scheduling reasons and I have never had any issues. Can't say enough about all the Bridges trainers I've been working with!! My sense in reading some of the complaints is some folks are just a bit too impatient and demanding. The staff if anything is very accommodating to some high maintenance, entitled people that somehow find their way to the barn. Sorry, but just calling it as I see it! Been with Bridges for over 3 years and will continue to stay as a client. read more

This is an amazing riding school. I can't say enough about the wonderful barn family!! It's safe and organized, they also have plenty of ponies and lesson horses to chose from. Having a great experience here!! read more

Our daughter has been riding here for over a year and we have nothing but great things to say about Bridges and everyone there. Her trainers, Patty and Jill always went above and beyond to make her feel comfortable on the horse and also push her to get better. They are very knowledgeable in the sport and I highly recommend this place!! read more

Bridges Equestrian has been a second home for our family. From Summer Camp to private lessons, Horsemasters, and the their Interscholastic Equestrian (IEA) Team...we feel welcome and loved by their trainers especially including Aleena, Patty, and Heather, and by Ruthanna, the owner. Our daughter rides there regularly and is in their full-time affiliate training program. Because our daughter was adopted and is of minority descent, it was important to us that she be afforded opportunities to build confidence and develop strong communication and advocacy skills - Bridges and horseback riding has provided those exact opportunities!!!! This past April our daughter represented Bridges IEA at the National competition in Harrisburg, PA and although we were miles away our Bridges "family" well supported the adventure and our daughter earned the title of National Champion for her class. This honor was due in large part to the training and camaraderie that their program provided. We are grateful to the Bridges Team! read more

See all

Update: It was not like falling from the bike Bridges! Falling from the bike and a BIG pony that bucked is very different. He is not just a regular pony. She fell flat on her back! And I can share about my first impression as well If you would like to. You were not there and didn't see what happened, she fell pretty hard that it was hard for her to beath and she blacked out for a second. If he didn't like the donkey, she should've changed the spot or cancel the lesson. I know that this is a sport, I know that things happen. It was our second lesson today and my daughter fell of the horse on her back. I understand, that things happen and when you take horseback riding lessons you gotta be ready to fall. BUT, the big pony was very aggressive today and he started bucking. The first time he bucked my daughter was able to hold on to it. Miss Sheridan then took a second and asked If Emily was OK, then assured us that she will make sure Emily is safe. She continued the lesson and almost right after he bucked again, but really hard. My daughter fell on her back really hard and that pony is big and tall like a horse. Sheridan's reaction was a little weird to me, she wasn't really concerned about my daughter. She asked if we wanted to continue the lesson and if not that's ok, while my daughter was sitting and crying. She apologized only after we starting leaving the arena.. Turns out, the pony didn't like a donkey that was next to their arena. Things happen, but they should check their horses/pony for beginners. My daughter was so excited to start horseback riding lessons and now she is afraid to go back. KEEP THE KIDS SAFE. read more

This review is long overdue! Bridges Equestrian has been a pivotal part of my family's life for 6+ years and we are so grateful for it! We started with Bridges after trying two other local pony camps, I was very relieved that Bridges runs a tight ship regarding safety, all to Pony Club standards. Attending camp turned into taking lessons...which slowly turned into the 'we need our own horse!' Bridges led us through the process of purchasing our own horse and learning the myriad of things necessary to be good horse owners. All their trainers have always been responsive and generous with their time put into helping us become better equestrians. Whether it's summer horse camp, riding lessons, Pony Club, IEA, Horsemasters or showing, Bridges Equestrian offers a positive, safe and happy environment for anyone with a love of horses and a desire to learn more. Thank you Bridges!! read more

I wanted to get something very special for my hubby's bday, so I arranged for a private horseback riding lesson for him! Luckily for me, I managed to find Ruth Anna at Bridges Equestrian Center (aka Bridges Training Stable) and she really went out of her way to accomodate us. The equestrian center is filled with beautiful horses and is very clean and well kept. Every one was very helpful and friendly, especially Ruth Anna and Lauren (the instructor). My hubby's horse was named "Scooby Doo" and he was a really sweet boy. The lesson started with proper grooming and putting the saddle on the horse. Then, it's about 45 minutes in the ring where you learn how to handle your horse properly, and how to ride without damaging your goodies! The lesson ends with a short ride around the center and with a brush down of the horse. All in all, a fantastic experience! I think we'll be back in the spring for another lesson. Maybe this time I'll get on a horse too! read more

I'd been struggling with my daughter; she was frustrated at school, every other activity we tried for her was a bust. She got kicked out of soccer, marched out of dance class, gymnastics, swimming and I had been getting calls and emails weekly for behavior issues with classmates and teachers. I read somewhere that horseback riding was a good way for kids to learn self control, get exercise, develop compassion and learn responsibility. I called and spoke to Ruthanna about getting her in lessons and about my concerns. She was sympathetic, offered me fantastic advice and we got my daughter signed up. Five weeks later, I have an entirely different child. So far she's had lessons with Lu, Lauren and Rhi and each time she's come back full of pride and confidence. They set the bar high for her and have been gently guiding her to be the best she can be. She feels safe, believed in and important. I've watched the staff not only with my child, but with other riders; they're professional, patient, compassionate and are fantastic mentors to these kids. This is, bar none, the best thing we've ever done for my child, and Bridges Equestrian stables and staff have made an enormous difference in her life. Absolutely, ride here. read more

We moved to OC for my husband's new job in in June and are building in Nellie Gail because we thought how nice it would be to live in an equestrian community. Our daughter has been riding for a couple of years and we tried out the neighborhood facilities first before finding Bridges in San Juan Capistrano. Every instructor at Bridges has impressed and encouraged our daughter and the atmosphere of camaraderie of all the girls has made her feel so included and accepted. That's huge when you are moving from an area where you know everyone to one where you know no one! We thank you all for the family feeling you provide! read more

Kendra and Devon are amazing trainers who I always love when I get to examine or treat a horse with them. They are really great team. Their knowledge of what they are looking along with experience makes communicating very easy. Kendra's patience and care working with riders is refreshing to see. Their dedication to top notch service and love for their horse is clear too see rain or shine. If you are thinking of purchasing a horse, lessons or care Kendra and Devon are the right choice. read more

Bridges Equestrian - Kendra, Devon and Dr. Silvia Colladay DVM going over X-rays for pre-purchase exam - Horseback Riding Near Me - San Juan Capistrano, California

See all

I was excited to take the Stable tour with my charter school funds. My school approved it and all I had to do was set a date with Bridges. Unfortunately Bridges wouldn't answer my emails and I ended up losing the $50 from the school since the summer semester ended, wasting a lot of time going back and forth with my charter school, and my kids didn't get to take the stable tour. You've got to take care of customers, even the $50 ones. read more

It's scary showing up for the first time to try a new activity, especially when you know that everyone else there already knows what they're doing, and each other. Bridges, though, made me feel completely at home. Ruthanna greeted me warmly when I arrived and put me at ease instantly. The instructors didn't make me feel dumb when I asked stupid questions. They were very patient and understanding, but didn't go easy on me either. Maddy, one of the apprentices was a great teacher, showing me how to prepare the horse for riding. I could tell she really loved the horses and it was great to see someone so young with so much knowledge. Megan was my instructor - she didn't get frustrated with me when I kept making mistakes, forgetting how to post, or when she had to correct my hand placement on the reins 100 times. That said, she did continue to correct me and made sure I learned. It was the perfect balance - she didn't humiliate me for knowing nothing but she didn't give up on me either. There were all levels of riders, and I would definitely recommend Bridges Training Stable to anyone who wants to learn how to ride or improve their skills. read more

Bridges has an amazing program for all levels and ages of riders - from little ones who have never ridden to those who want to show competitively. There is a wonderful team of instructors (not just one like at most places) and an amazing stable of horses to learn on (Sundance, Gabby, Hebe, Howie, Mac - too many to name!). Their philosophy is great too - they don't just want you to learn how to ride, they want you to learn how to be a great horseman (or woman). They also have a Pony Club program and Horsemasters (for the older folk). I would highly recommend riding with the Bridges team! read more