We loved spending time with the horses, we didn't ride we just did the horse tour. There was 2 guides, one was Jason and he was amazing. So knowledgeable about the horses, interactive and very sweet. Spent a lot of time talking with everyone and was great with the horses. The other guide seemed to be rather mean with the horses.i didn't catch his name, as after he came over and interrupted while I was spending time with a horse to show someone how "if a horse likes you you can do whatever to it" and while he was roughing up the horses, the horse got nippy with him and he hit him pretty hard on the nose. If it weren't for the second guides actions it would have been a perfect 5 star visit but I can't overlook those actions. read more

We signed up our 3 teenagers (grandkids) who have never rode before. They learned a lot and loved doing it. They loved the horses and the lovely two workers (sorry don't remember their names) were excellent guides and teachers. They were very patient. We did go in the middle of July and it was hot. We will definitely try to do it again in the future but perhaps when it is cooler. The trail is wooded and the area where you mount and dismount is covered with trees so that helped. The way of contact thru email is not always desirable but I didn't think important enough to take off stars. It is a small run business and having someone man a phone is costly on a business so we won't complain. read more

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We did the hour ride. Katie is an awesome guide. She knows how to match horses with your riding experience. We go every month. If your looking for a great, peaceful experience in Ocala, this place would recommend 1000% read more

Was riding my own horses and ran into the rudest impolite trail guide I have ever seen it was embarrassing for the riders how hostile he got when we rode behind them but at a distance They need to fire that young man as he is not what you need in a people business like that. Hope the owners see this and fix it read more

Absolutely amazing experience! Such a fun trail ride. I'm very comfortable riding, and they matched me perfectly with Big Belle, who was slow but incredibly steady. The guides are fantastic, and you can really tell how much they care for their horses. Riding through the beautiful Florida trails was the perfect way to spend the day. I'll definitely be back! read more

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My daughter scheduled a ride for me for Mother's Day and beating CANCER but unfortunately I wasn't feeling well and had to cancel. I requested refund with the response of 72 hour policy! Really it would take me 2 minutes not to load 2 horses 2 days later! This company has NO HEART!!! My mother always taught me horse people were good people! I'm glad she isn't around to see how things have changed! Happy Mother's Day Cactus Jack's! read more

Do not book in advance. No flexibility if need to change date due to illness. There was availability in the coming days but would not allow us to rebook. Always read the fine print. Lesson learned. read more

Go now! We planned this side adventure as part of our little road trip, thinking it'd be a fun little stop but man did we underestimate it. We got stuck in horrible traffic and we're super late, but they accepted us with open arms and got us situated right away. Johnny led the trail, but since we were in the back, we rode with his nephew who was INCREDIBLE! He was so knowledgeable and gave us a whole FL history tour. This will be a staple in our vacation now. We are so, beyond pleased and can't wait to do it again! 10/10 recommend. My horse, Poke, had a perfect little heart on his butt which added a little excitement! read more

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We had a great time on our 2 hr ride with June. The horses were picked special for us based on our size and experience level. The trail was nice and shaded. Horses appeared healthy and had good temperaments. We got to help feed and give them water after the ride as well. Would definitely recommend! read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We booked a 60 minute trailride:) it was awesome and Madison was super informed and Anna was nice the entire ride! Def recommend for a casual date read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - 60 minute trail ride - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

A wonderful way to spend the morning. Horses and staff are knowledgeable and fun. Will certainly be back to do this again in the near future!! read more

Terrible customer service. No way to communicate with these people except by email. Emailed these people 4 days before hurricane Helene about cancelling reservations. Never responded until after the hurricane claiming they never received my email and charged me the full amount. Find an alternative! read more

We rode today and it was amazing, Loved every part... Guides were great, loved my horse Ginger, great way to Spend the morning.. read more

We had so much fun! Johnny and Irene were great with our group, they even let us trot a few times. All the horses were so beautiful and very beginner friendly. read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I've ridden here every time I come down to Florida and will continue to come back! First and foremost, the horses are all in fantastic body condition, fed really good quality hay, and have well fitting tack. I learned that they get turned out, rotated between both the Orlando and Ocala facilities so they have different scenery, AND are given 'vacations' where they don't work and just relax in a field. I would NEVER EVER consider a place where I didn't feel the horses were cared for and they really do a top notch job! I had scheduled my first ride months ago and just figured 'eh, a group trail with other people would be alright!' The group I was with was very nice but entirely beginners. It was slow going but the horses were fabulous and really took care of everyone. I had an adorable, sassy mare who was nipping the horse in front's bum constantly! It was a lovely trail through live oaks but definitely a little TOO slow for me. I was told by Trish that they do private guided rides during the week. I found another morning that would work and gave them a call to book. Best decision ever! My next ride was just one on one, Trish and I. We were able to chat, had some lovely trots and got to see some trails I'd never gone on before! One went past the Florida Horse Park and I could check out some of the property. My horse this time was a brilliant gelding named Sparky (I think?). He was super smart and a great mover with comfortable gaits. Great personality! It was super fun to be able to chitchat with Trish who loves the horses so much! Not to mention it was a little faster paced and more exciting! I've never ridden in an Australian Stock Saddle before (I ride English) so I was a great experience. All in all, I can't wait to go back and will definitely be doing the private ride again. Worth every extra penny to be able to see some different things with an experienced guide! Even so, beginners and those who have never ridden will have a wonderful time. The guides put a lot of thought into choosing the right horse for the right person! I highly recommend Cactus Jack's!! read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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From the reviews, the trail guides and horses seem to be of superior quality. Unfortunately, management's committment to customer service leaves a lot to be desired. I had an appointment for the three children 13, 10, 7, for reasons out of my control, such as weather driving up and an incorrect GPS navigation route, I was 20 minutes late for their 1:00pm ride. and of course they canceled the rides. But after paying $339 including tax, they were unwilling to reschedule and apply a portion of the money paid to a new ride. Quite a different result from Lauren R.'s review of 12-30-2022. As a matter of fact after answering my first email where they rejected my request, my second email asking for a reconsideration has not been answered. Apparently, with Cactus Jack's Trail Rides it's all about money. read more

Such an amazing time. I spend time with my family riding with Audrey, Jessica and the gentleman who took my wonderful picture. They were so sweet and spend time the whole ride talking to me lol I'm a talker. She was very informative about the horses. The instructions were very easy to understand. We spend a good amount of time riding and it was very peaceful. I want a horse. I will definitely return whenever I am in Ocala. We had the pleasure of riding with Mekina, Shaker and Rebel. Love them! read more

Do not ride at or work for this company. The horses have open wound sores on their backs and stomachs from wearing a saddle all day every day. When the owner was told she still had the horses ridden because "we don't have enough to give her a day off". They are used 7 days a week no time off and holidays, most have rain rot and sore backs and legs with signs of lameness. The owner does not care about the horses, only revenue and is hardly ever on site, employees are to be at work even if you have a fever and vomiting to assist customers while potentially passing sickness to others who visit the barn. read more

I started calling, texting and emailing this business at 7:30 in the morning because I had just tested positive for covid. I wanted to know if they wanted me to stay home and would give me and my daughter a raincheck for our 1 hour ride that I prepaid $135 for. Unfortunately, cactus Jacks did not respond to me until 5pm. And said their policy has a 72 hour cancellation notice requirement, which I don't recall seeing. My confirmation said to CALL for any changes, but they didn't answer my multiple calls, texts or emails until after my ride time. Beware of paying in advance with this company. We were looking forward to this adventure. I thought I was doing the right thing to stay away being covid positive. But I wish I had just gone because they won't even give us a raincheck. Don't pay in advance with this company because they will not refund, raincheck or even respond until after your scheduled ride. read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

This was SO FUN! All of the staff was great, the horses were heathy, happy, and well-matched to their riders. The whole family enjoyed this trip, even grandma "Lola" who was afraid of horses. Now she's volunteering at a horse rescue. read more

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I surprised my husband with a ride today. We had a great time! The horses did great and the ride lasted as long as promised. read more

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We went for the 1.5 hour trail ride, I rode Helga a beautiful Black Percheron. All the horses are healthy and well cared for. What a surprise for my birthday. We will definitely come back! read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - This is my husband Michael and I celebrating my birthday. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

This was our first time at this location. Ms Lauren was a blast. We enjoyed her company. The horses are very well taken care of and the place was kept up. We were hoping for more then just follow the leader trail ride though we have been to cactus jacks in Ocala on the gated horses and was looking forward to more fast pace riding. We will for sure plan another trip. Hope to see ms. Lauren again. read more

Ian was amazing! Took an hour trail ride at 9am and it was perfect. The horses are happy, the trail was beautiful and we had great time. 3 generations of riders, we had all been riding since we were kids and can highly recommend. Thanks again,Ian!! read more

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My sister and I went on a trail ride. We are novices and the staff took the time to explain everything we needed to know. They did a great job matching all the riders with the most appropriate horse. I felt safe and enjoyed myself a great deal. Harrison who led the ride was professional and friendly. We'll definitely go again. read more

Cactus Jack's Trail Rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We have rode with Cactus Jack twice before this last experience. The first two times were fantastic. This last time was not ideal. First, the group was too large. Although, there were two guides, the guide we were closest to (front) never looked back to assist. He was closest to two children (one didn't have a parent riding and the next was my daughter), yet he didn't attempt to assist. I tried to yell ahead, but my son was in front of me and the girls could not hear me. He didn't assist with trying to help my child out of the bushes with her horse or help the other child learn how to pull up the reins, so her horse didn't eat the foliage. The guide in the back, paid more attention to a degree, but he was so far behind us, he couldn't assist until after an event happened. Unfortunately, my child ended up with large scratches around her neck. This didn't happen the first two times we rode with Cactus Jack. Typically, the guides we have had review basic horse handling procedures with us prior to riding. But, these gentlemen did not. A basic review especially because there were so many riding and so many children, would have been helpful. Initially, they gave me free passes. But, then once they realized that my complaint was on Facebook (I had originally posted it on Facebook first and when I received a typical follow up email, I just pasted the same comments to the email) they canceled the passes. They did finally acknowledge that my daughter was hurt secondary to their guide "wasn't paying attention to the low branches." But, still cancelling the passes (which honestly, I'm not sure we would have used) is in poor taste. Cactus Jacks claimed that they "checked with all the other riders" this was false. I happen to have the phone number of another rider (she took photos of me and my children and texted them to me). I asked her if she had been contacted, she stated that she had not been contacted by anyone at Cactus Jacks. Luckily, Ocala had a ton of other horse riding options and I suggest you seeking one of those out. read more

Had an absolute BLAST!! The weather was PERFECT!! The horses were the sweetest most gentle creatures!! The trails were clear and easy to navigate. Cactus Jacks Trail rides in Ocala were very professional and accommodating. They were thorough with what was expected and made my friend who had no riding experience comfortable! They carefully match the right horse with the perfect rider. You can specify whether you would like to trot, Gallup or just walk the horses through the trails. Beautiful natural surroundings throughout the ride. I like that you can choose how long you want to ride. I can't say enough about how wonderful of an experience we had and can not wait to come back!!!!!! I can't believe they haven't Yelped! read more

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Irene was amazing she kept conversations flowing definitely knows how to handle a crowd! Very sweet lady will come back! The horses are gentle at least Big Belle was during my ride. Sarah was great as well very informative. read more

I did not get a chance to actually ride with this company so my review is a neutral to poor experience in trying to book a trip. They advertise on their website that they ride in groups of 6 or smaller at a 6 feet distance. This is false. I booked a trail ride for my family according to the information on their website and was told after the fact that there would probably be 12+ on the ride. I then told them I would have to run it by my family to see if that worked and that IF it didn't, I wanted to make sure I could be refunded. Then out of no where without any further communication, they refunded and canceled the ride. If it is good communication and information that is important to you, this might not be the place. Again I do not have experience riding with them. I am sure it would have been lovely. Also remember they are not following Covid guidelines as stated on their site. Not important to everyone but definitely important to some so it is good to know. read more

Had a wonderful morning ride with a few friends at Cactus Jacks today 23 July 2020. Being an experienced rider not sure what to expect from the trail ride I can say I had an absolutely great time. The horses we amazing I was on Shaker a beautiful Paint. The trail ride was beautiful. Shout out to our guides Tim and Shannon. They were amazing and very helpful. Talked to us about the breed of each horse we rode and made sure we were comfortable. I will definitely recommend Cactus Jack to friends wanting to go on a trail ride. I look forward to another day riding when the weather is a little cooler. Thank you. read more

The staff is absolutely amazing. Corrinne was attentive and knowledgeable about horses and their behavior. The trail ride was amazing. However, the manager "Rob" was probably the most arrogant rudest person I've seen. He talks down to the staff and actually had one employee in tears. I take he does not understand horse behavior. Rob needs to find another profession. His managerial style is appalling. I would visit again, when Rob isn't there. read more

The 3 Girls who guided our tour was absolutely amazing and were so energetic. However a manager named Rob came and yelled at them saying how there horse was weak and it was there fault and made one of the girls cry he was a COMPLETE JERK to one of them and was so disrespectful. Definitely should not be working in this industry. He was rude and bashful. read more

I went with my two sons (ages 7 and 9) and my husband to Cactus Jack's for a one hour trail ride. It was a super pleasant experience with our trail guide! You could tell that the horses are loved and cared for, which is really important in this industry. I would highly recommend to go on a fall morning! The weather was perfect, and one hour was just the right amount of time for children to get a feel of horseback riding! read more

Booked a 3h ride for my daughter for the 27th of December 2018. When I called to confirm the day before I got the info that my booking was wrong and only in the morning I could have the 3h ride so we changed it to a 2h ride. We drove off 2hours in advance for a normally 1hour ride but traffic was beyond insane and we would have even with the extra time be about 30min late. We called the office and informed Tricia about the problem who said that "you get here when you get here, the riding instructor will wait for you". When we arrived a nice young woman was about to start a 90min ride and offered us to join which we accepted because the 2h ride had already left. But this kind offer was quickly stopped by her boss through a phone call. We called the office to ask what was going on and I reminded Tricia about our agreement. Before she could answer, Rob grabbed the phone and I was confronted with a primitive, aggressive, and extremely condescending rhetoric. We have been here 3times before - every time a 3h ride and my daughter always loved it but we will definitely not be back. Everybody can be stressed during Christmas but there is no excuse for treating your customers like trash. read more