Took my family out for a lesson and we had a blast. The horses were amazing and responsive to each…read moreof our riding abilities. My 11 year old rode for her first time ever and was ecstatic to be able to trot by the end.

From the owner: Welcome to Esoteric Farm, Austin's newest Equestrian Center…read more We are a show barn offering: English riding lessons, Hunter/jumper training, Children's horse camp, Indoor riding arena, Equine care, and Boarding We're conveniently located 15 minutes north of downtown Austin, so come on out and live your passion to ride.

Our outing with Maverick Horseback Riding was the highlight of our entire vacation. My family of…read morefour are wholly inexperienced riders; Joan Marie and her team were superb guides with the right balance of instruction, independence, and fun. Joan Marie did us an immense favor, too, by allowing us to start our ride a couple hours early in order to avoid an incoming thunderstorm. I'm sure she saved our weekend! And a final kudos for an excellent BBQ joint recommendation; we went straight there for lunch after our ride and got a "full" Lockhart experience! Strongly recommend Maverick for an excellent equestrian experience!

If you're looking for a mindless trail ride where you just sit there while a horse follows a tail…read morein front of it, this is not the place for you. Maverick Horseback Riding is for people who want the real experience. Our guide Emily was wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable. She is a total pro. But you also have to give it up for the owner Joan Marie. She is friendly but very blunt. She is not there to play nice or baby you. She is there to teach you how to properly handle a horse. If you are shy or easily offended, you might want to look elsewhere. You need to be able to take direct feedback and use it to improve your riding game immediately. They start you off with the fundamentals like brushing, saddling, and mounting. You are expected to actually do the work. They even give you cowboy boots to wear which makes you feel right at home. I rode Sheila and we spent about thirty minutes on a short trail just reviewing the basics while Joan Marie gave proper instruction on what to do and what not to do. After that initial lesson, both ladies took us out on the trails for about an hour of riding. I think if we had gone to some other ranch that just let us be lazy rookies, we would not have had nearly as much fun. We left feeling like we actually accomplished something. Huge thanks to Emily and Joan Marie for a great day.

Horseback riding has always been on my to-do list, and after doing some Googling, I came across…read moreSouthern Trails. I had never been on a horse before, but thanks to the wonderful guides--Hailey, Ashlyn, and Savanna (sorry if I misspelled any names!)--the experience was amazing from start to finish. They were friendly, professional, great communicators, and kept everything running smoothly, which made the whole experience feel comfortable and enjoyable. I was also lucky enough to catch a beautiful Texas sunset during the ride, especially with how unpredictable the weather can be here. If horseback riding is something you've been thinking about, don't hesitate--just do it. I enjoyed every second and would definitely recommend the experience

We didn't do the trail rides which I assume is where they get better reviews, but the cow cuddling…read moreexperience was disappointing. There wasn't actually any place to "cuddle" the cows; you simply stand around and pet them. We got a small cup of pellets, and once those were gone, the cows had little interest in interacting with people. One cow had large horns and was much bigger than expected based on the photos and "mini cow" advertising. That cow specifically seemed pretty over the whole experience. The other two were much smaller, and they were all very cute. There was also no place to wash your hands, only wipes, which is understandable. However, when we asked where the trash can had been moved so we could throw the wipes away, one of the ranch hands responded with an attitude. The lady leading the experience was very kind though. While petting the cows was enjoyable, the experience felt worth closer to $20 than the $50 charged. That's the main reason for the low rating. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.

We picked this farm randomly and called hoping to get same day lessons, and Stephanie made it…read morehappen for our little birthday boy. The farm and the horses are beautiful, and Stephanie was so great with our kids, who are beginners but managed to do everything Stephanie showed them and had a blast for the whole lesson. We will definitely be back for future lessons and rides and recommend this place to everyone!

SunCrest is a great place to come learn to ride, or do your own thing with your horse…read more Stephanie offers riding instruction for kids and adults alike, as well as camps for the kiddos during school breaks and holidays. The best part about that is there is a SunCrest van that will meet you in Austin! Yes, you don't necessarily have to drive to Manor to take your kid to camp. That rocks. I've been riding with Stephanie for about six years now and we've been on countless parades and trails. She's knowledgeable and willing to give as much help as you want. I would recommend boarding here and/or just coming out for a ride at Lake Travis or one of the other places that the SunCrest horses visit.

Great for kids and those who haven't ridden before (they tailor the ride to experience level)…read more Through streams and hills very scenic

Great experience with friends for a bachelorette. Booking was personalized. I was able to ask about…read moredifferent options to customize the event. We ended up selecting skeet shooting. We arrived on time, checked in and signed the waivers. There are lots of farm cats and a dog just FYI. Once ready, you get a hay ride to the skeet shooting spot from your instructor. Once you arrive, your instructors take it from there - safety instructions, demos etc. We had a ton of fun! Many of us had never even shot a gun before so this was fun and competitive. Once that was done, we got to pet some of the horses and the team had helped us receive our lunch order (via DoorDash). We ended up taking our lunch back to our Airbnb because it was just so hot in the honkey tonk barn. Overall, I would go this again and even try the horse trail ride!

This is an incredible facility. My daughter immediately felt a connection. We can not wait to go…read moreback. She's excited about riding and there is so much to learn. When speaking to Jessica, this facility seem like a place where anyone can come to learn, ride, care for beautiful ponies and horses and to find peace when their world becomes a bit chaotic. It is truly an amazing place when you need to find your center. Much needed for my daughter and I.

I've been riding at MEC for 2.5 months now and I absolutely love it. Daniel is a superlative…read moretrainer who prioritizes rider skills and safety. As an adult trying to get back into riding after 7 years out of the saddle (and a spine surgery!), I appreciate the focus on safely building my strength and technique. The horses are in excellent condition and of good quality, and the riding arenas are impeccably maintained. They have another trainer named Jessica who has several adorable ponies/kid friendly sized horses and after working with her on a Girl Scout workshop I highly recommend her for the kiddos--or anyone! Bonus: every staff member, boarder, and rider I've met has been warm and welcoming. No one is pretentious or snobby and everyone seems to be there for the joy of riding and the pursuit of horsemanship, not ribbons. In short, it's been an ideal place to get back in the saddle and I look forward to riding here for many years.

Really a bad experience with this stables with a judgmental owner. I went a met with the owner…read moreand the stables looked good. The "talk" sounded good too. We agreed I would take lessons and from there get help finding and buying a horse that i would board there. The owner said the instructor would call. After not getting a call in a few days and contacting them again i was assured they would talk to the trainer and that I should expect a call. In the end i followed up 3 times for the call that never came. Finally, after a few weeks i went back to the stables and spoke with the owner directly. I asked if maybe my tattoos had caused them to take a dislike to me. He looked me straight in the eyes and assured me that they were not putting me off and that the instructor would definitely call me. Well, it's been 2 months now and of course, no call. I can't say it was the tattoos but i do know that i was only there for 5 minutes initially and that i didn't do anything to offend or give reason for him to dislike me. In fact, our conversation was pleasant and positive. I can only assume that judgment was passed based on a physical assessment and that I didn't meet their standards. Sounds pretty arrogant to me even though the owner implied it was the English riders that were arrogant. Bottom line, I would not wast my time. Obviously this is the kind of place that unfairly passes judgement and that sounds pretty darned unfriendly to me!

My horse Poncho has lived here at Rocking B for a total of 5 years. I had him here then moved to CA…read morefor a year and when I moved back to Austin I brought him back to his wonderful home at Rocking B. Bruce and Susan are amazing and have become family friends to me over the years. They love my horse like I do and look after him tenderly. He's happy and relaxed, he's healthy and bright eyed because he knows he's loved and taken care of. I'd recommend our barn to anyone. Plus the trails are amazing and the company even better. I'll never move him if I can help it :)

This is a great horse facility and riding arena where your kids can take lessons or just come walk…read morethrough the stables and say hi to all the beautiful horses and ponies here. You can book birthday parties or just come for the day and take a few lessons. They offer summer camps for kids and Girl Scout adventure visits.

We boarded our horse (Roxie) here for 8 years. They always kept us informed and made sure Roxie had…read morethe best care possible. They will go above and beyond to ensure the well being of all the horses in their care. Mike, Flo, Armando, Curtis, and the Veterinary team (from Austin Equine) are wonderful. The health and safety of the horses is their top priority.

I would just like to start this review off with it was a pleasure speaking with the owners of this…read morebusiness. Bella Peregrina Ranch conducted themselves in a very professional manner. They were very patient with all of the questions that I had to ask, even if I may have come off as repetitive. They made sure they gave me the best bang for my buck and made sure they told me everything that we would experience all upfront. I think the people that may have negative things to say aren't fully reading the fine print. My fiancé had an absolute ball out there. The horse was very peaceful. The land was very peaceful and quiet, not too much noise, just perfect. And Marcus was an absolute pleasure. He was patient with us as well as we missed the exit to get to him a couple of times. He still made sure that he accommodated us and we were still able to enjoy our ride. He had very good conversation, kept us engaged, and made the experience absolutely memorable.

This merchant is EXTREMELY difficult to book with even giving her a month in advance notice with…read moreopen options to work around with what you think would be a busy time in May.... Also she loves the word clearly when communicating. She clearly needs to learn people skills and now looking at how poor her reviews are I am thankfully I am canceling. Please treat people with respect when respect was clearly being given with TRYING to work with you as a customer.