Very knowledgeable staff, beautiful horses, and an interesting experience. Learned a lot about Paso…read moreFinos and got to experience the quality of their gait out on a trail ride. Great with the kids, and reasonably priced!

I did the Kit & Caboodle tour for my birthday and it went above and beyond expectation. Most…read moreimportantly the animals were very well cared for. They were all healthy, bright eyed, active and well socialized. Their enclosures were spacious, very clean, well maintained, species appropriate and provided enrichment. All encounters were careful to put animal and human safety first. I've worked in vetmed/animal rescue for 30 years so seeing animals well cared for and accustomed to their handlers gave me confidence Darby Farms is a place I can support. Now to the tour itself: Do it. Book it right now. You get SO MUCH for such a reasonable pric. We got two hours of personal interactions, petting and feeding, with over 30 species! Our guide Ryan was incredibly informative and knowledgeable, even taught us hardcore animal nerds some new facts we didn't know. He was skilled at handling even the squirmiest of creatures gently. It's absolutely magical to be able to touch and connect with animals I've only seen from behind glass in zoos. Thank you to Darby Acres for providing this unforgettable experience

Darby Safari went so above and beyond our expectations. We love zoos, but this was so much more…read morethan just staring at a bunch of animals behind bars - instead we had multiple opportunities to get up close, touch and feed the animals. In addition, some free range friends walked along with us humans on the tour and literally wanted to eat out of our hands. Our guides, Maddie and Shane, were fantastic! Extremely knowledgeable about the animals, and excellent at making sure everyone in the fairly sizable tour group had an opportunity to see or feed each animal they introduced. We bought the "Kit and Kaboodle" package which was so incredibly worth it! Some zoos allow you a "personal encounter" with one species, or by holding up an animal and letting you pet it,... but in the encounter room, Maddie and Shane spent an hour or more introducing us to at least 10 animals, all different species, in very interactive ways. We held armadillos, hand wrestled a mongoose, let a tiny monkey jump from shoulder to shoulder between us eating Fruit Loops, fed and high-fived otters, and so much more. I truly can't say enough about how happy we are that we included Darby Safari in our first ever trip to Charlotte!

We took our daughters today as an early birthday. We rode as a family, and they were so good with…read moreour kids! We had an hour ride, which was the perfect amount of time. They gave us all a little mini lesson before we started, which was great for the girls. My husband and I have ridden a good bit, but we still learned a new trick as well. Friendly folks, gentle horses, beautiful country.

My cousin and I had a great time riding at Red Barn. It was my cousins first time and Alica was so…read morepatient and made it fun. She taught us so much. I wish I lived in the area, I would go everyday!!! Thank you for a great time Red Barn :)

Well, here's my story…read more My friend's daughter loves horses and was talking about having a horse ride lesson one day. On July 3rd, on her birthday, we went online and found Leg Up Equestrian. I called them and left the voice message. I understand it was right before 4th of July so no problem. Then I went to their website, which is old, out of date and not user friendly but sooner or later I finally figured out how to fill out the form. On July 6th I received the email that they are on the holiday break. Well, not a problem, I understand the holidays. I called them after the holidays on July 10 and left the voice message again. On July 12 they send me the email if I still would like to schedule a trial lesson ($65). I responded with the dates I am interested in and they told me to fill out registration form. I also received separate email with a release form. To pay for the lessons was another adventure. You need to sign up, put all info again so I've decided to call them this morning to make sure I'll do everything correct. I called, left the voice message again. The gentleman called me back from the academy, I missed the call, called him back and here we are, finally having the conversation after 2 weeks of trying. He said that I need to fill out the form and make a payment, we had some misunderstanding with email addresses but figured that out. No problem. Then I asked him a question about the trial lesson itself. How long is it going to be? what exactly the kid going to do? and told him, that I had a bad experience with one of the horse places in Florida. (at that place, lesson was supposed to be 45 mins, and 35 mins the coach was explaining to my daughter how to take care of the horse, then 5 minutes the coach took a break and then 5 min horse ride) I explained this to that gentleman and asked to be just more specific. He said, 20 mins getting ready and 20 mins a lesson. I asked another question if it's a group lesson or not, he said, it might be a group lesson. I said, well, you didn't mention that and then he offered me a private lesson which is $75. I said, what is the difference between trial and private lesson. The respond was amazing - "I think, we are not a good fit for you, I have to go" And hanged on me. My concern that I spent so much time to get connected with them, finally got on the phone, asked simple questions, wasn't rude or blaming them on something! just asked to be more specific. Now, after 2 weeks of hoping to get a lesson as a B'day gift I need to explain her mom that Leg Up Equestrian never heard about customer service and live in 18th century.

Daughter was removed from lessons after 4 years, owner citing not enough instructors. She gave us…read more5 days notice when she was aware of the situation for months and told us nothing. When we confront d her, she cited my daughters learning disability as a reason for removing her whole still accepting new students

I was initially impressed by the beautiful property and some of the horses…read more We quickly realized that this is not a safe place for children or teens. Young teenagers are hired to "work to ride" and are at the farm for hours by themselves. The owner feels it's the kids and parents issue to work out After being told they would be supervised - not safe with large animals and all the inherent hazards of a farm. In addition there is a pitbull from a nearby home that runs loose through the pastures where the children have to walk to get their horses. I was appalled after we were there for just a couple of weeks. Owner tells the kids about her experiences with drug abuse...just no...

Beautiful land, with a nice large arena and friendly owners. Unfortunately I would never…read more recommend boarding your horse here. It will cost you. It's too bad as this farm has a lot of potential with the right care and time taken.

Great facility for boarding, lessons, and therapeutic riding! The horses are well cared for and…read morethere is a strong community feeling.

One of the best places to hold a child's birthday party. The owner, Terrilynn, is wonderful. Her…read moreteams of helpers are so patient with the children. The horses and ponies are beautifully groomed and happily trot any nervous or experienced rider around the ring. The party is heavily focused on riding and that was such a treat with the children. No one was bored as there was plenty to do and see on the property with happy cats, a friendly dog, and over 40 horses to watch frolic in their paddocks. Once the party starts, Terrilynn truly helps you keep the momentum going and the event space is so cute. It was beyond a five star experience and not one of our 23 guests was bored--ever. Not one thing I would change. A truly amazing experience for children and parents alike. Thank you, Terrilynn, for hosting Regan and her friends. You and your outstanding team have outdone yourself.