The Blue Apple Ranch is part of the Toby Wells Foundation. It is a place where rescued horses and…read moredisadvantaged youth can come together! It is a place for philanthropy and for volunteers to donate their time to help both youth and horses - making the world a better place! I don't know about you, but I support good causes!

I had always wanted to check this out and was not disappointed. There are ample walking trails that…read moretake you through oak woodland, and open grasslands. Lots of Raptors and great for birdwatching.

Fun little place to go for a hike or take pictures…read more There are plenty of trails, loop trails, signs. Some are shorter, some longer. Some easier, some harder. Only about 35 - 40 minutes E of Oceanside, so not too bad. There are plenty of animals to see the 3 or 4 times that I have been there. Including ground squirrels, rabbits, snakes, cows, coyotes, birds of all kinds such as woodpeckers, meadow larks, hawks, vulture or condors, etc. Pretty much dirt, so if it rains, mud. During the spring bloom there are some pretty flowers. There is 1 trail that leads to a pond, with some ducks, etc. There may be people riding horses, make sure you yield to them, whether walking, walking your dog, riding a bike, etc. There is a porta-potty at the beginning of the trail in the parking lot. Make sure you lock the gate when you enter the trails.

I love this place and can't stop coming back! Nicole and Gabby have been so lovely and the horses…read moreare the sweetest. I started off by doing an hour trail ride back in January and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. Then I came back a few weeks later for their Cowboy Spirit days where they teach you the basics of horsemanship. It was so much fun and I made new friends who I keep in contact and meet up with. I'm new to riding and the equine world but this ranch has really jumpstarted the hobby for me. They really love and trust their horses and treat them so well which makes all the experiences so comfortable and encouraging. What really stood out to me was how welcoming they are to people who are new to horses and you can tell they genuinely care about you learning and developing the skills to work with and around the horses. I've visited several ranches now and some of them can be very unwelcoming to people with no experience but that wasn't the case here. So happy I found this gem in San Diego, always worth the 40 minute drive from my part of town.

I took my wife, daughter and granddaughter for Mother's Day present they had the BEST time! We got…read morethere as we were told 1/2 hr before our scheduled ride and went thru the orientation process; Gabby was great to all of us and explained the in and out of riding the horses as we were all new to riding! She paired each of them with a horse that was perfect match for their energy. They did a 1 hour ride and all came back with big smiles, thank you so much for the memorable experience Gabby! You can tell all the horses are well taken care of and that everyone there loves them very much! We will be back for sure!!!

Came here on a Sat with 3 kids and 1 Adult that rode horses for about 20min each and we were…read morecharged 300$ plus for less that 3 hours at the ranch. Apparently using a very dirty picnic table was an extra charge. The portal potties were completely unusable not cleaned in years. For this kind of money I would expect at least a clean table and toilet. But even then ridiculously overpriced! Interaction with the animals was nice but not worth the price.

Perfect! Can't recommend enough!!! This place is beyond perfect. My daughter wanted a medieval…read moreprincess themed party with unicorns and this was the place! The kids (and even parents) loved running around with all the animals. A lot of room for parking, tables for everything. It was great. Everyone was impressed with how relaxed it felt. The best part the unicorns were BEAUTIFUL. The little princess and knights loved them! I'll be back for sure! I see all these bad reviews and I'm Shocked! As long as you understand these are real people with real jobs (not just doing this) you'll be okay. I'll definitely be back!

This charming ranch is perfect for a peaceful getaway. When I visited, the on-site restaurant was…read moreunder construction, so bring your own food--mini-fridges are in the cottages. I stayed in the cozy Sparrow cottage, which was well-decorated and had a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, and dishes for two. I loved the rocking chair on the patio for coffee and reading. The pool is cute and relaxing, though unheated, but the hot tub is warm. There's a serene stream with frogs croaking at night, and the property is secluded, with a few nearby wineries to explore. This retreat is ideal for couples or a small group of friends. Cons: The hot water is only lukewarm. The bed had some dirt/sand. My TV didn't work, and the bonfire is only available until 4 pm. The animal sanctuary ($7) requires a reservation, but the front desk told me to just show up. When I did, the staff said same-day reservations weren't allowed--and she was a bit cranky--so I couldn't visit. However, it's small enough to view from outside the fence. TL;DR: This ranch is feels safe, peaceful and promising. Once the restaurant opens and cleaning standards improve, it will be a perfect nature escape.

We stayed at Bandy Canyon Ranch back in October to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I sat…read moreon this review for far too long because it honestly just made me so incredibly angry and I didn't want to relive the experience. I've also seen how the manager responds to other negative reviews and didn't feel like dealing with the attacks. I had been following Bandy Canyon on Instagram and the experience they promote online nowhere meets the reality. We chose to stay at the Eagle cabin because it had more space for our 2 kids and dog and the other rooms available were much smaller in comparison. The cabin didn't look upgraded online but for $910 for 2 nights, I assumed it had to be nicer than the photos looked. It was actually much, much worse. The website touts upgraded and renovated rooms but the Eagle cabin had clearly not been updated maybe since it had been built. I cannot begin to explain how depressing the cabin felt walking in at night. Floor to ceiling brown shiny walls illuminated by harsh white lightbulbs, no art or decor on the walls, tacky fake plant from the 90s covered in dust, yellow stained and ripped curtains. The floor was ripped and worn. It felt like a prison. The TV was missing the remote so we couldn't even turn on the TV for some added ambiance. It was dead silent. We spent hours turning the place upside down trying to find a remote, my husband was hyperventilating from how suffocating and tacky the room felt with no escape. We almost left as soon as we arrived. I called the front desk over the course of several hours. The front desk couldn't get us a remote that worked and tried calling her manager but couldn't figure out what to do. We hadn't eaten dinner so my husband reluctantly grilled us some food on the sad bbq outside our room in almost complete darkness. It was intended to be a special celebration of our 10-year wedding anniversary and it ended up being a weekend from hell. Did I mention they prohibit you from bringing your own wine? Because they sell wine on site as part of their "winery." However I was told they only had rose when I asked for a red. What is this, a college dorm? I'm going to get in trouble for bringing my own wine to celebrate my 10 year wedding anniversary? Didn't find this out until we were packing our bags for the trip and my husband was looking at their website. I somehow managed to convince my husband to stay the night versus driving home immediately. I really wanted to salvage our milestone anniversary trip! I tried using the shower and the pipes screeched loudly, sounding like someone was screaming in your ear the whole time. I sent video to the front desk. The noise was so unbearable that we couldn't even use the shower. The sound echoed through the entire house, making it impossible to ignore. These elements greatly diminished the comfort and ambiance we had anticipated. Furthermore, a major reason for choosing the ranch was the promise of a pool for our toddler to enjoy, especially as it's promoted across the ranch's Instagram. To our dismay, the pool was not heated and was too cold to use, which was very disappointing. Adding to this inconvenience, the pool bar was closed, further limiting our recreational options.    All the ranch workers we interacted with were supportive and apologetic, agreeing that the Eagle cabin was outdated and unfit for guests. They acknowledged that it should not have been rented out in its current condition. They promised us the manager would make it right. I was told she's get in touch with me after the weekend. It took me messaging them for about a solid month for the manager to finally call me, which by that point I had zero interest in talking to her. We paid good money to stay here and it was a complete waste. For 2 nights we spent almost 1k ($910 to be exact). You'd think for that kind of money we'd get a much nicer experience!

Candy is an amazing trainer and person. I just started riding lessons at age 52 and it's quite…read morechallenging. I had some bad experiences with trainers in Rancho Santafe and my disappointment led me to find Candy and her beautiful Arabian horse Suga. The drive out to Ramona is beautiful and driving from Del Sur, happily I don't have to get on any freeways. Candy is a very kind and sweet lady who teaches more then just riding, she gives you her positive insight along the way and offers her wisdom through her many years of riding and being around horses. The horse I'm training on is a dream, Suga is very responsive and has a gently trot which really helps me learn and practice my posting trot. She is a sweet, safe and a very gentle horse which is perfect for a beginner like myself. Suga is a beautiful grey Arabian, I adore her. Candy charges a very reasonable rate for her hourly training, and is wonderful to be around. I look forward to my weekly lessons with this dynamic duo! Candy and Suga thank you so much for helping my dream of riding horses come true!

I board my horses in the same center as Candy Regal does and see her almost every day working her…read morebeautiful horses. I haven't taken lessons yet but see others taking their lessons. Would highly recommend Candy for an instructor based on her calm professional attitude.

I took my first introductory lesson with Sherie Levine and learned that much of what I was doing…read morewas wrong. My hand position and incorrect posture were the two biggest things. Even though I have a long way to go I am confident that Sherie can get me there! Many of Sherie's students are competitive dressage and jumping champions. I highly recommend you take lessons from Drille Diva if you want to be a better horseback rider or a dressage champion!

She's high tech, with her bluetooth device to speak right to you while you ride yet without having…read moreto shout at you. She takes pictures and videos of your lesson, which really helps jog your memory later. She's well educated. She's very reasonably priced! She's kind, patient, and a very talented teacher! There's nothing she won't do to help her students. She's gained the respect of all her students - men, women, young riders & equines alike. She's creative, thinking outside the box, to help her students troubleshoot horse-related concerns. Her loyalty and sense of responsibility to her students doesn't stop at the arena gate. She is always available to help out, even when it doesn't benefit her wallet. I could truly go on and on.... She's one of a kind!

I have been at CJ Ranches for over a year now and can't imagine being anywhere else. I have been…read moreriding for most of my life and Jen Willson is by far the best trainer I have had the pleasure of working with. She has a natural talent with horses and has elevated my riding beyond what I thought possible. I started off taking lessons with a lease horse most of the past year. The experience was so educational and really helped get my confidence back. Recently with Jen's help I purchased a 3 year old thoroughbred and have him currently in training with Jen. The experience has been so rewarding and he is progressing so nicely, I couldn't be happier! My two horses (20 year old and 3 year old thoroughbreds) are so happy at CJ Ranch. They enjoy the activity around the barn and all the familiar faces that stop by and say hi. I travel often for work and its so nice to not have to worry about my horses while I am gone because I know that Jen and the rest of the CJ Ranches team are taking good care of them. The barn has a wonderful family environment and great people who truly love their horses. I can't say enough good things about CJ Ranches, Jen or the rest of the CJ Ranches family.

Cj ranches is the best riding facility I have had the privilege to ride and train with. Jen and…read moreChris are amazing trainers who have continued to grow my confidence and knowledge. Amazing horses, great clients, and a family atmosphere. Took me from not having jumped before to competing in the 3' jumpers in less than 2 years. English, western, or both, CJ ranches can help you. Casual lessons to serious competitors. Can not recommend enough.