We have been here for 9 months now and I can say it is such a wonderful barn. The training is top…read morenotch, Nikki is an amazing teacher and my son has brought his riding skills up so much in a short time. The other trainers Gail and Catlin are also very good. The people boarding and in training program treat you like family. The barn and grounds are kept up nicely with improvements all the time. The barn manager Natalie is awesome, always helpful and responsive to any needs. We have our 2nd horse coming here tomorrow. I would recommend this place to everyone!

I have been training at this barn for several months now with my son (age 11). I am so impressed…read morewith the great care that they take of the horses. Also, everyone is so warm and friendly. It is a great community of people who are passionate about riding. I am especially impressed with the owner/trainer, Nikki. She really knows how to bring out the best in you. I can see so much improvement in our riding during the few months that we have been working with Nikki. She is a great balance of pushing you to grow in a way that feels supportive and super positive. I just can't say enough good things about this barn.

Go elsewhere!…read more Hillside facilities are very run down and have a lot of deferred maintenance, but my daughter started riding here because I liked the owner Kathy Pead. Unfortunately, as time went on, it was apparent that her lesson instructor Destiny, who is only 18 years old, needed some additional teaching experience and mentorship. She is quite young and doesn't have the best judgement yet (however, in Destiny's defense, it seems like she has a lot of responsibility at the barn and is doing the best she can). Sadly, my 12 year old daughter was put on a horse named Daishar who was too advanced for her skillset and he BOLTED off during a lesson. My daughter was screaming and crying as she had no control over the horse, but eventually was able to roll off him when he slowed down. Thankfully, she did not sustain any injuries. This scary incident could have been prevented as she asked Destiny to get off the horse before leaving the arena, and also asked Destiny to grab the reigns to help guide her out as she sensed Daishar's energy changing and told her she was scared. Destiny did not take these requests seriously and told her no. I'm also horrified that Destiny had her get back ON the horse after this happened (despite my telling her I didn't think that was a good idea). After this situation, I thought it was important to discuss the situation with Kathy and confirm she had insurance coverage. I requested a declarations page to show the policy is paid up and active as I understand she is on MediCal and insurance is expensive. She said I am the first customer in 50 years to ever request this and told us we are not welcome for lessons anymore. If she had the coverage, don't you think she would've just showed it to me? In hindsight, this was a blessing in disguise as I am looking forward to finding a barn that takes my child's safety more seriously. Be careful if you decide to take lessons here.

Positives: -Great location: easy access to Orangevale Park…read morefor trail rides, etc. -Affordable -Owner is pleasant and lives on-site -Riding lessons for beginners and mommy-and-me available weekdays and weekends -Relaxed environment -Kid friendly! -Work Exchange Accepted! You can work in exchange for lessons and boarding of horses. Cons: -No front gate between main road and facility -Many areas where maintenance is overdue -Limited training or lessons for intermediate or advanced riders/horses -Many of the barn staff lack general horse knowledge and/or are under 18yrs old.

I practically grew up here, it was my favorite place to be and I will always be grateful to Tami…read moreand Ralph and their facility. Trainers of all types came and went over the years, some better than others, but this is not unique to GBEC. One thing that never changed was the dedication the barn owners had to the care and welfare of their boards. Tami worked nonstop from the morning to night, and she always contacted owners if she noticed a potential problem, etc. She was EVERYTHING to that facility and she always made herself available to boarders. I took lessons from outside trainers, I was assistant trainer to 2 wonderful resident trainers, I leased horses, trained horses, started horses.... Everything. Thank you T & R for everything

We interviewed four equestrian centers before placing our horse here last year. They provide good…read moreservice, reasonable rates and plenty of options from which to choose. It would be nice if they provided a table and chairs outside the arena for those people who like to hang out or bring work with them, though.

Shadow Glen Riding Stables was hands down the best field trip we have been on in years!…read moreAs a 3rd-grade teacher, I cannot say enough good things about Terry and the wranglers. They were welcoming, patient, knowledgeable, and made every student feel included. Our students had an incredible opportunity to learn about ranch and farm life, tractors, horses, foals, farm animals, hay, and the daily responsibilities of caring for a ranch. The hands-on experiences were the highlight of the day. Students were able to groom horses, interact with animals, ask questions, and gain a real appreciation for agriculture and animal care. Terry and his team kept the students engaged from beginning to end. What made this experience even more special was Terry Howard's generosity. Shadow Glen donated approximately three hours of their time at no charge to educate three classes of Center Joint Unified School District students. That level of community support is truly appreciated. Our students are still talking about the trip, and the adults had just as much fun as the kids. It was an outstanding experience from start to finish.

This place was nice, I signed up for riding lessons which was a one on one lesson with a trainer. I…read moreforget my instructors name but she was a young girl, really patient and knowledgeable. My lesson got cut a little short because a horse (not mine) got stuck in his reigns wrong and freaked out. They said I could ride more on my second lesson but when I tried to book my next lesson it was sold out until next year.. I'm not kidding. More than 8 months until I could book my next lesson. Very nice staff and horses but I wish their lesson bookings were more straight forward.

If you're thinking about booking a trail ride with Boarding on the Lake, do it--you won't regret…read moreit! My granddaughter and I chose the two-hour trail ride around Folsom Lake, and it exceeded every expectation. I've owned horses and have ridden extensively, so we came with experience and simply wanted to enjoy a beautiful morning ride together. Our guide, Will, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, personable, safety-conscious, and made the entire experience relaxing and enjoyable. You could tell he genuinely loves what he does and cares about both the horses and his guests. The horses were well-mannered, the scenery around Folsom Lake was breathtaking, and the pace was perfect for taking it all in. The best part? The smile never left my granddaughter's face all day. Those are the kinds of memories that last a lifetime. Thank you, Will, for making our ride so special. We highly recommend Boarding on the Lake and can't wait to come back!

Had a great time taking in the views and chatting with the guide. Glad it was a small group. Will…read morebe back again sometime.

The facilities at Flying M Ranch are AMAZING and the owners are very involved and always making…read moreimprovements. The prices are very reasonable, and Cantera Farms Riding Academy is the best. My daughter has been with Cantera for 4 years, and at Flying M for approximately 1 1/2 years. I can't say enough about this AMAZING barn!!

Good water for horses. Fairly flat and well drained pastures & small arena to ride in. New owners…read morehave planted a lot of trees

I boarded a horse here and I can tell you from experience, You and your horse will be happy here…read more The owner gives special attention to each horse. The horse will be safe and cared for with pride. The price is excellent (includes twice a day feeding ) and the grounds are beautiful. Wonderful views of the hills and rolling grass. The barn and facilities are well kept and very clean! The interactions with owners and boarders are excellent, creating friendships and an outstanding experience.

The Good: The facility is nice with 1 large arena with…read morelights and 1 round pen, both with great footing. The boarders are friendly and the horses have plenty of room to roam in their pastures. Each pasture has off the ground feeders. We were told Folsom Lake was a short ride across a neighbor's property however we were (understandably) denied access at the time due to the heavy rains and uneven footing so I cannot attest as to the distance of the trails. Four very sweet dogs greet you upon arrival and Rory (owner's son and ranch hand) and Greg (owner's husband) are both incredibly sweet and easy to talk to. The Bad: Tack Space / Trailer Parking: Originally we were offered space in the community tack shed. Upon arriving with our horse, we were advised that community tack shed would not be provided because it was free tack storage OR (not and) free trailer parking. We were told to use our trailer for tack and supplies. That is not what was quoted prior to arrival, as you can check on craigslist posts. Restrooms: There are none outside of the owner's home. Fine for adults, difficult with kids. Self-Cleaning: This facility requires self-cleaning of the pastures every day (shared with your partner). There was a gal there you can pay however as of 03/22/17 she is no longer offering cleaning services. Our unfortunate experience: Our boarding adventures at 8 Oaks lasted all of two months before things escalated beyond acceptability. Our horse is a post-impaction survivor as of only 5 months prior and oat and other cereal hays are highly discouraged by his vet. We were skeptical to move to 8 Oaks as they offer grass and oat hay in a 2-horse shared pasture setting. After many conversations, Cathy Andrews (the owner) ensured us that our horses' diet (grass & alfalfa/ digestive smartpaks) would be accommodated by separating the two horses during breakfast as our intended pasture mate was also on an alternative diet and would need to be separated for breakfast (only) regardless of who he shared with. The accommodations were honored for a short duration. It didn't take long before we were repeatedly reminded by the owner of the inconvenience separating during breakfast caused. We were asked to compensate additional monthly funds to supply our hay choice outside of our boarding agreement on two occasions. We were later then "offered" the option of picking up the hay ourselves. There were several instances where our horse was injured, in which we felt we should have been notified yet weren't, including obvious lameness due to a bloody leg injury. When various concerns were brought up to the owner her responses were indifferent or dismissive. On one occasion, upon seeing my horses injuries, the owner noted in passing that "I saw that a couple of days ago, and thought about texting you..." but she obviously didn't, then redirected it back on me as my fault for not having been there the last 2 days. Additionally, it was discovered that our horse was being left in the breakfast pen until mid - late evenings. This was contrary to assurances from the owner that he was to be moved back to pasture after breakfast. The pen had nothing in regards to shade or shelter, and is too small for him for that long duration of time as well as denied the option of shelter from sun/rain/hail that the normal pasture provided. The client-customer relationship degraded further when we found him in that breakfast pen mid evening, surrounded by the debris of a broken metal structure that had fallen apart. Overall I felt the lack of care and concern demonstrated by the owner to be unprofessional and in our case, inhumane. Since leaving, I've heard a few horror stories regarding others' experiences at 8 Oaks that I wish had been published when I was looking, including issues with another past boarder that had a similar experience with feed. I wish better luck to the next person, but would advise against boarding there if you expect communication of any sort if your horse is ever injured or ill, or if your horse has dietary needs other than grass/oat hay. *************Response to Owner Rebuttal************* Unfortunately there's a character limit so I've attached a picture to my original review containing my response to owner's rebuttal.

I feel so fortunate that when our horse needed a new barn, now that hes retired from the show…read moreworld, 8 Oaks Ranch had an opening. I met with Cathy, the owner and immediately got good vibes. The property is gorgeous and well maintained. No easy feat for property of this size but its obvious this is a labor of love by Cathy and her family. The communication here is wonderful, there are group emails sent to boarders advising of this or that relating to ranch info or just for Cathy to invite people to ride with her on beautiful Folsom Lake Trails, a few minutes down the lane. Any questions or concerns are easily brought up and discussed, Cathy is so easy to talk to.

Been riding out here since I was 7; so 15 years now. This barn has become family and takes great…read morecare of all horses. Lessons, boarding, training, and more at GCEC and they take everyone in as if they were family. GCEC is geared toward more entry level riding up to B Rated shows. The amount of riding one does is up to you (the client) and the level of training you want is up to you as well.

Great riding place, lots of fun for kids! Everyone is extremely nice and their are about 100…read moredifferent kinds of horses there (all breeds and sizes). Again a great and safe place that teaches good responsibility and helps you meet new friends that also love horses (all ages). If your interested in horses, you should check them out!

My 10 month old Quarter horse filly became combative, dangerous when she turned 1years old . I've…read morebeen riding since I was 2 years old but never trained a filly ground matters. She wouldn't let my husband get out of the chicken coop when he was feeding our chickens. I was referred to Windward Natural Equine Center by an unprofessional trainer trying to help me with my beautiful filly . I was learned that I was the one that needed training to . Sierra my Fillies trainer works with me and Stormy together And I'm so excited to say Sierra is magic, consistent, punctual, so gifted with her training techniques. It's a God thing.I highly recommend Sierra and the amazing stable .They keep her stalls cleaned and it's a wonderful place to board your horse and for training. The owner Sandy is amazing and really helpful to me . She also gives riding lessons . Thank you all that work at the stable too! Dean ,Andy & Bob.. 5 stars plus for Windward Natural Equine Center . Thank you so very much! Suzanne

This review is mostly based on Jenna who we take horse lessons from. Jenna came highly recommended…read moreand they were spot on! My daughter started lessons at the age of 3!!! Miss Jenna has a long history with horses and is eager to share her knowledge. She's incredibly patient and calm. My daughter has rode 2 of her horses. I'm incredibly impressed at how well behaved her horses are. If you're looking for lessons I would highly recommend her! As for the facility we love going here and saying high to all the horses. Every person we've met here is so nice and welcoming. The horses are well looked after.