Had an amazing experience with hubby on a Tuesday afternoon. $60 cash each, an hour on the trail, our guide Pat was knowledgeable and kind. He took some photos for us while on the trail and upon return. Got to do a little jog at one point. All in all a very fun experience especially for first timers or for someone like myself who hasn't rode in many years. Thank You Pat and the whole Circle A Team! :) read more

See all

The trail was breathtaking and the horses seemed well behaved for the most part. I just feel the guides behaviors were very unsettling. He came out with a dagger and a machete and I was genuinely terrified. Just me him and my friend. I felt extremely unsafe but apparently he needed them because the wild turkeys attack? I understand that it might be realistic to carry these things but he was waiving it around and smacking the logs while saying some of the most inappropriate things about different groups of people. The conversation was very interesting....I'm really open to experiencing different people and different views. I'm muslim I wear nikab and I know it's definitely not normal here and it can be quite a shock for others. I'm happy and I'm definitely a super peaceful loving person, i just really love and believe in my faith. I love Jesus pbuh and believe in a lot of the same prophets. To cut this short... The first thing the owner of this stable and guide said to me was "where are you from... egypt....good, i dont wanna hear non of that Palestinian ". I was flabbergasted he said this as I was getting on the horse and he just showed me his dagger and machete lol. I stay far away from politics and Im really just coming to ride horses. Dont worry though he also talked to me about every ethnicity and group of people he h8s, mexicans, Indians, Pakistanis, Jewish people in general(proceeds to tell me how all they care about is money and are sc*ms that try to low ball him), feminists, gays, democrats that "make you k*ll babies", people in Congo "ch*p peoples heads off"...etc the list very much goes on. Regardless of my agreement or disagreement to these comments....I just didn't imagine that my horseback riding experience to be so uncomfortable. There was no professionalism at all. I feel flabbergasted that this man would feel comfortable saying all these things to a person he just met. So just KEep all this in mind if you consider going here. He really didnt say anything bad about Egyptians or muslims (to me !!!) He actually said to me that I seemed like a righteous, open minded person. I didnt tell him there because i had to humbly nod to everything he said but my husband IS Palestinian but hey if a guy with a dagger and machete tells you he h*tes anyone. I h*te them too! no room for disagreement im just a girl trying to make it out the woods alive I was praying to god the entire time bec of how scared i was. Stay safe folks read more

What a great experience at Circle A! Very organized, friendly and knowledgeable. Had a nice chill ride in Allaire State Park. The horses are sweet and gentle and know their job. The pricing is very reasonable compared to other facilities in the area. I give it an A+.......can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this facility! PS - Ask for Pat.....he's a great tour guide! read more

I had an appointment today for 12. I was there early....which you should always be. The ride before mine was late returning........meaning my ride started late. Everything was amazing about the place, workers ECT, except I feel my ride was cut short so they could get back for the next scheduled ride. Sorry but that is wrong. Change the schedule times to allow for late times. Give a buffer in between. That's the right thing to do. If we pay for the hour or 45 my minutes we should get that time. read more

Advertised one hour ride but only gave us 40 minutes. When ask why so short, the guide blew me off. I called the manager and he did the same. read more

they were awesome!!! came out in the rain for just me and my granddaughter. Pat our trail guide was absolutely the best!!! very friendly and attentive to my 8 year old granddaughter. he sensed her nervousness and was assuring her every step of the way. and hour long walk they didn't rush us or take away despite the rainy weather. I would recommended them for any occasion. the horses were perfectly suited for their clientele. An 8 and 60 year old. very know and professional people. I can't wait to go again. read more

Stay away!!!!! I wish I would have read the review about the customer being thrown off the horse and taken it serious before we went and had the most traumatizing experience!!! My In-laws surprised my 8 year old daughter with a hour horseback riding bc she always wanted to ride. I went with my daughter thinking great mother daughter outing. She was so excited! They did not give us any rules before putting us on the horse. They did not check her helmet and make sure it was secure! They told me I could wear a helmet if I wanted, I choose to wear one bc this was our first time riding a horse. We started off on this path that was full of vines!! My horse kept stopping to eat so the employee and my daughter horse kept walking way ahead of mine. My 8 year old daughter told me after that the employee was smoking a cigarette while riding with her behind him!! I couldn't see bc my horse kept stopping way back from them. We got to this path and my daughters horse kept making a lot of movements with his head and making loud noises. I told the employee I thought something was wrong!! He told me the horse was fine. The horse continued to do it alot more and he told me " the horse see's a spirit!" The horse turned around and took off extremely fast with my 8 year old , we couldn't see her anymore only hear her screaming!! My horse tried to follow but we got it in control. I begged the employee to let me off as I was shaking, my daughter was no longer in sight all I heard was her screams. He didn't want to let me off the horse all he cared about was his horse. I begged him to hold both horses and let me off as I'm still shaking! I ran after my daughter! I found her in a bush, face full of blood!!! Crying and a bruise on her side! She was smart enough to jump off and they never told us this information before we began the ride! The horse she was on kept going , we never saw the horse again. We walked the trail back by foot through vines after vines! He asked me if I had a phone which I thought he was going to call for help , I informed him I did not, now I realize he was afraid I was going to record bc he had a phone! We walked some more back. Then the horse I was on before handles all snapped ! The employee began to yell at me bc that horse started to get away and he wanted me to hold the other horse while he got the one with out the straps. I refused bc my daughter is covered in blood and in so much pain! I am not worrying about his horse as that was his only concern! He screamed F*** Me!!!! Then his horse decided to try and chase me I ran in the vines !! He collected the horses again and walked a long way back . No one came to help us! He called on his cell phone just to inform about the horse and to bring a extra strap for the horse! The employees did not care at all what happened. Took our helmets and rushed us off their property!! My father in law called them when we got back n they told him that it was all a accident! It was negligence! It has never happened before but if you see from other reviewers they lied! They have no idea what they are doing! They only want your money! My daughter had to go to the hospital with scratches all over her face, a bruised side of her stomach , whiplash and vine cuts all over her legs! I am so thankful she didn't break her neck, become paralyzed or dead! She is so traumatized over this experience!!! Stay Away!! Stay Away!!! From this business!!! read more

See all

Stellar Riding Instructors!!! Always feel safe and well guided!!! Staff is knowledgable!!

I have been to s few riding stables over the years. From when I first calked to make a reservation which the person on the phone explained everything you need to know before you get there, as far as directions, what to wear and pricing. Circle A is the best! The horses are gentle and the guides are experienced. The trail is through Allaire State Park and is very scenic to the point you might forget that you are in New Jersey. I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend Circke A. read more

Stay away from Circle a riding Academy on Herbertsville rd. in Howell! Sorry this is a long post......please keep negative comments to yourself. Ty! I recently went there for horseback riding through the trails for my husband's birthday along with my 7 yr old. I thought it would be something different and fun to do. They took you through Allaire State Park wooded trails. This place barely went over any instructions as how to ride a horse. You would think they would since children are riding these horses too. Half way into the trail ride my horse went crazy for no apparent reason and I got thrown into a tree. I hit my head and was barely able to stand or move my left hand. The man leading the trail seemed to be more upset that I couldn't get back on the horse and he had 3 horses without riders that he had to get through the rest of the trail which was at least a mile long back to the stables. He said nothing and left to continue the trail ride, my husband had to practically carry me through the woods & my 7 yr old was trying to navigate us back to the stable. When we arrived back, another group of people were heading into the woods to start their trail ride. We were greeted by the owner who said "oh I was just getting ready to come look for you". So after much time passed you decided you should go look for us? Shouldn't they have went and got me help immediately and not have made us walk a mile in the middle of the woods where I was injured and couldn't even see straight. An ambulance was called, when my husband approached the owner to get my mask that I left on the horse he was told that they sent the horse on another trail with the next group of people. (So not only did they leave us with no help in the woods, they sent that same horse out risking to hurt someone else. Why would you send a horse back out without knowing if maybe something was wrong with the horse.) I've come to realize this place is only CONCERNED about making money and NOT CONCERNED about their horses or their customers. They didn't even offer us a refund!! I'm sharing my story so people think twice before going to Circle A Ride Academy. I've posted a photo of my X-rays after having hand surgery due from the accident. #circlearidingacademy in #howellNJ should be shut down!! #AllaireStatePark shouldn't allow their horses on their property!! #horsebackriding #howellnj #circlearideacademy read more

Circle A Riding Stable - My X-ray of my hand after having hand surgery from the accident. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

ZERO STARS!!! The Manager and owner of this establishment are incredibly rude, and for some reason, could care less about customer service or customer satisfaction!!! I had a set reservation for a 2pm horseback riding trail with my wife and 7 yr old daughter; It was a long drive coming from New York, so I called while I was driving at 1:30pm, telling the owner that I would be there at 2:02pm according to my navigation and wanted to make sure that my arrival time was okay & in-line with my 2pm reservation, the owner told me that it was perfectly fine. I happened to arrive at Circle A Riding Stable at 2pm sharp! To my surprise, I was turned away, even though I was on time, with my 2pm reservation in place, the manager told me that they were too busy to accommodate my reservation; I reiterated that I called 30 minutes prior to my arrival while I was on my way & everything was fine.... The manager told me there was nothing they could do; I asked to speak to the owner (very nicely) and the manager refused 2 times to let me speak to the owner... The experience was terrible, and it only got worse. I waited about an hour after I left, I called Circle A Riding Stables, finally spoke with the owner, and he actually told me "he didn't care, he was busy, it happens and I should of just come back at a later time"... Thank god my phone wasn't on speaker for the whole family to hear as the owner spoke so poorly over the phone. The owner was rude, condescending, obnoxious and handled the call very disrespectfully; I mentioned that I would leave a bad review, his response "who cares, do whatever you want". Please, there are so many other horseback riding establishments in NJ, that are much nicer and better kept, as well as accommodating, friendly and care about customer service and satisfaction. PLEASE GO ELSEWHERE. read more

Had a great time going for a ride with Patrick. Easy trail and gentle horse. Been 30 years since I was up on a horse and I realized how much I missed it. Low key good time. read more

Circle A Riding Stable - Horseback Riding Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

Absolutely fantastic experience!!!! Patrick was a wonderful guide and teacher!! Our family had the best time!!!!

I brought my boyfriend here today to go on the hour long trail ride. We both were extremely pleased and had a great time. The staff was ready for us to fill out paper work upon our arrival and was ready to put us on our horses soon after. The horses were very sweet and seem to be well taken care of. We enjoyed the ride through the woods and fields. The instructor explained what to do at certain parts of the trail (lean back when going down hill, lean forward when going up, let us know when we would need to duck due to branches). We both definitely are interested in coming back! read more

Circle A Riding Stable - Horseback Riding Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

See all

I called this morning and scheduled to go on a trail ride for this afternoon, the gentleman on the phone was nice and told me the price and asked what time we wanted to come. We arrived a few hours later. We were greeted by the same gentleman who was our guide. We had a great ride for an hour and our guide was so nice and told us some history of the park. The horses are so beautiful and well taken care of read more

My boyfriend and I visited Circle A yesterday for a trail ride and we were disappointed by the experience. In general, the place looked sort of run down and sloppy. Even so, I was still excited to get going and see the trail. The guide took us across the street to an opening in the woods. I actually felt bad for the horses because most parts of the trail were steep and narrow. In the first minute a woman in our group got thrown off the horse and they had to bring her a different one. From what I could tell, none of the horses were friendly like the ones I am used to. The ride was an hour long and very slow moving. It is unfortunate that my boyfriend's first time on a horse was at Circle A. They didn't make an effort to make him (or anyone else for that matter) comfortable. I am already looking for better stables to try in the future. Don't waste your afternoon here, go elsewhere if you're looking for a fun and enjoyable ride. read more

Circle A Riding Stable - Horseback Riding Near Me - Howell, New Jersey

We were there yesterday 1/2/2020 and it was a nightmare! Still doesn't seem real!! I've never written a review before but people need to know what they are getting themselves into. My family of 5 had reservations, like the other families there. The ONE staff member had told us that 2 other staff members hadn't showed so he was on his own. I get it...that happens but there should be protocol...only take out as many horses as ONE staff member can handle safely and we would understand. There were 12 horses, most tied to fence...others with riders on them and NOT secured while the the ONE staff member was in barn putting another horse who wasn't happy away. During that time, one horse who had a teenage boy got riled up and ran off. The boy was yelling and hopped off when horse settled. Next it was another horse backing up and actually snapping one of the metal chain/clips that secured it to fence...that rider jumped off her horse too as it was obvious her horse was annoyed. She wasn't doing anything but sitting there waiting. We all knew it was time to get off the horses but we didn't want to make sudden movements to startle them as 2 of our daughters, age 11 and 13 were sitting on unsecured horses. Then the father of the teenage boy's horse went crazy, we think following staff member into barn...the father on it had to duck quickly to fit under the door...he too was yelling until the horse threw him off in the barn and onto the cement floor! That's when our 11 year old's horse started! Ran off with her and heading towards a trailer near driveway...my husband now off his horse and trying to catch them. The horse was running and she too flew off! 11 YEARS OLD AND TOSSED OFF A HORSE! He grabbed her from ground and put her on a pickup in yard and ran to our other 13 year old daughter whose horse was also spinning around. He grabbed the reigns and got her down. The lone staff member was still in barn but other guests were helping as this all happened quickly. A father ran over to my daughter who was tossed when my husband was getting my other daughter from her horse. A Mom whose daughter rides horses (and knows typical behaviors etc) suggested I get our youngest daughter, who is 8, off her horse. I didn't want to move or startle my horse getting down or hers as it seemed to like kicking. I was glad she told me as watching 2 of my daughters crying (one whose ankle was cut up from the stirrup and her back and leg all scraped up from when she landed) was enough. I got her down quickly and maybe even passed her to this Mom...my mind is clouded from that time as I needed to get to my other children. All the guests met near the cars to check that everyone was physically okay...we just wanted to go home. I wish I got names and/or phone numbers from others there as this visit was so out of control. This was beyond scary for all and we are so lucky that no one (in our family) was hurt seriously. Hopefully the father who was thrown inside the barn was able to walk today. Sad to say that all 3 of our daughters are saying that they never want to get near a horse again. Sorry for the lengthy review but PLEASE BEWARE!! read more

Great experience. Guide was great with kids and trail was relaxing and fun. Horses looked well taken care off and trained for family trails. Really enjoyed it! read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS STABLE! The owner is only concerned with making money. He took unnecessary risks, trying to get 14 people on a trail ride together, on a windy day, knowing the horses were not happy. Many people were thrown off of horses around the parking lot. It was something out of a movie. I have never seen anything like it. The horses were not taken care of. He was slapping them and yelling. They were all tied to a very small area, and needed space. When they didn't get it, they started to lash out. The man still proceeded to get more horses and pass them out to people to hold. He seemed annoyed at the customers who then said they felt uncomfortable going. Ended up giving everyone their money back because all of the horses went nuts and the entire group backed out. It was a disaster. read more

Called us the day of 20 minutes prior to our reservation to tell us they couldn't do it today. Wish we would've known before we left and we're almost there! Complete waste of time, but reading other reviews were happier we're not going there. read more

Recently made a reservation a few days in advance for a trail ride. Drove 40 minutes to get there. When we arrived no one was there. Called their phone number multiple times, no one answered. After a half hour of waiting and no one showing up or answering the phone we left. Very disappointed. read more

It's been probably 30 years since we went horseback riding and we had a great time. I called to be sure they were open and made an 11am reservation on the 4th of July. Our guide was great. The horses (Chico and Baily) were well trained, appeared well taken care of and were obedient and easy to ride. He gave us some quick instructions on how to ride and control the horse and we were off. The ride through the park trails was peaceful, and our guide pointed out the deer as we went by. He kept us close and chatted with us. Very nice guy. Couldn't have asked for a nicer experience. We will be back in the winter after the snow has fallen to see what that is like. I'd recommend Circle A for anyone in the area who wants to go for a horseback ride. read more

Extremely rude on the phone. No wonder the reviews are terrible - the management has no idea how to run a business. They gave me an attitude and didn't want to answer questions as an inexperienced rider. You're in customer service; learn how to speak to potential customers. There are plenty of other horseback riding stables in NJ - take your business some place else! read more

Circle A Riding is NOT open on days they say they are. Don't get your hopes up planning to ride trails just to call to make a reservation and hear you can't ride for no reason. Website hours contradict staff's mood that day. Beware. read more

Go, it was wonderful!!! The horses knew there job well and the instructions were simple And easy to understand. Last Sunday I took my adult daughter ridding. I hadn't ridden in a very long time. We had a fantastic time. I noticed the reviews were good or bad nothing in between for Yelp but I took a chance. my advice to those who had bad experience if your coming from far away have a plan B if they have to cancel. These are live animals and if they have to cancel it's in your best interest. They are not doing it to piss you off. I can tell you the people who had a hard time are the ones that didn't listen. the Instructor put the horses in a certain order for a reason. This guy in our group that was placed last decided he didn't have to listen to the instructor and rode his horse in front of another horse. He was warned that his horse kicks sometimes so stay in the back. He didn't listen And kept changing positions. Lucky the women he jumped in front of wasn't thrown. I think people expect a lesson while clearly it's a trail ride. If you read the paper you signed it warns that you can be hurt. This is a trail ride on horses. If your not going to listen don't come. if you listen you will have a great time. Don't be afraid to ask questions if your not sure what the guid means. Have a happy delightful day! read more

Took my 10 year old nephew who had never been on a horse here on Sunday morning. Ended up with a private trail ride Patrick was our guide and he did a fantastic job. The horses were amazingly trained and the trail was beautiful. I had not been on a horse for 30+ years so it was a huge relief that Patrick, Bailey(my horse) & Curly (my nephews horse) were all so great with us. Thank you again read more

This is the second time that I've been here and the experience just keeps getting better. Our guide was great. He was very patient and was very knowledgeable. The horses were well trained, obedient and easy to ride. I would recommend this to place to any beginner wanted to take a leisurely trail ride. Definitely looking forward to going back again. read more

Easy to make a reservation . Nice trail . Fun for everyone . Would go again next time I'm in the area .

We called to ask if he was opened. When we came Patrick was preparing the horses. He set us up. He took his time to explain to us what to do. He was calm and made our first time riding a great experience. He explained with great insight about how the horses behave and why and the fact that they react to your actions. He prepared us for any pitfalls ahead of time. The trail was fun. We were three people and he was informative and a good instructor. The price was reasonable as well. We had a great time. read more

my daughters and i had a great experience with a knowledgeable guide and well behaved horses. absolutely would recommend!

Today was my 3rd time riding at Circle A. If it was my first time I would have never gone back. The employees were rude and uninviting. They rushed us and gave us no instructions. They did not even ask us if we had any experience riding before we hit the trail. They threw us on the horse and gave us no direction. I highly recommend looking elsewhere for horseback riding... read more