Located just down the street from Richmond Country Farms and just shy of Riverport Entertainment…read morecomplex, Blue Meadow is a lovely riding facility in south east Richmond. It's really easy to get to as the bus to Riverport stops right at Palmberg, and it's just a hop and skip down Steveston Hwy off Highway 99. Blue Meadow has both an outdoor arena and a covered arena (not a completely indoor arena, but sheltered) which is great for our wet climate. The area footing is excellent. It's not soggy and water-logged, which can be a problem in Richmond as we're so close to sea level. The farm is three acres--plenty of room for the horses to graze and run around--and is owned by a family who leases it to the barn manager Yolanda Bloomers. Yolanda has school horses available for lessons and there are also boarding facilities. Blue Meadow has certified Equine Canada instructors/trainers who coach numerous English riding disciplines including dressage and jumping. The Equine Canada certification was important for me when researching a riding instructor, and as I don't own my own horse (yet!?), I needed someone with school horses available. I've recently started taking lessons with Yolanda who came highly recommended from other barn friends. When I emailed Yolanda, she suggested I first come and observe a lesson, so I could see her teaching style. I really appreciated this! It was so great to see her interacting with a rider to see her style, her mannerisms, and her competency. I definitely wanted to take lessons! I've had a couple lessons with Yolanda already at Blue Meadows, and I *definitely* intend to keep going. The price for a private lesson with use of a school horse is fair--equestrian sports are expensive--and I also think it's great value. What I really love about Yolanda's teaching style is that she explains the "why" of things--when this particular exercise is useful, the benefit of lunging in both directions, or how to do this weird terminology thing. Instead of shouting at you from across the arena, she either uses a small microphone and fanny-pack speaker, or walks with you (not beside you, but comes down to the end of the arena you're working in). She also gives the rider ample notice, like a GPS in the car would say "in 500 metres, turn left". I really appreciate that Yolanda gives positive feedback with the constructive criticism. I've worked with a lot of kids, and I've also worked as an instructor (not horseback riding), so I know the benefits of the "compliment sandwich". Yolanda also explains why the horse might not be responding to what the rider is asking, listing a couple possible reasons and then saying what to try adjusting the next go around. I can't wait to continue lessons, despite my sore muscles the day after!

I've been riding here for almost three years now and I love this place. It's clear that everyone is…read morehere because they love and care about the horses and their welfare, not to show off social status and appearance like some stables can be. Yolanda is an excellent instructor for beginners and advanced students alike, and knows her horses' capabilities and personalities well. The boarders and other riders are unpretentious and enthusiastic, and the horses are sensible and lovely, and great teachers themselves. It's low-key and friendly here, a wonderful environment whether you're a human or an equine.

We went on a wonderful trail ride- horses were well groomed, generally listened well. Kids 10 and…read moreabove could ride a horse on their own; using their helmets is mandatory for kids. Kids younger than 10 need to have a guide hold their horse the entire way, so each group can only have one kid less than age 10. They have big horses that can accommodate up to 240lbs. The one hr ride we went on took us around blueberry and raspberry fields, with really pretty views. For last 1/3 of ride it was through forest area and we got to go through a creek. Wildflowers were gorgeous and we even saw a bear! Around 11 am it was pretty hot and sunny- would recommend big shady hats and lots of sunscreen. Parts got pretty dusty so if sensitive, bring a balaclava. Not allowed to have anything around neck (not even a cross body purse) so consider a Fanny pack if you wanted to bring stuff with you, or a wristlet type attachment if you want to use your phone for photos during ride. The staff were super friendly and welcoming. We would go again in a heartbeat.

On vacation and one of my daughter's requests was to horseback ride. We found Leghorn which was…read morewell reviewed. They were responsive and wasy to work with. Janet gave us city slickers a helmet fitting, quick lesson, and we were off to ride amongst the beery fields, through the stream amongst majestic mountains. She provided a lot of information about the area and horses during the ride. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoy our time with Janet. Lucky and John Wayne were our horses. Thanks for a wonderful ride

Amazing family ran business. Patty and Len really care about their horses. Patty is an excellent…read moreinstructor, shes very kind, patient yet firm in her teaching. Safety is always a first priority. If you are a new beginner or looking to brush up or advance your skills. I highly recommend you choose Patty! Her years of horsemanship skills are invaluable. You can tell she really loves it. Shes very good at communicating and transferring her knowledge and skill. Super blessed to have her as an instructor!

From the owner: Blackstock's Performance Horses & Arena is a riding academy in Chilliwack. We specialize in horse…read moreboarding, training and provide weekly roping lessons as well as therapeutic riding sessions to customers of all ages.

A wonderful experience indeed! They offer one hour trail rides for $60…read more We reserved as a group of 6, we signed the waivers, and then we had to drive to another area 5 minutes away, where all the horses were. They had all the horses ready for us upon arrival. Andy, our guide, checked our experience with riding horses, and then paired us each with the appropriate horse. I got the tallest horse, Sonia. This was my first time riding a horse so at first I was a little uneasy. Andy eased us into it so that we all got comfortable with our horses. He then lead us on an hour and a half trail, bringing us to different terrains, and having us going at different speeds. He was also nice enough to stop at one point and take pictures for all of us. Beautiful scenery, and it was very relaxing. We went at different paces at different stretches of the ride, so it gave us a full on experience. A very pleasant ride, it was my first time, and it was very enjoyable!

Sunny Riding Stables is a welcoming, friendly, kid-friendly, family oriented facility, with many…read morelesson horses to learn from beginner through intermediate level riding.

From the owner: We strive towards the goal of spreading the positive effects of horse riding. Sunny Riding Stables…read moreis a business that promotes healing, learning and bonding.

The instructors are very talented and caring. The horses are well treated and reliable.read more

Here for Tiffanys first lesson. Awesome experience for her. Instructor is thorough and patient…read more Tiff had a great time! Much much better experience than I ever had!

I've recently started taking lessons here with Academie Duello School of Modern Swordplay through…read moretheir Cavaliere Program for mounted combat. The facilities are great, the people are friendly, it's a great location and there is on-site parking. Some of the horses are owned by Academie Duello (Jack & Flavie) and some are owned by individuals who are boarding on the farm. Leasing is available for some of the horses and there are live-in caregivers on the property full time.

Red Colt is a unique horse boarding facility in Richmond, offering full horse board, lessons and…read moreleasing programs. I've boarded my mare at Red Colt for the past two years and love it there. She is well taken care of and the people are very friendly. It's also small (about 10-13 horses) and affordable - which is wonderful as it's so close to the city. I would totally recommend it!

When we picked up our cats they were terrified,smelly and cowering out in a common area with other…read morecats. Our cat carrier was left for other cats to enter and smelled like cat spray when we left.

Leaving your kitty with Micaela is a very good idea! I loved her & so did my kitty. Cleo is…read moresensitive, shy, & dropping her off was concerning however Micaela found the purrfect roommate for her. Micaela even cleaned her eyes which have a tendency to weep. And she came home happy & well socialized. My kitty will definitely be going back!