Love this place for my family!!! Horse rides, camps, all kinds of fun for the family!

We had a wonderful experience horseback riding! The kids absolutely loved it and had such a great time. Everything was fantastic, and we can't wait to come back! read more

I had my first horseback riding experience here, and it was honestly better than I expected. I rode a horse named Preacher, and he was such a good boy. Super calm, gentle, and perfect if you're nervous or brand new to riding. I'd definitely recommend him for first-timers. My husband rode Kahlua. She was funny and entertaining; trying to eat everything that came across her path. Lol The guides were upbeat, informative, and kept everything running smoothly, which made me feel a lot more comfortable. You can tell they know what they're doing. All of the staff were friendly, patient, and really knowledgeable, which made the whole experience even better. I had a great time and can't wait to come back again! read more

Dead Broke Farm - Preacher - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Booked a trail ride last minute for me and my 5 year old son. We had such a fun time riding Nicole and Dennis with our guides (they sat on the horse with my son). The big draft horses are beautiful and the woods are gorgeous to match. Thanks for a fun ride, we will be back! read more

Dead Broke Farm - Riding Dennis with Nicole in front - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I had a wonderful experience, what a view! My horse was very gentle and knew what needed to be done, all the staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. read more

Dead Broke Farm - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Our guides Emerson and Reese provided an amazing ride experience for us! We had so much fun. My horse Dennis was incredible! Absolutely will be coming back. read more

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Great experience and great guide. From start to finish it was a smooth process. The horses were well trained and Christen was a pleasure to have as our guide. read more

This was our second time doing the trail ride at Dead Broke Farm, and it was just as wonderful as the first! We did a group trail ride, and our guides went out of their way to make sure that everyone felt safe, well informed and had a good time - I am an experienced rider but my daughter is not, and although she was a little nervous about it, that disappeared quickly because of the care they took to explain everything both before and during the ride. Special shout-out to our guide Emma, who was so sweet and helpful! The horses are beautiful and gentle, and the one hour trail ride went all through the woods - it was just lovely. There were a couple of littler kids on our ride (on littler horses!) and they had the best time! Can't wait to go back. :) read more

Dead Broke Farm - Handsome Zorro! All the horses seem very gentle and well trained. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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My daughter turned the Big 3-0, so we went horseback riding! Ashley was our private guide and we had a good time riding and trotting our horses. After our ride, we had a little BYO - brown bag lunch on the picnic benches located on the property. Looking for a COVID friendly activity, I highly recommend checking them out. read more

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I did horse back riding in a group and 2nd visit on private tour. This is a very hard working farm people and horses included. The website starts the registration process, lots of good facts and pricing is online. Both times I received a confirmation email with balance owed in cash at check in. I would not show up early. You will wait about an hour for check in, it is hot and there is minimal shade. We asked both times if we may pet the horses while waiting and they showed us which horses may be touched. Helmets are available, simple horse riding tips and help getting settled is offered. The staff know their horses very well, the trails are incredible and the ride is well worth the wait. Great family outing! Tip the guide at the end of your ride :) read more

Dead Broke Farm - Getting ready to ride. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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What a wonderful experience! We loved riding with them. We will definitely come back soon.

Horses are well cared for and know their job! They can accommodate all levels of riding. I let Carla know in advance that I was looking for a walk trot, canter ride. Her sister gave me a beautiful ride in the woods with no bugs in October! I will definitely ride here again! read more

Dead Broke Farm - Zorro, Dead Broke Farm trail rides - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We took our 2 granddaughters to Dead Broke and had a great ride!! The horses were very easy going and gentle!! Great place to ride. #Firsttimeriders. read more

My daughter broke her arm there and the guide took her on a trail and never called to tell me she fell off the horse. She made my daughter walk back with a broken arm. She was unprofessional and the whole experience was traumatic. We are talking about a full fracture of her upper arm. Nothing minor. Had same day surgery. ​ read more

My 5 1/2 year old girls have gone twice to Dead Broke Farm for "horse camp," it is their happy place. They talk nonstop about Moonshine, Snowball, and all the other animals. They go on at least one trail ride a day, help care for the animals, love on the animals, and play on the playground. They thrive in the unstructured environment of a working farm, and come home everyday filthy, exhausted, and oh so happy. read more

We were just looking around to see if we could see or even touch some horses. The woman was EXTREMELY RUDE and asked us to leave even though we weren't doing anything. I would never recommend a place where there's such a bad vibe!!!! I don't even want to imagine how riding with people this rude can be !! read more

Carla and her sister are amazing and compassionate about their horses. Our two young daughters felt safe on the well trained Horses they were given to ride. My husband got to ride a very nice Big Draft horse that took great care of him. Our family had such a memorable time. Carla recently took in an asthmatic horse from me in Florida and it was so nice to visit and see that he has been so well taken care of. Through Carla's generosity and experience he has been given a great new life. That's an amazing horsewoman! read more

Wouldn't go back because the owner is rude. Make sure you take a video of them collecting your money they will claim you didn't pay the full amount. Purchased a private session and was rushed when another private group was waiting but we didn't ride together don't understand how we where holding up a totally separate group. Not to mention the lady drops 50 dollars in front of me. Maybe they should invest in a better system. read more

Dead Broke Farm - This is the owners response to my review. Very rude - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

From start to finish a great experience. Was even able to book same day! A scenic trail ride down the heart of North Carolina. Courtney was a knowledgeable rider who keep the ride fun and entertaining. Definitely would recommend 10 out of 10 read more

We signed up for the 2 hour ride which their site says is $120 each. When we arrived we were told it would be $5 more because our group was less than 5. If we're in a public group, why do we have to pay more for less people. This makes no sense. The women who took the money was incredibly rude. The woman who owns the place is even more rude -- ruder?? Rudest?? Ride was over an hour late getting started while we waited for a birthday party to get organized. I don't know why we had to stand there while they tried to figure out what to do about that party. We could have been saddled up & on our way. Then we were told that they were putting a one hour ride in with ours so we had to go out for an hour & then return to switch horses (??) and let the one hour ride return. Then go out again. And, just to make things worse -- she forced me to get on a scale to weigh myself to confirm I was over a certain weight (she couldn't tell by looking at me what size horse I needed?? Told me I had to pay $10 more for a larger horse. And was not in the least discreet said so everyone could hear. And stated loudly that if I didn't eat so much I could ride a regular horse. (FYI, others were also riding the bigger horses, but they weren't charged more). Shame on you for treating a human being that way. I've been riding all my life and have never been treated so rudely, harshly & been so embarrassed in front of a crowd of people in my life. STAY AWAY -- Hope she treats the horses better than she treats her customers. read more

Me and my friend were passing North Carolina and decided to get some experience with horse riding. We picked this place from many which were listed, and that was a wonderful choice! We had a great time in Dead broke farm. All workers were very experienced and friendly. We will definitely return! read more

Dead Broke Farm - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Owner is insane. *Verbally assaulted a toddler and I** I work for a family moving into a home near by. During the Coronavirus outbreak, all we can do safely is take their little guy (2) for rides around the area to look at animals from the safety of our car. Within our car, we are taking precautions. We do a lot of trying to get him used to farm animals as his parents would like him to take riding lessons early and it's important that he's comfortable. To get to my point, today we had an outrageous interaction. I pulled down the drive to let him wave to the horses from his car seat and as I went down to turnaround. Having never actually left my car, i was approached by an older english woman screaming at me. Mind you, she came to me and motioned that i roll my window down as i was leaving. I said thank you and explained that this was the only thing we could do safely and she cut me off screaming "there's a pandemic and you brought your fucking piss ant here! You're risking my life! Get the hell out!". Had I have known that she was going to scream and curse at a TODDLER I would not have rolled his window down for him to say thank you to her. As we pulled away he started screaming in fear. I had to pull over and comfort him in someone's driveway. I absolutely believe the reviews that guys/ owners are rude. I understand people are afraid. But she motioned me to stop and speak to her, we never left the car to speak to anyone, and we were leaving. If you don't want anyone coming down a drive to what looks like a business you need to post a sign that the business is closed or that there is no entry. read more

We had a birthday celebration for my daughter at Dead Broke Farm. Horses and trails were ok but Customer service (Jean) was extremely rude to us and to our guests and not helpful at all. She was not approachable when we had questions, and her answers were very rude during our stay. We enjoyed seeing our daughter and her friends riding the horses as that was her birthday wish, but neither my family nor our guests will be going back because of the extremely bad experience with that lady "Jean". read more

it's was fun, we went through the forest and just ride around the whole time . Few stops because of children but it's was great read more

Dead Broke Farm - horse - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Dead broke farm is a fabulous experience for your child. My daughter Alana is 7 and obsessed with all things HORSE! Folks listen there is no better wholesome experience for your child in the summer!!!! My daughter just wanted to be up front and personal with a horse. We decided well let's see if she REALLY LOVES horses when she gets to clean up, brush and care for a horse. Well it seems I can't get her to leave camp. I love the simplicity and truest reality of farm like at this camp. They are free to wander the beautiful horse full scenery. She comes home with a craft everyday! She RIDES every single day and they are so safe! I love that this farm rescues horses so they can have a full life and give joy to so many kids! The kids feed apples and carrots. The have a mule and soooo many horses it's like a fairytale for kids who adore being on a farm. Don't expect alot of frills and thrills. Miss Jean is a gem with patience and knowledge of each horse. She let's the kids be kids and experience life on the farm. We will be booking another week before school starts! Thank you Jean for your love for the kids and the time and experience you gave our daughter! Thank you to the trail leaders for taking care and teaching alana how to ride safely? She is forever changed and now even more obsessed with her horse Stormy! read more

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My guide Katie was excellent. However, I paid more to go on a draft horse and was very excited to do this after I saw it was an option and requested it. I was assigned to Tommy whose presence I enjoyed. However, I was upset to not be on a draft horse that I requested and paid more for. read more

We were looking forward to going horseback riding for weeks and when we got to DBF, we were not disappointed! First, the staff. They were so sweet and helpful and funny. Especially Carla. They took fantastic care of my husband, my 17 year old, my 9 year old and me. Next, the horses. They were so clean!!! I've gone to places where when I touched the horse, it felt like I needed to wash my hands. But Dixie was sooooooo soft. Finally, the ride. The property is beautiful. I got some great photos along the way. And when we finished, Carla offered to take pics of us on the horses. They really went above and beyond. Thank you, DBF, to your wonderful staff for making this a memorable family day. read more

Dead Broke Farm - Me and my baby - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The trip started off about an hour and a half late. Somewhat understandable because they had an employee not show up for work. OK, I can deal with that but my real concern, seriously, is for the safety of future riders. The ride started off beautifully and it really is a beautiful place for a horseback ride. Near the end of the ride my wife fell off her horse (due to the saddle not being secured-it had been slipping) right into a creek bed. She could not move for about five minutes. The guide told us not to get off the horses. I finally decided that I needed to help my wife. The guide seemed confused as to what to do and was more concerned about the horses than my wife. We had to walk about a mile back (my wife in considerable pain) to the corrals. They seem extremely ill prepared for emergencies. Emergency room visit revealed 3 broken ribs and 1 hairline fracture of the hip. We feel blessed that she was not paralyzed. Thank God. Even though we stated on the release form that we wanted protective headgear it was not offered - only for our grandchildren. This could have ended in tragedy. Here are the safety issues; saddle was not secured on my wife's horse, no headgear offered for adults, no guide behind the last horse, lack of safety training for guides and they are really ill prepared for emergencies. I mean no harm to the owners of this establishment. I am only concerned for the safety of future riders. The surrounding area is just beautifull and our grandchildren did have a wonderful time. Read less read more

A first hand summary. From: Tyler Gill ty.gill@gmail.com Date: February 16, 2015 at 6:29:17 PM EST To: Carla Carlough ride@deadbrokehorsefarm.com Subject: Re: Message To DBF It's inappropriate to reply to clients in that manner. Yes, I was behind the guide's horse and it was the two dogs running straight for the lead horse from the woods that excited it. It was a horrible Valentines Day experience as we arrived at 1:30 but were forced to take the 3:30 trip (2 hours in the cold) and we rode for 2 minutes for over $150. Our trail guide was 12. And you being rude is just the icing on the cake. Take care. Tyler Sent from my iPhone6 From: Carla Carlough ride@deadbrokehorsefarm.com Date: February 16, 2015 at 5:16:13 PM EST To: Tyler Gill ty.gill@gmail.com Subject: Re: Message To DBF The dogs have been an asset to my farm for more than a year. It isn't a new occurrence to have them go out on the trail. In fact, they always go when I go. They help to desensitize the horses to deer, birds, squirrels, etc. And if it weren't for the deer, birds, squirrels, or dogs, it'd be bees. I can't control all of the outdoors. It is, after all, an outdoor excursion with all that comes with it. But if it makes you feel better, I gave one of them away today and have found a home for the other. The camp kids will, of course, be very disappointed when they are here this summer, but I guess you can't please everyone. And it rather bothers me that you refer to my dogs as "roaming". It's my farm, and they are my dogs. It's none of your business. I didn't see it but I don't think they did anything to antagonize the horses whatsoever. The lead guide's horse could've spooked at any number of things - my dogs, another horse kicking at them, a bird, squirrel, gun shot, to ANYTHING. They are flight animals - like deer. I didn't see what the lead guide's horse spooked at. She said it was the dogs, but I didn't see that. It's really irrelevant anyway. The black girl fell off when the horse took off and hit a tree and fell but I don't think she was hurt though she couldn't walk. I was the only person injured. On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 5:06 PM, Tyler Gill ty.gill@gmail.com wrote: I am glad you are okay. I'm sorry about all that. You were a great host. Hopefully the dogs will no longer be allowed to roam. Sent from my iPhone6 On Feb 16, 2015, at 4:54 PM, Carla Carlough ride@deadbrokehorsefarm.com wrote: I was the only one to suffer any real injuries. I got 7 staples and 16 stitches in my head, but I'm okay. The horse will be sold at auction as he has proven himself to be unreliable. You can reschedule anytime you like. We're open 7 days a week. Just let me know when you'd like to come. The 1-hour ride is offered at 11am, 2pm, (and 4pm beginning in March). Thanks. On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 10:38 AM, tyler gill ty.gill@gmail.com wrote: Hello! Message To DBF Enter your name: tyler gill Enter your email: ty.gill@gmail.com I wanted to know when we can reschedule the trail ride due to it being cancelled by cause of the injuries. I hope everyone is ok. Thank you. Tyler -- Important information about your ride: 1. When you come to ride, you may want to bring the following: camera, bottled water, and a tip for your guide if you have a great ride. 2. When you arrive, please checkin at the small green tent down by the barn in the horse hitching area. 3. To promote a safe and enjoyable ride, *anticipate 1 hour to check in and begin your ride, but do not arrive an hour in advance of your ride. We will be expecting you at your chosen time. Sign Liability Release Form Pay for your ride Be provided with riding instruction Be told which horse you'll be riding Have a staff member (or volunteer) assist you with mounting Have your stirrups adjusted and saddles retightened Be directed over to the trail head to join your guide *The check in process for pony rides and birthday parties for young children will only take about 30 minutes since no riding instruction is needed and they are typically single families checking in. Carla Carlough Dead Broke Farm Phone: 919-596-8975 6921 Wildlife Trail, Raleigh, NC 27613 Email: ride@deadbrokehorsefarm.com read more

Dead Broke Farm - Everyone hurt but us :/ - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Attempted to take my daughter for a trail ride and booked through her website for a time that wasn't available after listening to a voicemail that wasn't updated. The woman I spoke to who I assume was the owner was rude, inflexible, and wouldn't provide a refund although the only reason we booked was due to her non working website and outdated voicemail. She also had the nastiest attitude. In the end we were out of 50 dollars and I refuse to use it towards a service after being treated so poorly by the owner. Luckily in the end we found a nice horse farm at the last minute who was willing to take us on a private trail ride for a better price. read more

I hate the name - Dead Broke Farm... I've worked hard to avoid being dead broke, broke, or or even slightly improverished, but that is neither here or there. My naming dislikes aside, I used a Groupon for $25 for a one hour trail ride and paid $25 extra per rider to have a private ride - I mean who wants to ride through the woods with 10-15 total random strangers? Not I. It was well worth it to pay the extra $50. The ranch was a little busy (to say the least) - Lots of excited shrieking little kids, riders of all walks of life, lots of horses (therefore lots of poop), little dogs, and turkeys, chickens, and guinea fowl Oh my! The staff and overall "get on your horse and go" process was a bit disorganized, but I'm not here to analyze efficiencies and business optimize like this is Tabatha's Salon Takeover. Once we got out of the corral of chaos, the ride was beautiful and serene, especially with all the fall colors and deer. Lots of twists and turns through woods, up hills, into shallow streams, and a few straight-aways perfect for trotting/cantering if you are so inclined. We had an awesome, awesome (yes, I know I said awesome twice) time and I would definitely recommend this activity to my friends with the private ride caveat. Some Tips - You don't really need to have any horseback riding knowledge to do this. A staff member gives a demo and the horses do this all day, every day; they pretty much ride themselves. Also, the staff tacks up the horse completely so it's really just mount and go. - Helmets were optional (with signing a liability waiver) for 18 and over read more

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My wife and I did the 2 hour private ride for $200 and I'm glad we paid the extra $50 to opt out of a group ride. You can enjoy the ride at a very peaceful, leisurely pace. Carla, the owner, was our trail guide. The ride was tranquil with many winding paths through the trees and a stream. We stopped for 20 - 30 min break for lunch at a pond and picnic table. Our ride was scheduled for 11 am but we didn't mount and ride until about 11:30am and ended at about 2:00 pm. They don't recommend coming early and they're not kidding. We waited around while many of the staff members were shuffling around taking care of the horses and getting our horses ready. Though things were a bit chaotic, the staff and Carla were very friendly. The farm is huge and I've never been to a farm with this many horse (90+ horses, if I remember Carla saying). There were dogs, chickens, and turkeys freely roaming about the check-in area. If you fall off your horse during the ride, you get a free T-shirt like my wife did. My turn to fall off next time! I would recommend this farm and we'll definitely go back. read more

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We recently moved here from California and I wanted to find something that would help my daughter with this huge move. She has been wanting to learn to ride horses for a while, after doing several searches online I found Dead Broke Farms Horse camp. They still availability for their camp in July. I decided to sign her up for two weeks. I knew I picked the right place after the first day. She came home happy, dirty and exhausted and couldn't wait to go back. This is her first week and she loves it. The kids get to be hands on with the horses, feeding, brushing and learning to care for them, as well as going on daily trail rides. They have additional activities for the kids to fill their day with for example, a playground, arts & crafts, movies, and foosball table. My only problem now, she's wants a horse! This has been a great place to start our new adventures in North Carolina. Thanks! read more

Dead Broke Farm - Learning to brush the horses - Horseback Riding Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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My wife and Inwent trail riding last week. Ashley was our guide. She was kind, super friendly, very patient because neither my wife nornI had ridden in 20 years. We had a terrific time. Ashley was wonderful. My wife had her phone fall out of her back pocket during the ride. Ashley spent the time to double us back and retrace our steps and we found her phone. She never once batted an eye that we took extra time out of her schedule to find the phone. She went the extra mile and we are so appreciative. I highly recommend Dead Broke Farm for you or your family. They will fit you to the horse that will best suit you. I rode Butch. He is big, old and sweet, like me. We are going again soon. read more

I really wanted to love this place but unfortunately my family and I had a bad experience. It started with the woman who takes the cash payments, she was extremely rude. Especially when she was reviewing the consent forms, if there was even the smallest error she had something rude to say. Next the owner of the place was rude to her staff and didn't even know their names. The man who I think was her husband was also rude, he would tell you to " drop your reigns" and then yell at you for doing so despite it being what he asked. They seemed a bit disorganized and like they overbooked themselves. One of the workers also weight shamed my cousin, I know she was just doing what was best for the horse but she could have just phrased it very different. When we started on the trail they were missing staff so we were all waiting and the horses seemed to get agitated from standing around for nearly an hour. The trail itself was beautiful and the ride was lovely. My horse was beautiful and sweet. The majority of the volunteers were sweet. read more

We did a two hour tour with Ashley, Shelby and Kat and they were super knowledgeable and friendly. The horses were well trained and fun to ride on the trail. They made sure we were safe at all times. The second hour we asked to do more trotting and cantering and we were able to do so and had a blast with our horses Tommy and Morticia! Ashley and Luna were absolutely AMAZING! We will definitely be back! read more

We opted for the 2 hr ride and our guide was named Dakota. He was very helpful and made sure we had a pleasant and enjoyable experience. The whole staff was friendly and accommodating. Will definitely be returning. read more

Staff has great customer service, beautiful horses, the trail was wonderful, and I most definitely going to miss Bonnie's (horse) feisty attitude lol Rachel (trail guide) with the dimples was the best! read more

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Horrible place to visit I came for a first time experience and the horse passed out and fell on my leg 15 mins into a trail ride. The owner and staff literally showed no care or concern and refused to even speak with me on the matter. $150 just gone no explanation at all only concern for the horse when there was a doctor on site immediately. I would never recommend this place to ANYONE! Or ever come back read more

I am an experienced equestrian and had the worst horseback riding accident of my life at this establishment. Horseback riding can be dangerous, yes, but if you ride here, I need you to understand that many of these horses (through no fault of their own) are NOT ready to be ridden on the trail or even to be ridden at all. I had just been hired on as a trail guide for the summer, a job I was SO excited about. After several trial days and riding tests, Carla hired me on. Upon my first actual day of work, I was assigned to a horse that was brand new to the dead broke property and a relatively inexperienced trail horse. I'll spare the details of how it happened but the horse reared and lost his balance, falling backwards on top of me. I was pinned under the horse and he couldn't get up. As I wiggled my toes to make sure I could feel my legs, I called for help despite the wind being knocked out of me. For the most part, I was ok but the part that really got me was that the only kindness afterwards that I was shown was by a few other summer helpers who hosed off the mud that broke my fall. They dressed a few of my cuts and With permission, I left for home. Not once did I ever receive a call from Carla or anyone to make sure I was ok, or that I had made it home ok. Hindsight, I shouldn't have been driving. I am aware I signed a waiver and that horseback riding can be dangerous, but to have someone injured that badly on your property, on your horse, to not care to follow up on that? Bottom line, if you must go here, please please be careful and cautious as many of these horses need further training. Make sure you are wearing your helmet, mine probably saved my life. read more