If you in are search of finding an actual "horse whisperer," from which to learn, grow and gain…read moreconfidence, you will find her at "Unbridled Spirit" in Stephanie McGlothlin. I came to Unbridled Spirit originally, because they offer learning on many different types of horses and I love "gaited" horses, which are seldom offered for lessons. With Stephanie McGlothlin as my instructor, I actually learned not just to be a more confident and competent rider, but how to actually "build a relationship" with my horse! What an incredible joy it is to build that bond! The confidence and skills that I have gained in a short time have taken place through lessons, but also, through the targeted clinics and workshops that focus on certain skills and approaches, such as "Liberty." I cannot recommend Stephanie and Unbridled Spirit more highly!

I flew in from California to attend one of her weekend workshops. What Stephanie offers is…read moresomething so unique and amazing. She takes time to explain everything even if you didn't understand the first or second time. Her passion for horseback riding is contagious. She offers tools to learn and implement when working with your horse rather than bandaids for crazy horse behavior. Her horses are patient and kind and I can't wait to bring back my whole family. I could keep going but don't take it from me. Go and see for yourself what you are lacking in your horse connection! You'll be glad you did.

Awesome experience! Had a great time hanging out with Jeff. He was able to accommodate us on…read moreshort notice and we were lucky to have him teach our kids. The whole place had an authentic rustic vibe that was really hard to describe. Horses and dogs were greeting us as we entered the ranch. All of the horses were gentle giants. We felt like we were with family and friends. Thank you for a truly special experience. We also got some "Yellowstone" pictures!

This place was great find by our friends, while on vacation in San Antonio. We were celebrating our…read morefriends sons sixth birthday with his request to go horseback riding. From the time we arrived we were greeted with warm Texas welcome. The staff and guide Tori were very helpful and made my wife, who is uncomfortable around horses, feel at ease. The ride was very enjoyable but waiting to get on was just as nice. The kids played with the dogs (including Harley the pug) running freely on the property and were able to interact with some of the horses prior to the ride. The ride was quite long for a very reasonable price. We enjoyed every moment of it. It really made our friends son feel like a special little dude. If you are in this area and looking to do horseback riding, hollow tree is the place to be!

What a wonderful experience with Sara at Gypsy Farms!! We were ending a two week trip around the…read moreregion and all our six year old son wanted to do on this trip was "ride a horse like a cowboy!" We were striking out everywhere we called either due to the heavy rains leading up to our arrival or just lack of availability. I found Gypsy Farms on Yelp, read the one outstanding review and took a chance. Sara emailed me back the same day and despite the short notice, she fit us in our last night in San Antonio and was extremely responsive in our email exchange. And what an awesome experience for our son! She spent a full hour one-on-one with him - teaching him how to brush, bridle and saddle the horse; then getting him into the ring to ride for a solid 25 minutes learning how to control the horse's movements. She even got him comfortable enough to go off the lead and control the horse on his own and to walk the horse through the obstacle course. All in all, we were absolutely thrilled! Sara was not only extremely professional, but super friendly and interested in helping our son enjoy his first real horse riding experience. Plus, it's clear that her horses are well loved and cared for. And she's even rescued 12 horses since living in Texas the last 4 years. Needless to say, he's hooked now! Thanks again, Sara!!

From the owner: We are a small farmette that offers private western and english horseback riding lessons for…read morebeginner and intermediate riders. This is not a show farm, but a place to learn about equine behavior, care, training and riding. We specialize in helping new riders and horse owners become familiar with, and understand how to communicate effectively with horses. Lessons can be with your horse or mine, and I can come to you.

I can't recommend Cross G enough! My wife and I had an amazing time riding and had a blast. Ron…read more(our guide) was very friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced. He selected horses for us based on our physical size and experience level. I rode a wonderful horse named Tejas who was very gentle with me. It was my first time horseback riding and I would do it again for sure after this experience. The location can't be beat. It is quiet, beautiful, clean, and has the most incredible views. If you want a real Texas cowboy horseback riding experience, Cross G Ranch Trail Rides is the way to go!

First time riding a horse and this experience was wonderful. The wrangler was friendly, answered…read moreany questions and offered to take us pictures along the route. I will definitely come back again during the fall and sign up for a two hour ride. Please don't forget to tip if your experience was wonderful :)

Travis was a great host! He was very accommodating and flexible with our schedule. He cracked jokes…read morethe whole ride and seemed very knowledgeable of horses. Both his horses were very well behaved. I didn't feel uncomfortable or unsafe at all. Not to mention he's the cheapest horseback riding in an hour radius. Definitely recommend!

Beautiful trail ride and at only $40 per person for 1 hour that's a pretty good deal considering…read morewhat other places were charging. I had a great time. Wish I lived closer so I could come back frequently! Next time I'm in the area I will definitely be back.

One of the best places for trail riding. Horses were well…read morebehaved and friendly. The wranglers were great with communicating everything we needed to know. Plenty of space to ride around and great scenery.

Phenomenal Experience -- We'll Be Back!…read more My sister and I booked the last two available spots for a completely spur-of-the-moment horseback ride with @texastrailrides at @lonestarranchtexas, and wow... it was absolutely phenomenal. What a perfect way to start our first adventure of the year, especially in the Year of the Horse This year, we've decided to create moments instead of buying things, and this experience was everything we hoped for and more. From the moment we arrived, everything felt easy and welcoming. The instructions were clear and simple, making the ride comfortable even if you haven't been on a horse in a while. Our instructor, Annabelle, was AMAZING -- knowledgeable, calm, kind, and truly attentive the entire time. I had the honor of riding Poncho, a strong, steady, and beautiful horse. There was something incredibly grounding about simply walking the trails, crossing through water, and fully trusting him to guide us safely -- and he absolutely did. That connection, that peace, that trust... unforgettable. We enjoyed this experience so much that we already know we'll be back in March, and we plan to end this year the same way we started it -- on horseback, making memories together. If you're looking for horseback riding in Texas, I highly recommend this trail ride. It's peaceful, empowering, well-guided, and truly soul-filling. Thank you @texastrailrides, @lonestarranchtexas, Annabelle, and Poncho -- we can't wait to ride again

Amazing experience with our guide; Dario! Very kind and hard working young gentleman. We arrived…read moreearly and he was going around the whole ranch feeding over 24 horses, moving hay and continued his day by giving us the tour! I hope this guy gets taken care of and paid well because he deserves it! The trail for this tour is very lush and beautiful. When you gain a little elevation the skyline is beautiful. It was a peaceful ride and pleasant conversation with Dario! Highly recommend! Not sure what pricing is because my husband surprised me for my bday. Overall great experience!

Took my wife here for her birthday on a Saturday and the ranch was very peaceful and we had it all…read moreto ourselves. Pretty place and beautiful horses. Our tour guide and horse caretaker was a fellow named Dario and he was very friendly informative and professional. I sure hope they take care of this kid because I can tell he's a hard worker. He was probably the best part of our ride very friendly and I loved the way he cared for the horses. The trail was so so, not much of any type of back country we went through some property and then up a dirt road which turned around in a parking lot. There wasn't any steering from a walking pace which honestly was a little slow for me. I enjoyed my ride but probably won't return. If you ask me the ranch should do more for their workers.

Such a cool experience! I have never been on a horse before and it was actually pretty easy! My…read morecousin invited me since she had already been here and really enjoyed it. We went on a very rainy day and got soaked but it was still really fun. The owner gave my bf some tips and what to do when the horse stops and stuff like that so it was really cool! I can't wait to come again.

Great ride, Great staff. The trail was well beginner and I…read morefelt like a real cowboy I can't wait to ride again next time .

This review is targeting active adults who love the outdoors and like to run, hike, or cycle…read more(mountain bike) on trails with a variety of terrain: grassland, limestone rock gardens, oak groves, and lake shoreline. If that doesn't float your boat, or you are looking for a spot to have a family swim & picnic with the kids, knock the stars down to 2 and find another pretty park to explore during your visit to North Canyon Lake. Old Hancock Equestrian Trail is a free, public, day-use-only park on land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, like all the other land in the flood plain surrounding Canyon Lake. It is designated specifically for horseback riding, so everyone else must yield to those riders. If you get there before 9a on a weekday, chances are, you'll have the whole place to yourself for a 7-mile round-trip (out and back) trip from the trailhead around the north shore of the lake to Canyon Park Road (near Brookshire Brothers and Canyon Beach). The horses are more commonly seen on the weekends but may be there at any time, along with their owners' trucks and trailers in the dirt parking area. Just off the parking area, there are a few spurs that take you through the bushes to the lakeshore. This area is often used by anglers and kayakers to access the lake during good conditions for their sport, but its main purpose is for horses and their riders to take a dip after their ride. Toward the northeast from the parking area is the main trailhead, next to the informational kiosk. Take the path in the grass that heads north/northeast and follows the shore of the lake. About half the time, you'll have a water view; other times, it will be tall grasses, trees, or cow pastures. Depending on the time of day and time of year, you'll see a variety of birds, insects, deer, cattle, and maybe a big spiny lizard, a snapping turtle, or a harmless rat snake if you're lucky. In the spring, wildflowers and butterflies are abundant, but so can be the mud. In summer, it is hotter than Hades but the lake breeze is nice with the blue water and blue skies. In the fall, a few of the trees take on a magnificent red, orange, and yellow color scheme. In winter, everything is dried out and gray. I just love watching the seasons change here. At different points along the trail, you'll find rest benches, trail markers, and spurs down to the water, where you are welcome to go for a swim (at least at the time of this writing in June 2022). It's one of the last places around Canyon Lake where you can do that without paying a fee, but you've got to want it bad enough to hike there & back, and you can only bring what you can carry on your back. The trail (more like a dual-track dirt road) is mostly flat and open with sand, grass, or caliche surfaces, but there are a few challenging sections with short inclines, yards of bumpy rocks, and a couple of wet weather creek crossings. After a rain, there's also the possibility that some local dude from the adjacent neighborhood will have gone "night muddin'" out there in a 4x4 and made the ruts deep in some areas, but this has lately not been such a problem since the Comal County Sherriff has started warning about the potential $5,000 fine for using a motorized vehicle on the trail. A few words of warning: - This park property is between private land (residences, ranches, and businesses) and the lake. Be sure to stay on the trail and don't trespass over fences or beyond posted "private property" areas. - Shade is limited and the sun can be intense at least 10 months of the year, so wear a hat and sunscreen, make sure you're hydrated, go with a buddy, and try to time your trip for hours close to sun up or sundown. It would not be easy for an emergency vehicle to reach you out there if heatstroke happened. - No restrooms, water fountains, or trash bins are available to users of this trail. Pack in and pack out everything. Leave no trace. Litterbugs, shoo, stay away!

The Old Hancock Trail is primarily a trail for horses, but it also makes a good hiking trail. If it…read moreis warm outside, beware because there is lots of sunshine on this trail and little shade. Investing in some SPF 40 might be a good idea. It is mostly a dirt trail that skirts the northern side of the lake and stretches for about 3 1/2 miles to end at Canyon Park. To find the trailhead, just find your way to FM 306 (I took FM 12 out of San Marcos and it was a scenic drive). Once you pass FM 3424 on the north side of the lake, continue for about 1.9 miles on FM 306 until you see a street sign for Hancock Road. This road passes by a small airport and then dead ends at the trailhead where there is tons of free parking. Take a picnic with you and maybe a swimsuit, because there are several places along the trail that would be a good stop for a swim and a bite to eat. I mostly felt like I was hiking on someone's ranch road that happened to be next to a nice lake. I saw several deer and birds along the way, and there were a few people on horseback also. I'm sure this trail would be full of wildflowers and butterflies in the Spring. Anyway, I hope this encourages you to check it out when you have a free day to play in the sun. I'm not sure how Yelp ended up with this in Lubbock, but don't worry, I am working with them to fix this error. Yes, it is on Canyon Lake. Google Maps must hate Canyon Lake for some reason. :-)

Went on another ride with Bandera Historical Ride and it was great!!! Had some friends come in town…read moreand they had not ridden before but the horses were great and we went on a 45 minute ride down by the river. Perfect weather and great day to do a ride. Madison was the wrangler we met up with. Super company to do a ride with no matter what your skill level is!!! Highly recommend Bandera Historical Rides!!!

What an experience!…read more I try to go horseback riding on every vacation. This place is the best yet! We went for the cowboy breakfast. It was amazing. 1st the horses are beautiful and so well maintained! The staff was phenomenal-- so nice to us and our kids. The food was great and the coffee was outstanding! I absolutely love this place!!!