PEDIGREE REVEALS HISTORY…read more The 1970's in thoroughbred racing were considered to the be Golden Age due to the 3 Triple Crown winners. I don't want to show my age but I went to Kentucky to visit the last two Triple Crown Winners from the 1970's: Seattle Slew and Affirmed. You can say that this past decade, especially the latter half, has been the closest to the Golden Age since there have been 2 Triple Crown winners. What interests me about thoroughbred racing is the history behind the pedigree. In fact you don't have to travel to Kentucky to see the descendants of the 3 Triple Crown Winners you can come to this farm. That's what I did during the week of July 4 when I went to this farm on July 2. I was met by the owner Ellen Jackson from the farm where she showed me around the farm. First she showed me barn where the weanlings are stalled. The next thing place I went to the barn where two-year-olds were kept. She also showed me the hot walker - a device for horses to walk around in circle as they cooled down. In addition I was able to go to fields to interact with some of the horses. I was there mostly to see the stallions. What a horse's pedigree tells you is the story in the its bloodline. The stallion Many Rivers, through his mother, is a grandson of Affirmed. In addition the father of Many Rivers is a grandson of another Triple Crown Winner Secretariat. During Affirmed's Triple Crown campaign his rival was Alydar. The stallion Idiot Proof, through his father, is a grandson of Alydar. The stallion Bold Chieftain, through his father, is a grandson of Seattle Slew. When it comes to petting stallions you have to be careful as they can be highly spirited due to their testosterones. There are other horses you at the farm you can pet. If you want to engage yourself to how a thoroughbred farm operates without going to Kentucky I recommend visiting Victory Rose.

Best place ever! Beautiful pastures, beautiful horses and super friendly people!read more

The staff were very nice and provided safety tips that were helpful. We had never been to a…read moresanctuary before and it was lovely. Cleo and Tayo were super sweet!

Such a beautiful place! All of the animals are so healthy and happy and accessible. If I had a…read morehorse, I would certainly want to board it at this ranch! Devyn has really created an oasis for experiencing the beauty of this part of the world!

I was recently given a (surprise) first riding lesson with Four Star Farm, and my world will never…read morebe the same! As a neophyte to everything equestrian, I began the lesson with the simple goal of surviving what I assumed would be an hour of fear and embarrassment followed by an afterglow of melancholic guilt. Once the lesson began, however, I experienced several important revelations: 1. I'm a self-absorbed neurotic who overthinks everything. 2. Learning to ride is thrilling but not once did I experience fear. 3. Horses are incredibly affectionate and intuitive creatures. Interacting with them had a remarkably calming effect on my over-stimulated amygdala. 4. Natalie is an amazing teacher, with a pedigree of competitive accomplishments that were mostly lost on me. It felt akin to taking a drivers-ed class from Danica Patrick. It didn't hurt that the setting is beautiful and idyllic. The facility (Valley Dressage and Sport Horse Center) feels professional and well run but with a comfortable, informal atmosphere that I appreciate. Admittedly, I have nothing to compare my experience against, but my sense is that I was quite lucky to have taken my first ridding lesson with Four Star Farm.

They are very nice here and great training! I really enjoy coming here. I have had about 6 or 7…read morelessons now and it is lots of fun, all of their lesson horses are super sweet and calm. Very organized and clean, and very nice arena's. I recommend Four Star Farm :)

Our son, who has autism, has benefited greatly from his participation in Horseplay located in…read moreDixon, CA. Over these past 20 years of riding with Horseplay our son's focus and concentration on tasks has increased, his body core and sense of balanced have greatly improved, and his ability to ride a full grown horse independently is absolutely amazing! Thanks to the wonderful PATH certified instructors and fantastic volunteers, our son looks forward to each weekly session. I wish you could see the big smile on his face when he rides his horse. Horseplay is a non profit organization and charges us a reasonable fee for each session. You can check them out at www.horseplayriding.org.

From the owner: Horseplay offers a year-round therapeutic recreational horseback riding program for special needs…read morechildren and adults.

Susan and her horse were a delight to work with. She is punctual and dresses for the occasion!…read more Best decision we could make! The Baraat went smoothly and they looked great!

From the owner: When you're searching for horse and/or carriage rentals in northern California, even north to…read moreRedding and south to Modesto, consider Buzzard's Roost Baraat and Carriage Horses. Since 1988 we've provided beautiful, high quality carriage rides for a number of different occasions, including weddings, Quinceau00f1eras, Indian Baraats, Country Carriage drives and Carriage Driving Lessons. We incorporate beautiful, friendly breeds such as Percherons, Belgians & Morgans for these events. If you're looking for something out of the box to make your special event stand out, give us a call today! Our horses and carriage rides will do the trick.

I have been taking riding lessons from Amanda for 18 months. I've had nothing but positive…read moreexperiences with her and have grown, as a result, to absolutely love horses and the sport of horseback riding. Safety is a primary concern along with an enjoyment of each lesson. I am 65 and had never ridden before my lessons with Amanda. She has never made me feel that I am too old to learn and her teaching style is wonderfully catered to each individual's needs. I highly recommend Amanda and Jarose Training.

Amanda is a very sweet, patient horse owner with a kind, gentle horse named Buckwheat. Buckwheat…read morewas calm and easy for my 3- and 6-year-olds to ride (with Amanda's assistance!). It's a nice way to ease kids into feeling comfortable with a horse. The facility is huge and has a covered area to ride on hot days.

My wife takes my son here on a weekly basis for a 30 minute session with a pony named Daisy. Each…read moresession the rider is essentially learning to ride and control the pony with help from the instructor so that they can eventually ride it by themselves. It's $30 a session with a veteran discount and I think $35 for full price, at least that's what we paid during the pandemic. Speaking of the pandemic, this is a pretty safe activity if you're worried about Covid since the pony riding is usually just your child and the instructor, so there is limited contact with other people. Of course it takes place outside too and supposedly that's a safer type of activity to prevent the spread of Covid. The instructor has a lot of experience working with kids and she was able to handle my son pretty well, which is no easy feat since he is an absolute monster! Overall my son has really enjoyed going to these lessons and after about two months he was leading the pony by himself!

I paid a deposit about a month ago for a pony party at my house but the weather lately has been so…read morecrazy and unpredictable, one minute it's snowing in the hills and next min we are getting freezing temps. I kept going back and forth with Danielle, bless her heart for bearing with me. She was super flexible and understanding and we only confirmed the day before that we were going through with the party. Daisy and Danielle showed up right on time and it was a huge hit. Danielle is amazing to work with, very responsive, and a genuine kind person. I'd recommend her and Daisy for anyone interested in a pony party! Thank you for making my daughter's bday dreams come true!!