Equest Farm is very professionally run, horses are in great shape and well taken care of, the staff and trainers are all well educated with decades of experience in teaching and showing at an elite level. Always happy with my experience and lessons here. read more

Equest is a GREAT place to board a horse. I have had many horses, over many years and the care given at Equest is EXCELLENT. Leslie has given so much thought and attention to every detail. It is clear that the welfare and safety of the horses is an absolute priority, as well as that of all riders and horse owners. All of the trainers there with whom I have worked are wonderful, each giving their own unique perspective on my riding and of my horse. I feel that I get individualized attention, even during times when I choose to ride in a group lesson. My horse is happy here, too! I love Equest. read more

This truly is not a good place for learning and training. Outdated equipment and rude staff. Don't waste your time, efforts and money. Keep looking read more

ACTUAL STUDENT REPORT: As an adult student taking lessons for 1+ yrs at Equest Farms, I'll shed a fair light for anyone thinking about sending their child here or taking lessons herself. THE GOOD: the horses are well-maintained, a lot of horses, turn-out time. Nice setting, convenient location. THE BAD: Limited class schedule (for adults, I don't know about kids), unprofessional attitude of the staff, outdated and harmful instruction methods, and abominable customer service. Here's just a few of the concerns I heard from other students recently: "...Equest[Farms] has no interest in teaching us anything."   - Student 1 "IDK why [EquestFarms] can't be reasonable and understanding or caring about anything.  It's a lot of bullshit and really rude, entitled treatment of everyone." - Student 2 ".... Good god, Equest[Farms] is terrible.  ..... they gave me a horse I feel unsafe on repeatedly in spite of me asking them not to."  - Adult Student 3 "I got off my horse and brought him back to the barn in the middle of my lesson it was so bad."   - Adult Student 4 HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE/NO REGARD FOR STUDENTS' CONCERNS: The horse in question is used in lessons even though he is very horse-reactive. He's unsafe for anyone but the most experienced riders but Equest assigns him to beginner riders repeatedly anyway. (Yes, as riders, we push our comfort zones to get better, but that doesn't mean we should be put into unsafe situations.) The question to the staff is: Why keep him as a lesson horse and if so, why assign him to anyone but the most experienced riders? And obviously this horse isn't thriving anyway so why not provide a different life for him altogether? Equest's response: "We don't accommodate requests regarding horses, period. Your class is too needy and you need to ride horses like that. He lunges and bucks at other horses when you stand in Canter so just don't stand in Canter with him." (Yeah, ok. That's a great solution. And what about the 5 other reported incidents with this horse?) (Quick note - I got off a horse during class only 1 time and that horse was later deemed unsuitable for lessons and sold. So this is not an issue of me or other students avoiding the more challenging horses; this is a safety issue. And not to mention riding is very expensive so I'd like to enjoy it as well.) EVEN LESS REGARD FOR the STUDENTS' LEARNING GOALS: If you have learning goals, EquestFarms does not care. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR LEARNING GOALS. I can't speak for kids but I can speak for adults. They want you to pay the fees, go round and round in a ring and keep quiet. For example, I've been working hard for over a year to get better and I'd like to progress - you'd think they like that in their students but after months of myself (and another student) asking to learn the Canter, we got nothing but pushback and attitude from Equest staff. Eventually we both just gave up. REGARDING CHILDREN, a couple of instructors are good but two in particular SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO TEACH CHILDREN. These instructors use old school military-style instruction: humiliation, "you're not listening, you're not trying, don't make me regret letting you do this..." (These are 7-12 yr olds I'm talking about). Other adult students and I cringed at some of the stuff these particular trainers say to kids. I mean we literally had to bite our tongues. This is not only harmful but it's wholly ineffective for skill improvement. Nobody every got better at something by being made to feel small and stupid. EquestFarms is just lazy, outdated teaching. FULL DISCLOSURE: No surprise to anyone whose brought up an issue at EquestFarms, I was asked not to return because I went directly to the staff (instead of just gossiping) and shared the students' concerns about that aggressive horse and I asked to discuss my learning goals. No, really. That's it. (Turns out their asking me for my riding goals and responding they couldn't meet those goals was a farce, an excuse to remove me from school.) The real reason they removed me is because I took a stand for the students afraid to ride the unruly horse. (See the picture attachment). EquestFarms has gotten away with their attitude because they're currently the only game in town. When a stable opens and treats students with even a grain of respect, integrity and professionalism, this place will finally be forced to change. read more

Equest Farms - EquestFarms response to riding goals - Horseback Riding Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I have never written a yelp review before but don't want anyone else to waste their money on this place. Everything said in the other yelp reviews is absolutely true. My son was interested in riding lessons. We were so excited to find Equest Farms as it felt like a great place for him to learn. We purchased the beginners package. He loved being on the horse and being near them. He was nervous but we were trying to instill bravery and facing his fears in being around the horses. He was developing empathy and life skills by helping to care for the animals. After the initial set of lessons, I was told he needed private lessons to gain more confidence and less fear of being on the horses. I assumed he was learning but was on the young side and still developing comfort with the horses. I purchased private lessons for him. He loved several of the teachers, until his last private class with Amanda. After that lesson, my son was afraid to return to the farm and to be near the horses. I am not a parent that believes every sport is for every child. This sport may not be the one for my son right now. However, he is a six year old boy that is not accustomed to being screamed at by grownups or by teachers, let alone while on an animal that he is working to develop comfort with. The following week, we had signed up for horse camp. I was told other children may have no experience with horses and that he would be ok. As a parent, when you drop your child at day camp, you assume they are used to seeing all things. This camp is not capable of caring for a child afraid of horses, due to the way he was treated by a grown up employed by the farm. I had requested that my son not have lessons with Amanda again. She taught his group and continued her style of yelling at the students, many of which hadn't had experience with horses, leaving my child terrified and in tears. On the third day of camp I was called to pick up my son 1.5 hours after drop off because he was crying and scared. Based on my interactions with some of the staff, I can only imagine how he was being treated. When I spoke to Amanda later that day, she was rude to me, informed me that my son was not allowed back on a horse and that he had been doing badly in his lessons. As an educator myself, I know that when someone is struggling to learn something new, you don't cut them out of a program without first discussing the problems and trying to problem solve ways to help the student learn. This teacher and I assume the owner of Equest Farms do not care about the students needing extra help to gain comfort or learn. Up until this point, other than being told that he needed private lessons to gain confidence, I was not informed that he was near being kicked out of the program. The owner, Leslie Kramer, was also incredibly rude to me. This is not a "customer is always right" type of business. Leslie clearly doesn't care how she comes off or if her customers and students feel as if they are appreciated for using the services her farm provides and that the students and their families are valued. I asked for my money back for the remaining lesson that my son would not be taking, due to being told he was not allowed back on the horse and was told by the owner she has a "use it or lose it" system. To reiterate, my son is not allowed back on a horse and I am not going to get my money back for the lesson he is not allowed to take. Take your kids somewhere else. I have NEVER been treated as rudely by any service provider as I was by Leslie and Amanda. Vicki is very kind and helpful. read more

The property and horses were very obviously well maintained. I visited the property twice, first looking for the tack shop on the grounds, and the second time for my first lesson, an evaluation lesson. While the girl who gave me my lesson was very pleasant, I found the office staff to be fairly unprofessional. I arrived thirty minutes early to fill out paperwork, and was told that basically I had been double booked and my lesson needed to be pushed back by half an hour. Then they asked if I could come back in two hours. I agreed, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Since that day, they have texted/left voicemails that 1) call me Sophia instead of Sophie (a minor difference, but that's not my name) and 2) seem to imply that they think I am a child and they're leaving the message for my parents ("We hope Sophia enjoyed her lesson! Will she be back?" Unfortunately no, I don't think she will be.) read more

I enjoy riding here. They take good care of the horses and the property. Lots of friendly people willing to lend a helping hand. read more

Equest Farms - Horseback Riding Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I Love this Place!! I have been here for Six Years (I'm Ten) and I love it. the staff are so nice and I love them. -Your Friend Tavie read more

A nice place for riding lessons. They're sticklers for punctuality though. Their equipment is limited, so you might need to bring your own.

Equest Farm is a very pleasant and fun place to bring your children. My kids have attended camp there years and its always well worth it. The instructors are all every knowledgeable and nice. The receptionist is always there to great you with a smile and great attitude. I recommend this facility to families and friends of all ages. There is something there for everyone. read more