The Great American West and what living use to be like back then. Lemmy tell ya most people living in the Bay Area haven't a clue as to what it was like back then. From: concrete jungles, venti lattes, not knowing your neighbors, and paying 1/2 your months salary in rent. For those looking for an escape from the mundane and a change of pace from their liberal strongholds, the Chaparral Ranch trainers/hands/horse masters will provide you a temporary way out. Nestled in the Woodside hills with winding trails, scenic views, birds, trees, rabbits, more trees...and oh yes horses will give you a taste of olde School California. Mixing history with activity I can see no other better weekend escape. Take a trail ride or get a lesson, who cares just get out and enjoy nature! The horses and staff are experts on gettin you up and havin a guud olde time. So get off your butt and getta ridin! read more

Folger Stable - On my favorite horse, Angel. - Horseback Riding Near Me - Woodside, California

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Never got to ride with them. Took 10 days to respond to voice messages, and website is outdated & convoluted. Found Bay Area Ridge Riders at same time, and had a great experience. My advice is to keep looking. read more

Very cool experience!! I booked this last minute for a 60 minute ride through the trails there. Professional and knowledgeable staff. I was given a helmet for safety and brief introduction since I've ridden before. The horses were healthy and friendly. read more

Folger Stable - This is sky, he was a friendly horse and had pretty eyes - Horseback Riding Near Me - Woodside, California

Nice grounds for a trail ride. The attendant on the ride I was on was on her phone the entire time and was fairly inattentive to a guest on the ride whose horse would suddenly stop walking, horses trying to bite one another, etc. It was pretty slow going. We weren't given input on riding together (so our party ended up separated) and one horse ended up apart from the rest of us as the guide tethered it to her horse. Not very impressed - I've been on other rides where the horses have seemed generally more at peace/content, the staff have been enthusiastic/helpful and have taught about safety, commands, etc prior to the ride. read more

We had a lovely, if slow and uneventful ride. No safety or briefing, but they did have helmets. It's a nose to tail ride, and the guide we had spent most of the time on her phone ‍ But the horses seemed well cared for. read more

It is not a place for beginners, esp kids. My daughter fell off the horse during the lesson. They didn't assign enough instructor, didn't assign the right sized horse, and they didn't have quick response to the incident. The horse for my daughter was way too large and seemed to be really tired and unhappy. It didn't quite responded to the instructions from the very beginning. I wished I have asked to switch a horse. Overall it was terrible experience. I am still worried if my daughter has some unseen injury. read more

I recommend Folgers as a great place for kids to learn to ride (5 stars), but I cannot recommend their booking or refund process (1 star). Since their reservations book up so quickly, you need to book reservations far in advance (which is reasonable). However, this can require more frequent changes which could require changing your lesson. Since they have moved to an online only reservation system, you are required to cancel and it's very difficult to get a refund. You cannot schedule recurring lessons in their new booking system. Often, I must call multiple times and email before I get a refund. The refund is also less that the original charge as they have a processing fee. They also do not respond to email. Honestly, this process has made it so that we are looking for a new place to ride horses with the exception of camp where it's easily planned for an entire week. Overall, my daughters love the lessons and camp, but the back office operations make it too difficult to regularly ride. read more

Ever since I got the Horse Addiction Syndrome, I'm trying to get trail rides from every barn in the bay area. The trail ride was actually not offered by Folger Stable but all the staff members here were helpful to me. They have the best trails. It's just like the English country side with a lot of shades. read more

My daughter did a week long camp here and loved it. She's been asking everyday to go back. Signing her up for lessons and going on a trail ride soon. Thanks for an amazing time!!!! read more

Let me start off by saying that the stable and grounds are beautiful. It's landscaped very nicely and the stables are top notch (I believe they had a reno in the last 5-7 years). As for taking lessons here...not impressed. I am an adult. I formerly rode as a child & teen. Back when I rode, I was doing so at a small stable, nothing fancy, nothing state-of-the-art or new . But my riding experience back then was WAY better. I think this place may have been a good fit for young kids who wanted to take lessons or for anyone wanting a trail ride. However, for a serious lesson on English saddle, I found this place lacking. My instructor did not seem very qualified. She was nice, but I got the feeling that she was used to teaching little kids. Also, I was expecting to a ride a horse. Not a pony. And not an old, retired dressage pony with dressage-habits. I rode three different ponies while I was taking lessons. Not one horse. (I learned on Morgans, Appaloosas and Thoroughbreds etc..as a kid). The ring I was being taught in had jumping apparatus strewn throughout the middle of it..which I felt was unsafe and irresponsible. Also, during the times I rode it was quite hot outside and the rings do not have any shade for horse or rider. The poor pony I was on (which was not a youngster) was sweating to death..and the sun was melting my face so much that my sunglasses kept slipping down my nose. (As far as I could tell there was not one covered/shaded or temp controlled ring). I was a pretty good rider as a teen and I was surprised at what a hard time I was having 'getting back into the saddle'. At one point, when I just could not keep the pony from going into the center of the ring repeatedly, my instructor told me she'd show me how it's done. But when she got on him, he did the same thing to her and she had to whack him several times with the crop to get him to even budge a little towards the fence. I don't know.. I felt that as a person getting back into riding after some years away, it would've been best to put me on a horse that likes to be ridden maybe? ..Is good for lessons? I rode thoroughbreds as a kid and my instructor in my youth was amazing. Very knowledgeable, qualified with decades of experience. My instructor at Folgers was young and nice but did not seem very skilled at riding or instructing adult riders. In addition to that, they messed up my appointment every time I went there. Whoever made the appointments didn't seem capable managing a simple schedule of clients. I had to move appts at last minute, wait for instructor who was late and unaware I was coming. And there seemed to be little interest from the instructor on building a client relationship. She acknowledged to me that the office had issues booking appts, and said she would call me herself to confirm and let me know when time slots opened up. Never received one call from her. Also, the only restroom on site for paying riders is a port-a-potty without a sink. There is a proper restroom next to the office in the stable area but they won't let people who ride there use it (?). I'm honestly not surprised that they are no longer open for lessons/lost funding. They just weren't organized enough. It looked like a beautiful place to keep (board) your horse, and probably quite scenic for trail rides but for serious lessons, I was ready to go elsewhere even before I heard they were shutting down the lessons. read more

My daughter and her 3rd grade class had a field trip here. It is located inside Wunderlich Park. This place is beautiful! There were alot of riders going around saying "Hi" to the kids as they rode by. The museum and history of this place was outstanding. Never knew that Folgers coffee started in the Bay Area. The docent gave a great tour and the kids were able to make their own leather bookmarker, press apples for apple juice,make a stone wall (which they eventually tore down) and clean a saddle for the horses. read more

I can't say enough good things about the Folger Stable and the professional way the barn is managed. Horses are well kept, the place is spotless, the management and staff are super knowledgable and friendly. And....It just happens to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth! read more

I rarely write reviews, but our experience here was so superb. Children went to the day camp and LOVED it. I tried to determine what exactly they loved, and the just said everything: the horses, the instructors, the helpers, the riding, the grooming, the learning about horses, the craft activities, the location, the trail ride, the learning about Folger stables and Folger family. read more

Dan Byrum, Manager of the historic Folgers Barn, offers a great variety of equestrian programs. Trail riding in beautiful Wunderlich park, Spring & Summer Horse Camps, Dressage Clinics, and all open to the public. Also, public boarding is available. Come and see what is new with Wunderlich County Park Stables...lots of fun for all! read more

Recommend Jacky. Really great experience to learn how to be with and communicate with horse. Me and my wife have a great time!

My two daughter's 8 years and 11 years have gone on a few trail rides now with the Chaparral Ranch Crew located at Folger's Stable in Wunderlich Park. The horses, staff, and views are all great. I highly recommend this ride to all levels of riders. Our guide today was Hannah who was friendly and great with the horses. We have also gone riding with Sue and Jackie who come with a wealth of horse experience and help those of us with much less experience to better understand how to work with these beautiful animals. read more

There is a lesson horse named Dakota at the stable who has open, bleeding girth sores and sores on his face where the bridle has literally rubbed all the hair off. I stopped riding there and canceled my lessons. read more

Horseback riding is very fun! The host is very kind and she is nice to let you know the knowledge about the horse. This is the first time my husband and I experienced the horseback riding, we choose one hour trail. The trail's scene are a lot of trees and we can the the beautiful scenery of the bayarea. We enjoyed our weekend there!! read more

Gorgeous restoration of this beautiful building. A local gem. I love the ambiance with the horses and did do a short trail ride (not out of Folger Stable), but accross the way in Wunderlich Park. read more

Folgers Stable is a dream. I have ridden and kept horses at many locations in the area and finally found a one stop shop. The management team is amazing. Kristina has a tremendous amount of knowledge about caring for horses. She's kind, thoughtful, and always available to help. The team is checks on the horses 24 hours a day. The renovated outdoor arena is beautiful and how lucky to be at Wunderlich park with gorgeous trails that go for miles and miles. read more

Beautiful facilities! My son has been riding there for a year and loves it.

My daughter loves horses so she asked to try it at a camp, I found folger stables and we went. She immediately lit up. Everyone was nice, especially the horses! Now she is an extremely good rider and she has only been riding for a year. She loves her teacher and the horses there are well trained. read more