We've been meaning to plan a horseback riding excursion for the past five years during our…read moreThanksgiving weekends at Cachuma Lake Campground. This year, we finally made it happen--and it was everything we hoped for and more. After searching Yelp for nearby stables, this ranch stood out with the best reviews by far, (now I see why), so our hopes were high. I'm so glad we decided to trust the reviews and drive the extra 15-20 minutes to this place. I was tempted by the value of the half-day ride, but since it had been several years since either of us had been on horseback, we decided to go conservative and chose the 1.5-hour trail ride instead. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Jack, who checked us in and handled the paperwork. He was funny, friendly, and efficient--such a great start to the experience. I grew up riding English, with all the rules drilled into me from childhood, so being told (for only the second time in my life!) that I didn't have to wear a helmet felt almost rebellious. Yes, I know safety matters, and yes, my daughter was smart enough to wear one--but I have to admit, it felt wonderfully freeing. Russell was fantastic as well. Our horses were fully tacked and waiting, ready for us to hop on. As someone accustomed to doing much of the prep work myself, it felt strange--and a bit indulgent--to have mounting steps and a completely ready-to-go horse. My old riding instructors would be ashamed and shaking their heads at me. Though I felt a little "spoonfed," I know this is a huge perk for beginners or anyone unfamiliar with horses. Personally, I would've enjoyed grooming or prepping my horse, but that's not the norm for organized trail rides like this. After the ride, Russell was right there to help us dismount, cracking jokes and keeping us laughing the whole time. I had to laugh when he said, "You're just like me--good looking and short on legs!" Our trail guide, Elrich (Elrick?6, was excellent. Our group was small--just my daughter and me, plus one other couple. My daughter and I are both experienced English riders, while the other couple had never ridden before. Elrich struck the perfect balance, giving the beginners enough guidance without making the ride dull for the rest of us. While I always love a bit more trotting and cantering, I know that's not typical for these types of outings, and honestly, I had an absolute blast just being on a horse again. I've missed it so much. My daughter and I are already planning to return next year for the 2.5-hour ride. The trail itself? Absolutely breathtaking. I've been riding since childhood--now over 60--and have been on countless trail rides. This is, truly the most beautiful trail I've ever experienced. Waterfalls, streams, a few ocean views and stunning mountain scenery... it was spectacular from start to finish. If you're choosing between this ranch and nearby stables, I highly recommend trying this one first. You won't be disappointed, It's a wonderful experience, a gorgeous trail, and a fantastic way to spend the day.

This Ranch is so beautiful the pictures don't do justice! I've been on many horse back rides all…read moreover the US and the guide from Montana that does the tours is phenomenal! He loves what he does, is very knowledgeable, pleasant to talk to and shared a lot of nice stories about the outdoors. He is definitely an asset to Circle Bar Stables. For anyone booking try to go on his tour!! The nice gentleman that answers the phones is very sweet, I had to call several times to change my tour and he was so helpful I can tell he has been with the Stables a long time and loves being there. When I arrived I was the only one and he told me to go walk around while I was waiting I guess he read my mind. I had to take off 2 stars because of the Gentleman from Texas that works there. He honestly seems like he hates his job, he asked me several times if I was on a horse before and I told him give me any horse I'll be fine. He chose AXE and while he was bringing him over to me AXE was being a little stubborn and didn't want to come not because he didn't go on the trail but he was uncomfortable with the Texan. What bothered me most was he said "AXE STOP BEING A JERK" which made me really upset and uncomfortable. I don't like it when people wok with animals and call them derogatory names.

Had a FANTASTIC experience today! It seems some of the less than favorable reviews below are…read morerelated to the other business with the same name. We met our guide at a private lot with direct beach access. (No crossing freeways or long rides to the beach) Our guide Steve was friendly and we were given clear instruction before mounting the horses. My husband had never been on a horse before and he was nervous but afterward said he had a great time and felt confident on the horse as we rode. While we did not book a private ride, our group ended up only being our family of three and it was a truly gorgeous day and awesome experience. If we lived local I would do this all the time!

This trail ride was perhaps the worst I've ever experienced for multiple reasons. Two of the…read moreemployees in particular were so rude, uptight, and condescending. I brought a water bottle attached to a lanyard and both of these employees felt the need to judgmentally ask me if I "really needed that water bottle" and "are you sure that won't fall off?" Of course, the water bottle did fall off. When we got back, the man rudely and unnecessarily remarked "I told you it would fall off." I was paired with a terrible horse who did not follow any of my commands, constantly ate the vegetation, pinned his ears at and would try to bite the other horses for no reason, etc. I have some experience riding horses and I was doing my absolute best with this out-of-control horse. In turn, I was continually being barked at by the guides to "pull up on the reins and release, don't let him eat, kick him, go to the back, catch up to the rest of the group, keep him away from the other horses" etc. In addition, we rode through a very busy freeway overpass with multiple onramps/offramps and cars everywhere. We also passed right next to an active railroad. Of course, a train roared past a mere ten feet away from us. The horses spooked and it was a miracle that no one was thrown off. We were not given any prior warning that we would be riding in the middle of these very dangerous environments. If there was a warning in the waiver, I wouldn't have known because we were so rushed to sign it and had no time to read it. We finally made it to the actual beach and spent a mere 20 minutes on the shore before riding back through the danger zones towards home. I spent the entire ride pissed off, disappointed and feeling unsafe.

We had a really nice time at Vino Vaqueros. Our group did the 9am ride, which ended up being a…read moregreat call as the weather was cool and comfortable, and it made the whole experience more enjoyable. Char was our guide, and she struck a good balance of keeping things relaxed while still making sure everyone felt comfortable, especially since a few people in our group hadn't been horseback riding before. I rode Boomer, who was steady and easy to ride, and we appreciated that they gave a simple safety overview before heading out. After the ride, we did a casual tasting of both a red and white wine and then chose a glass of our favorite to hang with. The setting was quiet and pretty, and it felt low-key in the best possible way. One of the dogs Nana even joined us for the ride. Overall, it was a calm, well-paced outing that felt thoughtfully run without being overly structured.

Had a lovely time on our trail ride! Some of the horses were a bit stubborn at times, but whatcha…read moregonna do? Just added some amusement and laughs to the experience hahaha. Our two guides were great and one took plenty of pictures during the ride, which was really nice because we got to have those memories documented without worrying about having our phones out while on horseback. The trail itself was a beautiful view of the springtime flower blooms on the hills. I'd recommend bringing a hat or sunglasses because it can be a bit bright, and there's room for a water bottle in the saddle bags.

DO NOT board here. I cannot even begin to start with the negative treatment Bethel (my 4 year old…read moreAmerican Quarter) received during her stay with Shoreline. The trainer was horrifying, just the meanest lady I have ever met. The 'trails' are actually just public land these people claim to be their's... And wouldn't let me walk alongside my horse on these trails because 'I am not trained for private property'... Two younger women (i'm assuming employees) told me all about the private trails in the first place, which is why I was interested in the facilities to begin with. But yes, they are literally just stealing land from the Shebaily's (aka. More Mesa) and charging you big bucks to do so. Under kept facilities, inhumane treatment. Just the worst

shoreline farms is the best barn i have ever ridden/boarded at! they always take the best care of…read morethe horses and the community there is so great. I have had nothing but good experiences from shoreline farms and i have been riding there for many years

Avoid....can confirm 1 star is all they deserve. They are there for a reason. We stood around while…read morethey saddled the horses, that took 30 minutes. We didn't need lessons as we are all experienced riders. We went up a road, looped around and came back down. We were in the saddle for 50 minutes and paid for 90mins. 40 minutes of downtime. Absolutely unacceptable. I asked them to explain the downtime and was told that's how they operate and it's reasonable. Offered 10 min refund. Really? So be clear, they just want your money. Spend it elsewhere.

We are so grateful to Amber and Julia for working with our family! We've been coming 5 months now…read moreand there is no end in sight! Of course, the trail rides are amazing over 1500 acres of absolute, pristine beauty! But for us, Amber and Julia are teaching us true horsemanship, from the feet up. From grooming to tack, safety, bridling, learning how to trot, lope, and one day Gallup god willing! Amber and Julia are consummate professionals! Couldn't be more pleased. Thank you!

Run away! Complete scam and theives. They never scheduled us fir a time to go horseback riding and…read morearchery after we paid the money for the experience and refused ti send the money back after being so aggressive on the phone as I asked for the money back due to the unprovided service. So unpleasant and uncomfortable

This lady is unprofessional and a thief. I signed my two children up for a camp over winter break…read more I asked to pay credit card, but she kept insisting Zelle. I signed up for Winter camp. I was informed to pay my last installment the day before camp started. I paid the day before camp, and she said. "Thank you!". Within a few hours she texted me saying her barn flooded and camp was cancelled. I asked for a refund seeing as I paid her HOURS before and she said no. She obviously knew she was going to cancel, but still accepted my payment. She said she had already spent it. She only offered credit for Summer. (Which I was not happy about). When I tried to explain that it was hard on my family to be out $600 she started ranting on and on about how the city owes her family money and land. She had no care or compassion for how others felt she just wanted for herself. I held my tongue thinking I might use the credit in the Summer. I didn't want to cause drama if for a small reason I still let my children attend. She even had the audacity to ask for another $100 donation after I had NEVER even experienced camp. Then after winter camp being cancelled, Spring camp was also cancelled. She didn't even know where Summer camp would be or when, but still said I could only keep credit. After reading about all the other people in town having horrible stories, I decided to ask again for a refund since we would not be using our Summer Credit. Again, she had no willingness to help refund my money, even a partial amount. She is not fingerprinted to work with kids, she has no camp license (or at least has not been able to show me one) and she is incredibly rude. As a local teacher in town I would NOT TRUST kids with her.

I love this place just for spending time with the animals, even though I haven't gone horseback…read moreriding yet. The kids love seeing the horses, goats, llamas, and much more up close. I know it's America and other places might see it as a liability, but I hope they continue to let people come and roam free!

It took everything in me to not act like I was in Red Dead Redemption. I wanted to lean down while…read moresoftly petting the horse and say "Wooaah eaassyy there Nelly. Don't be scared. If we must die, we'll die. But sometimes death is the only way to remain free..." This was actually my first time riding a horse. Horses are so beast. Like that thing could have killed me anytime he wanted to. When we were checking in for our ride, a cowgirl in a long sleeve camo shirt, navy blue jeans, and some cowboy boots with spurs came out and said "Hey y'all!" in a thick Western accent. I look over and the rest of the staff are also full cowgirls. I had to double check I wasn't in the Even Cowgirls Get the Blues novel. Great read. Her name was Sissy and she was our trail guide for the day. She passionately explained how old each horse was and a bit of their backgrounds. My horse's name was Graham and he was a straight thug. He used to carry solar panels up the mountains. Straight workhorse. She had to put him near the back because he wanted to LAP all the other horses. After a 30 minute ride, we were able to walk around the grounds, and see all the other animals on the ranch. Mules, Donkeys, Cows, Horses, Alpacas, Sheep, etc. It was pretty rad. I got a good boot rec from Sissy (Double H Boots), as I'm in the market for some quality boots. Not cowboy boots though I'd be a phony. It was inspirational to see how people still live so differently. Sissy has been riding since she was in diapers and teaches lessons at the ranch full time. I often wonder if this simple of a life leads to greater happiness than climbing the corporate ladder. Comparison is a thief of joy though. If I were a screenwriter, the Ojai Valley Trail Riding Company would provide me with plenty of inspiration for a hit film. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

My fiancé (then boyfriend) surprised me with a sunset beach horseback ride, where he ended up…read moreproposing. Our guide Lukas was great! Friendly and made the experience even more memorable for us. He took a ton of photos without us needing to ask him to and captured a wonderful video of the proposal. We had such a great time and we will definitely be back! Incredible experience.

Pure MAGIC! The sunset ride is a great mix of…read moretrail/orchard scenery and a good amount of beach time! Lukas was our guide and was very helpful- even took a ton of pics for us! He also knew the horses all very well in regards to their personalities. Definitely worth it as a bucket list adventure.

Fabulous! We loved our beach ride. What a lovely and unique experience…read more Our guide was lovely. She was so patient and kind, especially since I am not an experienced rider. My daughter is and this was her wish. I was going to spend time with her. The horses were excellent and gentle. I would highly recommend if you want to ride while in the area

Loved this experience. My partner took me for a little anniversary surprise and was unforgettable…read moreadventure! The horses were very calm & comfortable the whole time! The trainers with us were also calm and informative. I never felt unsafe or scared. It drizzled a bit, however, still had a great time! We stopped to have a little picnic that they prepared for us! Overall very professional & great experience