My fiancé and I recently booked a horseback ride on October 12th and had the best time! Our guide…read morewas incredibly friendly and informative, with a vast knowledge of Pinellas Park and its horse community. It's amazing to see this little piece of country still thriving in Pinellas County, and you can tell they work hard every day to keep it alive. I loved riding their new horse, Bacardi--she was such a sweetheart. We're already excited to book again in December for their carriage rides to see the Christmas lights!

I wanted to go for a ride on my day off, so I booked a one hour trail ride with Ruxtons. Booking…read moreonline was super easy, and you can sign the safety waiver online, too. I was a little taken aback at the size of my horse, Ripley, but I needn't have worried. He was gentle as a lamb. No one else was booked for 11am, so I got a private ride with Lina, the owner. She was a wonderful host. I intend to go back and I highly recommend this business!

Learned to ride a horse here. I've always had this fear of horses but I met Sampson and all that…read morechanged. My trainer and horse have changed my ways. The trails here are beautiful and I had a great time. Cannot wait to do this again very soon. Thank you Cypress Breeze Farm

Fantastic guide, and great fun ride, even if ur experienced…read more Me and my boyfriend had a great time

Learned to ride a horse here. I've always had this fear of horses but I met Sampson and all that…read morechanged. My trainer and horse have changed my ways. The trails here are beautiful and I had a great time. Cannot wait to do this again very soon. Thank you Cypress Breeze Farm

Bad service. Wrote them an email at least 3 weeks in advance of my desired excursion date and never…read morereceived anything back. My email to them was detailed too! I finally was urged to call them as vacation was coming up quickly - they answered and told me that horseback riding on the beach was no longer a thing in Florida however, there website was still up and running and so was their "hold" recording. I was pissed as we had to find a last minute excursion which doesn't even come close to how much we love horseback riding. I do not suggest going through such an unprofessional company again. ALWAYS have a plan b when you find this company on line under "things to do in the area"

I've been taking English lessons here for about a year, and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for…read moretraining or stabling. Everyone tolerates me very well, despite my various & myriad ineptitudes :) Kallie, the trainer, is fantastic. All the animals are in good condition - horses, goats, dogs, chickens - and everyone is friendly and helpful.

From the owner: At Anvil Acres Stables, safety and quality are the most important aspects of boarding. We have a…read morewide variety of well trained and safe school horses available for our students. All levels of English riding are taught, from the first time beginner to the most advanced showing levels. Call Anvil Acres Stables today for more information!

Wonderful! The owner was really nice and easy to communicate with. We scheduled a lesson for a…read morebeginner age 7 and our instructor, Mollie, was amazing! She showed us everything that needed to be done and was kind and patient. There were about eight horses in the barn and the horse that was ridden was gentle-perfect for a beginner. They have a nice sized riding ring and a trail to walk on. They also do lessons for people with autism which is amazing to give back to the community. We will definitely be back!

I've gone to Saddle Up for their Mommy and Me program on two occasions with my two preschool boys…read more It was a fun intro to horses. My boys enjoyed walking through the stable to see where the horses lived. They had an opportunity to groom the horse they would ride. And of course, the best part was the short ride on a horse led by a handler. They got to see the other farms animals on site, too. It's not a fancy, schmancy place. Like most nonprofits, Saddle Up is always challenged by funding. It's a rare find developed Pinellas County. They also provide important service to a segment of the community. I look forward to attending future programs and events there.

This isn't just a beach ride--it's a beautiful, ethical experience with rescue horses who truly…read morelove what they do. We had an absolutely incredible experience with C Ponies, and I can't recommend them enough--especially if you're looking for something unique, meaningful, and truly unforgettable. What makes this experience so special goes far beyond just "riding horses on the beach." These are rescue horses--many of them coming from difficult or neglectful situations--and C Ponies has created something really beautiful by giving them a second chance at life. You can feel how deeply loved and well cared for these horses are. They are healthy, happy, and genuinely seem to enjoy their work. One of the most fascinating parts was learning that the water is actually healing for them. Being in the ocean supports their joints and overall wellness, so this experience isn't just fun for us--it's beneficial for them, too. That alignment made the entire experience feel even more special and ethical. Our guide, Raina, was fantastic. She had the perfect mix of humor (yes, some delightfully corny jokes), warmth, and knowledge. More importantly, you could tell she truly loves these horses and what she does. She made everyone feel comfortable, safe, and engaged the entire time. Walking the horses into the water--and even getting to experience them swimming--was surreal. Each horse had its own personality, which made it even more fun. You could tell they were relaxed, confident, and happy to be there. It didn't feel forced or transactional--it felt like a partnership between humans and animals. Living in Sarasota, it also meant a lot to support a business that is doing such meaningful work in our own SW Florida community. C Ponies is not only creating unforgettable experiences, but they are actively rescuing, rehabilitating, and giving these horses a life filled with purpose and care. If you're on the fence--book it. It's one of those rare experiences that stays with you long after it's over.

Absolutely exceeded our expectations! Raina was an amazing guide, full of tons of information…read moreabout the bay, history of the ponies and nuances of each pony to better assist each rider. Would highly recommend! This is an experience you'll never forget. Thanks to Raina, Coral, Dori and Snooki.

My daughter started taking horseback riding lessons here in January and initially I thought this…read moreplace was great. It was VERY laid back, even the website said "Hoity toity we are not." I thought this would be perfect for us because we were just looking for my daughter to learn to ride, not necessarily become the next gold medal Olympic rider. Lessons started out ok, but little things started to happen over time... The instructor was hardly ever out in the arena coaching my daughter, she mostly sat in the gazebo with me and yelled instruction to my daughter. I thought ok, it is hot and sunny, so there's an excuse. But then she started to be on her cell phone more and more during lessons. About 5 lessons in, the instructor lead the horse my daughter was riding on over a small jump without warning. My daughter was never taught how to go over a jump so she was not in a proper position and her head bounced back (similar to what happens if you're in a car accident). I was shocked that she would do this, but I didn't want to freak my daughter out so I tried not to make a big deal out of it. Luckily she didn't fall off and her neck wasn't injured. Lessons were also very inconsistent. It seemed like the instructor decided in the moment what they would do that day, and more lessons than necessary were spent riding a barrel. The first time I kind of understood. She said it was to practice balance, but I would think you could practice balance on the horse, so how many lessons riding a barrel are really necessary? She also had my daughter practice falling off things, which I understand, but is it necessary to spend an hour in the grass practicing falling off high flower beds and doing "trust falls"? Once the instructor brought her kids to the lesson and had them riding on barrels with my daughter and doing handstands. She said she was thinking about teaching her students vaulting. That's great, but my daughter was still a beginner rider so starting to do handstands on a horse didn't seem like a good idea. Frequently I would get calls or texts the day of (sometimes an hour before) the lesson needing to cancel. I understand there are emergency situations, but this happened frequently enough that even my daughter said "Wow, she has REALLY bad luck!". Once, we showed up for a lesson and the instructor was nowhere to be found. She had confirmed the lesson 3 days prior, and I had received no calls or texts saying it was cancelled. I even tried to call & text her to see if everything was ok and got no response. Someone at the barn even tried to call her and got no answer and had no idea where she was. The following day she called me and said something was wrong with her phone and no calls or texts were going through. I gave her the benefit of the doubt. The last straw was when my daughter seemed to have an ok lesson, and suddenly at the end the instructor came to me with my daughter looking very upset and said it was a rough lesson. She seemed exasperated and said my daughter was having trouble remembering things that she had told her time and time again (my daughter is only 9) and she didn't know what to do to help her, literally throwing up her hands. This was the first I had ever heard of this being an issue. My daughter didn't want to talk because she felt she was in trouble, and she didn't know why. I told the instructor I would talk to my daughter & follow up with her, and she said she would text me more specific info on why the lesson was rough. After some coaxing, my daughter finally said everything was going ok until she forgot one thing while she was un-tacking and the instructor had gotten mad at her. I follow up with a text to the instructor letting her know this, and I never heard anything back. I also never got a text or call from the instructor with more info on why she felt it was a rough lesson. Two days later I texted again to confirm my daughters next lesson, and got no response. The day before the lesson I still hadn't heard anything and I was getting frustrated, so I texted her again that since she never replied to my text about the last lesson or followed up with info about issues in that last lesson, AND hadn't responded to my request to confirm her next lesson, that we were putting lessons at A&A Equestrian on hold while we explore other facilities/instructors. At 10:40 pm she finally texted me back and said that she did respond to my text about the lesson issues (she did not, I received no texts from her for almost 4 days) and that her phone had been off because she doesn't work Saturdays. That didn't explain why she never replied to my text on Friday to confirm the next lesson. I feel that since I was paying A&A Equestrian $60 per lesson ($120 a week for 2 lessons/week) that we should have received better riding instruction and communication/reliability from the instructor. Long story short, we received inconsistent and distracted riding instruction with frequent last-minute cancellations.

If you're looking for a great horseback riding experience, especially as a beginner, I recommend…read moreChoyce. We had Will as our guide and he was so kind and professional. He made sure we all understood what to do and guided us through the process without being overbearing. We were able to take in the gorgeous sites and just enjoy our time without having to worry about a thing! The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that the communication leading up to this event was a little rough. We had to reschedule a few times, due to storms and a couple in our party getting sick, and texts/calls were not answered in a timely manner. There was also some confusion about where to meet and what time and such. However, that did not derail the actual experience, which was lovely. I would recommend, just be aware that your communication attempts may go unanswered for a while.

Communication was superior when setting up the reservations and the day as it progressed…read more A very friendly and knowledgeable staff. They chose horses according to your abilities and acquainted you with them before riding. It was a scenic ride thru Green Swamp Wilderness and was enjoyed by all riders. We definitely would go again!!