started riding here with megan, when she first started up in '22. she is very warm, accommodating,…read moreand attentive, qualities that are hugely beneficial for a trail guide to assure a GREAT visit. megan grew up on this property, and with the ride comes the stories as such, which i love to hear when she tells them at certain landmarks. horses are very well mannered, stalls and stables, spotlessly clean, which is NOT an easy task when one keeps horses, lol. she uses fleece lined hackamore bits, which are effective, yet gentle on the horse's mouth. BONUS: she offers a quick, yet effective mini-lesson in the arena prior to hitting the trails, which is a great way to encourage confidence to apprehensive riders. after the lesson, we proceed outside, where other horses seem to be wishing us well on our journey. how i love seeing them running up, and whinnying! the trails are breathtaking, and variable....one minute you are on a wooded path where you might see a deer, and few moments later, on a huge open field-where suddenly FREEEEEDOMMMM! seems to "possess" you-i always feel like i want to just run wild and free, full speed through the vast openness, which of course i don't, because i can only walk and trot-and for safety/insurance reasons, walk and trot is pretty much what is allowed. the price for a 2 hr. ride is absolutely reasonable, and unique to our area. i highly recommend ANYONE with an interest or curiosity about horseback riding, to def. check out BLAZING TRAIL RIDES. (and please remember to TIP your trail guide) . you can thank me later. :) HAPPY TRAILS!

From the owner: Blazing Trail Rides offers guided horseback trail rides through the farm every Saturday and Sunday,…read moreJune through October. Located at the Van Etten Farm in the beautiful Helderberg Mountains of Knox, NY. 1999 Berne Altamont Road, Altamont, NY 12009 518-424-9086

This was by far the most meaningful riding lesson that I have had. Gil was absolutely fantastic and…read moreis a natural instructor. He immediately makes you feel at ease and spends time going over not just safety protocol but also shows you how to connect with the horses, develop an understanding. As a result the ride itself was absolutely fantastic. I learned a lot about technique and even more about the things to improve on. The ride itself was almost therapeutic. You learn how to be just in the moment. The sound of the horse's hooves on the earth is a memory that keeps coming back to me over and over again. If you are in saratoga, and you have an interest in horses, this is the place to be. In the last 15-18 years of annual or biannual trail rides, i have never gotten as much out of an experience as I did here.

Gilly and Diamond have need volunteering for Operation Adopt a Soldier for years as our Headless…read moreHorseman and does a GREAT job. Gilly is a very caring person and respects is horse (Diamond) and ALL his horse. I highly recommend him for all your riding and caring for horses you need.......

My boyfriend Shane and I had such an amazing experience today with GI Joe. I'm an experienced rider…read morewhile my boyfriend is a beginner, yet both of us were galloping by the end of it. We even shared a beer with Joe after the tour. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back. We seriously can't stop talking about our time with the horses.

We drove all the way from Long Island and we are so glad we made the trek. This was such an…read moreauthentic experience. This ranch is like no other.. Joe is incredible and has so much hospitality. He really knows his stuff and is an excellent riding guide. His horses are so well trained and really listen to you. From experienced riders to beginners, he really offers a one of a kind experience. Especially for people who have years of riding experience (like me) and are tired of those mundane boring trail rides than Rough riders is for you!! It is full of adventure and thrill!

Loved my daughters first lesson back! My 11 year old has been riding for 3 years and took a break…read moreat her old barn before starting at New Horizons. They are friendly and welcoming. They're goups lessons only allow 4 -5 horses riding at a time, so they were really able to give my daughter enough time and attention during the lesson. The lesson horses seem very seasoned and friendly. My daughter said she felt very comfortable with the trainer and horses. highly recommend, we love it here.

Dangerous for rider and horse. I would not recommend boarding here; paddocks are muddy and not…read moremaintained. Numerous horses have incurred injury while in paddocks. Horses are left outside overnight. Why did I pay for a stall if my horse wasn't using it. Riders are regularly placed on horses unsuitable for their experience level. Have heard numerous stories off family member in charge of feeding skipping mid-day or evening meals. Last but not least, why would an instructor ride without a helmet..and in front of children!

This was so much fun!! We made a last-minute decision to check out the horseback riding, and…read moresomehow luck was on our side -- they had an opening later in the day! The horses all had their own names and personalities (some clearly knew they were the stars of the show ), and it was so fun watching how they interacted and handled the trail. The ride itself was actually a bit of a challenge in the best way -- beautiful, exciting, and lots of fun! We had such a great time and would highly recommend it!!

Colby & Cowboy Pete are truly the BEST! We brought along two 13-year-olds who had never ridden…read morehorses before, and from the moment we arrived, they made the experience unforgettable. The horses were calm, gentle, and absolutely beautiful. Cowboy Pete was an incredible guide, leading us through trails that were peaceful, scenic, and breathtaking. What stood out most was their patience and kindness -- they immediately put our teens at ease and made them feel comfortable and confident. Thanks to Colby & Cowboy Pete, their very first horseback riding experience became a joyful memory they'll cherish forever. Thank you both so much for such an amazing adventure and for creating a moment they will always remember!

Fantastic facility with beautiful, well-kept horses. Always clean, beautiful, well run barn &…read moreriding arena. Victoria Acres does incredible work with their therapeutic riding programs & lessons.

The horses are very well cared for and the stables are kept clean to a very high standard. It's…read morehonestly so very much appreciated that I can tell the horses are loved and cared for and not just seen as a commodity

This is a beautiful and peaceful property! You could sit on the deck all day with not a worry in…read morethe world. We went there specifically for the horseback riding. The people at the barn were very friendly and helpful. The trails could have been a little clearer, but it was still an enjoyable ride. There are many other activities you could do, like kayaking, hiking, ziplining, jungle rope, three pools, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, and more. The main lodge was a log cabin, with beautiful views and a couple of fireplaces. I had expected the decor inside to be more rustic (Yellowstone-ish), but some areas were not, which was a little disappointing. The food was nicely presented and delicious. But the time it took from ordering to actually getting the food was very long. The meals, I thought, were pricey for what you got. Also, there are two different menus. Ours was the same 3 or 4 entrees for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for the entire 4-day stay. We went off the property for a couple of meals to have something different. There is a gift store on the property, which is in great need of a facelift. The people who work there were very nice and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. Check-in and check-out were easy.

We recently stayed at The 1000 Acre Ranch, and unfortunately it was one of the most disappointing…read morevacations our family has ever taken. We visited this resort many times when we were kids and had wonderful memories, but this trip made us wish we had left those memories in the past. For the amount of money we paid, the experience was unacceptable. The food was terrible. There was very little variety, and it felt like we were eating frozen TV dinners every night. Chicken was served repeatedly, the quality was poor, and there were almost no appealing options. The pools were disgusting. One of them had a massive clump of hair floating in it, which completely turned us off from swimming. Cleanliness throughout the property seemed to be a major issue. The horseback riding was another huge disappointment. Our family consists of experienced riders, yet every ride was restricted to walking only. There was no effort to accommodate different experience levels, making the rides incredibly boring. To make matters worse, the trail guides and trainers came across as rude and unfriendly. The rooms were equally disappointing. One of our family's rooms had so much mouse droppings that housekeeping had to come back and clean it again. Finding mouse poop in a room you're paying premium prices for is completely unacceptable. Overall, this resort feels like a shadow of what it once was. It has become an overpriced tourist trap that no longer delivers the quality or experience it advertises. We left feeling ripped off and extremely disappointed. Save yourself the money and book somewhere else. We certainly won't be returning.