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!

This whole experience with Ojai Valley Trail riding Co has been amazing. Susan was great helping me…read moreschedule our trail ride. Then when we got there we met Dillon. He was our guide but even before that he was great. Super friendly and helpful. We walked around the ranch prior to our ride. All the horses seemed so happy and friendly. They all wanted to chat. The ride was great. Again, Dillon was super helpful on the ride. My son rode Dutch and I rode Mira. Amazing horses. My son cannot stop talking about Dutch. I cannot recommend this company enough.

I'd never been a horse person, or even interested in horseback riding throughout any point in my…read morelife. After coming out to the ranch and meeting the horses, Tiffany let me groom them and showed me that they are really just giant teddy bears that want love and company. We went for a trail ride after she taught me some of the basics, and wasn't overbearing or rude in any way to the fact that I was new to all of this. I rode on Flash, one of the beginner horses, and FLASH IS SUCH A SWEETHEART! She understood that I didn't know what I was doing, and took it slow with me, readjusting herself if she noticed I was leaning to a side. Not only is Tiffany a friendly, experienced horseowner and trail guide, but she is excellent in matching the rider to the horse to make the rides the most enjoyable. Now that I've decided I am definitely a horse person, I would absolutely recommend Trail Rides of Ojai to everyone!

Tiffany is of the most knowledgeable trainers out there. Does not use a lot of horse jargon. She…read moreknows it but she doesn't feel the need to use it to impress you. Instead she explains things in terms you can understand. I picked up a lot of bad habits over the years. She fixed them all in three lessons. Highly recommended

Christine at Equine Xscape is an honest, easy to work with horse seller. I'm highly recommend…read morecontacting her with any of your horse purchasing needs. During the purchase process Christine is excellent with communication. She gives you details, explains things clearly, and makes purchasing a horse stress free and easy. I purchased a horse from her sight, unseen, a few years back. He was and still is everything she promised me! Throughout his journey to me, she checked in frequently, showing me she cared beyond just getting the money. In the current horse market, she is someone you can trust!

Christy is the kindest woman with an awesome team. There is no one more thoughtful with her animals…read morethan this beautiful soul. It is not about the business for her, it is about the animals and the joy of sharing her safe space. The trail ride was awesome and the perfect length for my friend and me. It was my friend's birthday, and she is more well versed in horseback riding than I am, and she also had high praise for the whole experience. I learned a lot! Christy really deserves the world, and I will be back because it was one of the best days we have had in a while.

I honestly had high hopes for this experience, especially since I've been eager to learn more about…read morehorses. I read the glowing reviews and expected a warm, educational, and patient environment because everyone seemed to love it. Unfortunately, that's not what I got. From the beginning, communication was confusing and inconsistent. When we called, we were told we'd get to groom and saddle the horses ourselves, which I was really excited about since I'd only learned grooming in the past. we did groom the horses, but with putting the saddle on, that part was completely skipped and she did it all herself. I asked about it and was brushed off with a vague "let's stay in the present moment" comment--something she repeated often to avoid directly answering questions. It came off dismissive, not peaceful. The ride itself was stressful. I'd told her it was my first time riding without a lead guide and this is my first time having full control. She didn't offer any instruction on how to stop or control the horse before mounting. The horses clearly had a strong bond with her and would follow her no matter what, even when I tried using the reins. I was told to "have control" but wasn't shown how to do that properly and beforehand. I had no control because the horses were trained to follow her--not us. And then I got blamed for it. At one point, my horse started walking off and I didn't know how to stop him. Instead of calmly helping me and telling me what to do, the guide stood there silently with her arms crossed and an annoyed or pissed off expression followed with annoyed sighing and rude comments like "oh gosh help me" acting like I was supposed to know everything even though it was known I'm a beginner at this. Later, when I finally got a basic instruction ("pull the reins to your stomach and say hooo"), I followed it--but the horse still didn't respond fully, because again, it was just fixated on her. That's not a beginner rider's fault. She also snapped at us multiple times over small misunderstandings--like which halter to grab--and never took the time to clearly explain what we were doing wrong, or how to do it better. My mom even asked a question after the ride, and the guide cut my mom off followed by an annoyed "Anyways...." and no question was answered. It was hard to enjoy the experience when the environment didn't feel calm, or respectful. For someone who talks a lot about peace and presence, she was surprisingly impatient, reactive, and dismissive. If you're a total beginner, I'd strongly suggest finding a place that's more beginner-friendly--where the horses are better trained for guests, and the instructor actually takes time to teach, guide, and support you with patience. Seems like i'm not the only one with this problem and I wish I read the reviews on a proper website beforehand. Super unprofessional and bipolar behavior. Honestly felt like a big scam. She has us do the hard work for the majority of the time but once it was time to start riding, we immediately got scolded and rode for not even 20 minutes? This experience wasn't it.

Enrolled my eight year old daughter in Western Trail Rides weeklong long "Horse Camp" during spring…read morebreak. She enjoyed it immensely. Melissa's a former teacher, and with children, she maintains the structure similar to a classroom curriculum. This structure allowed for a more enriching experience for the kids. Rather than just a meandering three hours each day, lessons were taught throughout. The camp was limited to four kids, all happened to be girls, all 7-8 years of age. Mornings started with the Pledge of Allegiance, then a team exercise, usually puzzles, to build comraderie. Plenty of hands on experience with horses, including the proper care and respect for the horses...And of course horse back rides. Arts and crafts as well as general horse education were included. Thoroughly enjoyable time was had by all the girls. My daughter couldn't wait to rise and get there to care for the animals, but also to spend time with her new friends. Melissa was nothing but kind and caring towards the girls and clearly understands why she has these horses, and uses them to enhance the perspective of others via Western Trail Rides. I'm glad my daughter was there for a week. That Melissa is of the Christian faith, would threaten only the littlest of men.

Best boarding in town!! people are super friendly, helpful, management is amazing, and most…read moreimportant, my horse loves it! couldn't recommend more :)

Great place to board:) Been there for a few years now, I love it. Close to trails. Super nice…read morepeople.

I love Shara she is wonderful person and truly a great trainer she takes pride in everything thing…read moreshe does

I started riding lessons with Sarah a couple weeks ago and I couldn't be happier! Sarah is…read moreincredible and so knowledgeable. I am learning so much and having so much fun! I moved to Ventura October 2022 and my horse is being trained up in Woodland, CA. I can't wait to bring my horse down here when he's ready to be ridden!

Great place to hone your jumping skills. Owner, Trainer, Jonathan is a competitive Show Jumper. He…read morehas developed a system to take much of the guesswork out of grids, strides and courses. If you want to jump your horse higher, look no further. Point Break Farms also produces high value jumpers(horses.) Located at the same ranch with Krystal Clemente of Black Mountain Horses (Eventing/3-day Trials) and Hannah Finch (National Hunter/Jumper/Dressage Champion 2022) . This family of Grand Prix level equestrians are the trifecta of great horsemanship.

My daughter wanted to jump at a more advanced level and compete, so a friend recommended Jonathan…read morePhemister Kennedy from www.pointbreakfarms.com, her progress has been truly amazing. If you are ready to lease or own, he doesn't rush you into a horse, he devotes his full attention to finding a horse that is perfect for you. Jonathan helped us find the perfect horse for Jenna and we couldn't be happier. He cares deeply for the health and happiness of his horses and riders.Jonathan's positive teaching style and rock solid hunter jumper background makes him the absolute best in Santa Barbara. The program at www.pointbreakfarms.com offers very focused, personalized, patient instruction that builds confidence and horsemanship as well as ability. They work with riders from beginners to the A circuit. Jonathan trains some of the top horses and riders on the west coast, and has competed at the top levels himself, so he knows exactly what it takes to get you there. Even if you don't show, you are getting that same level of training. If you don't have your own horse, they have very high quality horses available for lessons and shows

Best training stables around! Greg really knows how to teach well, he comes from a background in…read moreeducation which combined with his equine expertise makes him the best teacher! I have been riding for over 12 years and have trained with various different instructors in the area and no one compares to Peppercorn. Not only are they the most knowledgable, patient instructors, Greg and his wife go above and beyond by accomodating their students and really making these stables a great environment. Greg also does Pony Club, although I never participated in this I've seen all the Pony Club students and they seem to have a wonderful system set up!

From the owner: Horseback Riding Lessons, Leasing, Eventing, Jumping, Dressage, Summer Day Camp, US Pony Club,…read moreTraining, Boarding

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.

Amazing ride, amazing views, went on the sunset beach ride, the sunset was beautiful, horses were…read moreshiny and beautiful, leaders are so nice (: Definitely recommend. I love this place, definitely going back to here! Good for beginners and intermediate!