I went for a trail ride here with my husband. We were very happy with the kindness, preparedness…read moreand professionalism of the staff. The animals there were well kept and happy. We felt that the pricing was competitive as well. It will be a little out of the way for some, but don't let that deter you from these beautiful trails!

Wonderful place for trail rides! I did the one hour trail ride and it was hands down the best part…read moreof my vacation. The owners are amazing and extremely nice. I felt comfortable and safe riding and appreciated that they took the time to find a horse that worked for me. Thank you for such a great experience I will definitely be back the next time I come to town!

This area was called "Monkey Mountains," because early settlers deemed the river bluffs too steep…read morefor even monkeys to climb. This place is as close to being out in the wild as you can get in the KC area. A little bit of a drive but worth it if you want a rugged terrain. It's perfect. Reaching the open meadow at the top is wonderful. Use bug spray and check for ticks.

Monkey Mountain is an 855 acre nature preserve in Eastern Jackson County, halfway in-between Grain…read moreValley and Oak Grove. The address I listed is the approximate address of the south entrance to the park, there is another entrance a little over a mile north off Old US 40 Hwy next to a softball field. The park is mostly undeveloped, which is what I love about it. You get to experience nature instead of a sanitized version of nature. There are two primary loop trails, one measuring 3.5 miles and one measuring between 2-3 miles depending on the route taken. Numerous smaller trails criss-cross between these main trails and branch out forming various side loops. You can spend hours hiking here and not see everything. The park caters to hikers and equestrians. I usually encounter a few other people at the park but only between long stretches of complete isolation. The elevation ranges from about 780 feet on the banks of Sni-a-Bar Creek to about 950 feet at the summit. There is a wide variety of terrain in the park: marshy lowlands in the north and northwest, thick woods and steep terrain covering most of the western half, limestone outcroppings along the ridge and at the south end of the park, a huge roiling meadow in the center, and farmed land along the eastern edges. Several ponds dot the landscape, and numerous tiny streams feed into Sni-a-Bar Creek along the western edge. There is even a waterfall in the park, but I will not reveal the location since it is both a fragile and a dangerous feature (especially in winter). Finding it can be part of your adventure. In the spring and early summer the park's meadows are filled with a wide variety of wildflowers, and wildlife can be spotted year-round. I've seen deer, foxes, turkeys, tortoises and turtles, all sorts of birds, and even evidence of some sort of wildcat. In the first half of the 20th century, much of what is now Monkey Mountain Park was part of a show farm called Sni-a-Bar Farms, owned by William Rockhill Nelson. The hillside and meadow were used for grazing sheep. Evidence of that can still be seen today in the form of farm remnants such as an old boundary fence running east-west through the middle of the park. If you hike the park, don't do it alone until you are familiar. Even though there are trails they are not always easy to see, and some portions of the trails can be treacherous. If your hike takes you through the northwest portion of the park you can expect to encounter mud pretty much year round so wear appropriate shoes. You will also need to carry your own water, there are no facilities at the park except at the softball field and an outhouse at the south entrance.

I spent the better part of a week at Salt Creek Ranch. The owners could not be more gracious,…read morefriendly, accommodating, diligent or ...interesting. I used my stay as a work sabbatical - and the bunk house was more than comfortable - it was charming in a way appropriate for the Great Plains. I took an introductory lesson on "Centered Riding" from Carol. I have been around horses as much as most suburbanites...but what Carol taught me was remarkable. Quite frankly, I dont have the vocabulary to describe it. She taught me something that I will never forget and always use - not just with horses, but with people too. I highly recommend a stay at Salt Creek. For me it was a... substantial experience. I can not say enough good things about this place or these people.

They were amazing with both my kids. Would not hesitate to go back anytime. Amazing personality…read more Kids really learned a lot from Carol and can't wait to go back.

I have boarded my horses here for almost three years. The knowledge that I have gotten from this…read morestable is invaluable! I learn something new about horse care almost every time I visit my horses. Not only do my horses get top notch care, but I also don't have to haul my horses anywhere unless I want to because most local farriers and vets will travel to the facility. The camaraderie that I experience with the other horse owner's is great! The indoor arena and viewing rooms are added bonuses. The pricing is very reasonable and includes parking for my horse trailer.

My horse gets excellent care at Kill Creek Arena. The owners live on site so I know that things…read moreare taken care of. Very close to Kill Creek Park, large indoor arena and full sized outdoor arena. Trailer parking, nice tack room, heated viewing room with indoor plumbing. No drama facility

Our whole family loves Twisted Pine and Tammy. A few of our friends go there too, so I can say…read moreshe's great with novice and more experienced riders, and both kids and adults.

From the owner: Located in SW Topeka, we offer a full-service equine facility including lessons, training, showing,…read moreboarding, farrier and breeding services

Kelly is awesome!! Our girls train with Kelly, she is phenomenal. Highly highly recommend!!read more

Vicki has been a great help for us and our horse. She has made it possible for us to enjoy our…read morehorse on trail rides. She has assisted us in detecting problem areas early so they can be addressed before bad habit set in. She's great to work with and always willing to help in anyway possible..

From the owner: 30+ years of helping students fulfill their dream of riding horses by learning and understanding…read morehorses from the horse's point of view!

Nice, big space with really awesome stables. Amber the head trainer is an amazing teacher and I saw…read moregreat improvement with each lesson. I loved the laid back atmosphere and having both indoor/outdoor arenas to ride in (weather was never an issue when wanting to ride). You could tell all of the horses stabled there were well-taken care of and handled with the utmost care. I would definitely recommend this barn to beginner or veteran riders, especially anyone looking to get into shows.

I honestly don't know how to start this review. I have been boarding horses since I was 18 years…read moreold and I'm 54 now. I have NEVER had an issue at any other boarding facility, but this one place. The owner of Forbes Ranch, Kim, has made this whole experience a nightmare. Let me inform you of what happened to my daughter's horse since she has been at this facility. First, she basically starved our horse and then blamed us by stating it was because of her lowered work schedule and that her weight loss was due to her age. Ginger was 18 years old at the time. I was out of town on business, but called the vet immediately when I came back a month later. Her explanation did not make sense because her top line was gone and the vet put Ginger on a re-feeding program. That program is used for extreme weight loss typically due to starvation, not age or lowered work. It's absurd that her weight came back immediately after starting this program, right? I started buying my own hay because the basic level of trust was gone. She did not even deduct the hay from the board bill every month. It's funny because one of her main arguments is that this is not about the money, but the good of the horse. However, that's laughable because it is ALL about the money for her. She charges $4.50 a day just to keep Ginger in her stall that we already pay for every month instead of turning her out. This is also while Ginger is healing from an injury, so she couldn't go in the dry lot anyways. She also charges $1.50 daily to stir water in her grain during the winter months. It's unprofessional that she gives a boarding contract with a flat fee price and then changes the price by charging additional fees for the most nonsensical things. She doesn't even send you a bill every month over email or break down the amount, but just sends you the number over text instead. I payed less at A show barns when my daughter was competing competitively in California. That is complete insanity! I am not from Missouri and do not know the horse community out here. I was on waiting lists for other facilities in the area, but nothing opened up. It's been very difficult to find a good barn in this area close to our home. Besides that, she demands that you put your horse in a dry lot with other horses. We agreed to that because I hired a trainer to introduce them properly to each other. All was good, but one of the two horses left for 6 months at least. Everyone who has a clue about horses knows that an alpha mare (which Ginger is) will build a bond with the horse left and become protective. But not Kim, she puts the returned horse back in with them immediately. They fight, Ginger gets kicked, and receives a laceration on her leg and additionally re-inured her other leg from a previous injury. Kim did not even inform or ask us about the new horse joining Ginger again until it already happened. She sent us a video over text of it after the fact. Furthermore, she did not reintroduce them properly and we didn't even know or have the time to hire a trainer help again. The vet now states that she can never be ridden again. We are rightfully devastated. Ginger is still only cleared for hand walking. One thing to know about Kim is that she does whatever she wants and informs you after the fact, but finds it preposterous when you get upset, especially after your horse is injured because of her decisions. She told my daughter that she knows what is better for Ginger because she cares more and puts Ginger first instead of what we want to do. The whole purpose of putting the horses in the dry lot is because she doesn't have enough employees to clean the stalls or doesn't want to pay someone to cleaned the stalls twice a day. And then you have to argue with her to even let you clean your own horse's stall. She does not allow you to put shavings in your horse's stall either. She only permits her "green shavings" which are just shavings that are not kiln-dried. I have never been to a facility that doesn't allow you to have as many shavings as you want, specifically when your horse is healing from an injury. She charges you for shavings, but doesn't even let you know the amount she is charging you for because there are no bags to go off of. This boarding facility bosses you to the point of misery. You have to defend and debate with her about anything you want to do with your horse. It's exhausting! I totally understand and support rules at a facility to keep everyone safe. But DO NOT tell me how to take care of my horse that I pay everything for. This is the most vet bills we have EVER received compared to all the years we've had Ginger and when she was showing competitively every weekend. Never in my life have I been so disappointed in a facility. I truly am trying to warn everybody about the realities of this place. Kim tries to portray a high quality barn, but looks can be deceiving. She's a CONTROL FREAK!

Great place to have my horse. Clean and well kept environment run by caring people!!read more