I've got two spoiled kids (half joking), and they LOVED their 4 day semiprivate camp experience…read more Their primary instructor was Chris Margrave, a true cowboy with a big heart for kids. My girls were also instructed by Katie who was great with my girls. The tandem of Chris and Katie made for an outstanding experience for two little girls (8 & 6) who wanted to learn to ride horses. The camp went, Monday - Thursday, and we enrolled in class from 1pm to 4pm. It turned out that my girls were the only two enrolled in the afternoon class, so it was actually private. It was a little hot, but not too bad. The girls spent lots of time in the saddle (Western ridding), and learning the basics about horses and the equipment. They also spent time on fun ranch type crafts, decorating a bandanna and making a horseshoe picture frame. The 4 day program even finishes with an official horse show, which was a good ol' time. The cost was $250/child, and worth every penny. The facilities were nice, the staff was wonderful, and the horses were all beautiful specimens. In a summer filled with various camps and vacations (did I mention spoiled?), the Callie Bell horse camp will assuredly be THE highlight for my girls.

We were originally very excited to find this summer camp session and actually made arrangements for…read moreour daughter to fly from the San Francisco Bay Area to SoCal to attend this riding camp with her friends who live in Redondo Beach. 2 weeks prior to camp, Gudrun called from Callie Bell explaining that they were over-enrolled, they had 5 horses and 8 riders and asked could we possibly switch to a different week of camp. I explained our situation, and they let me know that they would honor enrollments in order of enrollment date, and I thanked them. They asked me about specific kids names who were also enrolled (since my daughter needed to attend with the friends that she would staying with and whose mom would be driving all of them to and from camp each day). They assured me that since we had enrolled in May, 3 other children (that they mentioned by name) would be moved instead since they registered in July, to ensure there would be 5 kids for 5 horses. I called my daughter on her first day of class to learn that they had 8 kids for 4 horses, and the 3 children (whose names they had specifically stated were over the limit and as a result would be moved to a different session) were somehow in that same camp session after all. The kids walked behind the horses when they weren't riding, and they spent almost no time riding. When I called Callie Bell Riders to ask about these things, suddenly things shifted. When I asked about kids walking behind horses when not riding Gudrun claimed it was "only on the way to the riding arena"--as if that makes it ok. Her explanation that one of their five beginner horses wasn't feeling well so the staff made the call to use 4 horses for 8 kids made absolutely no sense whatsoever. They told me that the staff had a sticky over-enrollment situation and they felt this was the best way to deal with it. They completely forgot that we talked at length 2 weeks previously about this over-enrollment situation. I was unhappy about the fact that they did not move kids to other sessions (what they had originally said they were going to do), but kept all 8 kids in that time with just 1 adult, and 4 horses. I learned that the kids would only ride 45 minutes out of a 3 hour camp each day. Then in the same breath they assured me that "this was just the first day's activities". However when I asked when they would do on the second day or the rest of the week, they told me they would learn to walk the horses, learn about horse safety, comb the horse, and draw pictures of their horse. Seriously??? Draw pictures of the horse? It was to the point that I withdrew my daughter from camp after the first day despite all the expense of flights, and other travel from SF to LA. Anyway, I looked to the previous yelp review from 2011 who raved about the summer camp to try this camp, and felt others might benefit from hearing about a more recent experience in summer of 2018. Not sure what happened between 2011 and 2018, but I can tell you I had a markedly different experience. On the other hand, they might look to summer camp weeks as a way to cram in as many kids and cash as possible, and perhaps their serious riders are treated well?

Erica is doing great with kids. They loved riding with her. She is very knowledgeable and friendly.read more

I VERY HIGHLY recommend Erica for horseback riding lessons and beyond! I truly NEVER write Yelp…read morereviews but just had to for Erica as she is a true Equestrian, a great instructor, and a rare gem of a human being. She is a genuinely good hearted person that is always there to help with your horse lesson/training needs and beyond! She goes above and beyond and even helps with saddle fitting, horse exercising/training, and almost any of your horse related needs! Most of all she is always there without judgement and with all encouragement to help you push through to the next level during her riding lessons. I can't say enough about her and you are missing out if you don't utilize her before she is too booked up! She is a breathe of fresh air and so fun to work with! Happy Riding:):)

Horse Everything is an excellent find! We took our 3 year old daughter & friend here for a lesson…read moreon her 3rd birthday. Our daughter had been requesting a "Pink Horse" for months for her special day... This was not an easy task. But Horse Everything went out of their way and did not disappoint! Well worth a visit, the kids got to learn about the horses as well as riding, nice job!

The Horse Everything team was GREAT!! I recently celebrated my baby's 1st birthday at Ernie…read moreHowlett Park and we wanted pony rides for all the kids. After trying to track down someone who could help, we found Horse Everything and Cathy King made it all happen! We had a pony and a horse taking kids (and a few adults) for a ride for over 2 hours and everyone had a blast! My little girl even cried when we took her off her pony. Cathy King was very pleasant to work with and was very organized. She even had the horses dressed up to match our party theme! They looked darling with ribbons draping their manes and put a smile on everyones face. I highly recommend giving Cathy a call. Since she also gives private lessons, we will be visiting her very soon! :-)

Great operation! Have been at least 5 times with them. Jules is great and they clearly love and…read morecare well for their horses

Beautiful ride! The horses were mild mannered and they made it easy to mount them. It was a great…read morebeginner experience.

Absolutely loving the community they've created here, there is no "barn drama" and everyone is so…read morewelcoming to those of all levels of experience and backgrounds.

Huge facility, always people there caring for the animals and doing renovations that are coming…read morealong very nicely. I like that they are staggering these as to not hinder people's abilities of using amenities or arenas.

My daughter has benefited from this therapeutic experience. The horses, instructors and volunteers…read moreare incredible. We are so grateful for this non profit organization that continues to make a huge impact!

Ride to Fly is a wonderful organization with the most humble, loving, compassionate, knowledgeable…read moreequestrian volunteers. These individuals volunteer their time to teach horsemanship to people of all ages who have a form of a disability. They incorporate other therapies into their riding lessons (speech, OT, PT, vision). All the lead instructors are lifelong equine lovers and riders, and have horsemanship in their blood. All the side walkers are also equestrians from all levels. If you have the privilege of working with this organization you will see (straight away) that their passion for horses will immediately translate into excellence in teaching and learning (by either you or your loved one). My child has been a pupil with Ride to Fly for the last 7 years (on and off). She started with a leader and 4 side walkers (2 on each side). My daughter can now ride independently and confidently as a solo rider. One other thing to note, the instructors are so adept in equine knowledge that they explain, in detail, exactly what and how your body should be feeling with each movement. They assimilate their teaching implementation for each student. That alone, is a skill that is invaluable.

It could be better. Angela is a trained professional, but there is so few lesson horses. if you…read moreride in the riding club, there's more options for horses, but for just lessons, there's only 2 and there both ponies. otherwise u have to have ur own horse. when I came here, they held me back for so long and made me do trotting on the lead for around 6 months and i realized they held me back bc they don't let lesson kids jump so the highest I could go was canter- and they didn't want me to improve fast to get to canter bc then I would stop doing lessons with them so they held me back. also I outgrew this pony and felt so bad bc they always put older kids on that pony and he seems overworked and old. I lost lots of confidence here. It is a nice place to learn, but probably they could do better.

When I started riding over on "the hill" three years ago, I asked some friends (a trainer and…read moreanother equine professional) who I should take lessons from and they unanimously referred me to Angela. Angela is one of the most professional and knowledgeable trainers I have had the pleasure to work with- she has training in eventing, dressage, hunter/jumpers, pony club (A-rating), as well as a lifetime of skilled horsemanship. She has taken the time to really, truly understand how I learn, and I have never left a lesson feeling anything but positive and excited about where the trajectory of my skills as an equestrian are going. Angela is able to explain and break down the "whys" and "hows" of the exercises that she prepares for every lesson- being in her program means that you are learning how to ride, not just be a passenger on a horse. She has a method to her instruction (and can explain her reasoning for it!) and wants all of her riders to have a strong, safe foundation. I have been fortunate enough to lease two horses from her, including my current lease, and she knows her horses well enough to be able to see tiny gaps in my position and equitation during lessons that have led to significant improvements in my riding and confidence. Everyone that is in her program is positive and supportive regardless of their age, ability or experience level is, which is a rarity to find in the equestrian world, and her horses are happy horses who receive the best care. Riding with Angela has made me a better equestrian AND a better person, and I would absolutely recommend her!

Truly amazing riding place! It always gives me so much joy when I arrive for my lesson. Lindsey is…read morea wonderful instructor, patient and truly cares for her students and horses. The horses are amazing as well, and are actually well trained and safe compared to other places I have tried over my many years riding. Portuguese riding bend is GORGEOUS! Truly feels like you are in another country. Wish they had an arena that was a tad bigger, but I hear that is in the works right now. Excited to continue my journey with ocean view!

Such an amazing facility and the trail rides are well organized !!! I thought it would be an…read moreordinary horse ride but boy was I wrong!!!! The views are just absolutely breathtaking and it is so peaceful. Breana was our guide and she was so calm and easy going!!!!!! Highly recommend