Terrible Experience with Morris's Shadow Mountains - Gift Gone Wrong - Unprofessional, Dirty, and Disrespectful Service I am writing this to share a deeply frustrating and upsetting experience I had with Morris's Shadow Mountains, which was supposed to be a joyful Christmas gift for my daughters (ages 6 and 8) from their cousin. She had purchased a Groupon for a 45-minute lesson and a 45-minute trail ride for two. My daughters were thrilled and eagerly looking forward to their adventure. Booking Nightmare- Right after receiving the gift, I tried to schedule the session for spring via Bonnie's website. The booking process was extremely confusing -- the site lacked clear instructions for Groupon users, didn't allow inputting voucher numbers, and required non-refundable booking fees per person, even though the Groupon was already paid for. Despite this, I went ahead and paid two booking fees to reserve a slot. Due to conflicts with my children's spring sports schedule, I had to reschedule, which meant paying another set of non-refundable fees. Expired Voucher, No Compassion- When our July appointment arrived, our schedule again didn't work, so I called Bonnie, who offered a Wednesday slot instead. We showed up on time, only to be greeted by an extremely dirty, chaotic, and unprofessional environment -- an unkempt property with overwhelming odor and neglected animal enclosures including a large dog pen at the entrance filled with poop that hadn't been cleaned. When I mentioned we had a Groupon, Bonnie immediately launched into a tirade about how much she hates Groupon customers, complaining that she "can't afford to run a farm on discounted rates." She claimed she couldn't find our Groupon info and refused to let my kids participate unless we paid full price. I called my cousin (who was dealing with her newborn at the time), and she tried to reach Groupon for a credit, but Bonnie insisted we had to pay upfront or leave. Despite there being only one other child there, she claimed she would lose money. The Groupon had expired since it was now 6 months after purchase. My kids left in tears. Groupon Credit Denied- To make matters worse, when my cousin followed up with Groupon, Bonnie denied the refund request, and we never received a credit -- from her or Groupon. Final Thoughts- The facility is unsanitary and unsafe. The customer service is hostile and unaccommodating. The Groupon process is misleading and full of hidden costs. The treatment of us as customers was rude, unethical, and completely unprofessional. This was supposed to be a special gift, but it turned into a heartbreaking ordeal. I will never return to Morris's Shadow Mountains and strongly advise others -- especially families and Groupon users -- to stay away. read more

took my mom here, we had a great time on the trail ride. women trainers were great, horses were well kept, clean and so beautiful. staff was kind. would definitely recommend this place. Groupon was sorta annoying, and the sign up for our slot time was confusing. i tried calling several times, I left messages for a few questions but didn't get calls back. that's the only reason why it's four stars and not 5. Other than that we had a great time. read more

Booked through Living Social close to a 2 for 1 deal and paid a $5 per person booking fee through Meet Up where all reservations are required. Booked over a month out, they fill up quickly for the 90 minute rides. If you are used to WA, there is nothing scenic about this trail ride. This stable has been around a long time and now you're basically walking around looking at houses. Still had fun on my horse. The 90 minute ride includes all the time to get setup so really the ride was maybe an hour back and forth. The ride itself is at a slow place. Just a slow walk so I don't know why they say horse riding experience is required all over the description. There were 3 staff on a ride with 6 and were nice. Only strange thing is they kept giving me different directions with my horse lil Captain. The first lady said to leave his reins loose cause he bucks his head another lady said to hold it tighter and this happened a few times. read more

Easy to buy, easy to schedule on Meetup. My teen daughters loved it! There was one main instructor (Bonnie), two helpers, and six riders. The horses were beautiful and all went well. read more

Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables - Horse Boarding Near Me - Auburn, Washington

Booked through Groupon. I was in the state for 10 days and was unable to find availability. We were unable to get a slot at all preceding the trip and during the trip. read more

I've always wanted to ride a horse and at age 39, I finally got the chance when my sister-in-law bought me a Groupon for a 90-minute trail ride at Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables for my birthday. I have to admit I was nervous. I mean, you are pretty far off the ground when you ride a horse. And the horse could buck you off. I'm a city girl. What do I know? All kinds of anxiety-filled thoughts ran through my head. When we got there, we were greeted by Emily, a friendly, spunky gal who helped fit me with a helmet. She looked about 10-12 years old. It put me at ease that she was so comfortable in her role. We met her mom who was also very friendly. Then we met Bonnie, the owner, who was friendly and nice. Her and Jules helped us get on our horses and gave me some pointers. I would have liked to have more time to practice riding my horse before we went on the trail, but off we went. I have to say I was nervous for about the first 30 minutes. I'm just not used to telling a big animal where to go and what to do. But my horse RotoFleet (sp?) was a sweet horse. My sis-in-law was up ahead on a saucy mare named Rocket Girl. And Jules, one of the trainers, was right behind me. After a while, I finally got used to the swaying of the horse. I got used to pulling Roto back on course when he would stray off the trail to munch on something. And I got used to simply riding. Thanks to my sis-in-law for making my horse-riding dream come true and thanks to the Morris Shadow Mountain Stables for providing a great riding experience! read more

The staff is very friendly! The ride was nice, but not as much of a trail ride as I expected. The views were mostly of houses and backyards.

I've been here twice, from Groupon. I've had a wonderful time, each time. They are very helpful with lesser experienced riders, and they make it a great experience for everyone on the ride :) I am definitely coming back again! read more

Terrible, terrible facility! I have been riding for twenty years and could tell off the bat that this place is not safe. Little did I know exactly how unsafe! Like the previous reviews, when you arrive, you don't know where to go (house? fenced in yard?) because nothing about the place is inviting - including the staff. Once we were all finally saddled (rest of my group included two adults and three kids, all beginners), we set off without any of the beginners given basic training or safety tips. The owner instead thought yelling at the kids to "stop your horse!" was an appropriate tip. Luckily I asked if any of the horses don't get along and should not be near each other in the line, to which she responded "no" only to correct herself and say the mare should be at the end. Horses that are temperamental and don't get along can be very dangerous to their riders. These are elements that are first and foremost safety rules and should not have to be called out by the client. Thankfully we all had helmets because the "trail" turned into the streets of an undeveloped subdivision. Fun. At one point, the owner had to ask a pair of bike riders if they could slow down as to not spook the horses. If your horses are not street trained, then you have no business bringing us out here! Entirely too dangerous. It was all downhill from there. My horse bucked at which point I decided to dismount because we were entering a field clearing and fields often lead to over-excitement in horses. We ended up having to cross a stream to get back to the barn (many horses don't like water) and two of the horsed flipped out, skidded through the water, saw the barn in the distance and bolted! One of the riders unfortunately fell off. I was still leading my horse, he then reared at the chaos, knocked me down, stepped on my ankle and took off! Everyone was terrified and two of the three kids were in tears. No apologies from the staff. She ruined horses for several people that day. Very sad. Save your money and yourself from injury and skip this place. read more

I work at a barn on the weekends but they don't do trail rides so I find ones to go on around the state and when I go on vacation. I have been on at least 40 + trail rides. I was very displeased with the scheduling procedure. I had to join meetup.com. It was difficult to find a spot for 5 people. I had emailed Bonnie, in hopes that she could help with scheduling, but she said I had to wait for a spot to pop up on the meet up group. Once you found an open spot, you have to pay a $5 booking fee per rider. It does not cost money to book the ride so the $5 fee seems arbitrary to me. While the people there seemed nice enough, I noticed several issues. Upon arriving, there is a muddy pen loaded with animals, it didn't seem like enough room to house all the goats, emu, chicken, mini horse etc. The horses were ready when we got there are they matched us up based on our riding experience. The majority of people on my ride were riding for the first or second time, besides myself. I have been riding for 20 years. We mounted in the arena and those that were mounted first were given very little instruction. Some of those horses would wander and they didn't know how to stop it. When it was time to go, we got lined up and rode through the stables to get to the trail. Any professional rider knows it's so unsafe to ride through the barn aisle. If your horse spooked there is no where to move and it's tight quarters. At every barn that I have ridden, that is one of the important safety rules. Not only did we ride through the stables, there was hay along one side of the stall doors on the ground. Most of the horses took a bite of hay. I am concerned that the hay lays on the floor. Hay that lays on concrete, such as this, ruins quickly due to the moisture which can cause the hay to ferment or mold. Not to mention that hay laying on the ground is very inviting to rodents which can contaminate the hay. As we headed to the trail, the horse I was lined up behind tried to kick my horse. That can be a normal queue that the horse needs more space but once we moved to the trail, a person stepped in front of my horse and told me that the horse in front of me kicks. This would have been helpful information before we got lined up. Oddly, three people walked with us the whole way. They wanted me to stay a good distance from the kicking horse, which I did. When I would start to get too close, I would halt my horse but one of the people would tell the horse to get moving. This was frustrating since the poor horse was listening quite well to my direction but getting conflicting messages from the "walkers." Typical for a trail ride, ALL the horses fought to get bites of grass. It was pretty constant and frustrating for my friends who were beginning riders. The trail was through a neighborhood of sorts, there were some wooded areas but you were aware that you were still amongst the houses. Upon return, and riding back through the stables I was able to observe more. The paddocks were incredibly muddy. For those that don't know, the horses hooves can get thrush from standing in mud or manure for prolonged periods of time. Thrush can lead to permanent damage to the hoof. Each stall we passed was filthy. The stalls did not have any shavings, filled with manure and fluid (either rain or urine) and the attached paddocks were completely muddy. You can see some of this in the pictures posted by others on yelp. The conditions of the stalls made me very concerned and sad for these horses. I assume that these animals are loved but I don't know if this company has the means to care for these horses properly. read more

I've been out to Morris's Shadow stables twice now - both on Groupons. My boyfriend and I purchased these together and went on a trail ride in 2011, then purchased four lessons, the second of which is scheduled for tomorrow. It hadn't occurred to me to look at Yelp before going, but now that I've read the reviews I wanted to add my perspective. Obviously I can't speak to specific events that happened to others, but as far as the overall negative tone, that was not our experience. The first time I walked through the gate I loved it. I'm a huge animal lover and so being surrounded by so many animals that as far as I can tell look well fed, have plenty of space, and well kept quarters made me very happy. I'm also an animal advocate and so I do notice things like this. If the horses were skinny or ill kept (or any of the animals), I would have definitely noticed and reported it. I don't know Bonnie and I can't say that we've been introduced, although she did instruct part of our last lesson, but the kids that work with her are great and were friendly and helpful. This is not a touchy feel-y place - true, but if I was dealing with the general public interacting with my animals, I would lose my mind. I would think it takes A LOT of patience to be in this line of work. I much prefer the company of animals. I appreciate that Bonnie opens her farm to others and lets folks experience something that you never get in the city. I am a guest on her property and act accordingly. I took English riding lessons when I was a kid and we ALWAYS brushed, saddled, fed and cleaned our horses, including picking out their hooves. When we had to brush and saddle our horses before our lesson at Morris, I was glad as it allowed me some time to bond with my horse (who also happened to be the same horse I had for the trail ride). The horses are not part of a carrousel and I fully expect to have interaction with them before starting a lesson. I'm looking forward to the remaining 3 lessons that we have scheduled. I love the energy of the animals on this farm and value the time I get to spend with them, because ultimately, that's why I go. read more

I love coming here every week. Bonnie and her helper Alicia are good people. There are tons of really cool animals running about the place and they're super friendly. It's very easy to plop down next to a furry creature and scritch ears until your heart is content. Morris' Shadow Mountain Stables is definitely a unique experience. I'm hoping to take some of my friends with minions to this place when the kids are old enough. Also, not sure what Anna is on about the yard; it looked like a normal stable with animals to me. Nothing screamed unkempt. They're building a petting zoo which explains the construction materials and freshly dug dirt. There's also the occasional poop on the ground from the free roaming animals. Though, I've personally seen someone come through and clean up the grounds. Perhaps Anna expects the mules to use a litter box? Either way, this place gets a big thumbs up from me. Can't wait to see the finished petting zoo! read more

Great time! Don't let all the previous petty reviews keep from a fun experience! I felt the extra $5 to book was worth the great Groupon price. Bonnie is running a business....just because she doesn't run up to you full of hugs, compliments and charm DOESN'T mean she is a rude person. When you have people's safety in mind you have to let them know your in charge. After our experience today I was appalled at the reviews! My family of two boys and husband had the best time! Bonnie's helper (sorry I forgot her name) was so nice and helpful! The trail we rode on was beautiful!This was one of the best Mothers Day I've had! Thank you Bonnie for making it a good one! Oh one last thing she took pictures of us and already sent them to us. So nice! read more

Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables - Horse Boarding Near Me - Auburn, Washington

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Shadow Mountain is a fine place to take lessons. Bonnie cares about horses and encouraging the next generation of horse lovers. The kids love her. She keeps studying and learning as any good trainer and instructor should. I've seen her show infinite patience with horses and riders. She has rescued more than one horse from slaughter. The stalls do get cleaned daily. If there is a farm out there with no visible manure, be assured you can't afford to take lessons or board there. Horses prefer to be outside and socializing with their herd and rolling-- even in the mud. Mud and shedding coats-- very messy in spring. I had to laugh at the bad reviews- people thinking they are experienced because they rode old tired drone trail horses once or twice a year, frightened when a horse goes into a field, no idea of what to do with reins, thinking a slow canter is an out-of-control gallop. Every rider knows that horses will want to speed up when they head in the direction of the barn, that they will test your control by sneaking bites of food. A rider is active and observant, not passive. And that one girl couldn't manage to control a horse even from the ground with the reins in her hands. The "buck" was probably barely a crow hop. I would not be surprised if these people had misrepresented their level of experience and their own fear caused the problems. As for "3 acres", it has to be more like 10. "Dead hair" getting on her clothes? It was April-- prime shedding season and that is why it's good to groom the horse before riding. Grooming also establishes a relationship to the horse- a hundred little ways of letting the horse know the pecking order. The horse tests the boundaries and you correct him. It allows you to relax and slow down to animal time after driving in traffic and thinking about schedules. Calm rider, calm horse. If you are not lucky enough to grow up with horses, the only way to learn is with lessons, effort and time. Or you can keep on with trial and error-- leading to more error. I think Bonnie does a fine job and she does care about safety. read more

Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables - magic. A pony trained by Bonnie. - Horse Boarding Near Me - Auburn, Washington

On safety, they are best. Horses are tamed and healthy. But customer service, need a huge improvement. I feel that they don't want you to have a good group picture because either they just take random shot or hesitant to give a photo. Trail and the ride is boring. read more

I am sad to see the reviews on here. I bought a trail ride through groupon earlier in the year and finally decided to redeem it. It was a great experience! The animals were great to interact with, they all got along well too, which was nice. The trail ride, even though mostly on concrete, was enjoyable. What can you expect in Auburn? I felt like the horses were really great. The one I rode was very responsive and I felt comfortable with the fact that they are so used to the noise and bustle of the suburb. Our fearless leader was Sarah who was a very experienced rider and fun to chat with! I have been riding for years and this is the first trail ride I've taken where I felt like the horses had a bit more personality than just following the others and walking or trotting when they did! I also really enjoyed the company of owner Bonnie. She is a sweet woman who really cares for her animals. She was very welcoming to me and my boyfriend. I would recommend a trip to the petting zoo and a trail ride any time! read more

We signed our daughter up for the 1-hour lesson last week at the stables. Of course, we read many of the reviews here, so went in with some trepidation. We all come in with experiences, but I guess if you are expecting Disneyland or one of the Big Farm experiences, you are likely to be disappointed. This is a working farm /stables that offers rides and lessons. It was muddy because, well, farms are muddy (especially the day we went, yuck!). Cars park in the front of the house. I guess I could have been uncertain about which way to go, but I figured the Big Red Door was pretty obvious enough for me. It had a sign about people entering the farm area. So, in we went. Once in, my daughter and I were surprised by fun. There was a big Newfoundland dog hanging about, a couple peacocks and peahens roaming, as well as a pony and at least one rabbit. Oh yeah, and chickens just wandering about freely. The lesson was straightforward: Preparing the horse to ride, mounting the horse, and some basic movement/guidance instruction. Bonnie had enough helpers and was aware enough to keep everyone safe, and she made sure the horses were well spaced during the preparation time. I think people tend to get a bit put off by having to brush and saddle the horse, but that's an important part of the deal: caring for the animal. I can't give this the "perfect experience" rating, because I think a little more effort could be spent in the customer experience. I don't want a polished operation, but there was some confusion from the customers about whether they were getting a trail ride or a lesson. If they filled out the wrong info (or made the wrong conclusion) from the web site, then the web site is not clear enough. If Bonnie is trying to manage the farm and lessons and whatever else goes into running the operation, then I think she should either hire or seek out volunteer helpers that can connect with people a little more. That said, though, we had a good time. read more

So.... Let me start off by saying that Morris Shadow Mountain Stables is a decent friendly place i must say. Let me see, there's Edwina, Emily, Julie and another lady(forgot name), they were all really really courteous and pleasant people to be with :) Went to lesson and trail ride both took about 1-3 hours of exciting horse-riding. Personally i was riding a pregnant horse name Jasmine. So, i had a fun wild ride because she had so much adrenaline rush. Ahhhhh good times! read more

First time rider in a long time. Bonnie and her staff was knowledgeable and awesome! Just follow her instructions and you'll be riding in no time. Definitely will go back again. Read other remarks.. Of course there's gonna be poop around.. it's a working stable.. lol. read more

Purchased a groupon and revisited this family horse place. I had previously been here and wasn't impressed since the ride went through a neighborhood and power lines but that was a few years ago. Went back because reviews seemed like it changed and it did. Really liked the ride through the forest and found the horses to be very gentle. Don't let the drive up make you go back. It's really worth the price and the owner was very pleasant read more

Didnt seem professional at all. My daughter took me there for my 65th birthday. Area pretty rundown. Was really like moseing around someones property next to housing development. Honey bucket not well kept. Owner not friendly. Worker Marta was doing her best to help us. As horses were assigned we were all left to wander and were told not to let the horses gather even though we were all beginner riders. read more

Awful, very terrifying experience! I bought the Groupon for my sister and I to go for a trail ride because my sister loves horses and is very experienced, whereas I am just one step above a person that has never ridden before. First, as Anna pointed out, the place was unkempt which was our first red flag for the experience. The person that let us in to the stable didn't say anything other than "Bonnie will be right out." (Oh, thanks for the warm welcome...) Then Bonnie arrived and shook our hands without looking at us (and another unwelcoming person...) and told us to stay put as she got the horses ready. While she was getting the horses ready (30 min later, which was part of the 90 min allotted for the ride) she didn't explain any of the signals to use to control the horses other than a few vague comments. My sister and I, both adults, figured it would be a pretty tame ride since there were 3 children along with us and we figured the horses were well trained they wouldn't need much commands. Oh how we were wrong!! First, Bonnie keeps yelling at one of the kids to keep his horse back from hers, even though she doesn't explain how. Near the end of the ride, my sister's horse bucks and she decides to get off because she can tell the horses are getting riled up. I reluctantly stay on mine - yikes. A minute later I am streaking across a field at an uncontrolled canter. I yell for help, not knowing if I should risk the fall and bail. Meanwhile, the mom in the group's horse takes off causing her to actually falling off. The kids are now scared and crying because the horses are acting up. My sister's horse rears knocking her over then tramples her. (She's ok) The whole time Bonnie is yelling angrily at us. She finally gets a hold of my horse and sternly states "get off now!" What tops it off is that she didn't take any responsibility for all of the chaos and basically blamed us for not taking control. She never once apologized or tried to make the situation better. She even told the mom that she will not be allowing kids to go on rides anymore...that stems from the ride not being safe for beginners. NEW as of 8-04-11: In response to Bonnie M.: I do not appreciate my review being undermined by stating I was over-exaggerating. From the other reviewers one can see a trend in the way this stable is run. The response given by the owner also shows how a dissatisfied customer is handled, by blaming the customer. With this many 1 star reviews one would expect a company to take the complaints and try to improve, not dismiss them. read more

My review is very similar to the ones below but I feel it is very important to warn future customers of a bad situation. I think the thing that upset me the most was how rude the people running this place were. We walked into the back and there were a few people sitting at a picnic table. A woman snapped at my friend and I "can I help you!!" Like we weren't supposed to be in the back where the farm was. I let her know we had reservations for 11am and she whispered something to the younger gal. They seemed to had forgotten about our reservation so we had to wait for them to prepare the horses for us. The owner repeadtedly made rude comments to us like how we waited until the last minute to use our gift certificate, and after I asked her what I could do to get my horse to stop eatting she responded with "take lessons!" I was blown away at how my friend and I were treated. I agree with the comment below, the horses would go into full gallop up and down the hills and it was a little itimidating for beginners. The thing that got me was at the end when my friend and I were leaving she realized she didn't have a lighter for her cigarette so she went back to the farm to ask to borrow one. The owner yelled at her and told her to get off her property and that she doesn't allow smoking and that they aren't smokers there. My friend and I can understand a no smoking policy but yelling at a customer because you disagree with their choices is completely out of line. This incident happened 4 days ago and im still extremely upset over. Please support any other stable besides this one! read more

We bought a groupon and my daughter and I rhode the horses. It was a lot of fun however, we won't be back. There was dog poop EVERYWHERE....there is a big dog that runs around and literally poos where people are walking around! The farm was filthy with poop, poop and more poop and not maintained. On the flip side, the staff was nice surprisingly after reading the previous reviews. The animals looked sad and not well maintained. They don't keep their pens cleaned, overgrown grass. It looks like a dump and if it wasn't for the sign we wouldn't have known it was a farm. The animals need to be taken away and put into a better home. We won't be back! read more

I have never had such an unpleasant booking experience with a company as I have Morris Shadow. This was a huge waste of time and energy. In sum: unprofessional, nickel-and-diming/misleading, anger-issues. They don't answer their phone. Their website it fussy, and you have to use a shitty third-party source to access the calendar. I can go back to the 90s, though... so: I create a Meet-Up Group account; fuss around with that; think I've signed-up for my class; can't find confirmation; send email; wait; receive email saying: you didn't pay the **ADDITIONAL HIDDEN FEES** I email Bonnie: I've worked with groupon for nearly 5 years now, I'm very familiar with nickel and diming when I see it. If you can't put the additional service fee it in your basic instructions, but have to mar in it "fine print," you're intentionally misleading your customer. The only the only detail withheld in the main-print is the registration fee, everything else is painstakingly stated. The words "follow instructions" are a convenient placeholder -- so as to avoid explicitly stating that are additional charges. **If your intention is not to nickel and dime your customer, then just tell us explicitly there is an additional service/registration fee in the main-print.** The money is of little consequence to me, it just seems like intentional price gouging. It's suspicious and off-putting. She responds: "I choose not to do business with you, contact Groupon and get a re-fund, I will also refund your booking fee and take you off the schedule. If you are going to treat me this bad before you even get here I do not want to work with you." So: Perhaps Bonnie is not trying to manipulate her customer, perhaps she's just dumb. I'm sure she meant: "treat me this poorly," not "treat me this bad" because those sentences mean very different things. Who knows what a re-fund is. All I know is: it's not mean to tell someone you feel manipulated by their hidden costs. It's called being straightforward and reasonable. read more

like most of the reviewers on here, i found this place through the groupon 90minute trail ride. a peek at yelp gave me second thoughts about using the groupon but i've found yelp reviews to be wildly inaccurate and amusing in the past so i thought i'd give it a chance and post my own review if i found it to be different. about the venue: first and foremost, the place is a very active, working farm and it shows. if you've never visited a real working farm before, be prepared to get muddy, dusty, and wet (since it is the pacific northwest). all of the animals seem to be well cared for, well fed, and well mannered. for the younger kids, there are chickens, turkeys, pygmy goats, lambs, pigs, ostriches, and even a peacock. all of the horses were gentle and friendly. hairy animals shed, so you'll likely get animal hair in/on your clothes/hands, especially if it's shedding season. despite the apparant hectic abundance of animals, the place is tidy, orderly, and as well organized as a farm can be. if you're an urban cowboy, don't forget to wear your boots as you'll be stepping in a lot of mud and poop since this is a real farm and not a city zoo. about the 90minute trail ride: when we arrived for our noon appointment, all eight of the horses were already saddled up and ready to go. they had us fill out a quick questionaire and disclaimer form, then matched the riders to the horses based on height/weight and experience levels. i had only been on a horse once before in my life but have been around horses enough so that i wasn't a complete beginner. they matched me to Road Afleet, who is a retired black gelding race horse. Road Afleet turned out to be a very gentle horse and seemed to be well cared for. i've read that most ex-race horses are slaughtered for meat, so i thought it's great they're providing an entertaining and easy retirement for this one. more on race horse 'retirements' here; http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5005333 after saddling up, they provided instructions on how to ask the horse to go, turn left, turn right, and stop. they also mentioned i should keep my horse at least 8 to 10 feet behind the horse in front of me. after everyone was saddled up, off we went on the trail ride. as we were riding through the barn, we passed some bales of hay which some of the horses tried to stop and eat and required some tugging on the reins to persuade them to continue walking. this of course is normal behavior for a horse as they are grazing animals and spend most of their days munching on something. this was also obvious when sometimes we would pass blackberry bushes on the trail and some of the horses will nab a bunch in their mouths and chew on it. again, this is normal horse behavior and is to be expected. the ride was fun and the actual ride was over 90minutes. due to urban development in auburn, the trail intersects city streets so riding on some pavement is necessary to get to the continuation of the trail. despite the urbanization, most of the ride is on dirt trails. the horses were very sweet and gentle and due to the beginner level of the participants, most of this ride was at a walking pace. i would recommend the trail ride for those with at least some riding experience. if you have never been on a horse before, i'd recommend taking a lesson first, which they also offer. about the hosts: animal fanatics tend to be socially awkward and horse enthusiasts seem to be even more so. if you don't believe me, check out the film 'best in show' and you'll understand. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218839/ they are polite but direct. don't expect a red carpet and balloons welcome when a simple 'hello' will suffice. conversation is generally kept to a minimum and there may be some moments of awkward silence. when you're done, don't expect a lengthy chit-chat or philosophical ponderings, this isn't a coffee shop and the animals need to be tended to. thank the host(s), enjoy the other animals if you like, and be on your way. in conclusion: other than being a one-time groupon customer, i have no affiliation with this place. yet i had such a good time on this trail ride i tipped them $20. thank you bonnie for making this possible! i would definitely do this again! read more

Not so great, actually. The yard is about as clean as squatters kept their areas out on I-90 in the mid 80's. The ride was through a half built housing development, which was either 3 or 13 years old, depending on who you asked. This wasn't a 'trail ride', it was more of a 'housing development ride'. The horses look very nice, fed and kept, but refused to pay attention to signals the handlers suggested you use (which was limited to 'hold the reigns looser' and 'kick him'). Mine had to be led through the whole ride, so he'd stop trying to burst into a gallop. The experience was also punctuated with Bonnie saying 'wait up for us' and 'don't let your horse eat' ... um, how? I'd eschewed a helmet because I've been on horseback once or twice before and such times were with well trained and agreeable stock, but by the end of the ride, I was noting the hard or dangerous places I'd kill myself on if I were bucked off. My advice to Shadow Mountain: Get your horses trained for n00bs and give us an idea of how to control them. The experience was very sketchy, I don't wish it on anyone. read more

Don't waste your money. This is not the place to take riding lessons. If you are taking group beginning lessons don't expect to learn anything about caring for the horse, saddling (Oh they have you unsaddle and carry the saddle to the tack room if you are the last lesson of the day). Equipment is old and in many cases needs repair. The saddle on my horse was coming unscratched at the horn, leaving the metal exposed. They have made the huge mistake of feeding grain to the horses while they are tied in the cover arena thus causes behavior problems that they then blame on the rider. Same of the horses don't get along well with each other and you are warn you before hand. I was walking my horse in a circle, and while passing behind a horse tied to the fence my horse decided to turn and kick at the other horse with his rear hoofs, I was a good 3 feet away from the other horse when this happened. You spend a lot of time riding in circles doing the same thing over and over. I know practice is good but I felt like I was on a circus ride. What really disappointed me was the class was taught by some kid who would tell you to do one thing and then contradict what they just said. The instructor wasn't very good at answering questions. If I'm paying for something I don't want someone that really isn't qualified to be a strong effective teacher. I also thought the horses were very dirty and not in the best of condition. The area around the arena is not well kept or at least not in what I would think is a professional manner. They also only teach western, no english. If you want riding lessons go someplace else. read more

I gave three stars as this outfit is A-OK. The booking procedure is a bit cumbersome. You have to join meet up in order to do it then there is another booking fee on top of that. It does fill up fast so sometimes it is hard to get scheduled for a ride. I would not suggest the ride for experienced riders unless you have the cash to blow. Its always fun to be on a horse but this is just a walking ride and maybe only an hour long. They do have staff walk along with riders who have no/little experience. All her horses were great. Safe. They even did girth checks during the ride. If you are a beginner rider this is a safe great way to get on the trail. They even take a photo for you in the woods on your horse :) I was nervous from all the reviews going into this but... I knew they must have been exaggerated. Riders were matched with horses. She gave quick instruction. None of the horses acted out. The one in front of me kicked back at my horse but that was because I got to close, they are just communicating with each other nothing to be alarmed at. There are a few little hills on the trail too and horses naturally like to trot or canter up them, its easier for them. The grounds were not disgusting or covered in poop as described. There was some horse poops in yard but this is a working farm so there are animals, duh! If you are worried about poop or dirt or hair getting on you from the horse you should probably not be going on a horseback ride in the first place. Some of the pictures people have posted of 'muddy paddocks' are not even muddy at all. Its the PNW its entirely impossible to not have a muddy paddocks. Also you don't ride through paved neighborhoods as one person mentioned. The trail does go close to a main road that you can see through the trees but that is it. You ride once on a gravel road by a few houses then you are back in the woods. I would recommend this trail ride. :) read more

Morris's Shadow Mountain Stables - Spot in the woods where they offer to take a photo with your phone :) - Horse Boarding Near Me - Auburn, Washington

I came here to write about my experience with the abysmal customer service of this business but now realize how happy I am that they treated me so poorly that I didn't get a chance to actually go on my trail ride. I purchased a Groupon for 2 trail rides and didn't have the opportunity to redeem it last summer. I set about trying to redeem it about 1 month prior to its expiration and sent an e-mail asking if I could schedule a ride (and seeking clarification as to their bad weather policy). 4 solid days later I *finally* received a response - only the response ignored my questions and just directed me to schedule on their website. I responded and reiterated my questions and haven't received a response to date. I did go ahead and schedule a ride (though it wasn't on the date I had wanted). This morning my ride was cancelled in their online tool with absolutely no explanation. Phone calls to this place go unanswered. E-mails obviously didn't have an effect. I submitted my request to Groupon for a refund, and now I'm even more glad I did. read more

I understand that folks have a big heart, and I could see that Bonnie really loved her animals. However, this was not the experience we were looking for. I honestly am not one to complain. In fact, I often 'let things slide' - maybe it was a bad day, maybe there was some other factor. I won't even mention if my food is too cold at a restaurant. Life isn't worth complaining about. However, after getting home and reading reviews that sounded EXACTLY like our experience, I wanted to share that these folks were not alone and were not crazy. ------------------------------------------ -We called and left a message - never heard back. Decided to drive out for the petting farm, since the website said 10-5 (just didn't specify days). -Pulled in to the driveway of a house and started to walk to the red door (on the side). A mom and her daughter were walking out w/Groupon in hand. Asked them if there was anyone back there, and the mom said 'no, but the lady just called me and said she was running late.'. Our family and this mom and daughter sat in our cars and waited for a bit. After about 15-20 mins, we followed suit and went through the back gate. (Where we were greeted by an adorable pig, and an annoying, yipey dog.) -Each of our families waited in the back yard for another 20 min until the owner showed up with a handful of folks that had just been out on a trail ride. -We got a brief tour of the 'farm' and were told to 'ignore the garbage' as it was 'just pulled out from one of the stalls/barns'. (hmmm, ok). -We signed our waivers and gave our Groupons. We would make the most of it. -When we entered the rather small pen that contained what had to be 40+ animals (goats, donkey, peacocks, geese, emus, rabbits....) we were bombarded for the carrots we had in our pockets. My husband held my 2 year old in his lap, and the goats kept jumping on to them/stepping on her. As soon as she fed the donkey, he/she bit her finger. We were out of that pen within 60 seconds flat. A bit too traumatic for a 2 year old. -We decided to head over to the mini horses and alpacas to feed them through the gated arena they were in. This is where my husband was bit. One of the horses (not the one he was feeding) chomped down and didn't let go. My husband kept hoping the horse would realize his finger was not food and release. He eventually had to pry his fingers out of the horses mouth. His finger/nail is bruised to this day. -One more thing: The Mom/Daughter (who was 9, and an experienced rider) left early, too. There was a mix-up at first with who was going to be on what horse. Once that was settled, we figured they would be on their way. By the time we got over to the alpacas and mini horses, after the ridiculous experience in their animal pen, there were the Mom and daughter, Groupons in hand. We made the comment of 'wow, that was short.' The Mom's response was 'that wasn't going to happen. The horses started getting all riled up/bucking. My daughter had enough so we called it quits.' -Long story short - we were there for less than 5 minutes after we signed a waiver and gave our Groupons. Certainly not the experience we were looking for, and we can only hope our daughter won't be afraid of animals going forward. Definitely didn't go well for the Mom/Daughter that showed up just before us either. read more

if there is ZERO star, I'd give it to Bonnie for sure. I am super disappointed about this purchase. The farm has nothing just a few rabbits and for $12, you even don't get pony ride or animal feeding. We were there today and the business owner let us wait for 20 minutes because she is busy with horse riding customers and then nothing happened. We just left, this is ridiculous, even they pay me $12, I wouldn't have my family go there, it's completely waste of time(we drove 40 miles to simply see some rabbits) I can't believe this is what Groupon has to off, I am glad this is my first and last time dealing with Groupon. THIS BUSINESS NEEDS SHUTDOWN COMPLTELY BEFORE IT RIPS OFF ANOTHER FAMILY LIKE US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

My friends and I were looking forward to this for a long time, scheduling was so difficult! We had to do it through meet up and then schedule months in advance and then had to pay a fee on top of the reservation. I looked through everything online to make sure we had everything we needed when she showed up, and sure enough when we got there on the day we reserved the owner advised us that because I came with a minor that was under 17 she needed to have her parents sign the paperwork. Which was nowhere on the website, so we had to get the paperwork, go and have it signed and reschedule. Now the owner was extremely rude when she told us this information, talking down to my friends and I, smirking saying we should've known etc. anyway we reschedule and came back a few weeks later, at this point only coming because we had already paid for everything. While we waited for the rest of our group to show up, another group of young girls seemed to be having the same issue we did. One of the girls began to cry because she was so frustrated over not being able to ride. This is when the owner took the opportunity to point and laugh at her, in front of everyone, saying that she was another "spoiled millennial" and just kept mocking her with her assistant. I was in shock. After the whole scene ended we began to go to the horses, where we all got up and began the trail. One of my friends in my group were led by Marta the entire time and never got a chance to ride the horse on her own. So basically it was like we paid for her to be pulled around on a pony. The owner did not let us keep our cellphones or cameras for pictures, instead insisted she would take her own and then share them with us on Facebook. Oh and the pictures she took.. were super blurry and might as well had been taken on a camera from 1995. Overall our experience was unprofessional, the owner extremely rude, and the reservation process hectic. I will not be recommending this place to anyone. read more

We bought the Groupon deal for riding lessons. We were not impressed. They were always late starting on the lesson and ended right on time. Very rushed and impersonal. We never felt welcome. The first lesson they brought the horse over and tied her between two posts when the other horses were being fed. She was kicking and whining and miserable. The girl who brought her over was all of about 13...or less and asked my tiny daughter if she would like to groom the horse. The horse was going crazy and easily could have kicked my daughter or hurt her. My daughter was terrified and declined. We almost left at that point but fortunately the woman doing the lessons (not the owner) was kind and appropriate with my daughter and the horse. On our follow up visits we felt just as unwelcome and when Bonnie did the lesson she barely spoke to my child as she rode for the exact minutes she was entitled to and then walked away. High power lines are strung over the fields and I wouldn't call it a 'working farm' by any stretch. The facility is smack in the middle of residential areas and it feels very residential. We had trouble getting lessons scheduled and phone calls returned. Towards the end of the coupon the owner basically just quit responding. We didn't finish our lessons we were entitled to. We will not of course be returning nor would I recommend that you do either. read more

It was a nice ride as for a first-timer. Just listen to Bonnie's instructions, and you'll be ok. She's quite clear with her guidnances and willing to answer all of your questions. Of course, if you can't find the difference between left and right or up and down, this place may be a challenge for you. read more

I just used my Groupon for a trail ride and had a fantastic time! I'm not sure what the negative fuss is all about because as a seasoned horse person I found the whole experience to be just great. The horses were very well behaved, the scenery peaceful and interesting, and the guide was very kind and friendly. There was good communication by email and phone with booking during the busy Groupon rush and I think the petting pen would be a perfect place to bring small children. read more

I did the groupon deal for A 45 minute lesson and 45 minute trail ride. We had a great time today! Bonnie does a great job of teaching riders how to handle the horse In a safe manner. My 8 year old daughter and I loved the trail ride thru the green hills surrounding by blackberry bushes. It was absolutely beautiful. I will for sure do it again. read more

Unsafe and unprofessional. My horse kicked the rider behind me. She was thrown from her horse and was injured. It was not handled well. She could have used immediate medical assistance. I was afraid and asked for assistance and was ignored and told to keep riding. My 6year old son was very scared and upset and the leader was very rude and informed me that he was too young to even be on the ride. That was the first that I had received that information. I would not have allowed him on the ride if I had known that they did not accept young riders. I put in a complaint to the BBB. read more

Really enjoyed ourselves today with our two 5 yr old nieces. They got to see chickens, geese, bunnies, goats, a donkey, a sheep, an emu and a llama. They also got to rides horses... they were scaredy cats at first but once they got in there, they had a great time. Edwina and Emily were great hosts, kind and knowledgeable, and didn't rush you around. Bring a few dollars for feed and a tip for the horse ride. Its worth it and I recommend Morris Shadows for a nice, fun, local outing. read more

I read the reviews on yelp and felt like I needed to visit this place for myself before I signed my daughter up for riding lessons. I have to admit I was a little nervous going in there because of what I had read online. I was expecting biting animals and mean staff. When we entered the farm we were pleasantly surprised. We were greated by friendly dogs and the owner. While touring some of the farm we saw peacocks, ducks, pigs, emus, and were followed by a goose the entire time. The owner told us that the goose was making sure we didn't go near the eggs the other geese had just laid. My daughter had a wonderful experience and couldn't wait to return for her riding lesson. We returned the next week for my daughter's riding lesson and she had a great time. She really had to work hard because they taught her the entire process from brushing and saddling the horse to putting everything away at the end. My daughter really got a complete experience and I loved that she got to be part of getting the horse ready. The owner and the volunteer staff were really friendly and even took us to see the newest additions to the farm (baby animals). My daughter was full of horse hair and our boots were pretty dirty but it's a farm and it's exactly what we expected. We will be returning again very soon. read more