Avoid....can confirm 1 star is all they deserve. They are there for a reason. We stood around while they saddled the horses, that took 30 minutes. We didn't need lessons as we are all experienced riders. We went up a road, looped around and came back down. We were in the saddle for 50 minutes and paid for 90mins. 40 minutes of downtime. Absolutely unacceptable. I asked them to explain the downtime and was told that's how they operate and it's reasonable. Offered 10 min refund. Really? So be clear, they just want your money. Spend it elsewhere. read more

We are so grateful to Amber and Julia for working with our family! We've been coming 5 months now and there is no end in sight! Of course, the trail rides are amazing over 1500 acres of absolute, pristine beauty! But for us, Amber and Julia are teaching us true horsemanship, from the feet up. From grooming to tack, safety, bridling, learning how to trot, lope, and one day Gallup god willing! Amber and Julia are consummate professionals! Couldn't be more pleased. Thank you! read more

This was the worst horseback riding experience...we went like 200 yards and turned around...that was it it was like 20 minutes and we supposedly paid fir an hour...worst experience ever!! read more

My experience: I do not know if this is the normal practice, but I have a little pet peeve. I do not like being lied to. This was my first time with this lady Amber. There were 6 other horses and riders in the arena with me. It was highly stressful and unpleasant, everyone is yelling at each other, and clearly multitasking. Had I known that this was their version of a "private lesson" I would have never signed up. I was charged $90 dollars for this experience. I honestly would have preferred working with the junior girl Alana, than with Amber who was multitasking the entire time. This is a complete rip off/scam, but, for $90 dollars (I was there for 1.5 hours, mainly not on a horse) I imagine it financially makes sense if there are a bunch of other individuals getting "private" lessons at the same time as me, in the same arena. No thanks, I want to practice and work on my form and gain back the skills that I have forgotten from previous trainers, who gave *actual* private lessons. Stressful, unpleasant experience. Don't recommend. Here's a screenshot where they talk about "private" lessons. Yes, quotes are used intentionally. read more

Nojoqui Horse Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Goleta, California

This is about lessons only What do you think when you hear "private lesson"? Do you think four riders including your kid? Three riders? Two? Private lesson means private lesson -- one kid receiving full-on helpful instruction. But that's not what it means at this place. Though grooming is obviously an important part of the lesson, I also figure an hour or hour and and half lesson should have at least 40 minutes of actual time in a saddle. Not so at Nojoqui. The quality of instruction varies widely depending on who the instructor is. I heard an instructor yelling at one young child, "Show more confidence! Show more confidence!" In what way is that helpful? The instructor never said HOW to show that confidence. That is not instruction. read more

We made a reservation for a 1-hour trail ride and they asked us to pay them half in Venmo for a deposit and then half in cash on the day of. When you arrive they have you fill out a waiver and then go over the basics of riding a horse:m. There was us and another couple in our group all with various amounts of horse back riding experience (from years to none at all), and the trainer did a great job explaining it based on our level of need. After the training, you get on your horse and they make sure you're adjusted before the trainer also gets on a horse and leads you through the trail. She also told us about our horse's personality so we knew how to ride them! The trail right now is very green and there's a nice mix of flat and little hills. The trail ride itself is maybe 40 minutes but it was well worth it. Amazing experience and cute date idea! read more

Nojoqui Horse Ranch - The trail is behind the arena - Horseback Riding Near Me - Goleta, California

I found Nojoqui horse ranch after researching online and I have since come to love riding here for a number of reasons. It is something I look forward to taking time to do out of my very busy schedule! I appreciate the focus and time spent on building not only riding skills, but also general horsemanship. As some other reviews note, they do not saddle the horse for you as this is part of learning to ride at Nojoqui and becoming comfortable around horses. You may want to go elsewhere if that's the experience you are looking for, but I personally recommend coming to Nojoqui and investing the time to learn everything that goes into riding, including tacking up. Amber is clearly an expert and super knowledgeable about everything from riding to how the horses behave.The community of people who ride here are friendly and welcoming. The instructors are not shy about giving you feedback and critiques, but it's made a huge difference in my skills to hear honest feedback about how to improve. If you want to learn to ride, meet nice people and have fun Nojoqui is the place for you! read more

Beautiful scenery with mild mannered easy horses made for a cute and relaxed trail ride. I rode a lot as a kid but haven't done so in about 15 years, and my wife has very limited experience, so needless to say we were looking for an easy way to enjoy a horseback experience. Chanel took us on an hour long trail ride, and was attentive and personable- she made it fun, and they were feet accommodating. Rolling hills and pretty foliage were an added bonus. Very enjoyable, would love to go back. read more

Nojoqui Horse Ranch - Horseback Riding Near Me - Goleta, California

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I took my coming 8 yr old granddaughter for her first ever tail ride. She has been on a horse several times but has no real understanding of 'riding.' Chanel Jensen was our trail guide and was absolutely wonderful. Chanel explained what to do regarding stop and go. Again, my daughter had little previous knowledge. I'm a seasoned rider but she didn't take that for granted and also gave explanation. She provided me with a helmet per my request. I'm visiting from Florida. Chanel ponied my granddaughter, keeping an eye on her without being overbearing, carrying on a conversation with me and making sure my granddaughter was enjoying herself. We went up some hills, along trails, and down hills after verifying with me that this was okay. We had a wonderful ride and will be going back next week and I'm hoping my daughter will take her off and on during the year. Bess W. read more

I have been boarding my horse here for the past year and am so lucky I found this place! My horse gets amazing care here and the owner treats every horse like they are her own. As a bonus there are also awesome trails and gorgeous views! read more

My family of 4 had a great overall experience here. Hannah was a great tour guide and did a really good job with our kids. I figured they would deduct the prep time from our overall time, but they did not. The property is as pretty as the pictures show. I was concerned over this, but it really is a nice place. My only complaint, and it is a big one, is the fact they won't let you take your own pictures. We live in a social media age where everyone has a camera, and for us non-regular riders, this is the type of moment I want to capture. I not only could not take pictures of my kids first horse ride, but wasn't allowed to bring my phone with me either. I am not going to lie, if I had known this, I probably would have booked elsewhere. It doesn't say this anywhere on their website either. Hannah tells us she will take plenty of pictures and send them to us later, but it is not the same. There were plenty of spots for a great photo, but it just passed us by. Watching my son have no fear in giving the horse a kick to get him going was something I would have liked to capture. It put a bit of a damper on an otherwise perfect experience. Why not have riders sign a waiver? And it can't be a safety thing cause I never had 2 hands on the grip anyway just sitting on a horse. It would have been easy for me to grab shots of my kids. I just think the ranch needs to rethink their approach to this. If they do, we will definitely be back. If your own pics are not that big a deal to you, then I still highly recommend this place. read more

This horse ranch is so very special. Amber Giorgi and her staff are the best anyone could wish for. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned rider, look no further. I have taken lessons with Amber on my off track (6 years), thoroughbred mare. She completely did a do-over on her. Amber has a very special gift with Horses, as well as with her students. I am so grateful and happy with the results. Thanks read more

Nojoqui Horse Ranch - Many thanks to Amber. I have a great horse!! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Goleta, California

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This is the best riding experience I've ever had! Amber and her entire staff are knowledgeable, and the ranch is gorgeous! The scenery is out of a movie -- you could be in Montana or Wyoming! The horses are great, and the owner, Amber, makes sure that all riders receive instruction and are closely watched on trail rides. The lessons offered are of the highest quality; it is so supportive and confidence-building. Whether you are a beginner or advanced rider, you will learn something from Amber! Her kindness and humor match her keen eye, and gift for knowing exactly what needs to happen next for success and safety. If you are looking for the ultimate horse experience, check out Nojoqui Horse Ranch! read more

My rating is based on the boarding facility and management, not lessons or paid group trail rides. Amber states in advertising and in person she has 1 acre irrigated pastures. Nope. If she pulled all the cross fencing on her dirt feed lots it might total 1 acre. For now they are small with sagging fences and dirt. There does not appear to be a dedicated boarder tack room. The room has western saddles stacked 3 and 4 deep...One rack is just saddle pads stacked high...No bridles or brush boxes or Any sign of an individual user. I noted several people pay the additional money to keep their horse trailer on site and use the trailer tack room...So add $175 to cost of board. She actually bragged that all the mounting blocks on the ranch were purchased by boarders, because she won't supply. I asked about riding my horse on the trails... the gates are not ones you can open from horseback. She has no interest in providing for people paying board. Please note she does let all her paying group trail rides use a block to mount. At other facilities training fees are grouped with board and just added to the bill. She agreed to ride my horse once, went well, she asked to ride him a few more times to "work on his steering"... I agreed. Arrived to find her at home on a Saturday morning and someone else riding him. Startled and disturbed, I complained. A few days later I came to fetch him for a trail ride with friends and she had her people lock the gates so that I could not take him...Denied me my horse. I still had a week+ of board paid... That I paid with a check on arrival. She now demanded payment for 4 rides, cash only. I was forced to unload my horse, go to the bank for cash and go back to fetch my horse. I missed my trail ride. I did decide the facility was not a good match, loaded him and brought him home. If you do decide to board please note the section of the boarding contract that states 30 days notice. I was there for 3 weeks and still paid for an additional 30 days at $575...with a check. That totaled $1,310 for 3 weeks board and 4 rides ( Not all by her). She had no interest in reducing it by feed not fed even. Her integrity is suspect. Since when is a local check not legal tender? And locking me in? Unacceptable. Very expensive lesson learned. Enjoy the mounting block inside the first pasture. Would rather leave it that go back for it. Left feeling lied to and bullied, mixed with financial abuse and a basic disrespect for paying boarders. Thats your heads up. read more

I've been taking horsemanship/riding lessons here for several weeks now & can't say enough about it ~ but I will try.... I was referred to Amber by someone who did not teach adults, she got back to me right away and I was scheduled for the following day. The property is stunning and conveniently located right off the 101. There were a variety of students and boarders about, all at different levels & ages who were very welcoming, kind, and encouraging. I was given a very thorough initial lesson by Anna, she's an excellent instructor, very patient and clear. Been back for about a dozen more since, and can really attest to Anna's patience!! I highly recommend Nojoqui for boarding/lessons/trail riding, all of the women here are skilled professionals who love their work and their (your) horses. read more

This is such a beautiful corner of the valley. I send my friends from out of town here for horseback riding whenever they are visiting, and they always say how much they loved it and how much fun they had. It's a great activity, especially for families. The horses are obviously well taken care of and the staff is very competent and friendly. read more

If I could give a 0 star review I absolutely would. The owners of this ranch are AWFUL people. They portray themselves as nice accommodating couple when you first meet them, but once they don't get what they want they'll turn on you quickly. We rent the home on the property from them as well as have our almost 23 year old horse there too. After the relationship turned sour they started taking it out on our horse (locking him up in a small area that was not agreed upon) and pad locking his normal area he's allowed to use. They also threatened to take him or evict him off the property if we didn't obey by their "rules" that they have since made up since signing our lease. Amber also will yell at any kids that are "playing too loud" or happen to be crying from an injury. DO NOT board your horse here or take lessons from her. They are truly nasty people and should be avoided at all costs. They will also refuse to get your horse out of the elements. They have zero access to any sort of shelters and they don't care which is actually against state and county laws. My poor old horse is forced to stand out in the freezing cold with nowhere to go. Thankfully he has a blanket, but it doesn't completely help. They say they care about their animals and facility, but that is far far from the truth. read more

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This place is a hidden diamond. We had such a great time riding the horses. Ana was our trail guide and she was great. I felt safe with her and she was very informative. This was the highlight of our trip. read more

My very first time horseback riding, and I got to go on a beautiful scenic trail, with super friendly and helpful guide/trainer Anna, and my 6 year old got to ride a real horse on the same trail with us. What more to ask? So happy my spontaneous plan went so well. Seriously though I have dreamt of doing horseback riding on the rolling hills for ages. It was like a bucket list thing. Lol. Thank you Anna so much to make it happen when I almost gave up because I didn't carry enough cash with me. - They can only accept cash payment. Eventually Venmo came to rescue. read more

This is a wonderful barn with great horses and an incredible owner. Amber was kind and generous with her time, especially since traffic made us really late. We enjoyed a very relaxing ride (which was very needed after suffering so many traffic delays trying to get there). The scenery is gorgeous. We highly recommend this place to everyone. read more

What a shoddy operation! I booked a ride at the ranch for myself, a friend and our two ten year olds. My friend has owned, trained and competed her horses in barrel racing since she was a little girl. I have ridden since I was five and owned and trained horses. Our kids have been riding enough to be familiar with horses. While waiting for the others in our group to get mounted, my horse was smelling some wood chips in the ground. Nancy, the ranch employee, told me not to let my horse eat. This should have been a red flag. The last time I checked, horses do not eat wood chips, if they did they would eat all their bedding. We took the horses out on the trail and all of the horses wanted to eat. This is normal. The fact that the horses had no inclination to stop eating to follow the lead horse is odd as horses are herd animals and do not want to be left behind. Nancy, had no interest in helping out the kids to control these untrained horses. My son has dealt with ponies who want to push around kids and insist on eating and normally he pulls up their head and they follow the lead horse. Here we stood for no less than 15 minutes trying to get the horses to stop eating. I walk my horse next to my son's to help him out and totally unprovoked my horse started zipping backwards towards the ranch! I am no saying ten paces, I mean like 25 yards! I pulled the horse's head around and asked Nancy what the hell was that? She said that I must have been pulling too hard on the reins... ummm, hello, I had no pressure on the reins of a horse insisting on going in reverse, I am not a moron! Finally Nancy says, "I guess I am going to have to help". Really? Do you? We have been standing here for 15 minutes with your untrained horses who obviously have been underfed, grazing away while our kids are waiting to actually ride. Good move Nancy. She takes the rein of my friend's daughter's horse, I tell my son to whip his horse with the end of his reins and off we kinda go. My son asks me if me are going to be able to lope. I say that I do not think that would be smart as the horses are not well trained. Nancy, ever attentive, says that they ARE trained, they just do not respond to children. Funny, I told the ranch four days ago that I was bringing two ten year olds. The ride goes on with our children whipping and pulling their horse...not how I remember riding as a kid. I always had a blast! Then, walking along, my friend's horse's knee buckles, then the other knee and before we know it the horse FACE PLANTS! HOLY SHIT! I have never seen this in my life! Thank God that my friend has ridden forever and stays on this pathetic horse! If she were anyone else she would have flown over the horse and broken her neck. We were ever so fortunate that attentive Nancy was there. She acted like nothing happened! NO KIDDING!!! She did not even ask if my friend was alright!!!!! As we walked back I am fully aware that these are NOT TRAIL HORSES. I ask dear Nancy if my horse is a reining horse. That would explain it's agility in trying to escape to the barn backward. Well no sh-t Sherlock, he is! We get back to the barn and are thrilled to be alive and we ask Nancy if she noticed that the horse face planted. She says, yeah, he does that all the time! OMG!!! Really??? What planet are you living on?? My friend's daughter, brilliantly articulate says " That was more work than fun." That Is an understatement. No wonder insurance companies do not want to deal with dude ranches in California. What an awful experience! What a negligent place! What a negligent employee! read more

My daughter had the BEST time at Nojoqui Horse Ranch. She had never been on a horse before, at the age of 6. We did a one-hour lesson with Anna, followed by a one-hour trail ride. I can not say enough kind words about Anna. She was patient and kind, yet firm and provided clear instructions. The scenery was captivating. I look forward to going back and spending more time with the well trained horses and awesome instructors at Nojoqui Horse Ranch. read more

Nojoqui Horse Ranch - Anna is an amazing instructor! - Horseback Riding Near Me - Goleta, California

My 7 year old has been taking lessons at Nojoqui for over a year. My daughter LOVES this ranch! Nancy, her trainer, is a fabulous teacher. She is extremely patient, knows how to work with children, but also doesn't treat them like helpless kids. They ride on full size horses and learn all the grooming and care-taking that goes into riding horses. Amber (the ranch owner) is great to work with in scheduling lessons and is extremely accommodating with busy schedules. Their rates are reasonable and the ranch is such a beautiful place to spend an hour during a lesson. While it's a 35 minute drive for us as we drive from Santa Barbara, it's been very worth it for our family. Highly recommend. read more

My girlfriend and I enjoyed a 90-minute trail (with a 15-minute introductory lesson as we are both beginners) in the mountains by the ranch and we couldn't speak highly enough of our experience. Anna, our instructor/trail guide, was extremely friendly and insightful, and the horses had such a lovely nature. It was also great to see that the horses clearly enjoy such great care at the ranch. The very reasonable price was an added bonus. 10/10! read more

I love this ranch. I've been riding here on and off for ten years and I always have an excellent experience. I even sold a horse to be used in lessons here because I know how well taken care of he will be. It's unfortunate that someone would slander this wonderful ranch when in reality it's a truly magical place run by knowledgable and talented people. I give it five stars and I would gladly give it ten if that option was available. I highly recommend nojoqui ranch!!! read more

I have been boarding and training at Nojoqui Horse Ranch for almost 2 yrs now and have learned so much. Amber and Nancy have always been patient with me knowing I'm an older rider with confidence issues. They have really helped me over come my fears. And, with Amber's help I even found the horse of my dreams in a Haflinger gelding named Hobbit. I can't say enough great things about the ranch and these two ladies. Thanks guys :D read more

Best horseback riding experience ever! My husband and I wanted to do something special for our 1 year wedding anniversary. I contacted Amber about a private horseback ride and she got back to me right away. She was so helpful, responsive and made sure we were well prepared. My husband and I don't know how to ride at all, so having a mini lesson before was extra helpful. We went on the ride with Anna who is so sweet and made us feel totally comfortable. It was such a beautiful ride through the mountains and the horses could not have been better. The ranch itself is really beautiful and you can tell there is such care in the way they treat the horses. I strongly recommend going for a ride here and I can't wait to go back soon. read more

I've been riding at Nojoqui Horse Ranch for about 2.5 years now. There are places closer to home to ride, but I make the trip every weekend because the people, the horses, Nancy, and Amber are all amazing. I wouldn't ride anywhere else. If you're looking for somewhere to start riding, I highly recommend Nojoqui Horse Ranch. read more

Wonderful and safe place to train for any age! Nancy and Amber are amazing teachers. The facility is beautiful and the horses are well taken care of and very well trained. read more

We had an amazing experience at Nojoqui Horse Ranch. Amber helped me coordinate a wedding proposal on our ride and I couldn't have done it without her. She was prompt with emails and calls and made our ride unforgettable. I will absolutely go back and fully recommend anyone looking for a great ride to come here. read more