I purchased a Living Social deal for two riding lessons at North Gate Farm back in May. I just used my two lessons and I'm planning on taking more! I hadn't ridden a horse in years and it felt great to get back into riding. I had no trouble setting up my lessons and the farm responded quickly when I emailed them. My instructor for both lessons was Andrea. She was very knowledgeable and patient. I really enjoyed learning from her. read more

Bought an Amazon Local coupon. Note that these are semi-private lessons (not stated on AL). Tried multiple times to contact company as directed on voucher, received no response for over two weeks, which was running us up near the expiration deadline. Finally was told that I had to use the online system to book appointments. Very few appointments available, and it would show us an available appointment and then say it wasn't actually available. Information on auto-replies was not accurate, and when I logged back in, previously-booked appointments appeared to have vanished. Finally managed to book appointments, one of which they then said by email weren't available because of an arbitrary internal deadline, and they refused to do the obvious ("book it after we make it available and we will honor the voucher") because "then everyone will want one." Proprietor became rude when I expressed reasonable frustration, and she refused to schedule lessons at all. I'm not normally moved to get annoyed at people I am trying to do business with, and I am not normally moved to write negative reviews, but I think I'll make an exception here. If you buy this coupon, schedule *ASAP* and be prepared for some user-hostile interfaces. read more

We did the one hour Horseback riding lesson and were very disappointed.... out of the one hour lesson, we barely got to ride.... it was less than 15minutes with only one round of trotting. It might have been good to clarify that before hand when we booked it. It might have been better to reduce the setup time and include a little more riding time. For the price we paid($140) for two people, this was really not good value:( read more

I love this place. Why do I love it? 1) The instructors and staff and owner. They're all fun, enthusiastic, friendly, and awesome, but will still kick your butt when you need it. And they really give great instruction. 2) The facility- large indoor ring, outdoor rings, clean, space to tack up, viewing/sitting area. 3) The horses. Gotta love the horses. Although their emphasis on safe lesson horses conflicts a bit with my love of the crazy ones. 4/5/6/etc) The kids here are impressive. Seeing them give tips to other teams during competitions is inspiring sports(wo)manship. The commute is quick and easy from Cambridge-ish area. Did I mention the indoor ring? There are trails too that I have yet to explore. And there are a good number of adult riders. There are quite a few options for lessons and leasing. Like most barns, it can be tough getting in touch to schedule a first lesson. It's a busy place for sure. I would recommend some patience in that respect but there is no doubt that you'll have a great ride. read more

I used to ride in high school and college, but as an adult a lot of the local instructors don't meet my needs. Maybe the kids don't mind if their instructor is playing on her phone or chatting with her friends because hey, they're on a horse!, but when I'm paying for instruction I do expect the same focus I get from a tutor or voice teacher. I'm so glad I tried one more time! I started with an Amazon Local semi-private deal in April, and I've been riding there twice a week for the past four months. Scheduling the first lesson was pretty easy-- they use MindBody (which some of the local yoga studios also use), and the Amazon Local is its own type of lesson, so you just select that and then send them an email with your stats and riding background. They've been great about getting me lesson times that work around my work schedule and scheduling the one make-up lesson I've had to take so far. My instructor is Andrea, who is fantastic-- very observant, lots of great feedback. She's great with the kids too. I always hear her telling them they worked hard and did a good job, or that they can't just go and relax because they need to take care of their pony first, or that yeah, sometimes your pony is being a pill and that happens. All important life lessons. ;-) And spending time around the barn and sitting in on a few advanced lessons, the kids and teens are kind and supportive of each other, which I think says a lot for how the instructors set the tone. It's a happy place. read more

I'm rather surprised by the negative reviews here - yes, the barn is very busy and sometimes reaching someone can take a day or two, but everyone involved at NGF, from Pam the owner to the instructors to the other riders, is nothing but friendly and welcoming. The indoor ring can be very busy in the winter as all the lessons have to be held inside, but the instructors are very aware of what each lesson is doing and are very good about helping everyone keep out of each other's way. The horses are happy, healthy, and get a really good amount of turnout. read more

"We have had our horse here for two years. Pam and her staff are wonderful and Miles is so well cared or and continues to be so. Katie Schaaf my daughter's Trainer who works out of this Horse Farm is AMAZING as well. She has been my daughter's trainer for 10 years and knows where the best place to work out of and be represented by. I HIGHLY recommend North Gate Farm for anyone who is serious about showing, just wants to learn how to ride or to board their horse and have fun with others. Very friendly atmosphere with out any pressure to do more than you aspire to do but assured high safety standards. read more

My daughter loves horses and takes periodic lessons here, whenever we have the time. The lessons are affordable, easy to schedule, and they seem to pick up where they left off even if three months have passed. She is so full of joy around horses, and they keep that joy alive while teaching her how to care for horses and ride English-style. I took her for a 90-minute trail ride recently and she was posting! She's only 6 and has only had a couple lessons. Thank you North Gate! We will be back! read more

I first contacted them by email. No reply. Then I figured I need to register and book a lesson using their online system. I booked one month ahead. Obviously it takes the whole month for them to email me back telling me the time I booked (which was open when I booked it) is not Available the day before the booked time. If this place is not ready to take new students, then please don't waste people's time. read more

I also had a groupon for Northgate and did not have any trouble setting up a lesson - but then again, I didn't call to use it until September. I've only had one lesson so far, but I thought it was great. Hadn't been on a horse in over 10 years, and it was a thrill. Northgate farm is not pretentious, which is the case at other many other riding places in the area. From what I saw of others coming for lessons, etc., the instructors were adaptable to riders of different skill levels and were attentive to individual's needs. I'd highly recommend this place. read more

My daughter has been riding at North Gate Farm since she was 8 years old. She is now 15. Throughout the years at North Gate, we have had a great experience. The instructors at North Gate are very supportive to my daughter, as well as amazing teachers. It has been great seeing her improve over the years. She loves everyone at the barn and I have never had a single bad experience with any person from North Gate in all the time my daughter has ridden there. The horses are all very nice and very well taken care of. They are extremely friendly and kind at North Gate, and I would recommend it to any one of any age and any riding level. read more

We purchased the 2 lessons from amazon local. I loved that I could book online, but was a bit worried while on our way, should I have confirmed ?? We arrived and we were in the book, no issue at all. They were extremely professional and did a great job welcoming my daughter. Overall great experience and very nice place! Great deal for lessons on amazon local. Pricing normally very fair. read more

Extraordinary environment for our 12 year old girls. North Gate Farm has been nothing but the best. From the owner Pam, to the instructors, and as important, the other young girls, is exactly what we wanted. Now having been a part of NGF for these past few years, one of our daughters has joined the IEA program and loves it. Hats off to Pam for all she does to show her students not only how to ride but to be responsible, engaged, and mature young adults. Thank you to NGF! read more

I will be totally truthful in this report. I purchased a living social deal as well for 2 riding lessons. I had been there before and my daughter loved it- Pam(the owner) and andrea were fantastic teachers and I bought the deal without reading the fine print that it was for first time customers. I did NOT have any email?schedule issues when I used it in the spring. With that said I tried to schedule lessons online like they instruct when you call- I would pick my days and check back and never did it show that they were scheduled. So I picked 2 more days- same thing. I called before my first day I picked asking for someone to call if my daughter had a lesson- I explained online it said no and if she was not scheduled no need to call- I DID NOT GET A CALL. That meant no lesson right? I again tried to schedule with same results. I sent 2 emails -and received no emails in my box. By the day it was expiring I called again-no answer or return call but an email that simply stated to "check my spam". When I did i noticed several emails. I NEVER check spam because its full of trash not an email from a respectable company. Long story short was that since I was a returning cust. I could not use deal except the$$ I paid to go to lesson(which I totally agree with and would have done) Then she says that since she had an appointment that we "missed" I would have to pay for it! I explained that I requested a CALL back, that it was NOT on the schedule system they have and that it all went to spam. She was not willing to work with me 1 bit, the emails were very short and not professional at all. So I lost the $$ and my daughter was so sad because she wanted to take her lessons again with the owner. My mom was going to get her them as a gift but we will have to find another stable. I'm amazed that people would rather loose a customer than work with one- especially when the communication?scheduling aspect is not working. So Greta teachers but check your Spam or you'll be out $$$$$ read more

I visited this farm with a colleague who is interested in buying a horse and boarding it in the Metrowest area. As a lifelong rider who has owned several horses, I came along to offer support and advice. We're both middle aged physicians and we appear far from threatening. When we arrived, the owner who had told my colleague to "come any morning" was not available. We were told by one of the stable staff that we could "look at the horses" while we waited for her. We did just that - strolled around looking into stalls and paddocks. As an experienced horse person, I knew not to touch any horses or offer them anything to eat. We just looked and talked about horse ownership. After about 15 minutes, we were accosted by an incredibly rude instructor who started screaming at us. She told us we were trespassing on private property and denied that anyone would have let us look around. She strongly insinuated that we were harming the horses. No amount of explanation about arrangements with the owner calmed her down or changed her hostile attitude. We offered to leave the premises as it was clear from this women's demeanor that this is not a farm my friend would ever wish to do business with. She followed us and continued to scream at us. It was the worst experience I've had on a horse farm in 30+ years. And this instructor was wearing an IEA jacket. I can only hope she treats the young people she works with with more respect than she treated us. I feel badly that my colleague's first experience with the equestrian world in Massachusetts was so negative. I've assured him that there are farms where clients and potential clients are treated with respect and where kindness and customer service count. He'll keep looking . . . . read more

North Gate has been the only barn in the area where I have felt welcomed, comfortable, and appreciated. When I get to the barn for my lessons everyone always says 'hi', is happy to see me, and willing to pitch in and help me get ready for my lesson if I am running late. I am always excited to see who I am riding, they have so many incredible horses that I learn something new on every horse I ride, and I love something about every horse they have. My instructors have been incredible. Pam and Katie have wonderful teaching styles, and they go out of the way to make sure you enjoy your lesson, and also learn a lot. My riding has grown exponentially with them. The facility is absolutely gorgeous and well maintained. I love spending my days at North Gate and I always love seeing new people come to the barn because I know they are going to love it as much as I do, and I hope it becomes their second home like it is for me. read more