I will admit, the negative reviews made me a little apprehensive to book a trail ride here but I am so glad I did. While I sympathize with those whose experiences were different than mine, I encourage others to ignore the reviews, book a ride and make up your own mind. For us, the distance from downtown St. Louis to here was great and I would have no problem coming here often. The second half of the drive has a scenic view of the river and is worth the commute in itself. I loved how quiet and peaceful the location is even with all of the restaurants etc nearby. Unlike another reviewer, we had absolutely no issue finding the stables using Apple Maps. The stables are located right off of the main road and easy to spot ahead of your turn. We were told to arrive 30 mins or so before our scheduled ride and were greeted warmly by the owner and his incredibly friendly cat. We felt comfortable and any anxiety from bad reviews melted away instantly. The owner and our trail guide were patient with us newbies...answering all of our questions and making sure we were comfortable before we set off. The horses are well cared for and docile. Phones are not allowed while riding but the owner kindly offered to take any photos we wanted before and after our ride. This small gesture made our day and I love having those photos to look back on. The trail was beautiful and the horses handled it with ease. The only issue we encountered had absolutely nothing to do with the company/staff but nature being nature. The horse flies were intense and if you're anything like me, you may want to schedule your ride during months where they aren't so bad. However, weeks later, I am still so impressed with and in awe of how my horse and our trail guide handled the seemingly endless freak outs I had every time a horse fly appeared. At times I was on the verge of tears, in full panic mode, screeching, dodging bites, recklessly moving from side to side and yet my horse remained calm and collected. I know it had to have been annoying to listen to and witness but our trail guide told stories and jokes to calm me down, he got many of the flies away from me and my horse and made the whole ride a positive experience in spite of those darn flies. 100% would come here again. Please give this place a chance and support these wonderful horses! read more

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I regret having to write this review, but I feel compelled to share my experience to help others avoid the disappointment my family faced. We booked a horseback riding trip for three on Saturday, June 1, 2024. On the morning of our ride, Aaron, the manager, called to inform us that the trip was cancelled due to poor trail conditions following a rainy week. I understood and agreed that riding would be unwise under those conditions. Aaron asked if we would like to reschedule, and despite living more than two hours away from the stables, we initially agreed. However, we did not reschedule immediately because we were unsure when we could return to Grafton. Their cancellation policy clearly states there are no refunds if guests cancel within two weeks of the reservation. Two days later, on Monday morning, I called the stables to request a refund, realizing that a trip to Grafton would not be feasible in the foreseeable future. Aaron informed me that a refund was not possible because I had not requested it during his initial call about the cancellation. I found this policy confusing and unreasonable. The company cancelled the trip, not us, and since we did not reschedule at the time, the two-week cancellation policy should not apply. There is no mention of this specific scenario on their website or in their fine print. Despite numerous conversations with Aaron over the past three and a half weeks, I have not received a refund of $165 for a trip that will not happen. Each time, I was promised a call from the owner, which never materialized. Even if we could reschedule, I would be hesitant to put my family's well-being in the hands of someone who has demonstrated a lack of patience, responsibility, and effort to resolve the issue. This is the first review I have ever written, but after giving the management of Pere Marquette Riding Stables ample time to rectify the situation, I feel compelled to warn others. Aaron informed me just 15 minutes ago that the owner would not be calling me back or issuing a refund and then hung up the phone. While I'm sure the horses are great and the trails are beautiful, I strongly recommend considering other options and working with a business that values its customers. I also wish we had read other reviews before booking, as it appears we are not the first to encounter such issues with this company. read more

I understand the comments from other reviewers regarding the professionalism/"bubbly"ness from the staff.......but I also think you should take into consideration where you are and what type of experience you are seeking. If you're looking for a carnival-style pony ride with Instagram moments and a complimentary cotton candy at the exit: you've picked the wrong place. However, if you're truly seeking an authentic, memorable experience horseback riding in this area- you can't beat these stables. They might not have all the extra bells & whistles, but I spent my birthday here, and I enjoyed the staff, horses, scenery, and the entire experience. Everyone working seemed passionate about the safety of the horses and everyone else, and I appreciated that. Comfortable environment and much more scenic than I would have expected. All in all it was a great adventure, and I would do it again tomorrow. So, take off your sassy pants and experience life! #Jerry #MilkDud #YeeHaw read more

Pere Marquette Riding Stables - sweet & stubborn jerry - Horseback Riding Near Me - Grafton, Illinois

We went out for a trail ride and we had a great time! The staff was great and our guide Kelly was very friendly and knowledgeable. The ride took about 45min and it was $35. I would reccomend if you're looking for a relaxing time, to go here. The horses were beautiful and seemed to be well cared for. They even offered to take our picture for us before and after the trail ride. read more

Pretty scenery and nice long trail. The workers however are anything but. We arrived for the last ride of the day, resulting in us two women alone for the ride. Two men sat and watched us as we unloaded water from our car, waiting for the ride to start. We felt creeped out to the point that we told friends our location just in case. The man who took us out on the trail was smoking and talking on his phone the entire time. He then proceeded to yell back at one of us to sit on our butts straight on the horse. Please do not yell at customers about their butts. Needless to say we won't be back and advise all to not waste your time. read more

Went horseback riding last weekend for the first time in years and Pere Marquette Stables did not disappoint. We went on the recommendation of someone that knows the good places. The staff was wonderful and the scenery was beautiful for a nice, crisp, fall morning. The horses are super tame and mellow. What a great experience! I can't wait to go back! read more

Had a great time! We were lucky that we were the only two people signed up for our time slot, so we got pretty lucky. Our guide was friendly and the trail is gorgeous. I would love the option for longer rides! read more

HORRIBLE experience! If you want to pay to be yelled at by a 60 year old man who knows very little about horses and has 0 people skills/trail guide experience visit this place. My boyfriend and I drove over from St. Louis to "enjoy" the beautiful day and go on a trail ride for our anniversary. The "trail guide" made it very clear in the beginning that he wanted to get the ride over in 20 minutes because it was the last ride of the day. Unfortunately, my horse was old and tired and did not want to walk as fast as our trail guide desired. So for the first 20 minutes the "trail guide" was yelling at me to "keep kicking my horse until he sped up." I could go ON and ON about how unprofessional this guide was, but I'm sparing my time as I wasted enough of it last Saturday. Not that I expected this place to be anywhere close to horse rides out West, I did not anticipate how horribly run this business is...especially to employ a "trail guide" that YELLS at women!!! Please spare your time and money and chose a different trail riding company. read more

I really enjoyed my experience with this company. The horses were well maintained and very tame. I was organizing for an outdoor group and had to change the date several times. They were very patient. The owner asked questions about our group and gave me several suggestions around camping, hiking and other outdoor events in the park. I found the staff to be patient and friendly. I'll definitely be going back for another trail ride and perhaps a hayride. read more

I have to say this was a disappointing experience. While the trails were beautiful and the horse back riding was a great experience, the man who was the tour guide had zero personality and was quite rude. I felt like I was bothering them and they were less than thrilled to be asked to take us out. It was obvious they were building a pavilion when we walked up but the hours said they were open for riding. I wish I would have just walked away and went elsewhere rather than take him up on his offer to saddle the horses and take us out in an hour. When we came back in an hour Ernie, the tour guide acted as though we were even more of a bother. He continued to act that way the entire ride. As we were leaving, we thanked them. We did get a very unpleasant "your welcome" and it left me wondering why they weren't thanking us. After all, WE were the paying customers. I will never go back and hope in the future if they are doing other things on a slow day, they just say they decided to close for the day rather than treat paying customers the way they did. Think twice about going there, it was a beautiful October day. I'm stunned they didn't expect someone would be out wanting to ride, but they sure didn't want us! read more

I've been wanting to take my husband horseback riding for awhile now. I finally decided to book something at Pere Marquette because it is so close. The horses were mellow and very well trained (Whiskey is the best!) but I can't say as much for the staff. I felt like the staff was very robotic and more overly concerned about safety than actually making the ride fun or interesting. I felt like we were treated like idiots and constantly felt like they were "watching" me while I was on the horse so I wouldn't use my camera or something. One of the workers offered to take a pic of my husband on his horse because I was already saddled and couldn't turn around. I should've checked the picture because when I got home, she didn't even get it! So now I don't have a pic of my husband on his horse and I will probably NEVER get him on horseback again. My only positive callouts would be the very pretty, dark haired woman who calmed down a young girl who was scared once she got on the horse and the younger cowboy who stopped to pick up my husband's hat. We tipped him. One lady who had brought her daughter with her (the one who got scared) asked if she could ride behind her daughter. The guy at the stable was like, "We'll see. It depends on the order the horses go out." Pardon me, but I would think it wouldn't be an issue to have a parent ride behind their own kid. I've been on three trail rides and this was the worst. It's really too bad because the scenery was beautiful. I will not be going back. I agree with the other poster who said the staff (especially the men) seemed annoyed that we were all there. read more