I board my two young rescue horses with Melanie and can't say enough positive, good things about…read morethis facility. My boys are treated beautifully and they are loved by all the folks at the facility. Stalls are clean, hay is high quality, horses get lots of interaction and attention, and the arenas are always clean and dragged nicely with great footing. If you are looking for a quiet, low key barn environment with very happy horses, this is the place for you.

Riding/stabling horses in Oakland? Well yes to both actually…read more Just off Skyline, slip back in to what seems to be an oasis for horses with an ocean view. But keep your speed down- the city boy in me cruised in at what seemed to be a medium pace and was told that that was tooooooo fast. 5 mph or less. So okay. Helped move a new vendor in who will have tons of horse supplies available on site. I'd rattle off some more lingo like saddles and bridles but I don't know what anything else is called. They're there though. And there are numerous signs that indicate that dogs are not allowed. Just an observation.

BHE is awesome!!! The staff is great, an indoor arena case it's raining, best barn in Castro…read morevalley!!!!

I recently moved my horse to BHE from a barn in SoCal and I have been so very happy I did! Kate and…read morethe trainers hear TRULY CARE and I can tell how much time they've spent with my horse. My horse has had a chronic problem with white line disease in his hoof and BHE has not only brought in an excellent farrier (shout out to James McCracken!!) but the team has treated his hoof TWICE A DAY! and he's finally on his way to recovery. Like most owners, I just don't have the time to be at the barn every day and I rely upon the team to take care of my horse. I am so grateful to have found a barn that makes a point of giving each horse what it needs (and without upcharging me for every added thing) rather than just tossing some hay in their stalls and leaving the owner to figure out the rest. BHE has an extensive staff of experienced people who work beautifully together and go out of their way to provide the kind of personalized care I would do on my own if I could. I will also ratify what others have said about the atmosphere at BHE. I am relatively new to the horse world but I have definitely experienced the snooty, catty, gossipy behavior that gives it such a bad rap and BHE IS NOT that. Any time I have spent there has been such a pleasure. If you're looking for a barn that will be the "happy place" for both you and your horse, I think you'll enjoy being part of the BHE family.

Wonderful facilities and excellent instruction, very close to Oakland and freeways but backing up…read moreonto magnificent trails

Great horses. Great lesson program. I commute from SF & it's worth every minute on the bridge.read more

This place is magical, it's the perfect barn for any discipline and or any type of rider. You walk…read morein and instantly get hit with a different micro climate which is usually beautiful. The views and trails are amazing and horses well taken care of. If you decide to take lessons here, they are not pushy on you showing or buying a horse that's 100k. You don't have to be in a training program to board your horse here. Anthony and Vijoa are very sweet and tolerant of boarders, students and staff. Past reviews were from some not so nice people, and also people who didnt care about horses

Anthony Chabot stables has excellent instruction for any one at any level. Horses stabled there…read morewere happy and healthy. A well run barn! Kudos! MJ

It was a lovely trail ride along the shore with great views. I could really come to peace and have…read morea moment of quiet which I really enjoyed. Trinity did an amazing job , she's got a great personality and open mind which I appreciate! So thank you to the entire team and of course the horses ! Rainy was a real champ such a sweet little lady !

Great ride with Juan! He frequently checked the riders behind him and put the least experienced…read moreperson directly behind him, so he could coach her. Horses were well taken care of...good weight, cinches loosened & bridles removed between rides, water offered and lunchtime grass hay & alfalfa cubes. Great mounting block...a RAMP & high platform! Couldn't have been better & I highly recommend for a trail ride.

Xenophon is an impressive therapeutic riding barn. They are a facility that concentrates on safety…read moreand fun with all participants. As a facility with both Adaptive Horseback Riding & Hippotherapy, they have quite the team. The horses seem well cared for, and a vital member of the team. Volunteers are recognized and are appreciated. Excellent program, run by awesome people.

From the owner: Xenophon is a non-profit 501(c)3 registered charity, offering both Therapeutic Riding and…read moreHippotherapy. In Therapeutic Riding, basic horsemanship skills are integrated into therapy goals tailored to each individual's specific needs. Our licensed physical therapist and occupational therapist on staff facilitate the goals designed in our hippotherapy sessions.

Jerry is an amazing instructor. I have been taking English lessons for the past few months and have…read morereally felt immersed in the lifestyle. My weekly lesson is something I really look forward to. As an instructor, he is patient, professional and friendly. His love for horses and passion is evident and has sparked my interest in my new favorite hobby. Not only is it so nice and calming to be outside, it's fantastic exercise. You don't realize how many muscles are used to keep balanced. If anyone is looking to learn how to ride English, Western or just spend time with horses I highly recommend QUEST equestrian.

I was visiting Oakland and Jerry kindly put me into his schedule for Sunday and just today. I am…read morean adult adv beginner rider. He said he loves adults. He quickly was able to figure out spots to work on, and we drilled, especially riding with my seat. His apprentices was friendly and very knowledgeable. Can't wait to come back and ride again! Beautiful barn and well cared for horses. Only thing don't take Uber. Uber's GPS is not able to locate the facility. The facility is located off a main road Skyline Blvd and very easy to get to.

We had family friends visiting and wanted to give them a unique experience. It was hard to find a…read morehorseback riding company that would respond back or have a phone number to reach them. I texted EquiFabula and Beany responded right back. She was very nice and accommodating for our request of a private horseback riding lesson. The lesson was for our family friend that is a 10 year old girl who had never been on a horse before. Beany asked her height and weight and experience and let me know she had the perfect horse. We arranged a time and date. Before our appointment Beany confirmed and sent us some paperwork and waivers to sign. This was great so that we could spend more time with the animals when we arrived. When we arrived, we were greeted by a beautiful property nestled in the Castro valley hills. The property is big and well kept. Beany let us through the gate and we parked by the stables. Beany asked if we would like to see some of the animals on the property. We had a wonderful time meeting 2 week old bunnies, chickens, a baby possum, chinchilla, and guinea pigs. It was a wonderful surprise that we didn't expect. After we finished seeing the various animals for half an hour we met Mona the unicorn! Our family friend learned how to brush Mona and take care of her. She was then fitted with riding gear and started her lesson. Beany walked with them the entire way and was a wonderful teacher. She learned how to trot with the horse, steer, and all about the basics of riding a horse. This experience couldn't have been better and Beany was a 5 star teacher. You can tell she loves what she does, has an immense passion for animals, and is very good with kids. She is able to ignite a passion for horses within kids and it's a sight to behold. We would definitely go back!

I've been consistently impressed by Beany's knowledge of horsemanship and the thoughtful…read moreinstruction she gives to students. I highly recommend her for anyone wanting to grow as a horse-person.

My kids favorite summer camp for multiple years in a row. They got to hold chickens, milk goats,…read moretake adventurous hikes, and learn to ride horses. The counselors are great with the kids.

Highly recommend sending your child here! I've been sending my oldest here for years now and she's…read morelearned so many valuable skills on how to take care of animals and herself if ever in the wild. She especially loves the horse and archery program. All the years we've been here the staff has been nothing but nice and welcoming! My oldest was having a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do after school and this has been the perfect solution! She's loved every bit of it! Thank you Sienna Ranch for all these amazing years!

I went to this place and got the package of four lessons which is 350 dollars, but I had told…read moreMarguerite that I had barely started to even trot at the other place I went to, she ask is I was a beginner and I told her I was over the phone fast forward, when I got there everything was fine but she told me to go to the barn a talk to this lady who was going to give me a helmet and take walk the horse out my mom was with me so she had to sign and release form, but the lady wasn't that nice she wasn't rude but she wasn't very welcoming, the horse had hesitated when walking out of the barn, and the lady told me to look forward and walk but the horse still didn't move eventually he did. We got to the gate of the arena and the horse stopped again, and the lady who had helped me get a helmet in the barn yelled at the horse to move( this is where I started to feel nervous because I felt that I couldn't trust the horse.) Marguerite told me that she could tell I was nervous and that it was ok because she puts little kids on this horse.(I was riding in shoes because my boots that I had gotten didn't come into the mail yet, and I told her that but she said that it was ok) so we kept riding but I was confused because it wasn't Marguerite teaching me it was someone else that and I thought she would because that's what she told me over the phone, which is fine I was just confused...the lady who was walking with me around the arena was nice. The lesson ended and we left. Later that day I told my mom that I didn't want to go back because I felt to uncomfortable there and it didn't feel like a stable system...and the other horse place I went to you would learn to brush and tack up the horse, overall just learn horseman ship but here you don't unless to get there early (she didn't tell me till the second lesson) but we asked for a refund and she refused to give a a refund( she never mentioned that she didn't give refunds) she told me and my mom to take after lesson with the boots so we did but i felt pressured to take this lesson.but she said she would charge 120 for the next lesson and give 110 back is we didn't like it. The next lesson came around and I wasn't in the best mood I felt pressured to take this lesson and I just wasn't in the best mood, I got on the horse ( the same one from the first lesson) and he felt jittery to me and I felt uncomfortable I had a weird gut feeling, so I stopped the horse and told her and my mom that I was uncomfortable and she ask why I couldn't answer at the time because I don't know what to say but she just told me to kept going, I felt confused by her instructions because she never told me if I was doing it right, but we kept walking and I felt more and more uncomfortable the horse was stubborn and was focused on follow Marguerite more...we walking around for a bit more and we stopped and she was telling to to look where to want to go then walk so I did. I don't know what happed after that because it happened so fast but the horse had got spooked by a truck driving on the road a threw me off, I landed on my hip ( I was ok but I'm bruised really bad and can't really lay down or sit without it hurting) I got up and talk out of the arena and I was shaking I don't know what happened after that as my body was in shock from what happened. She proceeded to tell my mom that I'm not ready and it was like talking to a 8 year old ( I'm 17) and that riding probably wasn't for me and that I would have still been on the horse if I kept my back straight, and that I wasn't listening and was hesitant to listening to her( I was confused and she never told me if I was doing something right or wrong.) Please be careful when choosing this place ask a lot of questions, because she tends to leave stuff out.

Overall the experience was okay, I would not recommend using this place if you're looking for…read morequality riding lessons. From the very beginning it seemed like an unfit establishment for our family, but wanted to be optimistic. The trainer provided very poor communication on how to find her place and was late on day one. She immediately jumped into defensive communication any time I asked for clarification. She seems very well established and knowledgeable, unfortunately that doesn't translate into her training with first time riders. Trainings are rushed, but ironically she just sits in a chair disengaged from the trainees. I was shocked as a parent and as someone who has no experience with horses when I was asked to prep the horse for riding. Seems extremely unsafe. Once I communicated that we no longer needed the services she became combative and refused to reimburse for the advanced payment for lessons.