Located just down the street from Richmond Country Farms and just shy of Riverport Entertainment…read morecomplex, Blue Meadow is a lovely riding facility in south east Richmond. It's really easy to get to as the bus to Riverport stops right at Palmberg, and it's just a hop and skip down Steveston Hwy off Highway 99. Blue Meadow has both an outdoor arena and a covered arena (not a completely indoor arena, but sheltered) which is great for our wet climate. The area footing is excellent. It's not soggy and water-logged, which can be a problem in Richmond as we're so close to sea level. The farm is three acres--plenty of room for the horses to graze and run around--and is owned by a family who leases it to the barn manager Yolanda Bloomers. Yolanda has school horses available for lessons and there are also boarding facilities. Blue Meadow has certified Equine Canada instructors/trainers who coach numerous English riding disciplines including dressage and jumping. The Equine Canada certification was important for me when researching a riding instructor, and as I don't own my own horse (yet!?), I needed someone with school horses available. I've recently started taking lessons with Yolanda who came highly recommended from other barn friends. When I emailed Yolanda, she suggested I first come and observe a lesson, so I could see her teaching style. I really appreciated this! It was so great to see her interacting with a rider to see her style, her mannerisms, and her competency. I definitely wanted to take lessons! I've had a couple lessons with Yolanda already at Blue Meadows, and I *definitely* intend to keep going. The price for a private lesson with use of a school horse is fair--equestrian sports are expensive--and I also think it's great value. What I really love about Yolanda's teaching style is that she explains the "why" of things--when this particular exercise is useful, the benefit of lunging in both directions, or how to do this weird terminology thing. Instead of shouting at you from across the arena, she either uses a small microphone and fanny-pack speaker, or walks with you (not beside you, but comes down to the end of the arena you're working in). She also gives the rider ample notice, like a GPS in the car would say "in 500 metres, turn left". I really appreciate that Yolanda gives positive feedback with the constructive criticism. I've worked with a lot of kids, and I've also worked as an instructor (not horseback riding), so I know the benefits of the "compliment sandwich". Yolanda also explains why the horse might not be responding to what the rider is asking, listing a couple possible reasons and then saying what to try adjusting the next go around. I can't wait to continue lessons, despite my sore muscles the day after!

I've been riding here for almost three years now and I love this place. It's clear that everyone is…read morehere because they love and care about the horses and their welfare, not to show off social status and appearance like some stables can be. Yolanda is an excellent instructor for beginners and advanced students alike, and knows her horses' capabilities and personalities well. The boarders and other riders are unpretentious and enthusiastic, and the horses are sensible and lovely, and great teachers themselves. It's low-key and friendly here, a wonderful environment whether you're a human or an equine.

I had the pleasure of meeting Janice when I brought my daughters 10/8 for their first lessons. Her…read moreapproach and attitude show she genuinely cares about teach the children the correct way to ride and care for a horse. We had tried with other instructors that simply cared to rush us in and out. Janicea exceptional teach and we will definitely continue to have our kids attend lessons.

I take my kids to JM Sporthorse for their riding lessons and they absolutely love it. They barely…read morerode before, and now it is the best part of their week. Janice is so great with them and has taught them so much! You can tell she honestly cares about her role and the people she teaches. More than that, Janice is a thoughtful instructor who treats her horses with the kindness and respect that they deserve. The horses are wonderful, kind, responsive, and patient with my kids. I could not recommend enough!

The instructors are very talented and caring. The horses are well treated and reliable.read more

Here for Tiffanys first lesson. Awesome experience for her. Instructor is thorough and patient…read more Tiff had a great time! Much much better experience than I ever had!

I first found out about Crescent Stables through livingsocial. The voucher was for two 45 minute…read moreriding sessions or one 90 minute session. When I redeemed the voucher I asked if it was ok if I used one session and my sister used one session on the same day and she said it was fine. When we got there we signed our waivers then picked out riding boots and helmets. We got our horse ready (brushed, saddled, cleaned out his hoofs etc) and then it was time for the lesson. Carly was so patient and friendly with us. My sister and I hadn't been near a horse in years so it was nice to have such a good teacher who clearly adores horses! The lesson was fun. I highly recommend Carly!! We rode Squirty and he was so patient and gentle. I will be back to ride again.

Thea is an excellent instructor! She is very knowledgeable and encouraging…read more I started out with a groupon for two lessons. If you're doing the Groupon, I highly reccomend doing more than one lesson. I liked it, so I kept going! It has been YEARS since I rode as a child, so it took about 3 before I really got the hang of it again. Crescent Stables has great rates for lessons, and wonderful facilities. You can do individual lessons, but they also have packages by the month or buy 10, get one free. This is something I have not seen from other stables in the area. Go to Crescent!

I've recently started taking lessons here with Academie Duello School of Modern Swordplay through…read moretheir Cavaliere Program for mounted combat. The facilities are great, the people are friendly, it's a great location and there is on-site parking. Some of the horses are owned by Academie Duello (Jack & Flavie) and some are owned by individuals who are boarding on the farm. Leasing is available for some of the horses and there are live-in caregivers on the property full time.

Red Colt is a unique horse boarding facility in Richmond, offering full horse board, lessons and…read moreleasing programs. I've boarded my mare at Red Colt for the past two years and love it there. She is well taken care of and the people are very friendly. It's also small (about 10-13 horses) and affordable - which is wonderful as it's so close to the city. I would totally recommend it!

We had a great time! I'm not an experienced rider so I was a bit nervous. Lorraine & Olivia were…read moregreat guides and made us feel at ease. The horses looked well cared for and were gentle. It's a definite must go experienced

Girls riding with us were extremely sweet and the horses were well behaved! The trail itself was a…read morebit boring but other than that the horses were easy to ride and get alone with. Though for the price and trail, I wouldn't say it was worth it.

The best well-managed barn I have experienced. The care of the horses is top notch - Wendy is…read moremeticulous and on top of each animal's well being. Shoeing, vet visits, vaccinations; all organized for you. The people are great; it's a true family atmosphere. And the in-house coach (Heather) is an amazing horse-woman and teacher.

A wonderful experience indeed! They offer one hour trail rides for $60…read more We reserved as a group of 6, we signed the waivers, and then we had to drive to another area 5 minutes away, where all the horses were. They had all the horses ready for us upon arrival. Andy, our guide, checked our experience with riding horses, and then paired us each with the appropriate horse. I got the tallest horse, Sonia. This was my first time riding a horse so at first I was a little uneasy. Andy eased us into it so that we all got comfortable with our horses. He then lead us on an hour and a half trail, bringing us to different terrains, and having us going at different speeds. He was also nice enough to stop at one point and take pictures for all of us. Beautiful scenery, and it was very relaxing. We went at different paces at different stretches of the ride, so it gave us a full on experience. A very pleasant ride, it was my first time, and it was very enjoyable!

Amazing family ran business. Patty and Len really care about their horses. Patty is an excellent…read moreinstructor, shes very kind, patient yet firm in her teaching. Safety is always a first priority. If you are a new beginner or looking to brush up or advance your skills. I highly recommend you choose Patty! Her years of horsemanship skills are invaluable. You can tell she really loves it. Shes very good at communicating and transferring her knowledge and skill. Super blessed to have her as an instructor!

From the owner: Blackstock's Performance Horses & Arena is a riding academy in Chilliwack. We specialize in horse…read moreboarding, training and provide weekly roping lessons as well as therapeutic riding sessions to customers of all ages.

Absolutely nothing but good words about this place and the people here…read more The family that owns this property is unbelievably kind, considerate and caring towards the horses and the boarders, and the people that opt to take lessons here. Stephanie is great human. Through and through. A well experienced rider, coach/trainer and barn owner. Park Lane is a family oriented community and business, that spreads this compassion into the boarding and riding experience. It is an immediate sense of calming and zen-like feels upon entering, and I cannot recommend it enough.