My family rode with Jaimi and Ainsley for many, many years. We have 4 horses in retirement now…read morethat we found with her and successfully showed with her and team. The most fabulous pony on earth was found in her program and gave my kids and I the best start and the confidence to continue on to ride the other 4 horses we ended up buying with her. Most of the horses came from her connections locally but one special one came to us from the UK so our purchase experience was one of patience and timing. It takes a long time to find a good equine partner so take the time and do it right and you will have that horse for life. One thing I have learned as an adult amateur and mom of kids learning to ride is it is a long long journey. You cannot rush to the good stuff as there is a long process of developing the foundation both on the horse and yourself as a rider to be able to achieve all of these hopes and goals that you want. The process is long but it is safe. All three of us have had successful riding careers, never got seriously injured and were able to retire all 5 of our horses into pasture to enjoy the ends of their days. Jaimi was our guide and friend along the way. Her attention to detail, determination to keep riders and horses safe and create a welcoming, loving and friendly barn family are all part of what makes Skye Valley Training so special. Horses are special beings and we should strive to find a training program who cares about the longterm outcome for their clients and horses. There are many trainers out there who will give you everything you want and take you along a journey that is more about instant gratification or giving their clients everything they want even if it is not the right thing for them. If you care more about winning or jumping everyday or just wanting to be sure you get your money's worth out of that horse investment then this program is not for you. Jaimi is uncompromising and that means not everyone is happy all of the time but you have moments of pure joy that have been earned through hard work and dedication to learning and achieving the foundation skills. There are many programs out there that will give you what you want so if you are not happy with something all you need to do is change your trainer. No need to destroy someone's reputation because you are mad or they didn't let you jump your horse when perhaps you were not ready too. There is the right program for everyone. As a parent of kids who learned to ride it was more important to find a program who would keep your kids and horse safe. Who didn't make risky decisions just to please the parent or kid. A trainer who was willing to say no you are not ready so you would not risk your life or your horse. I have seen enough of those rides and have always felt lucky that I could trust Jaimi's judgement and know we were doing what was appropriate for our level of ability. If you are looking for someone who will work hard to find you a life partner that will give you life experiences that are earned then SVT is the program for you. Along the way if everything works out you may get to do some horse shows and win some pretty ribbons but that isn't really what it is all about is it? SVT, Jaimi, Ainsley and Chuy have integrity and take care of the horse and client in a safe and supportive environment. If you want someone who will be there with you on your horse journey through the good and the bad this is the program for you. My daughter took her experiences with Jaimi and her program and ended up in Europe during Covid working with horses all because of her time with Jaimi and what she learned along the way with SVT. We couldn't be more lucky to have had the privilege of being able to work with them and have had so many fantastic opportunities as a result.

This woman takes advantage of you. Stealing your time, money, and possessions so watch out she will…read morehold your child back. TIME: First off she rarely holds a lesson on time and does not value your time at all. She will allow lessons to bleed into each other ranging from children just learning to ride and adults on young, dangerous horses. If you ride with her expect to be at the barn for hours either helping her out for free (because she won't spend money to hire help and instead relies on free parental help) or being stuck in a lesson riding around in circles while she occasionally shouts things like "close your hand" or "put her on the bit" without ever instructing you how to do so. You will see little progression when riding with Jaimi and it will likely take your child years to learn even basic skills. MONEY: Never buy a horse with Jaimi. First, she will find a horse in a location convenient to her and her travel wishes! Whether that be Florida or Europe, wherever she can go on your wallet suits her and she will bring you back an average horse at best. Once the horse is at the barn she will sell you a "training" package. On days you cannot come to the barn your paying for her to ride your horse and school it. When in actuality, when you don't come to the barn she sells lessons to other children on your horse and considers this training, gaining herself a 2 for 1 deal, your money and this other parents money. Eventually after about a year you will realize your horse has developed a few bad habits, this is due to the horse never being taught what to do. These bad habits will continue to grow and will never be addressed. You and your horse will loose many skills when riding with Jaimi. POSSESSIONS: Like with the horse, Jaimi is using things without your knowledge. Do not leave your tack at her barn. She will use it with her lesson kids. whether it be your girth, bridle, that nice Antares saddle you just bought, or even your horse, don't be surprised when you come back to it dirtier than when you left it. Point is, only ride with Jaimi if you're a lesson child without a horse, that way you reap all the benefits the other horse owners pay for. If you would like to get serious, progress, and own a horse ... look for a different barn.

Emeri Kitchell of Ijula Equestrian has set up an outstanding riding program at Jaz Creek in…read morePetaluma, CA! Emeri is such a knowledgeable instructor who knows horses and how to get the most of your time riding them. She does this with a gifted understanding of how to feel your way through to communicating gently, but clearly, with your horse. She has an extensive set of tools that bring horse and rider enjoying their time together. The skills that Emeri brings to Ijula Equestrian combine with her wonderful eye in her horse and pony selection. Each of them is a good-natured, hard-working, and comfortable ride. The horses seem to really want to work with the rider. I credit this to the environment and training regimen that Emeri has created at Ijula Equestrian. Besides being an articulate instructor who explains recommendations well to her clients, she is so warm and friendly all while being a consummately caring professional with a great sense of humor. In addition to the wonderful combination of Emeri Kitchel and the horses she has selected for us to enjoy, Ijula Equestrian at Jaz Creek offers outstanding facilities. My favorites are these: 1. Enormous indoor arena with exceptional footing 2. Large outdoor arena with a great variety of ground poles and jumps to match all levels with a variety of patterns, routines, and courses that allow Emeri to offer a tremendous variety in our lessons' activities. 3. Tack-up area indoors right next to the tack room with full supplies for grooming your horse or pony. Combining the qualities of this instructor, her horses, and Jaz Creek's facilities all under Emeri Kitchell's leadership, I cannot recommend Ijula Equestrian highly enough. It is for all these reasons that I always leave there feeling happy and energized.

Toora is an amazing trainer! She is full of knowledge and experience. She will fix all of your…read moreposition flaws if you're a more experienced rider or if you're just starting out she will show you the ropes at the perfect pace for you. She is able to explain what she wants you to do in multiple ways which is an exceptionally valuable trait in a trainer.

Great experience with Giant Steps!…read more Their session fees are very reasonable. We drive from San Francisco to Petaluma for our son to have the opportunity to ride. Well worth the effort!

We love Giant Steps!! My son has only been to one session, and I have already seen so much…read moreprogress. His anxiety often keeps him from trying new activities. I was worried that being with these huge animals might be too much. Over the weeks though, with the gentle guidance of the staff, his confidence has soared! He is so proud of his courage to take new risks and his newfound success. He adores his instructor and his sweet horse "therapist". I can't wait to see what develops next session.

We signed our boys up for riding lessons about 6 - 8 months ago…read more I wasn't sure how things were going to go (meaning if my boys were going to be in it for the long haul or get 'tired' after the shine wore off of a new adventure). Kimmie and the other folks at the stables are extremely helpful - answered all my questions - we were invited to book a day (for our family) to "try it out" and get a feel for the lessons, the facilities, the people. It was really awesome and gave us all a very good idea of what to expect and what was expected of us as learners. Fast forward - my kid is getting ready to go to his lesson today. He is so excited! His confidence has improved. He has a deep desire to really learn and further his horsemanship abilities. He shares what he has learned, what he was able to do (after lots of practice), and how that made him feel really great! If you are looking for a stable whose owner has impeccable integrity, a desire to really work with people and horses (together). Look no further.

Yeah, don't go here…read more Your instructions will be teenagers (not even 18-19, like 16-17 year olds). You can pay less than $100 for 3 hours... but about 45 minuted of that is riding. The other ~2 hours? Free manual labour. You pay to turn out and lunge other peoples horses for 2+ hours. The teenagers teach, train, and do barn chores and care for all the horses. Honestly if these lessons were discounted it would be better, but they're $100+ for lessons. For the teenage instructors. It is honestly ridiculous. These horses aren't abused, this is a pretty ethical riding facility other than the kids continuously instructing other kids and getting paid to do manual labour. Turnout and pasture during summer. The stalls can get pretty filthy and according to my daughter, the only "scheduled" cleaning of stalls was the 2 hours of labour the teenagers did. Again, she was only there on Saturdays, so she didn't see everything. I would NOT take training or lessons here.

A few years ago I took my son here for horseback riding lessons and Nola was amazing. When I talked…read morewith her on the phone beforehand she was extremely warm, friendly, and accommodating. Meeting her for the first time she had that same energy in person. My son loved his first horseback riding lessons. Nola was supportive and respectful to my son and made sure that he was comfortable on the horse. She told me she'd never force a kid to do anything they weren't ready to do, and I saw that first hand. Thanks, Nola!

Nola was difficult to work with because she did not return phone calls or pay much attention to my…read moredaughter.

Written on behalf of my 13 year old sister: I am a beginning rider and I feel very lucky we found…read morethis training facility. I work with Steve and he is so nice and patient! (Steve's wife Laura works with more advanced riders than me.) With Steve's help I've learned so much and improved my riding skills and trust in horses in general. I am with my Dad (in another city) some weekends and Steve is very nice about adjusting my lesson schedule around my time here in Benicia. The covered arena is really big so I can ride in all kinds of weather. My mom and I like going out there just to see all the horses and animals (goats, sheep, cats, dogs, etc.) It's about 20 minutes by car from our house and it's so pretty on the way. They do parties and summer camp too and the kids really enjoy them. I really really recommend Rancho Saguaro!

Steve and Laura are both great instructors. You can be given a challenge if you're up for it or do…read moremore relaxed riding if its that kind of day. The horses are also wonderful, friendly and can all help teach you more about riding.

Susie is an accomplished horsewoman and her horses are beautiful and well-cared for. Our ride…read morestarted with a short obstacle course where everyone could practice steering and stopping and where riding skills could be assessed and instruction given. We progressed to a beautiful ride in the hills amongst cattle and wildlife. Susie was a remarkable guide. After inquiring about our comfort level, we were led on many trotting and cantering experiences. This is by far the best trail ride I ever took, and I will be booking another ride when I return. Thank you so, so much for a wonderful day!!

Fantastic ride with susan! I am a rider with experience and I highly recommend for other…read moreexperienced riders (as well as beginners). It is definitely not boring like other trail rides. Susan had us meet at her facility and then we followed her trailer to the trail head where she helped us mount the horses. It was super fun and Susan keeps the ride entertaining. Her horses are fantastic and did not seem like they spooked easily. They were very used to cars, barking dogs, hikers, cyclists, etc. Susan also offered to take pictures of my friend and I when we stopped at a scenic spot.