I think spring down is a very good place to go and all the horses are so sweet and it's a good place. I really rated a good five stars. and I started going here because I really love horses and I hope you guys like it too. read more

The most terrible experience in the world!!!! Sooooo angry , rude , insulting new staff including new manager Camden. They were yelling and screaming on people and little kids... Not professional!!! Never go there again !!!! And never recommend this place!!!! Sadly, this place has been completely changed in terms of how they treat people now after new staff came. it used to be very friendly, kind, warm and welcoming place in the past ( just couple years ago). read more

We were supposed to start camp on Monday June 24 2024, we got a call on Monday June 17 saying camp is canceled. They also sent an email, a follow-up email and a follow-up call because we couldn't connect. That was the good part. But finding another camp with availability last minute was not easy! We finally found about 5 after about 30 phone calls! None of them was a good fit. Two were very far off deep in East bay. One was in Cupertino - Maple leaf Equestrian in whispering creek - $950 a week was expensive. Park Pacifica riding school was a reasonable distance and price but English style per the website. LessonswithDenise.com in Half Moon bay had no other campers that week! I do not appreciate being left in a lurch with a sad, disappointed child who looks forward to this one thing every summer! The reason we were given is that employees can no longer be teenagers - they have to be above 18! Not sure how long they knew about this law/rule and why action was not taken sooner! read more

My daughter's been going here for about three years now and she loves it so much. It's usually the highlight of her week. She is currently under Camden's instruction and has learned quickly with her. I'm confident that she's learning correct technique that will help her as she continues. As for the facility, I've visited many and I can tell you the horses here are well taken care of; they are calm, friendly, well fed, and clean. The groomers are always so welcoming and caring. The stalls and arenas are clean, and the front office is always so nice in answering my many questions. Hands down recommend this place and we will continue to come here for my daughter's lessons. read more

I would not recommend this place for horse riding. I rode at Spring down for about 1 year and DID NOT enjoy it. Its made me want to quit riding so many times and was overall so mentally draining. I started as a beginner there knowing nothing about riding, I was super young and did not know the rights and wrongs. But now I've realized that they did not teach you any groundwork or the basics, The trainers were also not the nicest, Haley was especially mean and rude, she yelled at me for the slightest things I did wrong, Kristen was another trainer I had, she wasn't mean but was always cold to me and never tried to talk or start a conversation. When you begin to tack up yourself, they don't check your tack unless you ask which is super dangerous and careless, the school horses are also SUPER old and should not be working, I rode a 30 year old lesson horse named Ubu and they should NOT be working I repeat. After the lesson they would be tied up in their stalls for God knows how long before someone came to untack them. There is also no freedom here, no trails or turnouts for the horses. They spend their time in a confined stall - even though they say they do get turnout, the turnout is just being moved to another confined stall in the outside. They also heavily encourage the use of spurs and crops without teaching you how to use them. You also don't level/move up levels. You might just pay 100+ for a merry go round, all you do is walk,trot,canter on the rail, not even any poles or anything. I was stuck cantering on the rail, well knowing I was ready to jump. Only Pros: -Grooms were nice I now ride at a private barn and trust me it is SO MUCH better than this. I love my current barn and will never come back here. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

this place is jacked up the horses are treated with low respect my trainer here once kicked the horse I was on all I did was walk on the rail if I was lucky a little trot don't come here read more

Spring Down Equestrian grounds are picturesque, clean and the horses seem well cared. It has a long history of great recommendations. I was very happy we found this lovely place. There is plenty of parking, bathrooms friendly, happy clients. They are enforcing all safety measures in this Covid pandemic. We were there to checkout the facility, my little one was excited but the instructor was not very warm or friendly. While I understand teachers have different teaching styles, the teacher seem to be barking out instructions from the middle of the corral, not very reassuring or welcoming. I hope the teacher was just having a rough morning and that she friendlier to young newbies. This is barn is very nice. I would recommend it and with any luck the unfriendly teacher will remember, she is working with children. read more

Our daughter (12 years old) has been going to Spring Down for years. I can't tell you how fantastic the owner / lead instructor, Carol is. She is passionate about coaching. She is so passionate that even when she is watching someone in the ring while someone else is coaching she will coach the child (albeit talking to herself). I once asked her about it and she said she can't stop herself. Since my daughter has been going there (3+ years now) - I have seen a market improvement in her riding and technique. During this last summer (during Covid) we took our daughter to Southern California where she went to a barn and the coach there remarked on the fantastic technique that she showed. Something that I love about Spring Down, compared to many of the other barns in the area, is that they don't pressure you to lease or buy a horse. They put the kids on different horses which makes them very capable of riding any horse, which is good for IEA - and is also what is important for collegiate (of that is a goal for your young rider). Finally the kids at the barn are nice, respectful and when the kids could actually hang out there (pre covid) it had a great community (that I hope restarts after the pandemic is over). read more

There is so much to say about Spring Down, I almost don't know where to start. I started riding here when I was 8 (To give you some idea, I am now 31.) when my Girl Scout troop came here for a merit badge. I fell in love with it instantly. I rode as much as I could until I left for college at 18 (2007). I remember clinics with Nick and falling even more in love with the sport. Spring Down ignited this passion and love for horses in me that hasn't quieted down since I was 8. I now have an Equine Studies degree, I've ridden Dressage, Hunters, Jumpers, Equitation, gone on trail rides in many different states and countries and brought home many different ribbons and experiences. I have Spring Down to thank for helping me realize my passion. Now that I'm in my 30s, riding has become more therapy and less of a career but I still have no intention of ever stopping. When I was growing up doing lessons with Carol, she was strict, passionate but fair. She puts her horses before anyone. She emphasizes correct riding and training. She demands perfection on behalf of her horses. She may be strict, but I find myself craving the same strictness from my current trainers. I would never trade my time growing up with my barn rat friends at SDEC. We used to spend HOURS at the barn on the weekends. Something every kid should have. I am greatly thankful for my time at SDEC. It prepared me for 4 wonderful years on my college's IHSA team, sending me to regionals 3 of the 4 years. I learned how to handle many different horses because I was stuck on anything and everything. If I still lived in the Bay Area, I'd be a regular still. Thank you SDEC and Carol. read more

My family has had a wonderful experience at Spring Down. My daughter started riding there about 10 years ago, and she turned into a fearless and beautiful equestrian. I joined her in lessons shortly thereafter, returning to riding after about 25 years. Now that my daughter has gone to college, I continue to regularly ride at Spring Down. Overall, the horses at Spring Down are lovingly cared for and the staff, including the grooms and all the instructors, have been attentive, safe and focused on helping us learn and love the horses. My daughter also worked in the camp for a number of years, which was a great "first job" experience for her. Highly recommend. read more

Spring Down is truly a sanctuary - for both horses and riders. The horses are well maintained and very gentle - our boys have been riding here since age three, so about 10 years. The instructors are competent and kind but also firm which is important for teaching kids how to be safe and comfortable around large animals. My 13 year old has mild autism and riding and grooming the horses is highly soothing for him. He asks to do their week long summer camp multiple times each summer in addition to weekly lessons. We always leave Spring Down with full hearts. read more

In June I decided I wanted to get back into riding, and when I say get back, I really mean do more than the handful of lessons I had as a kid and the random trail rides over the years. My motivation initially was to have an escape and tech free zone from my 60+ hour work week- 4 months later my life has been changed for the better, and I can't imagine a week going by and me not being at Spring Down. From my first interaction with Jennifer to learn more about Spring Down, to my now twice weekly lessons with Erin and Jenna, all of the staff that I have interacted with have been wonderfully helpful, encouraging and great teachers. And thank you so much to Marcos, Francisco, Candelario and everyone else at the barn who take such care of the horses. I have been growing as a rider and hope to be jumping within the next 6 months, right now I am focusing on my ground skills and can see progress from week to week. Spring Down is a dream and an adventure - I am constantly learning, challenging myself and interacting with a group of people who love the horses and the SD community. I am lucky and grateful to Carol and her team for making horseback riding available to as many people as possible. read more

I've been taking lessons at Spring Down for slightly over a year now and I find that I really enjoying riding there. The setting is beautiful, the staff is friendly and the school horses are very patient with beginners! The instructors are passionate about their work and want to help you to get better. There are different levels of school horses so that as you improve you can ride a more advanced horse. Prior to riding at Spring Down I was going to a stable that frequently canceled lessons. I'm glad to say that if you sign up for a regular class at Spring Down it will be held rain or shine. Also, I started lessons as an adult and would recommend riding here for people who've always wanted to ride but couldn't work it in as a kid! read more

My 4 yrs old boy rode 2 times. On last Tuesday, there was his first riding. His horse was small enough for him. At first, he was scared, but he was excited after the first lesson. We hoped that we would be there on every Tuesday for taking the weekly lesson. On this Tuesday, there was his last lesson. Because, he didn't focus the lesson not as other girls. He had to answer small, keep holding on to the handle, keep looking ahead, and keep following his teacher, but he couldn't. The teacher said he had to understand what class was going on, but he couldn't, so she wouldn't be able to teach from the next class. I fully understand the teacher's words. However, I have a regret that I want teachers to understand the tendencies of young boys and teach them well. The website says boys and girls can learn from the age of 3, but it's a shame to think that my child will be disappointed to find out that there will be no class from next week. read more

I do not recommend this place. Especially if you are autistic, due to my experience. I have ridden here for about 9 years, and I can say that while it did introduce me into my love of riding and horses it has done so much harm to me. They don't treat their animals nor kids right, especially if you are someone who acts or looks outside of the 'norm'. I've gone here since I was about 6 years old, starting with private lessons and summer camps. Most of the people were pretty nice, but Haley had always been extremely harsh and condescending towards me, often yelling at me as a kid whenever I did anything wrong. She does not take you seriously if you show any emotion, and is highly condescending and rude if you don't know something that hasn't been taught to you as if it were knowledge everyone has. She has made me want to quit riding entirely so many times, and has genuinely traumatized me throughout my life and especially my last instance there. As well, when I was there they let me start working as a summer camp "helper" at around 12 years old, mostly ferrying the kids around the place but also teaching and being in charge of them around the horses. At one time I was in charge of around 9 kids alone around the horses, while that many kids is not the norm it was normal for me alone to be in charge of 4-5 kids around the horses and in their stall. None of them got hurt on my watch, as most of the horses are desensitized and don't usually react badly but it was still irresponsible. I was a child myself, and I most often worked when I was 13. I am now 15, for context. They do not teach you how to emergency dismount or how to fall safely while on a horse, nor do they rarely if ever do any proper groundwork or relationship building with you and the horses you ride. They let you use spurs and often heavily encourage using spurs without properly teaching you how to use them. They do not let their horses have proper turnout or even interact with other horses much if at all, and when I was still riding there they were working a 30 year old pony as a "lesson horse" when he should have been retired, and it seems he may still be working last I checked the website. (Horse in question is named Ubu, you can check his year of birth on the website.) That is far too old to be working a horse, especially as a kids lesson horse. They do not care for their horses different and individual needs and write off behavioral issues as "they're bratty"/"they're being naughty" when in many instances they either do not enjoy the work or they are in pain, a prime example of this was when I was having a lesson with Kristen another rider who was riding Ella was having trouble getting her to go and she was refusing to move and trying to buck a little, to which Kristen's response was to tell the rider to back her up and hit her with the crop to essentially force her to get going, saying she was just being "mare-ish", and later the next week we found out that Ella was in pain due to her hips not being aligned properly, causing her to "act out" because of the pain she was experiencing. This writing off of behavior happens so much in the equestrian community especially when it comes to mares, and in turn lots of horses end up hurting. Kristen as well doesn't particularly care to encourage or properly teach or communicate with you, when I tried to communicate back with her to have a conversation and feedback she nearly always shut me down, and whenever I was having trouble with the horse I was riding most of her solutions where just hitting his hind end with the crop. Using crops and whips in and of themselves is not bad but they aren't for hitting your horse, they're aids to keep them on track with occasional touches as well as to show commands. There is so much more that I could go into but a lot of them are incredibly sensitive and panic inducing to me as I have ptsd from many things, this place included. I will forever love and cherish horses, but this place has made it hard to even look at them without a panic attack. I have gotten much better with it, but I still have not been able to ride again despite it being one of my largest passions. The grooms here are wonderful people, especially Kendalario (I am horribly sorry if I misspelled his name). They truly are great, and I really wish the best to them and hope I see Kendalario again but I am never returning. The owner as well is a woman who you can tell at least somewhat cares about her horses, but the people in charge of actually running the place are not. Especially Haley, who was the reason why I finally left due to realizing the severity of how toxic and abusive this place is. Not to mention a lot of the riders gossip and often insult and make fun of people behind their backs, all in all this place is horrid. Please, do not send your kids here. Especially if they're autistic or emotionally sensitive, find another barn. There are others that are so much better than this place. read more

I STILL love Spring Down! Since my last review, I've also trained with Carolyn and Carol (the owner) and I can also recommend them as great teachers as well. My riding has improved immensely since I started at Spring Down...! I am currently pregnant so I had to stop riding, but the folks there are STILL so friendly and lovely to me! They let me come and groom my favorite horse, and they are all very happy for me and my future little equestrian. I can't say enough about the care and love the staff at Spring Down provides for their horses and their students. I can't wait to bring my future daughter here! read more

A great disappointment! unsafe! With great disappointment , we decided to quit this Summer Camp after two days, ,as we felt it was unsafe and far from being a fun, enriching summer experience. From the camp's website: "Learn how to ride or improve your horsemanship skills during our program. Riders are grouped according to experience, but no experience is needed to attend our camps. Our knowledgeable instructors and helpers will teach you all about horses working in small, interactive groups to give you hands on experience with your horse. You will spend lots of time working around the horses and understanding how they think and feel. Bring a friend to learn about our wonderful world of horses!..." 1. Our daughter spent 20 min on the horse on Monday & 30 min on the horse on Tuesday, out of 4 hours daily camp, we believe this is intentional deception of the public. 2. The "knowledgeable instructor" appeared as an 11 years old girl, who was in charge of my 11 years old daughter, no adults seemed in the camp but a group of teenagers. 3. my daughter and her friend complained about a camper with a severe cough, during this time of COVID-19 we find it very concerning. As I said before, it was with great disappointment that we decided to quit the camp after two days. I contact the camp owner regarding those issues and ask her kindly for refund for the remaining three days, she refused. read more

This review is for the birthday party and program, but not the riding classes or summer camp. First of all, the administration staff did not communicate well with customers and coaches. I emailed the staff that I would like to take the special craft option of making magnetic horse frames and taking pictures with favorite horse for the kiddos. However, the coach told me that no one informed her and no craft materials were prepared on the birthday party. Also, as suggested with the administrator, riders should arrive 15 mins earlier to complete the forms and borrow the riding gears. The riders arrived at 11:15am (party starts at 11:30am) to borrow the riding gears, but the front desk said the coach and team were on lunch break and she would not show up until 11:25am. Even though all the riders had the forms ready, the party started 10 mins late. In addition, there was a 20-min long video session without any supervision from the equestrian center staff. When the video was over, the riders (altogether 8) were divided in 2 groups. One group went to ride while another group went to "groom". It was very disappointing because we didn't expect kiddos taking turn to ride and "groom" in 2 groups since the party size is small. Most importantly, the "grooming session" was not actually done by the riders. Each group attended the 30 mins presentation given by a 11 years old girl and each kid from the group may get a chance to brush the same horse for 2-3 minutes. The presenter was trying her best to perform her task but it was totally out of our expectation for an almost 25 mins grooming lecture. If there was not enough horse for each kid to groom the horse, it was ok to share one horse with 2 kids, at least the kids could help to groom throughout the session. It was hard for the children to attend the lecture most of the time under the sun without actually brushing and petting the horse. I attended a birthday party at another equestrian center nearby last month where each kid (7 kids in total) was assigned a horse to groom first, then put on saddle, and finally ride in the arena together. The party at Spring Down was over sharp at 1pm, and kids were not allowed to drop off the apples and carrots in the feeding buckets to the horses which was different from what I communicated with the administration via email. My daughter was very disappointed since there was no craft session and she could not pass the snacks to the horses. The magnetic horse frames were planned to serve as the party favor, and kids had no chance to show their appreciation to the horses too. Spring Down is clean and tidy but the birthday party was not a pleasant experience. I would not recommend that place for the birthday party because the program doesn't offer much opportunities for kids to interact with the horses. I emailed Spring Down to reconsider the flow of the birthday party especially the grooming session and time management parts in the future. However, they replied that the program has been using for 10+ years and there was no complaint before. They said kids under age of 9 cannot groom the horses due to liability issue. Yet, if kids are not allowed to groom the horses, how the kids and horses develop the friendly relationship before riding? I could not understand why the liability is covered for horses back riding only but not grooming. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience. read more

I've been riding since I was in elementary school, and I checked this place out while I was a student at Stanford. WORST riding experience ever. The instructor was a little loony and the office staff was extremely unprofessional. For the first time in my life, I felt unsafe on a horse. One, because the indoor ring was WAY too crowded, and two - the instructor hit / punched the horse a few times during the lesson, saying that the horse was behaving badly. I have never in all my years of riding seen anything like this. The horse obviously did not react very well to this at all. The horses were surprisingly well groomed and looked healthy, and the facilities are clean and well maintained. It's a shame that the people who run the place and some of the instructors don't match up. Some of the instructors who were in the ring during my lesson (excepting my instructor) seemed very professional and knew what they were doing. read more

This is a honest review. Rode here a few times. If you've never had horse back riding lessons before, you probably wouldn't think this place was that bad. However if you've been to any other ranches you will see the differences between Spring Down and any other barn! Only pros - the horses are healthy and the place is clean. However the instructors are sub par. You don't learn anything in lessons. It's always just walk, trot, canter. They don't actually teach their students how to ride! It's just stay on the rail. No bending, suppling, turning, circles, passing, across the diagonal, nothing! Just stay on the rail. You might as well pay $70 an hour to ride a merry go round. The thing that bothers me the most is that ALL of their poor horses have giant leveraged bits, double reins, martingales, and all students hold whips. These horses are so dead beat the students have to kick and whip the horses to get them to trot. If you just listen to a lesson all you hear is, "Kick him! Use your whip! Kick kick kick! WELLL maybe if you didn't have gigantic bits, martingales, and double reins the horses would be willing to move forward!! The tack they wear is all designed for restraint and brakes! All of the horses live in tiny stalls. No grazing or sunshine. Breaks my heart. Most of them are so old they aren't even sound. Worst of all. Carol is a TERRIFYING HUMAN BEING. She will scream and bark at all her students no matter what age. She treats her horses like machines and robots, not living breathing animals with needs and feelings. read more

I agree with some of the postings, the horses are well groomed and the place looks pretty sharp. The guys working in the stables are also fabulous and always willing to help out. That said, I would not recommend Spring Down for anyone wanting to learn how to ride. I rode there for a little over a year and spent many uncomfortable afternoons in a too crowded ring. I often did not feel safe, not to mention that it was nearly impossible to distinguish my instructor's commands from all the others'. I felt that the majority of the staff, not all, but the majority, were incredibly rude. After over a year of weekly lessons, they still couldn't remember my name. We had one great instructor, but after she left, it seemed pretty random. I was often concerned because we saddled our own horses after one tacking lesson and nobody ever checked to see if I'd done it correctly unless I asked. That just seems dangerous. While riding there I began to dread lessons--something I wouldn't have believed possible. For those of you who are happy there, that's great, and I'm glad for you. I do have a friend whose daughter has been riding there happily for years. While my friend has had issues with the place, her daughter has not. It was not a good fit for me and I have now been riding elsewhere and am very satisfied and my riding has improved greatly. read more

Wow - I'm quite bewildered by the negative posts. They certainly run counter to my family's experience at Spring Down. My daughter's been riding at Spring Down for two years, and has had an amazingly positive experience. Her instructors have been attentive, knowledgeable and very engaged with her. My wife also rides, so while I might be less knowledgeable she is not. We are delighted with the experience we're having with Spring Down. The horses and facility are VERY well maintained. You can tell by your interaction with both stable hands and teachers how well those horses are loved and cared for. One of the two arenas is covered, so rainy days are not a problem. And the arenas are kept impeccably groomed - and my daughter's being taught how to take the same top care of the horses she works with. Reading the comments about the owner and office staff just elicits a "what planet are this people from?!" reaction. Carol and her team are courteous, kind and frankly are what make Spring Down special among a lot of very nice equine options in the area. Investing in riding regularly is not inexpensive - I don't regret a dime I spend for my daughter's experience at Spring Down. read more

I'm 13 yo and after riding at SDEC for 1.5 years, I decided to switch stables because I found that I started to get a lack of confidence on horses here. The main reason was literally all the instructor would do was yell at me. "HANDS UP...SIT UP...SIT BACK...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" This made me feel super insecure and yes I know I don't have the best technique but like I was trying to be better. Of course, the oblivious instructor didn't notice any of my anxiety while on the horses and was always like "just go faster". (I've had a few past experiences with horses bolting off so I would always get super nervous before cantering). Before I started the group lessons, I actually kinda liked it here cause my instructor (she left for college) was super nice. Lastly, after two weeks with my new stables, I've seen a significant difference. At my new stables, kids of all ages and levels are able to tack/untack, groom, and lead the horses. Here, you have to be 12+ to untack. I think some of the restrictions at SDEC are cause of c19, it still feels really bland (idk how to describe.) At the new stables, there are lots of kids bustling around the stables, but at SDEC, its so empty!!! It almost feels like you're not getting the "whole" horsemanship times at SDEC. Its mostly just: arrive, ride, leave. No grooming, helping out, or even just hanging around. Some things I like about SDEC: The horses. Most all very well trained and there are different horses for each level that. The grooms. Omg they are soooo nice and always help me out!! They move you up pretty fast. In about 3 months with the college girl instructor I was cantering and moved to group lessons. read more

Yelpers, The majority of posts with the low stars are not accurate. Any experience is what you make of it. If you come with a sense of not wanting to spend money or you have what you perceive to be a negative experience, as with anything, you need to give it a second try. My daughter has been riding at Spring Down for almost 10 years. Not occasionally, but every week/biweekly almost uninterrupted for 10 years. Spring Down has become a part of our family tradition and numerous birthday parties and events have been conducted there. A few months ago our family made a decision to lease a horse from Spring Down. Because this is no small decision, we looked around and evaluated other farms, ranches and stables. Ultimately the combination of training, safety and care of the horses led us to stay with Spring Down. As an adult, this has been one of my most favorite life experiences. Our horse has become part of the family and many friends have come to visit him. All of our friends have commented how amazing Spring Down is. Even other riders from other schools in the area. I will offer however, that the general lessons are not meant for becoming an Olympian. If you want dedicated advanced training with "higher" jumping and horsemanship, you should consider a different facility. Spring Down is open to your growth and can guide you as appropriate when you reach this level. I'd be happy to field a call or email if you disagree with this post. My daughter and I can be found every week at Spring Down, just swing by and ask for Blue's lease-family. Happy riding. read more

Bad experience. Seems like a place that will say whatever they need to in order to get you to write a check. I called to ask about a camp or lesson that would involve an introduction to the world of horses and riding, since my daughter, who is almost 13, had never ridden before. I also indicated that she did not want to be with a number of much younger children, but rather with children her own age. The person I talked to said that she would be too old for the summer camp but assured me that she would fit right in age-wise in the half-day introductory camp. Relying on her word, I signed up my daughter and wrote a check for $125. When we showed up for the half-day camp, all of the other children were indeed much younger than my daughter; she was twice their height! When I pointed this out, the woman at the counter said that there were people of all ages - 7 years old, 8 years old, 41 years old, and 44 years old. Obviously young children with their parents, hardly a group of pre-teens and teens. This fact was denied rather than acknowledged: the woman repeated that were "people of all ages." When she realized this was an absurd characterization of the situation, she then changed course and said that they had no control over the age of the kids who showed up. Which was, of course, contradicting what I had been told on the phone in order to get me to sign up and write a check. My daughter did not want to join the group, and I indicated that I wanted my $125 check back. The woman said that the check was non-refundable and held onto it. Apparently this is how Spring Down makes money. Sad, as we live in Portola Valley, and dealing with the situation with some intelligence or at least some business sense could have turned me into a regular customer. I hear really good things about Webb Ranch; anyone else? read more

We are so done with this place. After spending thousands of dollars on camps and riding lessons here over the last two years we are finished. There are too many good options out there for us to put up with a rude owner. Carol, has lost a good customer as well as all the good references that come with a good and happy customer. I think she has forgotten that it isn't a privilege to ride at Spring Down, it is a service for which we pay. My family will now take our money elsewhere. We love the instructors and many of the horses and wish them nothing but the best! read more

Beware of their camps. The kids ride only 20-30 minutes per day. My daughters councelor was 11 years old. There was only one adult supervising the entire camp. When we asked to leave the camp after 2 days, the owner, refused to give us any refund. Her advise was that we should be happy like 99% of their campers... read more

Forget french, teach your kid equestrian. An agile steed named Robbie briskly took my brave son for his first gallop adventure at the Spring Down Equestrian Center in Portola Valley. Riding the horse came naturally to our young equestrian and within hours Cadence was applying the fine art of horsemanship: how to get the horse to get going, turning and stopping. Bonding with this majestic equine was pure bliss. May the fun riding lessons continue. Many thanks to the high energy instructor Rebecca at the Spring Down Equestrian Center where all the pros teach your kids natural horse care the right way. read more

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Carol is simply the best. Her horses are the most well cared for lesson horses around!! read more

Most of these low starred reviews are extremely insulting. I've been riding at Spring Down for 10+ years and can't believe half the things that are being said here. I feel that people use Yelp as a means to vent their frustration when they were probably being too picky, rude or overly judgmental. Spring Down is a great facility and has always cared about their horses and their riders. I had never received an instruction there that was misunderstood or that was meant for someone else. Plenty of people who I had recommended to ride at Spring Down would agree as well. I would feel safe having any child ride here, they even have Mommy and Me sessions where children get to ride while their Moms are walking next to them. Also, from my own experience as being an instructor, I feel that each child there has a GREAT experience. If they are not riding, they are having lunch, doing artwork, learning about different types of equestrian knowledge...there is ALWAYS something going on for them. It is very safe considering there are always chaperones with the children, even when riding, there is an instructor walking with the child at all times. The ONLY complaint I could ever make about Spring Down is their prices which have steadily increased over the years I have been there. Granted our failing economy surely has to be apart of it. read more

We have been going to Spring Down for over 2 years for our daughter who is 10 years old and takes riding lessons every week. In December, we started with a new trainer/coach, Sarah Vickers Morgan, and have never been happier! Sarah has taken the time to get to know each girl, and establish relationships with not only the kids but the families as well. My daughter loves going to her lessons, and seeing Sarah every week is the highlight. While I love the warmth that Sarah brings, I am even more impressed with her knowledge and skill in teaching my daughter the proper safety and horsemanship technique. The girls have come such a long way in a very short amount of time. My daughter just did her first show and even though Sarah had quite a few girls to coach that day, she made more than enough time for my daughter, giving her pep talks and support the entire time. Sarah is such an amazing part of Spring Down and we feel so lucky to have her as our coach! read more

Just came back to riding after 25 years. I have been taking private lessons with Sarah and she is Amazing!!! Great facility and lovely staff. 5 stars for sure! read more

Very bad lesson. My son already knows how to ride after taking five summer camps in garrod farm, the trainer just let him walk around the arena for three rounds for the whole session. Only twenty minutes of lesson and cost $75. read more

My son and I have been riding at Spring Down for several years and we both love it. Instructors and Staff: All have been fantastic. They take the time to get to know you as a rider and how you learn best. The grooms and the office staff are also great. They are very well organized and flexible so I am able to fit a lot of riding in with a very busy and changing schedule. Overall it's a very nice, down to earth community of riders, many who have been riding there for years. In addition to jumping, they offer dressage and even a drill team. Horses: Loved and very well cared for. They are careful to find the best horse/rider match for ability and temperament. The horses range from easy and automatic to more technical and challenging. Each horse helps you work on something different. We've both been encouraged to really build relationships with the horses and learn about their care. We get to spend as much time as we want with them before and after riding. Facility: Very well maintained. There is a covered arena, and great footing in the outdoor arena, so you can ride in any weather. They don't teach jumping over the high fences, so I've seen some young riders move to other barns for that, but they come back to ride "their" horses, and to help out at camps and horse shows. read more

Well let me start here, Im 13 years old and I pay for my own lessons which is not very easy. Therefore I spend most of my time just hanging around the barn. On a normal Sunday i psend from 6 -7 hours at the barn helping out and i have to say they are truly my second family. The grooms are just fabulous they make sure to always have a smile on their face and are willing to help you with anything you need, I was taught how to tack up by the grooms multiple times :) They will not cancel lessons even in the rain, which can be helpful for people who have busy schedules and may not be able to ride other days. I hear people complaining on here about how theyre overcrowded lessons yet they provide lessons during the week and private lessons if you wish for them. The horse absolutely perfectly taken care of, they're always loved and they get out everyday. Instruction is very good and im improving so much already. Carol is a wonderful teacher once you are able to handle her comments and opinions on your riding until then Caroline and Robin are amazing teachers. The people who say you advance way to fast at an unsafe pace are wrong. Yes beginners canter, but its on the lunge line and well supervised! Spring Down is an amazing barn, an even better family and im proud to call it my barn no matter what people say. read more

Springdown is one of the best, affordable, well managed barns in the area; with very experienced trainers. I have ridden at Springdown since I was seven years old. My time at Springdown is full of opportunity to learn, grow, make friends and bond with horses. I am allowed to groom and hang out with the horses as much as I want outside of my lesson time. While at the barn I have made many quality friends who also ride there. At spring down you get to experience riding a range of horses and if you don't know how to tack up there is always someone there to help. At the camps you can learn about horsemanship, safety, grooming, how to communicate with horses, learning about the different breeds and colors, do arts and crafts, and learn how to bathe the horses. There is always someone around the barn to help you if you need any help. I have been given the opportunity to work at Springdown helping at Birthday parties and camps in exchange for credits I can use for lessons. I can't imagine my life without Springdown, it is the best thing aside from my puppy that has ever happened to me. read more

FYI, summer campers get 30 minutes on the horse out of four hours at camp. If they are more experienced riders, they get 60 minutes. I called to inquire and the reason I got was that there were many issues around horsemanship that they taught, just not on horseback. And it was a safety issue. In talking to my daughter, they had 2-3 times more campers than horses, so they needed to rotate. Yes, the 30 minutes she had on horseback was one-to-one time with an instructor, and the instructor was very nice, but I would not pay $495 for a week of horse camp that only has a total of 2 1/2 hours of riding out of 20 hours of camp. Two years ago my daughter did Webb ranch, loved it, rode almost the entire time and had a great experience. Too bad all their camps are now FULL. read more

The owner will ruin your day if you ever have the ill fortune to deal with her, or to just be there when she's unhappy about something. Employees (including some of their nicest instructors) roll their eyes and say "here she goes" when she starts on her tirades. Add several inexperienced young instructors to the mix, and it's not worth our while to go back. Zero stars to this place. read more

Rode there as a teen , worked camp, then taught there part time in college. Good solid place to start riding. Safety is number 1. Reasonably priced. Great school horses! Knowledgeable instructors! If you wanna show A circuit not your place. If you wanna learn to ride and have money left over this is your place! read more

My daughter has been taking lessons at Spring Down for 6 years now, and both she and I have been very pleased. My daughter loves horses, but isn't that aggressive or competitive. Her teacher seems to understand that, and has found a way to help her continually advance. From my point of view, the horses are beautiful, well cared for, and well equipped. The staff is friendly and helpful. I couldn't ask for much more. read more