This was a magical experience that we will remember forever. My children couldnt wait to wake up…read morein the morning to feed the animals and we had such a lovely encounter with the giraffes, Sloths, Kangaroos, otters and Cappabaryas. We cant even name our favorite as they were all incredible, once in a lifetime experiences. The staff is kind, informative and attentive. Not a dull moment!

Absolutely incredible weekend at Blue Hills Ranch. We were fortunate to stay in the stunning…read moreGiraffe Villa... a hefty price, but worth it if you can afford it. The Giraffe barn is attached to one side of the house, and their pasture is on the other side. It is the most fabulous "Barndominium" with incredible finishes and clearly thoughtfully designed. That experience alone was mind-blowing.... however we also had the Gold Packages and were able to experience everything the ranch had to offer! Zebras, Capybaras, Kangaroos, Otters, Deer, Homer the Dromedary!!! Everywhere you turned there were more animals and more experiences offered. My children and I were in absolute animal heaven and will be thrilled to return. I will say, our vacation was expensive and it did not disappoint. However, I do believe you can absolutely visit this ranch on a budget.... Probably one of the best experiences was their ranch safari and that is a nominal price and totally worth it! You can see the entire property and all of the animals on the safari trip. Additionally they have fantastic cabins that are themed, and if you have children under the age of 10, the pirate themed cabins are beyond your wildest imagination.... as far as I am aware all of the sleeping accommodations include kitchens so you can absolutely cook for your family instead of paying for the delicious ranch food. That said... Chef Alan is phenomenal and out of this world excellent chef. Each meal was made with love and artistry. The staff at Blue Hills Ranch all go above and beyond to create lasting memories for you. I absolutely recommend this experience as a NOT TO BE MISSED event! We are already planning a return in October/November depending on availability . Cannot wait. Looking forward to being among these amazing staff members (shout-out to Jen, Anne, Shelby, Emily, Chesney, Alan...) the guard dogs, and all of the incredible exotic animals. Thank you, Matt!

Hilltop Farm is a gem in Williamson County. The stables and horse training areas are gorgeous,…read moreclean, and well-maintained. Additionally, Hilltop is constantly improving the already awesome grounds and expanding. When looking for area stables for my daughter to train, we visited and interviewed many stables and stable owners. Gina at Hilltop was by far the most engaging and attentive. Once lessons began, we found the attention to detail and instruction there to be top notch. In short, Hilltop was the best decision we could have made.

I've been taking lessons with Gina for about three years now and have learned and improved so much…read more When I recently decided to buy my first horse, she helped me find the absolute perfect match. She, Holly, Kelly and everyone at the barn are so caring and generous. I know that my mare is always in good hands and always has someone looking out for her. I can't say enough good things about this place and the lovely community of riders there.

Great for kids and those who haven't ridden before (they tailor the ride to experience level)…read more Through streams and hills very scenic

Great experience with friends for a bachelorette. Booking was personalized. I was able to ask about…read moredifferent options to customize the event. We ended up selecting skeet shooting. We arrived on time, checked in and signed the waivers. There are lots of farm cats and a dog just FYI. Once ready, you get a hay ride to the skeet shooting spot from your instructor. Once you arrive, your instructors take it from there - safety instructions, demos etc. We had a ton of fun! Many of us had never even shot a gun before so this was fun and competitive. Once that was done, we got to pet some of the horses and the team had helped us receive our lunch order (via DoorDash). We ended up taking our lunch back to our Airbnb because it was just so hot in the honkey tonk barn. Overall, I would go this again and even try the horse trail ride!

We made a booking through their Facebook booking system as stated on the page. We reached out via…read moremessaging and phone call when we never heard back from them. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and went to the appointment and not only was no one there, no one answered the phone when we reached out. Over all incredibly rude and unprofessional on part of the business.

The staff was very helpful. So kind to one of the riders who was nervous. I would definitely…read morerecommend.

Our outing with Maverick Horseback Riding was the highlight of our entire vacation. My family of…read morefour are wholly inexperienced riders; Joan Marie and her team were superb guides with the right balance of instruction, independence, and fun. Joan Marie did us an immense favor, too, by allowing us to start our ride a couple hours early in order to avoid an incoming thunderstorm. I'm sure she saved our weekend! And a final kudos for an excellent BBQ joint recommendation; we went straight there for lunch after our ride and got a "full" Lockhart experience! Strongly recommend Maverick for an excellent equestrian experience!

If you're looking for a mindless trail ride where you just sit there while a horse follows a tail…read morein front of it, this is not the place for you. Maverick Horseback Riding is for people who want the real experience. Our guide Emily was wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable. She is a total pro. But you also have to give it up for the owner Joan Marie. She is friendly but very blunt. She is not there to play nice or baby you. She is there to teach you how to properly handle a horse. If you are shy or easily offended, you might want to look elsewhere. You need to be able to take direct feedback and use it to improve your riding game immediately. They start you off with the fundamentals like brushing, saddling, and mounting. You are expected to actually do the work. They even give you cowboy boots to wear which makes you feel right at home. I rode Sheila and we spent about thirty minutes on a short trail just reviewing the basics while Joan Marie gave proper instruction on what to do and what not to do. After that initial lesson, both ladies took us out on the trails for about an hour of riding. I think if we had gone to some other ranch that just let us be lazy rookies, we would not have had nearly as much fun. We left feeling like we actually accomplished something. Huge thanks to Emily and Joan Marie for a great day.

Peaceful Acres is a fantastic horse rescue. The people that own it care so much for these horses…read more All of the volunteers have hearts of gold as well. The horses in their care came from some bad situations, but now are surrounded by love and friends. They work so hard to get the horses healthy and hopefully into new loving homes. It's just amazing! I had a unique experience with this group through Girl Scouts. I heard about a hands on class they offer for Scouts to come out and learn about horses in a very hands on manner. I booked my Troop of 4th graders for a 3 hour class. During the class, my girls got to meet all of the horses, learn about their backstories, learn how to take care of horses, and even learned to ride unassisted at the end. Ms. Sherry worked with me to get my Troop booked for the event. She was so helpful and easy to work with. She ran our visit too. She had these 9 year olds out there cleaning and brushing the horses, getting dirty and messy, trying new things, and making them all feel valued. Ms. Sherry is an spitfire angel! I believe they also offer affordable horse back riding lessons for all ages to help fund their rescue mission. I highly recommend checking into Peaceful Acres for education events or to volunteer. They are doing good things that make your heart feel good helping.

From the owner: Peaceful Acres Horseback Riding Lessons Provides Horseback Riding Lessons, Horse Boarding, Offer…read morePlayday Events, Horse Trick Riding, and By Appointment Only to the Rd Temple, TX Area.

First time coming here! My friends invited me to come here to see the volunteer activity that they…read moreoffer for their ranch and I got to see the beautiful horses and the park! Very relaxing! My wife and I wanna take some riding lessons in the future! Cool place to be! Cheers

I decided to take up riding lessons at the ranch along with my son before his surgery. Mia is an…read moreamazing instructor. Her patience and knowledge is amazing. The trail ride I took my best friend and my son on was amazing. It truly is a good place to be. The owner Tiffany, is tops.

Extremely well trained horses, amazing scenery, and excellent hospitality! I absolutely recommend…read morecoming here for trail rides.

If you want a real Texas experience with one of the nicest, most experienced person - ditch the big…read moretours and go to Sunset Trail Rides. Gracey is amazing!!!! We had our family with three girls and she made our time at her beautiful property one we will never forget. So thankful to Gracey for giving these Nebraskans the experience of a lifetime.

My 8 year old son began riding at KBF in early June, and we have been absolutely delighted and…read moreimpressed by the training he has received from Lindsey and Jennifer. His lessons not only include his time up on the horse riding, but also one on one instruction on how to care for a horse. Lindsey and Jennifer teach in a very positive, encouraging way that has helped my son accomplish so much in a short amount of time. It's been really cool and awesome to say the least to see his confidence in both himself and his riding being taken to the next level. He is having lots and lots of fun! We've also greatly appreciated Holly and Len's kindness. They have been gracious and welcoming from the very first time we visited their barn. Holly was quite helpful and willing to answer any questions we had when we were still deciding on which stable to go with. We are so happy to be at KBF!

From the owner: Specializing in: - Stables…read more- Horse Stables - Horse Training - Horse Boarding

Horseback riding has always been on my to-do list, and after doing some Googling, I came across…read moreSouthern Trails. I had never been on a horse before, but thanks to the wonderful guides--Hailey, Ashlyn, and Savanna (sorry if I misspelled any names!)--the experience was amazing from start to finish. They were friendly, professional, great communicators, and kept everything running smoothly, which made the whole experience feel comfortable and enjoyable. I was also lucky enough to catch a beautiful Texas sunset during the ride, especially with how unpredictable the weather can be here. If horseback riding is something you've been thinking about, don't hesitate--just do it. I enjoyed every second and would definitely recommend the experience

We didn't do the trail rides which I assume is where they get better reviews, but the cow cuddling…read moreexperience was disappointing. There wasn't actually any place to "cuddle" the cows; you simply stand around and pet them. We got a small cup of pellets, and once those were gone, the cows had little interest in interacting with people. One cow had large horns and was much bigger than expected based on the photos and "mini cow" advertising. That cow specifically seemed pretty over the whole experience. The other two were much smaller, and they were all very cute. There was also no place to wash your hands, only wipes, which is understandable. However, when we asked where the trash can had been moved so we could throw the wipes away, one of the ranch hands responded with an attitude. The lady leading the experience was very kind though. While petting the cows was enjoyable, the experience felt worth closer to $20 than the $50 charged. That's the main reason for the low rating. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.