We have been coming to ZW Ranch for over a year now and we love it! Communication, knowledge,…read moreexperience is phenomenal and super easy to work with. It's also really great because the horses are actually able to roam instead of being so caged all the time.

From the owner: We offer horseback riding lessons and Shareboarding. We are a relaxed atmosphere, family friendly…read morebarn. We emphasize your relationship with horses and try to do things as naturally as possible.

Boarded with the owner for 17 years. Owner on premises- welfare of the horse is the priority…read more Wonderful friendly environment.

I have been boarding with Don Bar for 19 years and counting . Your horses well being is first on…read morethe list for the owner manager and care takers. Relaxed and friendly atmosphere make boarding a pleasure.

Not a fan of this barn- but more so the gross management. Mean barn manager ( Alison) who will…read morecompletely ignore you unless she wants money takes the joy out of horse ownership. I boarded there years ago with a few friends and left rather quickly. I firmly believe the manager is a racist and have witnessed her treat people poorly if they're of any race other than WHITE. I myself am not white and felt invisible and not valued from the first day there. She will judge you if you don't use the farrier or vet she does. When you email or text her, if she doesn't like you she just won't respond. Every barn is extremely dark and dreary and does NOT have any kind of warm welcoming feel to it. The stall walls are covered in manure, cobwebs everywhere, dead mice, and an overwhelming feeling of non cleanliness. It's a crappy barn and I'd never ever board, take lessons, or want any association with them. One of my friends boarded there and was treated like complete crap too. Alison is so unprofessional and will not give you the time of day unless she feels like it. Then tells people "sorry this is business" but doesn't actually run her business unless she randomly decides she wants to on that day. She touched and moved my friends tack and damaged one of her very expensive helmets INSTEAD of simply contacting her and asking her to move her things. But that seems to be the theme of everything at DonBar. Passive aggressiveness with a side of snark. the manager/owner suddenly responded (over a month later) with the difference in board. My friend paid it even though her horse was NOT going to be there for over half of the month. Alison says you need a 30 day notice to leave but if your horse is for sale there's NO way you could know when they're sold. If someone buys your horse, the new owners need to be able to take their new horse home- not keep them at the sellers facility for 30 days! My friend was so lucky to find a new home within 2 days of listing the horse. The following day Alison tried depositing my friend's board check that was given to her weeks earlier because apparently she's too lazy to cash them when they're received. My friend had changed her bank account (this was the first time she'd ever closed an account but did due to fraud concerns) it was already in effect so outstanding checks obviously would not go through. This wouldn't have been an issue had the barn deposited the check when they got it. My friend did not write her a new check because she was not going to be using any of her services and because she was hospitalized with deteriorating health. Instead of understanding the incredibly devastating situation Alison decided to harass her and make her and her entire family (and friends!!) feel so uncomfortable. Not one "How are you doing?" Or anything of that nature. After contacting the police she was advised to block her on all accounts. The board payment (she didn't handle when she should have) was not hers to have since the horse was gone. Had Alison shown any kind of empathy, understanding, or just plain decency she would have sent a new check. But her threatening, degrading, and aggressive attitude was such a disgusting turn off that we took the police's and lawyer's advice to ignore and not respond to this opportunistic narcissist.

Brittany is fantastic! You can tell her passion for students and more importantly the horses…read more Beautiful facility and a great experience all around. Highly recommended for beginners and novice!

Had a blast at the Gurnee location! Everyone was so professional and friendly... I cannot wait to…read morecome back!

The school portion of this stable is great. Lessons based on 'Centered Riding', includes horse…read morecare. The cost is very reasonable.

Just moved my horses here about a month ago! This place is so wonderful! Many different disciplines…read moreof riding! The people are so wonderful! Peggy, is super awesome, and extremely accommodating! The indoor arena is absolutely beautiful! All the stalls are of a great size, and they bed nice and deep! My horses are so happy to be here! And best of all, their prices can't be beat!

This is by far the BEST thing I could have ever done for my daughter. Kristina has opened up a…read morewhole new world for her. My husband and I have never seen her so happy. Parsley ("her" horse) is all she talks about to anyone who will listen. With her being the youngest of 6 children I would never drive 30 minutes twice a week if this didn't change her world. Schoolwork and chores at home are finished at record speed so she can keep her riding privileges. Our shy little girl is becoming more extroverted and confident the more time she spends with her horse and Kristina. You cannot go wrong with this instructor, she will positively impact your child in more ways than you can imagine! We love you Kristina and Parsley!!

From the owner: Schedule your lessons online with our convenient online service! Www.gsperfhorses.comread more

The stables are beautiful and well kept. Accommodating staff. The community events are a great way…read moreto become familiar with the new crew and ammenities offered.

Amazing riding experience. My friend and I used our Groupons together for a 2-hour lesson. Colleen…read moreshowed us how to get our horses prepped and saddled. She is one of the best horse people I've ever come across. She was super fun, knowledgeable and not at all snobby about things we didn't know. The lesson consisted of an hour of training off the horse and then an hour to practice basic riding. We wanted to trot a little bit, but ran out of time and Colleen didn't want to go too fast and risk either of us getting hurt. It was definitely a good move sales-wise, because now both of us really want to come back and continue lessons. It's a bit of a drive, but I'm sure we'll return and recommend it to others!

nicest barn in the North Shore, and Taylor is a very talented horsewoman with a natural feel and…read moreintuitive understanding of people and horses

From the owner: We specialize in Hunters, Jumpers & Equitation as well as restarting off track Thoroughbred horses…read more Developing riders and horses by starting with a solid foundation from the ground up!

I went here with my 5 year old son and friends…read more General parking is super far. It's $10 versus $20 for preferred. Definitely pay the extra $10 to do preferred. If you arrive later in the day, drive to find spots where people left. Tickets are pricey! Then you go there and everything but the shows costs money. Be prepared to spend. What we did: Pony ride $10 Other rides for little kids: $4 per person. My son enjoyed these. 4-5 rides spread out. Jousting show - all the seats fill up fast. We sat on the ground. My son liked it until a man's throat was slashed, I probably should have looked at the ratings. He learned about pretend death that day. Fire show - good! Mud show - 20 minutes was just amping the crowd up. I got bored and left. All the shows are super cheesy, Must eat: The mushrooms are so delicious. I'm not even a mushroom person. The broccoli and cheese bread bowl was really good! $14 I didn't see Shepards pie otherwise I would have gotten that. The cheese fritters are so gooey and cheesy. Too much for me, but good to share! My son had pizza ($9). Fruit sherbet - unique it's in a frozen lemon or pineapple. It was tasty! $8 Waffle cone - big, two scoops. It was a standard waffle cone. Lots of bees in the food areas. A ridiculous amount. Otherwise bees weren't bad. The hair braiding was a reasonable price. Go there early so that you get an appointment time that isn't hours later. We'll go back every few summers.

I have been a rennie for more than half my life at this point, so I'm going to be brutally honest…read morehere, and it hurts to say this, but it's no longer worth it to go to Bristol. They have been jacking up prices since COVID, until we are at $48 per adult ticket this year. So a couple is basically out a hundred bucks to get in the gate. This doesn't include parking ($35 for VIP, $20 for preferred, $10 for ADA/disabled, and $10 for general parking), and of course don't forget the cost of food, products from the vendors, and tips for the entertainers. And yes everything in the world has gotten more expensive, but I wouldn't mind it nearly as much if any of the infrastructure was improved, which it has not been for years. How about better sun tarps over the seating areas, improved accessibility of walkways and bridges? Also, some of our favorite acts were performing for one weekend only, so if you can't make it, you're out of luck. Social media has caused a boom in popularity for something that used to be considered quirky and weird. I don't know if jacking up prices is just a way to avoid putting a cap on ticket sales per day? But as it is, they are driving away long-time attendees and thus changing the face of faire. Maybe they don't care; money is money, after all, if that's all you want. But I'll be seeking out some grassroots faires after this year unless something changes, and bid Bristol a sorrowful farewell after years of fond memories.