What a fantastic experience at Royal Horseshoe Farm! The owner greeted us, was very friendly, and…read moreshowed those of us with little experience how to maneuver our horses. Our trail guide was delightful, and the trails were beautiful, including streams, woods, and open fields! We had the opportunity to walk, trot, and canter our horses, and our experienced young teens had just as much fun as us inexperienced grown-ups! The farm was very nice, and the horses seemed well loved and cared for. We have gone on multiple other trail rides in different states and countries, and this one is definitely a favorite!

Easy to book for family of 5 over phone with Rose. Fit and measured kids for their ride pretty…read morequick....love that they let us get use to horse prior to hour trail ride and gave instructions before leaving Perfect weather! Excellent ride through stream, up/down hills and trails in woods, through open pastures, etc Gianna (sp?) guide was excellent and patient and took good pace for us as beginners w minimal riding experience Hour ride for $50 each was well worth hour drive from WV ....would definitely recommend

Lisa! Thank you SO much for a seamless and wonderful and homey experience! Our group absolutely had…read morea lovely time unforgettable. It was the first time for one, some their second time. I've never been horse riding at an open stable and this made me feel so alive and one with the horses the way I always wanted! Being able to get hugs, holds, pets, and a ride with the horses was truly life giving and I hope to come back with another group! If we lived closer one of the girls wanted to volunteer--that's just how much we felt great about your stable. Seeing the peacocks made me so happy and meeting a roaming turkey was quite fun. Hope to see y'all again this year. Folks...Go, enjoy!!!

What an unforgettable experience! We booked this horseback ride thinking it would just be a…read morebeautiful ride through nature, but it became one of the most special days of our lives. The horses were gentle, well cared for, and perfectly matched to Us. Our guide, Ella, was absolutely incredible. She made us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived and took excellent care of us throughout the entire experience. Along the trail, we stopped to watch several deer, which was such a peaceful and magical moment. Then came the biggest surprise--we arrived at a beautifully decorated table that had been set up for our engagement. It was absolutely perfect, and everything was arranged so thoughtfully. It couldn't have been a more romantic setting to propose. A huge thank you to Lisa and her Team for helping make our engagement so memorable. Her kindness, attention to detail, and genuine excitement for us made the day even more special. We'll cherish these memories forever and highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for an unforgettable adventure.

Bill at the Rocking S Ranch was terrific! He was great at instructing what to do (we are novice…read moreriders) and an awesome story teller on the trail. We traversed different terrains and he documented the whole experience for us! We can't wait to come back again!

This was really everything we wanted out of a trail ride. Bill took my phone as we entered the…read morewooded trail & kept taking picture of us throughout the trip which awesome. The trail itself was fun. We went up and down some pretty steep inclines & thru a stream a couple of times. Way more interesting terrain than we city folk have ridden thru on past rides. This is just a one man operation so if you call & have to leave a message, understand that you are calling Bill's cell not some assistant, and he's either on a ride or getting the next group ready. It took a few missed connections for Bill & I to finally talk on the phone but it was worth it. Highly recommended for a fun laid back experience.

My painfully shy 6 yo granddaughter has a history of disliking and then quitting any activities…read morewe've offered - swimming, soccer, gymnastics, etc. She absolutely blossomed during her first lesson, though! Marina was an engaging, energetic, and informative trainer and Teddy was the perfect first horse to ride. She's hooked!

I'm a novice in this area so my review is based mostly on the horseback riding instruction they…read moreprovide. I had been searching for lessons for my child and stumbled across their site and ad on Craigslist. I was impressed with the instructor's credentials and work with kids so it seemed to be a good fit for my needs. Upon my first visit, she greeted me promptly at our lesson time. She introduced herself, pointed out the horses and pony and started instruction immediately. What I liked is that she began the lesson with getting my daughter familiar with the pony, safety, grooming, saddling, picking, etc. The instructor is patient and my daughter is very comfortable around her. It also helps that she's a military brat :). There are a lot of "brats" around these parts and I try to support these business owners when I can. Unlike many facilities, they are closer to areas in eastern Prince William County, a definite plus for those in Woodbridge/Dale City. It is a small stable with 4 horses and 1 pony on the premises from what I've seen. The horses appear healthy and well maintained. The barn is kept clean. I don't know how long my daughter will want to continue horseback riding lessons at her age but she appears to really enjoy them and her time at the stables.

Highly recommend. We stayed in the cowboy cabin it was such a cute cabin with the most beautiful…read moreMountain View. Highly recommend for a get away with your sweetheart & your dogs! We rode horses on the ranch, Francisca was the sweetest guide & really made the experience. Our dogs loved walking along the property watching the long horns, cows, & sheep. The sunrise was absolutely stunning from the rocking chairs on the porch. Cute cowboy aesthetic! Everything was clean & tidy. The extra paper towels, soaps, and trash bags came in handy. Such a sweet extra amenity. Celena & Susan were so kind and responsive. We met afew of the other staff along the property and they were all so sweet and courteous as well. The wedding venue looks amazing!! Can't wait to come back!! Thank you so much for having us!!

So after running late for a horseback riding trail in Shenandoah they steered us in the direction…read moreof this ranch. They were so accommodating to book a same day appointment for me and my date. We arrived like 30 minutes early so we got to sign the forms and walk around the ranch. The property is beautiful I wish we could have stayed in one of the cabins. My horse outlaw was the sweetest. This wasn't my first time riding but even if it was anyone could ride him. I enjoyed the trail ride throughly I wanted it to last another hour it was so peaceful! Between the instructor & my man we got great pictures and an unforgettable experience.

The views were definitely epic, but they came with a couple of big hurdles…read more The first was that when I booked online there wasn't any way to put the ages of kids or expertise level of the people riding. It's fine, but they claim that you don't need any experience. When we showed up, our guide saw us waiting outside of the car and he told us to sign in. After filling the paperwork he came out and said he didn't know that there were kids riding on their own. (I had my 11 and 9 year old riding by themselves). He seems like a very nice guy, but the whole time he was complaining that he already dealt with kids that morning and the slow horses had been used so he didn't have slow horses for us to put the kids on. The second hurdle was that his horse was not listening, I think he might've been a young horse that wasn't as broken-in as his usual horse. He said his horse was hurt, so he couldn't use it and he had to ride a horse that was "nuts." There were horses that were in the back that he had swapped so I don't know why he couldn't switch his horse to different one. He kept having to smack him and pull the reins to try to get him to keep going on the trail because he wasn't listening. This wouldn't have been a huge issue, but he insisted in holding a lead to lead my daughter's horse since she was riding on her own. (he suggested my son go ride with my husband doubled up) His horse kept moving abruptly, and I felt like it was more of a safety issue for my daughter to be near his horse so I asked him to let go of the lead, and have her ride by herself without him pulling the horse. She seemed to do much better without him holding it because, thankfully, her horse (Diamond) was cooperative and chill. The whole time he seemed very frazzled and worried. Although it is understandable for him to want us to have a good experience with the horses and for everyone's safety, I think that him having a different horse and there being better communication when booking a riding session would've made for a much better experience. The whole time we pretty much felt like a nuisance, and I felt sorry for him. He suggested that we get a partial refund because our experience wasn't as great as it should've been since we didn't have the correct horses to have a smooth ride. When I communicated with the owner, they just said thank you for letting them know and they didn't offer any sort of compensation or refund. In future, if we were to do this experience again, it would probably have to be with a different guide, but I don't think that I would come back to this Ranch I would try somewhere else. On a positive note, the views were amazing, the horses that we had were pretty chill and kept trying to eat, but other than that they didn't cause trouble. They had helmets for us if we needed them and the guide was upset, but he was apologetic the whole time. The guide did a great job at posing the horses for our family picture.

My wife and I stayed in one of the cabins here over the weekend. We had a fantastic experience to…read moresay the least. Our host, Jess, was extremely welcoming, helpful, friendly, and made sure our stay was top notch. She provided detailed information, maps, a guide, food recommendations that were spot on, and brought us pizza our first night that was delicious. Our second day, Justin gave us a guided hike through the mountain to a couple private waterfalls. He was very friendly and accommodating of personal limitations for the group. Later on we had a trail ride on horseback with Justin. He made sure to pair each rider with an appropriate horse based on their skill and experience level. The views were absolutely stunning, and the ranch definitely lives up to its name. We enjoyed every second of our stay and did not want to leave. I hope to return sooner rather than later.

We have been twice now, each time we come to Virginia we will be using them for trail rides. Their…read morehorses are so well loved (spoiled in the best way) which leads me to feel so incredibly safe riding up and down hills on their horses. My two young children are also able to ride the solo without a worry. It's extremely easy to book and a great price for an hour and a half ride. The staff also are so easy going and fun to chat with along the trail. My kids always say this is the best part of visiting Virginia.

Leslie and our other sweet guide were amazing and the conversation was great - the scenery was…read moregorgeous and serene. The horses are well cared for and gentle. We can't wait to return in the spring !

Seems like they're on Groupon all the time. Our horseback ride started about 1.5hours late. I…read morewasn't happy about this at all. Not simply because he was running late, but because the house (castle/waiting room/party room) was absolutely filthy. I was really taken aback by a business looking like this, even if it's a business that works w/ animals. When we got there, the owner and assistant were on a ride w/ another group. Then the group we were supposed to be riding with were an hour late, so we had to wait for them. It was just annoying, although Steven (owner) was friendly. When we walked into the empty house it looked like a construction space, a hen was walking around the inside and I even saw it poop IN THE KITCHEN! Things finally turned around when I hopped on Sherman (my white horse w/ black spots). He was a greedy little thing and ate up all the grass but he was a great horse. Steven immediately put ppl on the horses and taught us while we were riding. He was a straight to it teacher and I liked that. He definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to animals. He took a bunch of pictures and videos and sent them to everyone in the group. I'm thankful to have such awesome pictures that didn't cost us extra. I'm giving 4 stars despite the filth because Steven was friendly, welcoming, and I enjoyed the experience. Tip: -don't eat there if germs bug u -don't arrive early, there's no point -yes, you're in the right spot, even though it looks a little funky on the outside

It's funny this guy is trying to say we never went when we did - I'd love to see what evidence he…read morehas considering during our entire time there he never once asked for our names or checked that we even had a reservation. He also never redeemed our Groupon. He has repeatedly messaged me and begged me to remove this review and has even reported it to Yelp to try to get it removed. Not only do I stand by my review but this Steven Strasburg owner has proved himself to not only be completely unprofessional but also desperate and dishonest. My advice: TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY for your business instead of accusing people of posting fake reviews or saying "it must've been another place". This is the ONLY time where an owner has not only not apologized but tried to say I'm posting for the wrong Castle Strasburg. How many Castle Strasburg horseriding places are there in Midland, VA? SHAME ON YOU!

I have been horseback riding with Melinda Cohen at Dream Catcher Farm for 15 years. I would…read morerecommend it to anyone looking to learn to ride, as well as those who have ridden for years and want to continue. The farm is about 45 minutes from Chevy Chase/Bethesda, but the drive is very easy - just up 270. It's a quick 15 minutes from the Frederick area. Melinda welcomes students from beginner levels to very advanced. The facilities are top notch and the community is very friendly. Both the horses and the students are happy. There are acres of fields and miles of trails, as well as an indoor arena for rainy days or cooler temperatures. I couldn't ask for a better place to ride or a better place for my horses!!!

Came here for horseback riding lessons for our 6 and 4 year old. Absolutely magical experience for…read morethem. The trainer was great with kids and patient. The grounds are beautiful and there are lots of other animals to see and interact with: chickens, turkeys and two of the happiest resident dogs I've ever met. Thank you for an experience our kids won't soon forget.

Inconsiderate staff. I understand that weight limits are important for the safety of the horses,…read morebut the way it was handled felt unnecessarily rude. The repeated questioning felt excessive and honestly left me wondering whether assumptions were being made about me before I even arrived. As a Hispanic customer, I can guarantee once my name was revealed, suddenly I didn't know my own weight?? Being asked to reconfirm as if I was expected to be pearl the whale. Furthermore, I almost died and they HARASSED ME!! I was in a hospital bed, calls after calls leading to the below messages. From an unknown number not registered to the business. Super unprofessional, will never consider this place EVER AGAIN. Gitty yo ass up out the way while you can.

Amazing. Took a trail ride with the horses on a rainy day for an hour. The forest was pretty and…read morethe horses were nice.