Daughter's third birthday party here. She loves pony's and this farm did not disappoint. Her…read morebirthday is in December and I loved the fact that there is a covered option in case of the rain was a great option. The kids had a ball riding the ponies around and than getting to play in the petting zoo. It was so much fun. Vicki is very strict with the forms, but she has every right to be and as long as you follow her instructions, you are good. Great place for a Birthday party! Thank you

This suburban farm offers horse boarding, riding lessons, kids camps and birthday parties…read more We have friends who's daughter attended their summer camp and loved it. Based on their experience we decided to have our daughter's 6th birthday party here and it was great fun for all. For Birthday parties you essentially have the exclusive use of a little park-like area in the center of the farm that has a play structure, picnic tables, a good number of shady trees and a small barn with petting-zoo type animals. The party rentals are two hours, with the first hour offering pony rides and during the second hour the petting zoo barn is open. We had two pony's at a time for the kids to ride, and with 10 kids that worked out to about two rides each. This was perfect timing so that we could do Pizza and cup cakes after the pony rides, then once the kids were done eating they excitedly ran over to pet the animals in the petting zoo. For the petting zoo portion there were chickens, pigs, bunnies, goats, sheep and a miniature horse the size of a large dog. The kids LOVED petting and brushing the animals. You don't need to add any additional activities or entertainment for the kids because the two hours are nicely full. The kids were constantly in motion and playing on the play structure when not riding a pony or in the petting zoo. All the kids seemed thrilled with the activities and were having tons of fun. All-in-all the process of having a party here, from reserving the day to clean up afterward, is pretty smooth. The only downside was a multi-page contract form that had to be signed by the parents of all the kids. The forms have to be returned to the hostess and the hostess then returns them to the farm with a guest list, as one packet, the Thursday before the party. It would be easier if the parents could just do the form on-site, but I'm guessing that the management wants to be sure the parents read it fully and agree to the terms in advance. But despite the paperwork I highly recommend Morning Star to anyone with grade school age kids.

Super thankful to have found Laurie Scott on BAEN. She is a fantastic teacher and really has you…read morelearning (or re-learning) to ride the right way. She emphasizes awareness of your and your horse's body, muscle strength, and proper form, not just to look nice, but to actually communicate with your horse more effectively and comfortably. Whether you're a beginner or advanced, check out the Paddock Club for great training!

I am an experienced rider and have recently taken dressage lessons from some other well-known…read moreteachers in the Bay Area. I have found the quality of Laurie Scott's teaching to be the best. Laurie is a very articulate, calm and knowledgeable teacher of not only dressage, but of general horsemanship. I recommend her highly.

From the first moment I set foot at the barn, HoofBeats has revealed itself to be my dream place of…read morelove and safe self-development, where: - I can explore my language, love and flow with horses and become a better horse woman - all my self-development nots in turn come to the surface, where they meet Jenny's gentle and graceful coaching, thus getting channeled each time to a constructive learning outcome - my body started feeling good, in shape and useful - I found a family away from home - activities and interactions bring me to higher and greater clarity about my self, my life, my work and relationships. This is not a push-the-button riding school. It's a space of self-discovery through interaction with horses, from the ground and from the saddle, and its depth has brightened my life up like I didn't even know was possible. If you live in Sonoma County and you are looking for a safe place of exploration, this is THE place!

Jenny is amazing. She's overall a beauitful person inside and out. I received a equestrian guided…read moreeducation session as a gift, and it was amazing. Jenny's horses are all rescues and they all have a calm and easy going demeanor. I never worked with horses and got sppoked the first few times they initated contact with me. They are such gentle giants and by the end i am definitely now a fan of them! All the horses were great to work with and Jenny was awesome at giving guidance and feedback. Her passion in her work is immediate. I highly recommend attending one of jenny's sessions, she's one of the sweetest people I ever met. She's very generous and really created a personalized session to fit my needs. Overall I had a great time just being in her space and interacting with Jenny and the horses! She's a kind, compassionate and thoughtful teacher! There's something indescribable about being in the space, it's like for a second, nothing else matters besides being in that moment. Thank you Jenny!

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.

I was fortunate to meet Amy Flores several years ago, and even more fortunate to have had her come…read moreto my mini-ranch in Novato for private lessons. She's an extremely competent rider, is kind and patient with kids, teens, and great with the over the hill ladies like myself. It was a bit intimidating as a grown woman to get back into riding after not being on a horse for many decades, but Amy took her time and showed me all the ropes from A-to-Z. Literally everything from grooming to tacking to groundwork to lunging work to in the saddle work. She explained the proper way to warm up a horse and how to engage the different body parts to create balance and fluid movement, all with a nice bedside manner and lovely sense of humor, and ever so patient. Give her a call, you'll have an amazing experience and be so glad that you connected with her. There is no attitude or snooty behavior. She has a young child herself, and loves to teach. I also hired her when I was injured in a car wreck, to ride and train one of my horses a few times a week. It kept him going and I trusted her, and that's what is important. A+ in every aspect of what she does. I moved away after working with her a few years, and am happy to hear she's still teaching and growing her woman owned business.

I'm getting so much out of my lessons with Amy and learning it all from the ground up. She is a…read morekind, patient and reassuring teacher who emphasizes understanding horses behavior as well. She is truly helping me achieve my goals and dreams!

Worth every dollar!!…read more Hello Yelpers! Baywood is like the Four Seasons Hotel of Horseback riding. The bedding in the stalls is plush, the rings are clean, orderly, and lined with mirrors. I only have to mumble to myself that I need to retrieve a pony from the paddock, and one of Helle's staff is already bringing him towards me. The facility is absolutely five star, impeccably clean; no signs of rodents or any other critters. Not to mention that the people are courteous and professional. Oh did I mention, they also have TWO real bathrooms?! Forget the port- o- potty ! I highly recommend riding with Helle, who is encouraging, pleasant and humorous. All qualities that are usually scarce amongst riding instructors. All in all, beautiful stalls, well behaved animals, indoor ring, and large outdoor ring... I never feel stressed out riding there, or unwelcome. I would definitely board a horse here!

Never did I think I would have to explain to my son why a third private…read moreriding lesson was never scheduled. My husband, son and I decided to stay at our weekend home in North Beach while our kindergartener transitioned to distance learning. Our son's private school offers equestrian lessons to students as little as 2 years old. Our son is going on his fifth year on a pony/horse. While he did dressage at school, he also trained on the sport of Polo with a 5 time Champion from Argentina. Our tour of the stables was scheduled on a Monday at 2:30pm. The summer camp ended at 2:00pm. My husband and I arrived at 2:45pm. She accused us of arriving an hour late. My husband and I didn't bother with her false accusation. Then as we were going over policies and procedures, she made it a point to mention that many of her students find her to be mean. Sarah, I suggest you to be honest with the families that you are perceived as a bully and not mean. That way when you act the way you acted towards our family, we can understand better. First lesson was scheduled and our son was excited. My husband was unable to attend, his had just deployed to the Middle East for a yearlong tour. After his lesson, I was eager to see if my son had liked it and hear how the lesson went from Sarah. She said to me "I think you think your son has more experience than he really does". She proceeded to tell me that he was about to place the saddle backwards on the horse. Than Sarah proceeded to give me this look of disgust that my son would make such a mistake. Second lesson is scheduled, she requires payment well before the lesson. When I scheduled the second lesson I gave her a check, that check was cashed the next day. Cashed not bounced. $75 is super low compared to the $125 we are used to paying in the city. Second lesson starts at noon on Sunday. After the lesson, again I was eager to hear from my son how the lesson was. I tried asking Sarah, but was immediately ignored. While I was standing with my son getting ready to head out, she looked at me and said "we will be in touch for the next lesson". This was back in July. Whatever reason you had to not grant my son a third lesson is your business. I recommend you step outside and see all the amazing things minorities are doing in the equestrian sport. My son trained with two Polo instructors, one from Chile and the other from Argentina. If my son were a beginner, i dont think he would feel comfortable troting while swinging a full size Polo mallet. When we attended Polo matches, many of the players were from immigrant decent. Players from South America, India, American, African American. I would hate to think that Sarah negated service to my son due to the fact that he is biracial. That is the only explanation I can conclude. Our son had the riding pants, boots, helmet, this isn't foreign to him. What is foreign to him is having a middle aged woman have such a rancid attitude towards a small child. Shame on you Sarah.

The place is beautiful with well kept horses. Love it! Cyd is awesome trainer and everything is run…read morewell

Lisa and Cyd run an incredible stable. In 30 years of riding, I've never experienced the level of…read moreservice Longview provides. The horses are impeccably cared for. The training rides are top notch, the show schedule is extensive and the lessons are challenging. I can't say enough to recommend this barn. it's abs the best.

Strides is a really great facility with fantastic trainers…read more They have horses and ponies for all levels of rider. All are well trained,we feel very safe, healthy, well cared for and relaxed ready for each lesson. The facility is safe, beautiful and easily accessible. We highly recommend Strides and Maggie Clancy for anyone looking for that special and excellent equestrian experience.

I'm disappointed with my son's experience at the one-week camp. He came away having learned very…read morelittle. It appears that he was afraid or hesitant, and instead of helping him work through those fears, the instructors simply allowed him to opt out of learning. We also received no communication during the week about the challenges he was facing, so we had no opportunity to support him. I would have expected the staff to both keep us informed and encourage him to gradually overcome his fears rather than letting him avoid the activities entirely.