Lone Oak is a great boarding stable. The facility is very clean and quiet. They have several…read morearenas. You will most likely have the arena to yourself. The arenas have great footing. They take pride in the facility and security. The only downside is fall is in the winter time only the covered arena is open sometimes. They do seal the outside arenas. So once the outside arenas dry out they open them back up.

I've been taking private lessons with Shari for about three years now, and I couldn't recommend her…read moremore highly. I was initially referred to her because of the facilities, and the care for her horses. I also appreciate that Shari owns the barn, so I never have to guess where my lesson will take place. A lot of trainers in the area seem to move barns frequently, but with Shari everything is consistent and reliable. Plus, as Morgan Hill can get hot, I really appreciate having access to the indoor arena. There is also a dressage ring and an outdoor ring, so there's plenty of space and flexibility depending on what you're working on. I got back into riding about five years ago as an adult after growing up with my own horse, although now I ride mostly to stay connected to horses and continue learning in a safe, supportive environment. Shari does a great job meeting riders where they are, whether you're returning to the sport or advancing your skills. Shari also hosts local competitions at the barn, which creates opportunities for riders who want to push themselves further. Overall, it's a great place to ride, learn, and be part of a welcoming horse community.

Our recreation therapist was out for the day, and as such, I volunteered to take a group of our…read moreveterans to equine therapy. I found the staff here to be friendly and knowledgeable, the facilities wholly adequate, the horses beautiful and the whole experience top-notch. Highly recommend!

My girls absolutely love Sam and Socks Summer Camp! They had so much fun with the trail riding,…read morehiking, and arts and crafts. One of my favorite things is that Ms. Susan takes photos throughout the camp, giving us memories that we truly cherish. We are so grateful for all the care and effort she puts into making camp such a special experience. We can't thank her enough for offering such a fun, engaging, and memorable summer program. Highly recommend!

Amazing teachers, amazing horses! During Covid I decided I wanted to finally learn how to ride and…read morebasic horsemanship. Susan and Sam are so patient and really tailor the training to the student no matter the age or ability. Even better they rescue horses and rehab them to be lesson horses - a gigantic win win. Their love and passion for horses is incredible. I can't recommend them enough

Shannon is an exceptional instructor. She has been teaching my daughter horseback riding for the…read morepast 10 years, and my daughter absolutely loves her kind, patient, and encouraging approach. Shannon has played a huge role in helping her grow and progress through the levels with confidence. My daughter truly loves the horses and the entire stable environment. It's also a wonderful place to spend time while waiting--calm, peaceful, and welcoming. We're so grateful for Shannon and the entire team.

We have been attending lessons at Painted Star Equestrian for 5 months now. We LOVE Shannen's…read morecurriculum for horseback riding. The kids always know what their next goals are and how to level up and what they need to do to get there. My youngest fell in love with horseback riding here. She is often overshadowed by her two older sisters' achievements and she has found her own "thing" here. She has learned a greater level of responsibility and independence. Her confidence has grown both on and off the arena and we couldn't be more proud of her and thankful for Painted Star!

For my daughters bday, they did a wonderful job of last minute accommodation! No doubt about the…read morefantastic service when it comes to making a great impression there BUT the instructor didn't seem to pleased to be very sociable. I mentioned it was my daughters bday many times. Not much conversation to my daughter to make her feel very welcome. For example, "hows your bday going so far? Or, Glad we were able to squeeze you in today to make a dream come true, or thanks for choosing is hope to see you back have a nice rest of your bday" Nope. Still gave her a nice tip though, even if her vibe was not happy to have us there ‍

I love this place! The people I met there all went out of their way to be friendly and kind, the…read moregiant arena has great footing that is groomed every day, the spaces for the horses are big and comfortable. There is a lovely covered arena, a big round pen, mini trails, tons of turnouts, exceptional quality hay even my draft cross kept weight on. There is a picnic area and even a kids playground. This barn is both kid and dog friendly which is incredibly rare these days. They have jumps and barrels and sometimes in barn events. They are constantly improving and keeping things in tip top shape. There are comfy lounges and every thing is always tidy and neat. The owner Karla is a truly good human who is dedicated, professional and at the same time down to earth and kind. If you are looking for a place for your horse and there is an opening snatch it up quickly because this place is heavenly.

I've always had a peripheral itch to try polo (current hunter/jumper rider), and recently got a…read morerecommendation for this club from a friend. Within the first five minutes, I was sold. It felt intuitive, invigorating, more exciting than any sport I've tried in a long time. Urging my indefatigable pony, Nala, onwards to score our first goal felt as if I had found myself on a ferocious, beige little Pegasus. I already signed up for Polo Academy this spring! So stoked. The instructors were awesome, and I enjoyed the mini drills and scrimmage that we did during the lesson. Totally recommend

Long overdue post on my new favorite hobby at my absolute favorite place, South Bay Polo! I started…read moreout super cautious and being absolutely TERRIFIED of hitting my horse instead of the ball. Fran was patient with me and very understanding and so was everyone else at the club! Polo is usually considered a sport with a very high barrier to entry: typically most people think you need to be an avid equestrian, you need to be super athletic, you need to be crazy rich, you need to own multiple horses, and thats definitely not the case. South Bay is an incredibly welcoming, safe place to learn how to play polo. Fran has an excellent program called "Academy" where you'll be placed in a group of your peers who are also new to polo and you all learn the basics at a comfortable, stress free pace. No one is ever pushed to go faster than they are comfortable going and emphasis is placed on accuracy with the ball and safety ALWAYS safety first! Some people may think of polo and think SPEED but...as one of the pros say "theres absolutely no point in being the fastest to get to the ball if you don't know what to do with it once you get there!" Club members are absolutely wonderful and kind, always super patient with all my questions and super eager to help out. Some of the members are really all-stars competing in tournaments at levels I could only dream of, but when you surround yourself with players at that level they help you improve simply by watching them and interacting and practicing around them! You can always try out a private lesson first to see if polo is for you- it is very different from any other style of riding Ive ever done, the reins are held in your left hand and mallet with the right hand. But I promise you, the second you hear that perfect THWACK sound when you have your first connection with the ball you'll be addicted to it! (for the record I whiffed the ball maybe 10-20 times before ever actually getting a solid hit lol) I still have a very long way to go in my polo journey and I am super excited to have found a place that nurtures my growth!

FHS and trainer Stephanie Walker are the best. She has created an exceptional environment where the…read morehorses' comfort and happiness are always the priority. She helps all levels of riders realize their full potential in a very unintimidating way. I would highly recommend this barn for boarding, leasing, training, and lessons.

Stephanie Walker at Free Heart Stables is a true horseman. She understands the equine holistically…read moreand teaches her clients from where the horse is at physically and mentally, and always for the good of the horse. My daughter entered into the horse world via typical horseback lesson experience. She received excellent instruction in rider form at a top riding school but she became bored with just jumping on a horse for the purpose of getting through the transitions and jumps while looking good. She craved a deeper bond with her equine partners. So, being a brand new horse person myself, and only to support my daughter from afar, I found Stephanie in a Google search. I figured some horseback lessons that simulated actual horse ownership would cure the bug. I also decided that since this experience would be more than just tacking up the horse and riding, I decided to take lessons too so I could supervise my daughter from the ground. When my daughter first started riding, I wouldn't even pet the horses, and I was the least likely candidate to be a horse owner, that's how resistant I was to this whole horse fever she caught. I thought for sure these true "horsemanship" lessons would end this nonsense. Well, Stephanie didn't cure the horse bug. She made it worse, it was contagious, and I caught it. She stirred a new passion in my daughter and I that opened up a whole new world where horses are now more than a hobby, we have a new lifestyle. Fast forward to today, we are the humble owners of a beautiful, dramatic, and sensitive thoroughbred gelding and Stephanie is our trainer. Forget thinking that this is your typical trainer situation where the expert does the hard work of training your horse and you come out only to ride and experience the fruit of that labor. Stephanie is teaching US how to train our horse. Her lessons involve us in every part of the equine from the how the horse thinks to how the horse moves - on good days and bad days. Some of our best lessons, even when we first started, have been in (and continue to be in) imperfect conditions where we were making mistakes and Stephanie patiently taught us what was going on with the horse mentally, how we created the situation, and how to correct it. She will not do it for you, and she will make you take it slow to do things right. You can do things fast, or you can do them right. Thankfully, she has the patience and calm demeanor of a saint with kids and nervous, newbie, somewhat resistant, older adults. Stephanie just has something special to offer people that is vitally lacking in our fast paced, over tech'd, and over-achieving culture. The character qualities that are being instilled in my daughter (and myself) through this journey is not something the fanciest training barn or most expensive private school could ever teach. It is hard work that teaches you how to slow down, be present, and be teachable. Though the word has lost its meaning, Stephanie is a true natural horseman and she will teach you how to understand and communicate with the horse from the moment you make contact. If you want a truly fulfilling equine partnership that is unlike anything offered at training and lesson barns, contact Stephanie. Your horse will thank you.

I got to know Bright Ranch and the Bright family. They are all caring. I have known them from when…read moreI was 8 years to when I was 19. I did weekly lessons and learned a lot about the horse and riding. I learned how to ride all kinds of horses from green (not fully trained) horses to the competition horses. It was one of the reasons why I became so into horseback riding. I loved Dennis's deep knowledge on horses and how he worked and partnered with the amazing horses he has in the stable. I also learned to work with cows and learned to do advanced techniques over the years. Dennis teaches you that patience helps you a lot around horses. He teaches you to be safe on the ground and in the saddle. Yes, it takes years to learn to horseback ride. It is the same for all sports and even learning instruments. You gotta understand that things take time. I describe horseback riding is like a tree. You learn the basics or the standard skill. Each basic technique you learn branches off to more advanced skills. Also, repetitions are key! Anyway, I recommend Dennis Bright as a caring and acknowledgeable horseback riding mentor. He has the safest horses to ride compared to the other stables I visited. The biggest thing he makes sure is that you the student is safe. Not many horseback riding teachers do this! - Kathryn K.

My 8 year old daughter did a week long summer camp here and I cannot recommend it highly enough!…read moreShe got a horse riding lesson every day, got to brush the horses and help take care of the other animals on the farm, learned about the garden and helped harvest the vegetables... basically every 8 year old's dream! The camp counselors were all so friendly and the owners were so helpful and seemed to genuinely care about the kids learning and having a good summer camp experience. We will definitely be back next summer! I wish we lived close enough to do riding lessons here on a regular basis!