My boys love to go horseback riding, but it was a bit of a challenge arranging it during our visit…read moreto Bend. Most of the places we've gone to in the past (Crooked River Ranch and Eagle Crest Resort) were closed this summer, so we decided to make the drive to the Seventh Mountain Resort by Mt. Bachelor. We had a terrible experience trying to make a reservation. So up to the actual trail ride, I would give them one or two stars for the administrative side of the business. Nonresponsive by phone, a bit disorganized in person and they overcharged us for the ride until we called the discrepancy to their attention. Once we got on the horses, things improved from there, slightly. The ride is a bit dusty and not the best we've ever had, but again, there appear to be very few options in the area. Unfortunately on a trail ride your experience is very dependent on other riders and whether they are comfortable and able to control their horse. We had two other riders that almost fell off and unfortunately it really freaked out my son. We've gone to Diane's Riding Place, which I now consider the best in the area, but it is more instructional rather than a trail ride. So at the end of day, a fun family activity, but hopefully others will have a better experience before mounting their steed. They also have adorable miniature ponies at Pony Town, so that would be a hit with little ones.

Our guide was great group was small. We did ride down to the river but we were only there about…read morefive minutes the rest of it was extremely dusty ride on extremely hard saddle. Probably the hardest saddle I've ever written on and I ridden on a lot of them. We were all sore for days. They should tequite or suggest that you bring a scarf for your nose because the dust is toxic.

If you plan to ride horses while in Bend, by all means book a ride with Wilderness Horse…read moreAdventures. The horses are so well trained, easy to ride along with great staff. And...you can't beat the view in the state park. Spectacular ride through the woods and along the river. Breathtaking!

Booked the one hour ride from the ranch and it was everything I'd hoped for. As first time riders…read moremy partner & I were not sure what to expect but our guide was awesome! We encountered many deer, & a coyote on our ride. Our horses Maverick, & Tye were the sweetest companions. So grateful for the experience we are definitely coming back! Thank you for the memorable afternoon. - Mallory

Diane's Riding Place offers a fantastic horseback riding experience for everyone. We took our four…read moregrandchildren to ride and learn to be cowboys and a cowgirl on the beautiful grounds and trails. Diane has the utmost patience with all of us beginner riders. The kids learned how to lead the horses and not let the horses lead them, not to be afraid of the horses, and to enjoy the trail rides. Diane is extremely knowledgeable and kind. Her horses are well cared for. She took fabulous photos for us while we were on the horses so we adults could enjoy ourselves and not worry about capturing the perfect photo. I highly recommend Diane's Riding Place.

We came to Diane's 5 years ago, with neither of our kids ever having been on horses..my daughter,…read morewho was only 5 at the time wanted desperately to ride a horse. My son, who was 3, was terrified. He was in love by the end of his first ride as was our daughter. Five years later and we made it back! This time for our daughter's tenth birthday celebration. And while they ALL loved it, my son especially, said that he absolutely loved it. We now have 3 kids wanting horseback riding lessons and 5 kids that LOVED their day. Once again WE ALL loved the experience and thank Diane so much for the incredible experience.

Slice Ranch is a little slice of heaven in Bend, OR! The proprietors of Slice Ranch, Todd and…read moreNate, are two of the warmest and friendliest people you could ever meet. They decided to trade in the corporate grind for their life's passion...owning a farm, land and taking great care of all of their animals. We stayed at the beautiful Pronghorn Resort and requested from the concierge a day of horseback riding. They scheduled us with a real treat by booking us a two hour riding excursion at Slice Ranch (located less than 15 min away from the resort). We SOO enjoyed our few hours with Todd and Nate who warmly greeted us from the start. They promptly gave us a tour of the grounds, had us fill out minimal but required paperwork, and then introduced us to all of their animals (horses, fainting goats, donkeys, hens, dogs, etc.). Next we went thru a brief but detailed horse instruction lesson (lasted 25-30 min total). Following that, we were off for a nice easy trail ride with them along a couple miles loop. The scenary, horses and their company was just awesome! We REALLY can't say enough about these guys and the relaxed, beautiful experience we had there. We HIGHLY recommend Slice Ranch! Do yourself a favor, go unwind and do something different and truly see and enjoy Bend (A.K.A. God's country). Todd and Nate will make sure you do. Oh, and don't forget to buy some of their hens' farm fresh eggs!!! We WILL be back...and plan to even stay in the guest apartment they are almost finished building on their land.

From the owner: Horseback riding, trail rides, and horseback riding lessons.read more

The owners are so kind and the welfare of the horses are their first priority. It's a welcoming,…read moreand inclusive barn.

They can't be bothered to return phone calls or emails. I get it if you're busy, but this is no way…read moreto run a business. Don't waste your time with this place.

Our experience with Smith Rock Trail Rides was amazing. Brian was kind, fun, and attentive--an…read moreabsolutely amazing person to have lead these trail rides. He gave us great directions on how to ride and lead our horse, and stopped many times to take photos of our group. The views were GORGEOUS. Butterflies everywhere. They also have an adorable little puppy that made our time there extra sweet. I will definitely be coming back! Thank you!

This is an absolute must-do if you're thinking about visiting Smith Rock. My husband and I have…read morehiked Smith Rock before, but being able to see it on horseback is just a whole different experience. The trail itself gets you up close to the rock formations of Smith Rock. Let me tell you, the scenery, the canyons, and the gorge that you get to see are spectacular. I really like how this company only does one ride a day and keep the groups small, we had only 5 ppl in our group. It kept things less hectic and I felt safer knowing our guide was able to keep an eye on all of us. Our guide Brian was super helpful and knowledgeable. He made sure you were comfortable on your horse and was very thorough with his instructions on the basics in order to enjoy your ride. He also gets extra points for taking great photos! We got to ride Slim & Sunny. Both horses were really sweet and easy to ride. You could tell Brian and his wife Melanie take great care of their horses. They know them pretty well and match each rider to their horse. No matter your experience level, I think anyone will have a good time and smith rock trial rides makes sure of that :)

I sent the following email to Brasda Ranch regarding my experience. I received NO response. Very…read moredisappointed in their lack of good customer service - especially since I had to pay the "gratuity" ($90) when I schedule our trail ride. Wed, Jul 23, 1:58PM "I'm reaching out to let you know what a disappointment my ride was on Sunday. I was partnered with Medicine Bow for the ride. I'm an experienced rider and own two horses myself. I didn't find out until after the ride that he is only four years old - which may explain his green behavior. I really don't find it enjoyable to constantly be pulling on a horse's mouth while they are trying to go their own way or getting too close to other horses. He's already got a hard mouth and I'm sure it's going to get worse. Putting experienced riders on this horse for an hour at a time is a poor excuse for proper training. I sincerely hope you do the right thing for this young horse before he's ruined.

We decided on Brasada Trails for our horseback riding this trip. We stayed in Bend and enjoyed the…read morelovely drive out to to Pilot Butte. Our trail master Piper and her amazing guide horse Pepper took us on a beautiful ride up to a lookout where we enjoyed the best cinnamon marshmallow s'mores and a little break. On our way back we got the same wonderful views, and we had an overall amazing time. Super relaxing, the horses were great, and Piper made the experience super fun. Will definitely be returning!

Long Hollow Ranch provides a taste of the Old West and appeals to visitors fondly remembering those…read moreold John Wayne westerns and life on the range. The majority of their business is focused on guests who are staying at the ranch (many from overseas) who want to go on longer trail rides or an old fashioned cattle drive a la City Slickers. Since we already have a home in the area, we didn't get to take advantage of their hospitality as guests. However, we did visit to enjoy a trail ride. My boys love to ride, but it has been quite difficult finding a trail ride that satisfies all of our needs. We've tried Diane's Riding Place, but they tend to be more instructional. The stables at the Seventh Mountain Resort were only OK. My goal was to get more of an 'authentic' trail ride with a little bit of fun. We were only partially successful. First off, making reservations wasn't terribly easy. After calling the main business line, I was given a second number to dial for the stables. Since the focus is on their ranch guests, they don't seem to be overly eager to take outside riders. Fortunately, some of those guests had another activity planned, so we were able to arrange a ride. It turned out to be semi-private and Katie was a wonderful guide. You will sign a brief liability waiver, and riders must wear jeans and boots. The boots requirement was a first, but fortunately they have plenty to borrow at no charge. Children are also required to wear helmets. The ranch covers 600 acres, so they took a gentle ride up through the hills to enjoy the view of the Three Sisters. It was a good ride, but low on the excitement factor. No cantering or galloping, just an easy mosey up and back. Unlike the prior reviewer, the ride lasted exactly 60 minutes, so no complaints there. It is really disappointing that there aren't more horseback riding options in the area. These hills are filled with ranches, but due to liability concerns, very few open their doors to the public. We still feel like we are searching to find that magical ride. http://www.lhranch.com/index.php

This place was EXACTLY what we were looking for on our way home from our family vacation. We…read morewanted somewhere quiet to lay our heads down, somewhere 'different' than the normal hotel scene, and a place that our kids would remember. The Long Hollow Ranch checked every one of those boxes. We stayed in the Homestead cabin, which had three beds upstairs, and one downstairs. The cabin had two strong window AC units, which were wonderful. The cabin had no TV, which was great, but did have a vintage stove that served as a table top for the in-room microwave. There's also a mini-fridge and a Keurig Coffee Maker. Beds were comfy, bathroom has hot water in the shower, and the decor was fantastic. The morning breakfast was signaled by a good old-fashioned dinner bell at the main house, which is beautiful. There were lots of hash browns, fruit, juice and more. They even offered to cook each of us an egg to order, which our son took advantage of. The breakfast was absolutely great. All in all, this place was well worth the price, which was already much lower than other places on our trip. They even let us dabble with our fly pole in their bass pond free of charge. They accommodated our late check in (10 PM) and even had the AC going when we arrived. Customer service was top notch. This is the definition of a 5 STAR property.