She knows why. I was seriously injured at her stable after a riding lesson. She refused to take responsibility even after winning a $74,000 lawsuit for my injuries that I am still pursuing after 6 years read more

Some time ago, I was essentially coerced into buying a $4000 untrained gelding from Linda. He was a nice horse, but required a trainer level rider to get him horse show ready. She promised to keep the price low and include all training if I helped her break horses to ride & give lessons (which I did love BTW, but it was A LOT of unpaid work, especially because I also had a fulltime job elsewhere an hour away). Linda never trained the horse at all and would not allow one of the more advanced riders at her stable to help me get the initial training in. No joke, she isn't an US citizen (at the time) and needed the $4000 to get a lawyer because of it. I was scammed for the money!! I had to sell this sweet horse for half that amount because I physically couldn't provide the training he deserved. Proceed with caution before purchasing any of her sale horses and never skip the vet check. read more

Great lessons for my 10 year old. She started from scratch 10 months ago at 9-1/2 years old and now she confidently walks, trots, and cantors. And she LOVES her time at the barn and her time in the saddle. When she started she was so scared of horses she cried when she got in the saddle. But she wanted to learn and Linda was just what she needed. Tough, straight talk, like an Olympic coach. No babying, just treats her like a grown up. 100% recommend for kids and adults alike. Also very successful at getting kids successfully into the horse show circuit. And very reasonably priced. read more

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Linda of Twin L rocks when it comes to horseback riding. She is a no frills teacher who will get down and dirty to teach you how to become a great rider and know all there is to know about how to take care of the horse and handle situations that may arise. My daughter knew very little about horses when she started working with Linda. Linda took her under her wings and taught her to be comfortable, confident and capable. I really appreciate the no pampering get the job done attitude that allowed my daughter to deepen her love for horses and to become competent. When it comes to horses, my daughter if fully capable of taking care of business. I don't need to help her with anything. I recommend Linda to anyone who is really serious about horses. read more

Twin L Performance Horses - Horseback Riding Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Linda is arrogant and rude to her students. Linda was late for my 2nd lesson. Did not meet my expectations.

I signed up for 10 lessons and made it through 8 lessons. How I lasted that long I don't know! While I'm sure she knows about horses, she needs lessons in manners!! Linda Leslie, the owner, was just outright rude and VERY condescending! I took the lessons to do something fun and enjoyable and she succeeded at making that impossible!! I certainly would never expose my children to her methods of teaching. The area for the horses was not clean nor kept up and I could see how some might say they are not being well taken care of. You can see from how she treats her other animals (dog area covered in poop, dog nails are overgrown and causing the dogs pain) that she probably doesn't care for the horses. Linda seems to enjoy demeaning people more than she does teaching. I think it might be time for her to retire. read more

Unfortunately the "owner" or manager of this facility is pretty unprofessional and quiet rude to paying customers. Came here for horse rising lessons. The whole time my friend was riding the horse, Linda just made fun of other riders behind their backs (customers) and was very obnoxious to me as well. Won't be back! read more

My mother got horse riding lessons for my girls, and Linda was a great instructor! Emily rode Rebel, a 13 year gelding, and Grace rode Caprice, an 8 year mare. Linda was extremely patient with the girls, and helped them build their confidence on the horses. She taught them the proper way to hold the reins, how your feet should be positioned in the stirrups, and proper posture while riding. Grace was much more confident, and by the end of the lesson was trotting around the arena very well. Emily trotted a bit, but was more reserved. It was a great experience for my girls, and I will probably take them back over the summer. read more

A very comprehensive horsemanship experience. It's not just about riding lessons - it's about learning to care for a horse, how to properly tack with the right equipment, and to understand why a horse does what it does. Otherwise, you could just take a trail ride and be perfectly happy. Linda does an excellent job at ensuring you learn the how's and why's of the rider/ horse relationship. read more

It's been several months since our children took horseback riding lessons. The horse trainer/ owner was nice at first but after the first lesson she was super inappropriate, culturally disrespectful and rude to both our children and us as parents. read more

DONT GET SCAMMED!! I signed up to take lessons from this barn. I prepaid $300 for 10 sessions after having an introductory lesson, free of charge. The owner, Linda Leslie, was very informal, offered no details in writing about my payment, cancellation policy etc.(incidentally, this same lackadaisical attitude about her customers also applies to her teaching style, as she left me on my own to take personal cell phone calls several times on my FIRST LESSON with a horse I didn't know) She had me Zelle her the money to her personal cell phone- which is the listed business phone number. Unfortunately , due to family issues, I had to leave the state and was unable to complete any of the 10 lessons I prepaid for. I sent her a very polite text message explaining the situation and requesting a refund, and she has refused to communicate since. She has all of her "read" receipts on so I know the messages are receive. This has been going on for 2 weeks. At one point- she reached out on the original scheduling platform I used saying "tomorrow" but when I followed up the next day, back to radio silence. Spend your money elsewhere, at a better maintained facility, with a reputable owner. Please don't make the same mistake I did when looking to obtain lessons read more

Our horseback riding experience was not what I thought it would be. We explained once arriving (as I had by phone when scheduling the lesson,) that our kids had never been horseback riding but were excited to learn. I think the owner has a lot of knowledge about horses, but little people skills- especially dealing with children. The hour long lesson was primarily my husband and I leading the horses around in a circle while the owner critiqued us and the kids from the sidelines. I was asked in a condescending tone why I didn't leave my purse in the car (because I had no idea it was going to be my husband and I leading the horses around the entire time) or why my daughters boots didn't have a bigger heel and told that we would need to buy new boots if we wanted our second lesson- an investment we really didn't plan on making, given that we were just trying this out for the first time. The owner seemed annoyed that the kids didn't know the basics of how to hold the reigns, as if she expected professionals out of 6 year olds, and talked down to them like they weren't listening if they were confused or just didn't understand her direction. My husband chimed in and asked if maybe she could give the kids an example so they could actually do what she was asking successfully. The kids were much more excited about riding horses before their lesson than afterwards- which is a total bummer. My son asked me why the lady was "so mean" in the car on the way home. It's great that the owner is passionate about horses and has a vast array of knowledge, but to be a successful trainer, you have to be patient and passionate about people too-and that's definitely lacking here. read more

I've been riding at Twin L for about 2 years now. Linda is not only the best trainer and horsewoman I've ever known, she's also the best teacher. As others have mentioned, she doesn't coddle but challenges each of her students to continuous improvement and best effort. From the beginning child to the advanced adult, Linda has an incredible talent of knowing and communicating just what her students need to take them to the next level. In and outside the arena, there is a wonderful feeling of community and cooperation at Twin L. Many of the experienced riders, along with Linda, are always willing to lend a hand. From my first lesson, I felt that I found a home. read more

Cold and rude was the experience I had during scheduling. Also, after signing up I realized there were multiple expensive items you have to buy or rent from somewhere just to try out her horse back riding lessons to even see if you or your family will like it. I found another horseback riding place not far from here where the customer service was much nicer, scheduling was easier and they didn't require parents to have to go out looking for these items such as helmet etc. For long term riding it makes sense but for a try out it doesn't. read more

bad bad bad lessons my friend and i had with Linda. I took three lessons with her, because i had found her facility on groupon. we had gotten 15-20 dollars off because she had payed groupon to get more customers. When arriving she told us she didn't do groupon discounts because she was just using the website to get customers. During the lesson she scolded me and my friend for the things we did "wrong" without telling us the right thing to do not telling us how we can improve. she felt like a high school bully to us. I had been riding for two years at that point, but it was my friends first time ever on a horse. And of course with that he had to learn all the basics, like how to lead a horse, how to get on, how to get the horse to trot. she didn't even try to explain how to do those things and i had to help him instead. she sat outside of the arena and watched us ride, sometimes leaving us alone so she could go do other things to waste time. It went on for way longer than expected. and all we did was walk in a little circle... don't waste your time here. read more

My daughter has been riding with Linda since January, and she just loves it. She just has blossomed with confidence and a sense of accomplishment. This girl will spend all morning riding, washing and longeing horses. Every week she learns something new and is brimming with stories. Linda is very knowledgeable and does not sugarcoat. I also like it that there are mostly women around. It feels safer and more comfortable to me. I love walking around and saying hello to all the beautiful horses. They are all friendly and well trained and happy to say hi. read more

Nestled in the sweet spot of Cave Creek, any monsoon swings right by. Linda is a highly intelligent horseman, with safety in mind at all times. I've been riding with Linda for several months and have surpassed my expectations. If you are an adult, or your kids have an interest in horsemanship and goals to be a better rider, this is the place! read more

I rode here many years ago. Linda was pretty nice but not as nice as I expected her to be. I wanted to continue to do lessons but she said that I had to purchase a package of lessons and that I couldn't pay for individual lessons. Honestly this is not how you get customers. This is mainly a show barn and those kind of barns only care about the money not the customer. read more

Twin L is the best ! I have been riding at Linda's barn for 2 years and I can confidently say that if you want to be a real rider and not just look pretty, this is the place to go. Linda calls a spade a spade and will not stop until her students are perfect. I own a horse bred and trained by Linda. This is the best thing that has happened to me and am thinking about buying another one from her. I have been to 5 other barns and no one ever taught me to keep the horse between me and the ground no matter what happens. She has given me the knowledge, skill and confidence to even work younger green horses. This place rocks !!! read more

After trying and being dissatisfied with three other stables in the Phoenix area, I found Twin L. Linda Leslie has forgotten more about horses than most people will ever know. My daughter has been riding with her for almost five years. She's gone from not knowing which end of the horse to saddle (just about!) to owning and showing her own horse. Unlike the other facilities we tried, Twin L is a place where riders learn everything they need to know about safely and compassionately working with horses. From the very first lesson riders learn to groom, tack up, and sit on a horse (other local facilities had their grooms lead the horses up, fully saddled, giving my then seven-year-old the wrong idea about the discipline of the sport, not to mention the commitment to a living, breathing creature). Such is our confidence in Linda that we now also entrust our six-year-old son to her. If you are looking for a place where you and/or your child will become a confident rider and have a blast in the process, go to Twin L! read more

Linda is obviously very knowledgeable about horses however, I don't recommend her for young children. Her style is brusque and did not match with our families' style. I purchased a groupon for lessons for my daughter (7) and her friend for Christmas. While scheduling the lessons, Linda did not make a great first impression on me by coming across as judgmental while I was on the phone with her. She told me that the reason that kids lose the love of horses is that parents "squash their dreams." When I explained that I was bringing my daughter's friend, she stated that she was surprised that another parent would let me bring their child without the parent there. "I wouldn't let someone take my child without checking the place out," she stated. As a mom, I am often taking my children's friends to activities without the parents being there, so I was taken aback for someone to say this. I think I would have understood if we needed to sign waivers or if she had told me the other mom needed to be there to help, but this was not what was communicated to me. At the lesson, she kept asking me and the kids, "So you've had NO experience with horses before?" This was like she was annoyed that she was going to have to teach us the basics. Then when I went to help my daughter on the horse she told my daughter that she was going to really have to help me by climbing since she is "chunky." My daughter is not chunky and even if she was I don't think that it was appropriate for her to call my 7 year old daughter chunky especially with all the pressures on girls about body issues. Throughout the lesson she consistently yelled at the girls and told them to be better listeners. She had no patience with them. Both myself and the other mother that was there didn't think the girls were not listening, they were just new to all the directions. When we left my daughter's little friend said as soon as we got into the car, "She was really mean." Unfortunately this was not the fun experience I had hoped. The first thing my daughter told my husband about the experience when we got home was that her teacher called her "chunky." I am sure that Linda is an expert with horses, but I don't think she wants to deal with young or inexperienced riders. We have decided to cancel the rest of the lessons we purchased. read more

This place is a nightmare for kids. Our "private lesson" was actually a group lesson. Linda is condescending and belittling. The horses are poorly maintained and have very bad behavior! Linda is terrible with children and we left feeling upset and unsafe. The place leaves a lot to be desired! read more

Linda is not a people person. She is always yelling at the kids. Also the place and the horses are not given the attention they need.

Twin l is a sad place for horses, I rode and boarded my horse there for over a year. My horse developed extremely bad stall habits including cribbing, weaving, tail chasing and kicking the stall door. The horses are only turned out once to twice a week in a small pen due to over crowding and they all lack food. Linda is rude and abrasive, yelling and demeaning children as well as encouraging gossiping and back biting that ruins the atmosphere of the already decrepit barn. Sadly due to her neglect several of her horses have died including numerous foals all succumbing to accidents, improper diet, or lack of veterinary care. This barn taught me a great deal about what can go wrong in a horse business, save yourself and your children the heart ache and go somewhere you can really appreciate horses. read more

We bought a few horseback riding lessons for our 8 year old. Linda is very knowledgeable about horses as other reviewers have said but I also second the opinion that she may not be a good fit for a younger rider. She is very stern and offers little praise. By the end of the lesson she almost had my child in tears just by her tone and barking of instructions with no positive feedback. My daughter did not want to return based on this alone. read more

I took lessons for over 5 years with Linda. I have since moved and have had time to think back on my experience. If you are looking for a riding home that gives "participation trophies" to everyone and a trainer that consistently says "You are Great!, Doing Great!" Plain and simple; this is not the place for you. HOWEVER, if you are looking to really learn to ride, are willing to work hard, and take enjoyment from getting a true and honest compliment then this IS the place for you. Was she strict? Yes Did she have favorites? No, everyone is treated the same. Were there young girls that learned to ride and show? Yes and loved it! I made it very clear to Linda from the start that I was never going to show nor buy a horse nor lease a horse, but be a perpetual student and she was OK with that. So for 5+years I took lessons, and I learned. I am not a great rider, nor gifted, but she stuck with me and I learned to sit a horse fairly well. Her knowledge of riding and understanding of horses is exceptional and because of that, she operates on a higher level, so what may come across as non-interest or over correction or non-caring of her animals is simply this....been there/done that. What you might consider a serious matter, she knows is not. I have seen her in serious situations, she keeps her head and gets through them....and gets her students through them as well, you just have to listen...listen....and listen. Does she care for her animals, definitely yes. I have seen her grey from worry over hurt or sick horses. I also know that when one of her horses becomes too old or injured to work, she continues to provide for their care in retirement, when it would be a better "business" decision to sell them or let them go. She also is always looking for new approaches that might help her students and horses. I have personally benefited from a couple of these as did my riding friend, Rebel. Finally, she speaks a great deal of truth and that is not always easy to hear or acknowledge. So Linda, if you read this, Yes you were right, I am not riding and I do regret it. But in fairness some of the blame is yours as well as mine. You spoiled me in the service that you provided and I just haven't been able to find another "riding home" that I like as well as yours. read more

I've been taking lessons at Twin L for 6 months. The lessons are quite affordable when compared to others in the North Phoenix/Cave Creek area. Linda is out at the arena or round pen all the time so leave a message if she doesn't answer-she'll call you back. She won't coddle you-she will train you. She is not mean-she's matter of fact. She will praise you when praise is in order and that's when you will value it most. I've been happy with my lessons, have made much progress and will continue on at Twin L. read more

I brought my daughter to Twin L Performance Horses so she could learn to ride and handle a horse safely. I had tried two other stables in Cave Creek but I could see that she wasn't getting enough instruction on complete horsemanship. I found what I looking for at Twin L. The Nationally Certified instructor there is Linda Leslie. Her program teaches the complete package of how to handle horses safely all the way to being able to show and win with your horse at class A horse shows. I wasn't looking for someone to coddle my daughter. Linda will let you know, in no uncertain terms, when your doing something that is unsafe and about to get you in trouble. From some other reviews it looks like some people can't handle that but safety is paramount with me, especially when it comes to my daughter. I was so impressed that I took lessons too and now we own our own horses. read more

Twin L Performance Horses does not even deserve the title to be a "show barn". I have been riding for 7 years and I was looking for a new place to ride because my old barn had taken me 45 minutes to drive to and I wasn't going to deal with that. I looked on groupon to see if they had any deals going on and I saw an advertisement for Twin L. I decided to look into it and called Linda Leslie (owner/trainer). I called her at least 7 times in one week and no answer. When she finally answered her phone, she told me that I could come out and look at the place to see what I think. It had rained the night before, and it was very muddy so I couldn't have a trial lesson which is plenty understandable. Once I arrived at the place, I walked around for about 20 minutes looking for Linda. Meanwhile, the whole property is covered in filth and looked like a total dump. The stalls and turnouts looked like they hadn't been used in ages and were covered in horse manure. I may add the horses were standing in this thick deep mud filled with poop and water. I peeped into the somewhat organized tack room to ask if anyone knew where Linda Leslie was and one person told us to knock on the door. When she answered she explained how much lessons would be and also asked me if I owned a horse. When I told her no, she explained to me about how parents "crush" their kids dreams by not buying them a horse which immediately turned me off. She told me that the lessons were 40 dollars and that I could buy a package whenever I liked. I told her I would get back to her once I was ready and have never gone back to that place since. All I can say is that this place does not seem safe, is a filthy mess of a barn, and her communication is terrible with her clients. read more