Best Horseback Riding Service Cary Near Me

Scott Thacker: Fabulous

S Poteete: Heads Up is awesome! Myra and staff are absolutely amazing. Super supportive of the riders. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

Paul R: Terrific academy!

Ella Adyson: I have been riding there for awhile. The staff are VERY friendly and helpful also the horses are very sweet and well mannered.

Iris Iris: I’m not a rider, I was just driving close to this area and decided to check this place. The weather was not so good, but I liked this place and would like to visit again during warmer time. Enjoying how peaceful it is. Beautiful horses

Christian Altum: Daughter rides there. Great people friendly place. Great horses. Well manicured property.

Emily Davenport: A wonderful experience. As a life-long equestrian, I booked an evaluation ride with Katie and had a fabulous time on Winston. I was so impressed with Katie's knowledge, kindness and the care that they show the horses. There is a solid emphasis on horsemanship and the horses were all so well cared for. Highly recommend!

Natalie A.: I am an adult rider and absolutely love this barn. I’ve ridden at a number of locations in a number of states over the last decade and this one is the most organized I have ever attended. I feel welcome and I feel that I have improved in just a few short weeks. The horses seem loved and well cared for. The trainers work to accommodate me in lessons even if I may not be to the level of the other riders. Looking forward to riding here for a long time!

Alexis Ray: I thought it was a wonderful facility, until I got to know how it is run. The facility is extremely money hungry. The lesson horses are used in multiple lessons per day each, and get at most one day off per week. Not to mention that almost all of the lesson horses are on Equioxx. It is overly priced and everyone is extremely stuck up.

Danielle Ronis: I tried contacting them 3 times before someone finally called me back about lessons. I was told I could have a lesson in one week, but they would call back to confirm the time. One week later, no call and no response to my voicemail about confirmation. Waste of time.

Gray Pendleton: Excellent equestrian facility with fantastic trainers!

Laura: This post is in response to Gary and Carol Maguirs's comments AND to celebrate my 25 years as a boarder, student, and finally, dressage instructor, at MacNair's Stables. Unlike the Maguires, I was not a first time horse owner and have boarded at several stables previously in two states. The care and concern for the horses at MacNair's is exceptional. As an instructor, I have had the opportunity to visit many boarding stables in and around the Raleigh area. MacNair's stands out with the many opportunities and facility highlights that are available on the 150 acre grounds.While primarily a hunter jumper teaching facility, you will find dressage, eventers, trail and endurance riders, and western.There are many horses on the property that are stabled in two separate barns as well as pasture boarding. There are two indoor riding arenas, one dressage arena, two large sand arenas in addition to large grassy areas and miles of trails. Children can begin lessons at the age of 8 and there are a few riders in their 80's. There are about 200 lessons given on the farm every week with numerous trainers.With that in mind, the Maguires mentioned "arrogance which affects ring use". With 200 students in one week, group lessons will have priority over ring space. One rider, on his own, cannot expect to have a ring to himself. There are many places to ride.The stalls are thoroughly cleaned each and every day as well as the water buckets. If an owner comes hours after the stall has been cleaned, there will be manure and urine there. If not, something is wrong. It the water buckets were just cleaned and an owner comes to the stall , there will be a slight delay as the buckets will be filled one at a time. There will be a short window of time with an empty bucket. This is normal.The Maguires mentioned a bacterial infection with their horse. The horse had a bone fracture and had to have a surgical procedure at the vet school. Any time there is a surgical procedure, there is a chance of infection. This is true with human or horse.Roundup is used, only by the owner, in areas that need weed control. Its use is strictly administered, as directed, for farm use with horses and cattle.As far as the comments from the Maguires about "cliquey, uppity, arrogance, superiority" - I must say that children, friends, family, complete strangers, and many others continue to come to MacNair's in order to participate in the whole horse learning experience that I have come to love over these 25 years.These people have become life long friends and mentors to me.To finalize, let me tell you about our school horses. Some are now in their 30's and continue to thrive under the care of the fine staff at MacNairs. They are healthy and sound. They are well taken care of. They love the job of teaching young and old the special bond between human and horse.And to you, the Maguires, may God richly bless you and keep you as you continue your search for perfection in your next horse adventure. Amen!

Yelena Veliko: I really enjoy spending time at Macnair's. The facility is nice and the horses were really happy and healthy! They have beautiful pastures to roam and everyone I meet there is really friendly. Definitely recommend!

Carol Maguire: Our experience with boarding our horse at MacNair’s was TERRIBLE! The following are facts which support our negative review:1. The quality of the horses’ drinking water at MacNair’s is bad. Some of the horse owners chose to install water filters for the horses’ drinking water as MacNair’s refused to do anything about it.2. MacNair’s sprays Roundup, a known carcinogen, on grassy areas where horses could feed. Given the amount of Roundup that is used, we are sure it is going into the ground water as well.3. Our horse contracted a bacterial infection at MacNair’s. Four types of bacteria were involved in this infection, with two of the four being nonresponsive to antibiotics.4. Several people that have left MacNair’s and now board at other facilities have told us that their horses are healthier and they are receiving much better training at their new stable.5. Numerous people have left MacNair’s because they were not happy with the training they were receiving. You are not allowed to bring trainers into MacNair’s; you must use their trainers.6. Be prepared to check on the conditions of your horse’s stall. Many times our horse would have been lying in his own urine and feces if we didn’t clean the stall ourselves. Also, at times, our horse had no drinking water available in his stall.Other Google reviews mentioned that the people at MacNair’s are “cliquey” and “uppity” and we definitely experienced this during our time at MacNair’s. There is definitely an arrogance and superiority which affects using the rings as well as being included in any trail riding.Also, please note that a recent 5-star Google review posted about a month ago was made by the Barn Manager at MacNair’s, who is also living with the owner of MacNair’s so take that into consideration when reading that review.MacNair’s Country Acres is ALL about their profit and NOT about the horses and the horse owners. The price to board at this stable is quite expensive and definitely not worth the monthly fee. So if you’re looking for a stable, we would not recommend MacNair’s!

Tiffany Kiernan: I have been boarding and taking lessons here since 2012 and love absolutely everything about it, the horses, the people, the facility, and the location! They take excellent care of both the schooling horses in their lesson program and the boarding horses along with the grounds.

Julie Jensen: I wanted to write a review because after moving my daughter’s pony to MacNairs, I really feel like some of the reviews being left here are unfair and unfounded.Before we bought our pony, my daughter had been taking lessons at MacNairs, beginning with the "Earn Your Stirrups" program. I'd been impressed with the level of professionalism in general, but, having taught many beginner lessons myself in the past, I particularly appreciated the emphasis on learning on the ground before ever getting on a horse or pony. Some other reviewers seemed to view this as a negative because your kid only gets 20 - 30 minutes of riding time. Sorry folks - but that's a positive. Your child needs to know how to be safe, how to lead, how to groom, and how to tack up before they learn to ride and if your kid isn't willing to be patient and accept that, they shouldn't get the privilege of riding a horse.Another reviewer posted that her horse was overused and underfed. When I read her review and then saw the photos, I was admittedly pretty taken aback. But I knew the horses and ponies I'd seen looked fat and happy so we moved there anyway.I've walked up and down the aisles and seen all the horses turned out, and not a single one looks at all underweight. Our pony was a tad underweight when we brought him and yesterday I had to put his girth on the last hole to get it on.The stalls are well-kept and his two water buckets have been full and fresh every time I've been there. I've never been in his stall once when he didn't have hay. All the horses in the smaller paddocks with less grass seem to have plenty of hay as well. I'm not at all trying to discredit this person’s story or experience, but just want to say that, from my perspective, they've either significantly tightened up their barn management OR hers may have been a very isolated and unfortunate incident. I'm not sure how many stalls they have between the upper and lower barns, but it's a LOT. Equine management can be very difficult - especially if a horse has an underlying health condition or is just a hard keeper.I read some negative things about it being cliquey and snobby. I haven't felt that way at all, but then again, I'm an adult and just want to come be with my daughter and her pony. I could care less for barn politics or drama. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming - even the owner - who has been out there on the property every day I've been out there.The Barn Manager, in particular, was delightful - very professional and accommodating in getting Fisher moved in and set up.To the comment that they "discriminate" against overweight people, I need to point out that, while painful, this is also actually a credit to their integrity as equine professionals. A horse or pony should never be asked to carry more than 20% of their body weight. If you weigh more than 20% of their body weight and you're asking the animal you're sitting on to walk, trot, canter and carry you around over a course of 8 fences, you're inviting injury to both the horse and the rider. Being someone who is trying very hard to not exceed that weight limit myself, I know that's painful to accept - but these are real animals, guys. Thank you MacNairs for looking out for the horses and those that ride them by setting safe weight limits.People have said it's overpriced - to this I say, have you done the research to figure up how much it costs to care for a horse lately? Feed is expensive. Hay is expensive, and LAND to graze them WITHIN CITY LIMITS is VERY expensive. Fairly paid, qualified staff to properly care for horses is expensive. If the owner was "in it for the money," MacNairs would have become a multi-million-dollar gated community years ago. You don't go into the horse business to make money; you do it for love of it. And my gut feeling is that these folks do.

Elizabeth Hatch: On Sunday, October 6, 2019 I picked my horse Tuscany up from McNairs Country Acres. He was loaned to their schooling program while I am living in Charlotte to keep him in shape and off our rich grass for the summer. We had a wonderful experience in 2013 with McNairs and thought nothing of it when we decided to allow McNairs to use him again. Unfortunelty, Tuscanys time at McNairs was completely different than his last and the condition of which he is in and the events of this past weekend have led me to write this review.Before handing Tuscany over to McNairs they were told he would have a weight restriction for the people riding him, we did not want anyone over 150 lbs. riding him and he was only to be used as a schooling horse for their riders. Throughout his time at McNairs (5 months) we were told that he was being ridden lightly and settling in nicely as a school horse, it wasn’t until finding an Instagram video of a man well over 150 lbs. jumping Tuscany that I knew our wishes were not being followed.I arrived at McNairs on Saturday, October 6, 2019 to check on him and make sure I told them again in person the stipulations of keeping him in their schooling program. I walked right past his stall when I was looking for him as I did not recognize the skinny and sad looking horse as my own. His body condition was so dire that I could see every one of his ribs, his hip bones back and tail bone. He looked like a horse that one would pick up in a feed lot. I was devastated that someone would do this to my horse, any horse for that matter. I immediately called the barn manager and received her voicemail, I have yet to here from her. Next I called the trainer who used him in lessons. She answered and immediately defended the way my horse looked and even went on to say that he had put on muscle while in her program. She also stated that she was not aware that the riders riding Tuscany had a weight limit on them.Tuscany was being fed one scoop a day, 1/2 scoop in the morning and 1/2 scoop at night, in addition to hay. I was told they had been giving him more but those were not the instructions on his stall door. After looking around the barn I came upon a schedule that had Tuscanys name in it and it was a schedule for the IHSA team, he was being ridden by the IHSA riders in the condition you see in the photos. On several occasions throughout the week it was two times a day and that is not including the private lessons that he was also being ridden in. They never had permission to use Tuscany for their IHSA program.My horse was extremely overworked and extremely underfed, something both the trainer and barn manager are responsible for. The owner of the barn did tell us, after denying everything at first and standing by the way Tuscany looked, that the trainer and barn manager were being reprimanded for allowing Tuscany to get in such shape. However, it is a little too late for empty apologies at this point in time. This never should have happened to being with, no horse should be worked to the point of starvation. I am writing this in hopes that no other horse experiences what Tuscany has had to endure. I hope the trainer and barn manager further their education when it comes to horses and what a healthy body condition is. If this is beyond their intellectual capacity they need to resign from their jobs as they should not have horses in their care. Posted are photos of Tuscany from last winter and early this spring, in addition to the photos of picking him up from McNairs after being in their care for five months.

Martin Hutchison: They discriminate against + size riders. 2 years of being a loyal customer and lessons are not available anymore because of a new weight policy.

VP HR: I absolutely love MacNair’s! I’ve been riding at MCA for almost 15 years now, and couldn’t be happier. I grew up in the wonderful 4H program, and now ride on NC State’s IHSA team that practices at MCA. The horses are well taken care of, staff are awesome, and it’s a 2nd home for me. Highly recommend!

Nathan Moore: This stable is outrageously expensive, and the instructors have an uppity attitude. There are more friendly places to spend your time and money.

Hazal Yigit: I’ve been riding here for 9 years and MacNair’s has been like a second home to me, the people and staff are exceptional and always welcoming. The horses are well kept and taken care of, and the facility is always kept clean. This is a great place to ride and would highly recommend you to!

Lisa R: Very pleased with camp. The counselors are teen girls and friendly but in charge. The kids spent time learning about horses and care, learned to saddle and bridle, learned riding positions, and even bareback riding. The location is ready to get to, the grounds are well organized and clean. Excellent place for kids horse camp.

Lauren Hedley: Over priced. Horses teach 2-3 lessons a day. Horses aren’t fed meals on certain days as a way to “save money.” The girls are stuck up and “clicky.” Trainers have little experience and tack is cheap. It’s more of a “get-em-in get-em-out” situation in order to make the most money. I highly recommend looking elsewhere!

Sarah Mangum: I’ve been riding at MacNair’s since I was 8 and throughout the years I’ve been provided with so many great opportunities that I would not have at any other barn in the Triangle. MacNair’s has an amazing atmosphere and I’m incredibly grateful for the trainers and other riders here.

Bilbo Baggins: Love the staff; really awesome experience

Lindsay Wagner: I decided to surprise my husband with a random date night and knew that a little time with some sweet horses would lift our spirits so much!! Ms. Heather was a delight to work with, made scheduling very easy, and was so fun to chat with and learn from during our one hour trail ride. The only downside is that I now want to go every other day, which I probably can’t swing, lol. Seriously if you would like to kick off a date night with a relaxing one hour trail ride before heading off to an amazing dinner in Durham or Raleigh, look no further 🐴

Libby Perry: Update 3/11/23: we've done several trail rides here now and have always had wonderful experiences. The horses are great and the trails are so fun. We've never done the same path twice and it's always a good time with just the right amount of challenge. Very different than other trail rides I've done in the area that are a little less exciting.Original review: We went for a trail ride yesterday here and had the best time. We had 4 kids (ages 9 to 14) and 2 adults plus 2 employees on horses that came with us. The trail through the woods was beautiful, fun, and mostly shaded! We will definitely be back!

Fabian Heitsch: Great location, great trails, and excellent team! My daughter and I have been riding at Brightleaf Stables for over a year now, and it's been wonderful. Heather and her team pick the right horses and make sure that learning riders feel safe but also challenged (thus keeping them growing in confidence). They also make sure that riders learn about horse care, which in my mind is an essential part of the experience. Over Thanksgiving, family from out of town visited and Heather organized a trail ride. The youngest family member was clearly apprehensive getting on a horse, but Heather did such a wonderful job making my niece feel safe and enjoy the ride that she didn't want to get off at the end. Thank you!!

Scalp Micro Durham: Amazing time at Brightleaf Stables.. Heather we really appreciate you sacrificing your time to acommondate our family for Christmas Portraits. Hats off to a beautiful staple and even more an amazing family!Best,DeMario

Danielle Holm: This place is probably great for kid lessons and an occasional walking trail ride, but it’s clearly not designed for adult experienced riders. Literally, a preteen introduced herself to me as one of the instructors. Yeah, no. And while I absolutely understand that grooming the horses is important, to me that’s the job of the stable staff so that the horse is ready and waiting for you to jump on when you get there. I was paying for a one-hour riding lesson, not to spend 20 mins brushing your horse, cleaning its hooves, and tacking it up. On top of that, the entire time I was trying to groom the horse, she kept trying to bite me. The instructor watching me clean her hooves (because that doesn’t seem weird to have the paying customer clean horse hooves while the staff stands there watching) had to keep warning me to watch out because the horse kept trying to bite me as I was bent over holding its feet. At no time did she bother to step in though until I finally stopped and asked her to finish. I commented even then that she didn’t seem in the mood to be ridden, but was ignored. I went up on the horse, tried to do a couple exercises, but the horse was not having it. She kept kicking out her back legs, putting her ears back which I know all too well to mean that she wanted to get me off of her, and even tried to reach back and bite my leg. The instructor offered to just do a walking trail ride instead, but that wasn’t what I had come here for. I came for a lesson, which clearly was not going to happen. Now it’s a half hour into my hour and she asks if I want to switch horses. And have to spend another 15 mins grooming and tacking it? By the time we’d get back to out to the field, we’d have had to turn right back around. I didn’t bother and just ended it there. Very disappointed and will look elsewhere for real adult lessons.

susan currin: A wonderful writing experience.

Mary Pait: My boyfriend and i recently went to Brightleaf Stables for a trail ride for my birthday. Heather was very friendly and knowledgeable in answering any questions that we had. I enjoyed the ride and so did my boyfriend up until the end when no breakfast caught up to him. Heather was great stepping up and provided some snacks and drink that he needed. The next day he received an email checking on him and how he was doing. Thanks for going above and beyond and we will be back. Mary and Steve

Richard Thompson: Great place to get experience with horses. Not just riding, but what it takes to care for them.

Glenda Noel: I rode there 2 times a week and it is a great invierment

Stan BEEKS: Brightleaf provided my grandson, Chase, with a wonderful experience that will last a lifetime. Many thanks to his instructor, Heather. 🐴

Heather Hunt: A great place to bring young children for riding lessons or a birthday party. The instructors are patient, kind, and friendly. They worked with the kids to get them comfortable with the horses, telling them about the food they ate and how they liked to be brushed. They picked horses that were appropriate for each child and paid careful attention through the lesson. The horses were friendly and docile. An excellent experience!

Nathan Church: Today was the first time my daughter has really even seen a horse up close much less ridden. Her instructor (Bailey) was extremely patient and although my daughter was nervous at first by the time we finished the lesson all she could talk about is how she wants to come back. Easily recommended and we will be back!

Ashley M: Heather and her crew are the BEST! So patient with beginner riders. This was second time at Brightleaf for trail ride will always go back! Thanks Heather

Global ART Network: The experience from start to finish was great. The staff was customer friendly, task oriented and thorough. It was a pleasure being around the horses 🐎.

Amanda Bost: Had a great time with my 3 year old on his birthday meeting all the horses. Highly recommend, we had a really lovely time. The owner was kind and knowledgeable and answered all our "horsie" questions. We will definitely be back!

Clare Callahan: My 9-year old nephew and I had a wonderful experience at Brightleaf. I took him for his first riding lesson and our instructor was very good with him. She had him help groom and tack the horse and clearly had a lot of experiencing working with kids in the ring. The ring itself was huge and the mare my nephew rode was very gentle. Plus, there are two very sweet boxers and a cat on the premises that love making friends!

Devan Groulx: Lots of fun, excellent staff, everyone is friendly. The horses are well looked after and behaved. We were trained out on our first date, but it was easy to reschedule for the next day. Highly recommend.

takiara cadlett: I took my daughter to brightleaf stables for a beginner horse back riding lesson for her 9th birthday. Everyone was very friendly and the owner was beyond patient with my daughter. The owner worked very hard to accommodate a day and time to assure my daughter birthday surprise could come true. Please do not hesitate when booking. Adults or children it is beyond worth the experience. My daughter will be back for more lesson. Thank you again for a wonderful experience. ❤

Kebreeya Lewis: It was a beautiful day! We enjoyed the private ride! The hosts were so friendly and helpful! I definitely recommend and will be coming back! Thank you! 🙂

Eloise Rose: Laura is the best trainer I’ve ever had!

Cindy Cotton: My daughter has been training with Laura for 4 years now and we couldn’t be happier. We love this barn community. Laura Heymann is a very knowledgeable trainer and takes time explaining all aspects of horses in general to the girls and parents. The horses are taken care very well and are happy and healthy!

Lynn Wilhelm: Laura is great!

Mark Ellingwood: I went here to get natural fertilizer for my wife's flower garden and was impressed by the horses that I saw. They looked beautiful.

Tristin Equestrian: I absolutely love this barn, Laura is amazing a so kind. All the horses are so sweet and good rides.

Ralph Barrera: Excellent Stables good horses very knowledgeable employees very caring to their customers

Lori J: Owner Donnie is kinda creepy when it comes to women. Theres only one field that had grass in it and all the others are muddy, hard, and almost like hard clay. Boarded my horse here for less than a month due to fencing conditions. DO NOT BOARD HERE

Lisa Nickels: I love taking lessons at Saddletree Stables with Sara Parker! I started completely from scratch as an adult and have made so much progress in both my riding skills and my equestrian knowledge. Sara is patient when I am stuck on something and will explain things in different ways until we find the explanation that makes sense to me. She is dedicated to her students and the horses, always going above and beyond to make sure everyone is happy and safe. Sara has made Saddletree Stables my favorite place to be!

Geoffrey Burnette: Our kids love it here and have learned a lot from their instructor

Donna Hines: Very pleased with the instructors friendliness and knowledge.

Stacy McCurdy: Positive:Communication,Professionalism,Quality,ValueLove Saddletree Stables. I started riding again after a 30 year hiatus and my instructor Tricia has been awesome! Very patient and full of knowledge. I would recommend her and the stables for beginners and anyone wanting to get back in the saddle again like myself.

Ellen Smith: My daughter has been riding here for almost a year now. Tricia O'Hara is so patient. She really cares about the horses and the experience for the rider. I'm very happy to see how much more confident my daughter is since beginning with Tricia. There are also lots of horses to find out which one fits best. I love that there is a covered arena. And I swear every time we are there Donnie has built something else. :) We love it there.

Tallie Griffith: When my daughter asked for lessons, I messaged many sables for availability. Let’s just communication was awful. Then someone asked did I try Saddletree Stables. I had not and quickly outreached. They replied back very timely and we met Tricia. So glad we did! My daughter can’t wait to get to her weekly lesson. Tricia is extremely patient and helps my daughter be confident as she learns!

Damian Vizcarrondo: Positive:Communication,ProfessionalismWe have been at saddle tree for several weeks now and my little one loves it. Tricia is super attentive and has been very flexible with the scheduling. We found other stables in the area but Saddle tree and their staff are by far superior in every way.

kelly bedford: My daughter has been at Saddletree for about 2 months. We LOVE Tricia! She is so incredibly patient and encourages my daughter to push herself, gain confidence, and grow!

Elizabeth Edwards: We have been a part of the Saddletree Stables family for six months and it has been such a fantastic experience! Our daughter absolutely loves her instructor, Tricia O’Hara, and looks forward to her lesson day each week. I am so glad that when our daughter showed interest in riding that I reached out to Saddletree. Tricia has taught her so much and we are incredibly grateful that Saddletree provides such a great environment and an incredible instructor like Tricia.

Sarah Parsons: i have been riding at saddletree for almost 4 years and it's an amazing barn to ride at!! great for all age levels and riding levels! they have several lesson horses all from beginner horses to advanced horses! saddle tree hosts their own shows once a month which are an amazing way to start off showing! they offer trail rides, lessons, leasing, and boarding! i would highly recommend you go ride at saddletree stables!

Julie Ibikunle: My daughter loved her first lesson here. We will be back. Scout was the sweetest horse and Taylor was amazing. Wonderful experience

Michelle Nagy: Getting back to riding has changed my life and Hailey has been a great instructor. She is patient and professional. I look forward to going every week.

KillaWatt96 World: Absolutely fantastic, and the owner has is one of the best people I've had the honor of meeting..... Top flite place indeed.

Richard Hall: Did not go there. Rating is meaningless.

Belinda Thompson: Awesome first visit with my grandkids( 9 and 5)

samantha mccloud: Positive:Professionalism

Sabri Alquza: Critical:ValueMy cousin and I came here and it was honestly overpriced but money isn’t an issue for us. The horses seemed really tired and it looked like they’ve been ridden all day. I’m probably not gonna be back here

Omar Shehadeh: Me and my cousin came and this wasn’t my first time riding and the horse I rode seemed exhausted and wasn’t listening to anything I was doing and I specifically asked for a horse that can trot well and Donny said that the horse was good for trotting when I was choosing the horse. Sarah was good with the horse but the horse wouldn’t leave her side and when I asked why he wasn’t listening to anything, she simply said that he was lazy. I’m probably not gonna be back here any time soon.