Morris’s Shadow Mountain Stables

***I have not been here, nor heard of them before now. This is simply a plea.***
If what the negative reviewers are indicating is true, then this is very unfortunate for the animals in her care. It’s one thing to be a human and experience scheduling frustration, poor customer service, and cancellation of refunded money, etc… it’s quite another to be an animal who’s stuck there under over-​crowded, unkempt, and what sounds like neglectful circumstances.
Again, I’ve never been there. I just read through these and worry about animals who can’t care for themselves.
Also, grave injuries sustained by children? Beyond unsettling and I would hope reason for formal safety review by an outside agency.

I have never had such an unpleasant booking experience with a company as I have Morris Shadow.
This was a huge waste of time and energy.
In sum: unprofessional, nickel-​and-​diming/​misleading, anger-​issues.
They don’t answer their phone.
Their website it fussy, and you have to use a shitty third-​party source to access the calendar.
I can go back to the 90s, though… so:
I create a Meet-​Up Group account;
fuss around with that; think I’ve signed-​up for my class;
can’t find confirmation; send email; wait;
receive email saying: you didn’t pay the **ADDITIONAL HIDDEN FEES**
I email Bonnie:
I’ve worked with groupon for nearly 5 years now, I’m very familiar with nickel and diming when I see it. If you can’t put the additional service fee it in your basic instructions, but have to mar in it «fine print,» you’re intentionally misleading your customer.
The only the only detail withheld in the main-​print is the registration fee, everything else is painstakingly stated. The words «follow instructions» are a convenient placeholder — so as to avoid explicitly stating that are additional charges. **If your intention is not to nickel and dime your customer, then just tell us explicitly there is an additional service/​registration fee in the main-​print.** The money is of little consequence to me, it just seems like intentional price gouging. It’s suspicious and off-​putting.
She responds:
«I choose not to do business with you, contact Groupon and get a re-​fund, I will also refund your booking fee and take you off the schedule. If you are going to treat me this bad before you even get here I do not want to work with you.»
So:
Perhaps Bonnie is not trying to manipulate her customer, perhaps she’s just dumb. I’m sure she meant: «treat me this poorly,» not «treat me this bad» because those sentences mean very different things. Who knows what a re-​fund is.
All I know is: it’s not mean to tell someone you feel manipulated by their hidden costs. It’s called being straightforward and reasonable.

Ladies and gents please take a look at all the reviews and make a decision based on that! I’m SO disappointed with the owner Bonnie! I purchased a groupon and schedule my ride but was a bit confused so I called about a week prior for clarification. No answer. Called again the day before… Again no answer. The morning of my ride I got at call at 8:45 am from Bonnie to say i indeed selected the wrong lesson but she would refund the booking fee for myself the the two people I purchased the ride for. She seemed so rushed the entire time that I made a quick decision to continue on with my appointment without talking to the others but her terseness ultimately made me decide to get a refund like she had mentioned. She emailed me later this evening, rudeness in tact, to say she wouldn’t honor the refund because I didn’t give her 24 hours notice!!! She only called me 7 hours before my ride to say that I could… Excuse me but I’ve had enough and I haven’t made it to the stables. Please read this and decide to go elsewhere with your money !

I’ve been meaning to write this review for awhile now. One of my girlfriends who is a novice rider wanted to go riding so we bought a groupon. I grew up riding and showing quarter horses and since it’s no longer accessible living in the city I was happy to go! I went in with the expectation
that this would be a beginner level ride.
Here are my overall feelings about the place:
* the place was dirty and run down. I read reviews that they have summer camps here– I would never ever leave a child at this place. (If I had a kid)
*the horses enclosures were not appropriate– 3 horses to a small stall in some cases.
* The instructor was extremely rude and degrading to her staff. She was very condescending to her help, and it made it very uncomfortable to the point it’s hard not to say something in order to stand up for them.
*The ride itself was very short and two of the staff members walked on foot with us the entire time since there was not enough horses equipped for them to ride. I felt this was very strange.
* I think I expected the ride itself to be pretty? Scenic maybe? Not at all. The best I can describe it is probably about 2 miles maybe in and around run down property. A couple areas where pretty which is where they take pictures.
*there is no scaling for experienced riders. You have get on a box to mount, and are expected to
Dismount assisted onto a box. When we arrived back at the arena I prematurely dismounted and about got my head snapped off by the instructor.
* I felt several horses were in poor condition. One had a gash above his eye– another was an old horse which was extremely skinny.
*upon leaving I felt frustrated and sorry for the horses who live here.
I will not be returning to this place, nor recommending it to anyone, including novice riders. Very disappointing, very unprofessional establishment. Stay away.

Disappointed. Purchased a groupon… impossible to reach anyone via phone for any questions regarding groupon, or booking trail ride. Once booked, through
, an additional fee per person was required to book. Before beginning trail ride the owner insulted me for asking her to review basic commands for the horses, making it clear, that I should purchase a «riding lesson» from groupon in the future. Before leaving on our trail ride, she belittled her young teenage employee in front of all of the other riders, telling her that she thought she was a better rider than that (very uncalled for, immature, and unprofessional) …Made several rude comments about the other riders during the entire trail ride. I will not be giving this company my business in the future, nor will I recommend it to anyone. I would recommend a few lessons on customer service, employee relations, and social etiquette for the owner.

I haven’t been horseback riding in years, but was really looking forward to a mountain ride with beautiful views. Unfortunately this experience was anything but what I imagined. We got a Groupon and scheduling was a nightmare. Could never get anyone on the phone or a call back or this website to work. Finally after many calls we got scheduled for two months out. This place is in the middle of a neighborhood, no views other than housing and power lines. The place itself is confusing as there’s no clear signs as to where to go, and you pull into someone’s personal driveway. Very unkempt place and the owner Bonnie, was extremely rude. She embarrassed the poor girl helping in front of everyone and was condescending to all of the customers. There was no direction (i.e. It has been a while, and although I don’t need classes a quick tutorial would have been helpful for everyone). It was a super slow ride with no views, she criticised multiple people there while we rode. Wasn’t a full 90 minutes, and mostly just backtracking on the same trail behind houses. We live in a beautiful area and was extremely disappointed I saw none of it. I was mortified by the treatment of this poor girl and paying customers. I wouldn’t spend the time or money, check out some other places.

I gave three stars as this outfit is A-​OK. The booking procedure is a bit cumbersome. You have to join meet up in order to do it then there is another booking fee on top of that. It does fill up fast so sometimes it is hard to get scheduled for a ride.
I would not suggest the ride for experienced riders unless you have the cash to blow. Its always fun to be on a horse but this is just a walking ride and maybe only an hour long. They do have staff walk along with riders who have no/​little experience. All her horses were great. Safe. They even did girth checks during the ride. If you are a beginner rider this is a safe great way to get on the trail. They even take a photo for you in the woods on your horse :)
I was nervous from all the reviews going into this but… I knew they must have been exaggerated. Riders were matched with horses. She gave quick instruction. None of the horses acted out. The one in front of me kicked back at my horse but that was because I got to close, they are just communicating with each other nothing to be alarmed at. There are a few little hills on the trail too and horses naturally like to trot or canter up them, its easier for them. The grounds were not disgusting or covered in poop as described. There was some horse poops in yard but this is a working farm so there are animals, duh! If you are worried about poop or dirt or hair getting on you from the horse you should probably not be going on a horseback ride in the first place. Some of the pictures people have posted of ‘muddy paddocks’ are not even muddy at all. Its the PNW its entirely impossible to not have a muddy paddocks. Also you don’t ride through paved neighborhoods as one person mentioned. The trail does go close to a main road that you can see through the trees but that is it. You ride once on a gravel road by a few houses then you are back in the woods.
I would recommend this trail ride. :)

I’d be a little wary about purchasing a Groupon from them. It’s been extremely difficult to book a trail ride and when I’ve called, no one ever calls me back. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but it’s a little disappointing that it’s so difficult to actually book a ride (they have very limited dates and times). If I ever end up getting to go on a ride, I’ll re-​review and let you know how it goes! Cross your fingers!

Husband and I purchased a groupon for a trail ride here. Once we found the place that was unclearly marked and looked abondend we found our way through the untidiness of their property. The people we’re not helpful or friendly, making it an already uncomfortable experience for my husband who has never ridden. I have ridden since I was 10 and while I am no expert but I know the do’s and dont’s to working around horses.
First, it was pretty gross with chicken poop all over the table and seating area.
Horses were tied up and saddled, however when I went over to say hi to one it completely ignored me and put ears back. Making me wonder why this horse was so unfriendly.
Second, one horse got spooked while tied to the fence and actually broke her halter, then did not want to come to the hand trying to catch the horse. I know this is an average behavior but I was not comfortable with it in a professional setting.
Third and worst, when they were «fitting» us for helmets, most of them were cracked and broken. Anyone knows that a broken helmet should be wasted as it no longer protects in a fall.
At this point my husband and I walked out. It may have turned out fine, but there were too many signs that made us feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe

It was a nice ride as for a first-​timer. Just listen to Bonnie’s instructions, and you’ll be ok. She’s quite clear with her guidnances and willing to answer all of your questions. Of course, if you can’t find the difference between left and right or up and down, this place may be a challenge for you.

OK so I bought a Groupon several months ago and still haven’t gone on the ride as it is coming up soon but I’m tempted to not even show up due to the headache I have over trying to schedule and contact «Bonnie».
First of all don’t bother wasting your time calling because no one EVER answers. Second of all don’t bother leaving a voice mail because they will NEVER call you back even if you leave 5 messages and specifically request that they call back.
I hate that I had to sign up to «Meetup» in order to schedule. I will never use this website and I thought it was a terrible way to schedule rides. I had several problems trying to schedule and Bonnie was not much help nor did she return my phone calls that I requested via email (this is separate from the voicemails where I requested calls back) Bonnie either responded to my emails right away or else it was several days later. Now mind you I had asked for a call back but ever got one so this was even more frustrating because I was trying to schedule a ride.
Needless to say by the time Bonnie got to back via email the date I wanted would fill up and so here I am trying to find another date. I finally get a date and I have to reschedule due to an emergency. I canceled my ride in advance and tried to reschedule another date. Website wanted me to pay another $ 10 tackle fee so I couldn’t schedule the ride. Tried the usual phone calls and email. No calls but she did finally respond via email. She refunded my money so I could go through the process AGAIN! Are you kidding me? I requested that she just book me for the date I wanted but by the time she got back to me the date was full and she told me I had to go through the website. Ok so whatever, I went ahead and tried doing that again and they website for payment wasn’t working. I finally get the date booked again and after all this I don’t feel like this company focuses on customers nor do they try to help out the customers. Yes, at least she refunded my money but the amount of calls, emails and unnecessary stress it has taken to get to this point is uncalled for and is a very poor way to run a business.
I know this for sure. I will NEVER use this company again based on my experience so far. If I do go on the trail ride I will write a review of the ride. Some times losing a few bucks is worth keeping your sanity.
If I could I would give them a half a star because they refunded my money. Other than that I would have given them zero stars if I could.

We bought a groupon and my daughter and I rhode the horses. It was a lot of fun however, we won’t be back. There was dog poop EVERYWHERE… there is a big dog that runs around and literally poos where people are walking around! The farm was filthy with poop, poop and more poop and not maintained. On the flip side, the staff was nice surprisingly after reading the previous reviews. The animals looked sad and not well maintained. They don’t keep their pens cleaned, overgrown grass. It looks like a dump and if it wasn’t for the sign we wouldn’t have known it was a farm. The animals need to be taken away and put into a better home. We won’t be back!

I work at a barn on the weekends but they don’t do trail rides so I find ones to go on around the state and when I go on vacation. I have been on at least 40 + trail rides.
I was very displeased with the scheduling procedure. I had to join
. It was difficult to find a spot for 5 people. I had emailed Bonnie, in hopes that she could help with scheduling, but she said I had to wait for a spot to pop up on the meet up group. Once you found an open spot, you have to pay a $ 5 booking fee per rider. It does not cost money to book the ride so the $ 5 fee seems arbitrary to me.
While the people there seemed nice enough, I noticed several issues. Upon arriving, there is a muddy pen loaded with animals, it didn’t seem like enough room to house all the goats, emu, chicken, mini horse etc.
The horses were ready when we got there are they matched us up based on our riding experience. The majority of people on my ride were riding for the first or second time, besides myself. I have been riding for 20 years. We mounted in the arena and those that were mounted first were given very little instruction. Some of those horses would wander and they didn’t know how to stop it.
When it was time to go, we got lined up and rode through the stables to get to the trail. Any professional rider knows it’s so unsafe to ride through the barn aisle. If your horse spooked there is no where to move and it’s tight quarters. At every barn that I have ridden, that is one of the important safety rules. Not only did we ride through the stables, there was hay along one side of the stall doors on the ground. Most of the horses took a bite of hay. I am concerned that the hay lays on the floor. Hay that lays on concrete, such as this, ruins quickly due to the moisture which can cause the hay to ferment or mold. Not to mention that hay laying on the ground is very inviting to rodents which can contaminate the hay.
As we headed to the trail, the horse I was lined up behind tried to kick my horse. That can be a normal queue that the horse needs more space but once we moved to the trail, a person stepped in front of my horse and told me that the horse in front of me kicks. This would have been helpful information before we got lined up.
Oddly, three people walked with us the whole way. They wanted me to stay a good distance from the kicking horse, which I did. When I would start to get too close, I would halt my horse but one of the people would tell the horse to get moving. This was frustrating since the poor horse was listening quite well to my direction but getting conflicting messages from the «walkers.»
Typical for a trail ride, ALL the horses fought to get bites of grass. It was pretty constant and frustrating for my friends who were beginning riders.
The trail was through a neighborhood of sorts, there were some wooded areas but you were aware that you were still amongst the houses.
Upon return, and riding back through the stables I was able to observe more. The paddocks were incredibly muddy. For those that don’t know, the horses hooves can get thrush from standing in mud or manure for prolonged periods of time. Thrush can lead to permanent damage to the hoof.
Each stall we passed was filthy. The stalls did not have any shavings, filled with manure and fluid (either rain or urine) and the attached paddocks were completely muddy. You can see some of this in the pictures posted by others on Unilocal.The conditions of the stalls made me very concerned and sad for these horses.
I assume that these animals are loved but I don’t know if this company has the means to care for these horses properly.

Shadow Mountain is a fine place to take lessons. Bonnie cares about horses and encouraging the next generation of horse lovers. The kids love her.
She keeps studying and learning as any good trainer and instructor should. I’ve seen her show infinite patience with horses and riders. She has rescued more than one horse from slaughter. The stalls do get cleaned daily.
If there is a farm out there with no visible manure, be assured you can’t afford to take lessons or board there. Horses prefer to be outside and socializing with their herd and rolling– even in the mud. Mud and shedding coats– very messy in spring.
I had to laugh at the bad reviews– people thinking they are experienced because they rode old tired drone trail horses once or twice a year, frightened when a horse goes into a field, no idea of what to do with reins, thinking a slow canter is an out-​of-​control gallop. Every rider knows that horses will want to speed up when they head in the direction of the barn, that they will test your control by sneaking bites of food. A rider is active and observant, not passive. And that one girl couldn’t manage to control a horse even from the ground with the reins in her hands. The «buck» was probably barely a crow hop. I would not be surprised if these people had misrepresented their level of experience and their own fear caused the problems. As for «3 acres», it has to be more like 10.
«Dead hair» getting on her clothes? It was April– prime shedding season and that is why it’s good to groom the horse before riding. Grooming also establishes a relationship to the horse– a hundred little ways of letting the horse know the pecking order. The horse tests the boundaries and you correct him. It allows you to relax and slow down to animal time after driving in traffic and thinking about schedules. Calm rider, calm horse.
If you are not lucky enough to grow up with horses, the only way to learn is with lessons, effort and time. Or you can keep on with trial and error– leading to more error.
I think Bonnie does a fine job and she does care about safety.

I’ve been out to Morris’s Shadow stables twice now — both on Groupons. My boyfriend and I purchased these together and went on a trail ride in 2011, then purchased four lessons, the second of which is scheduled for tomorrow. It hadn’t occurred to me to look at Unilocal before going, but now that I’ve read the reviews I wanted to add my perspective.
Obviously I can’t speak to specific events that happened to others, but as far as the overall negative tone, that was not our experience. The first time I walked through the gate I loved it. I’m a huge animal lover and so being surrounded by so many animals that as far as I can tell look well fed, have plenty of space, and well kept quarters made me very happy. I’m also an animal advocate and so I do notice things like this. If the horses were skinny or ill kept (or any of the animals), I would have definitely noticed and reported it.
I don’t know Bonnie and I can’t say that we’ve been introduced, although she did instruct part of our last lesson, but the kids that work with her are great and were friendly and helpful. This is not a touchy feel-​y place — true, but if I was dealing with the general public interacting with my animals, I would lose my mind. I would think it takes A LOT of patience to be in this line of work. I much prefer the company of animals. I appreciate that Bonnie opens her farm to others and lets folks experience something that you never get in the city. I am a guest on her property and act accordingly.
I took English riding lessons when I was a kid and we ALWAYS brushed, saddled, fed and cleaned our horses, including picking out their hooves. When we had to brush and saddle our horses before our lesson at Morris, I was glad as it allowed me some time to bond with my horse (who also happened to be the same horse I had for the trail ride). The horses are not part of a carrousel and I fully expect to have interaction with them before starting a lesson.
I’m looking forward to the remaining 3 lessons that we have scheduled. I love the energy of the animals on this farm and value the time I get to spend with them, because ultimately, that’s why I go.

We signed our daughter up for the 1-​hour lesson last week at the stables.
Of course, we read many of the reviews here, so went in with some trepidation.
We all come in with experiences, but I guess if you are expecting Disneyland or one of the Big Farm experiences, you are likely to be disappointed. This is a working farm /​stables that offers rides and lessons. It was muddy because, well, farms are muddy (especially the day we went, yuck!).
Cars park in the front of the house. I guess I could have been uncertain about which way to go, but I figured the Big Red Door was pretty obvious enough for me. It had a sign about people entering the farm area. So, in we went.
Once in, my daughter and I were surprised by fun. There was a big Newfoundland dog hanging about, a couple peacocks and peahens roaming, as well as a pony and at least one rabbit. Oh yeah, and chickens just wandering about freely.
The lesson was straightforward: Preparing the horse to ride, mounting the horse, and some basic movement/​guidance instruction. Bonnie had enough helpers and was aware enough to keep everyone safe, and she made sure the horses were well spaced during the preparation time. I think people tend to get a bit put off by having to brush and saddle the horse, but that’s an important part of the deal: caring for the animal.
I can’t give this the «perfect experience» rating, because I think a little more effort could be spent in the customer experience. I don’t want a polished operation, but there was some confusion from the customers about whether they were getting a trail ride or a lesson. If they filled out the wrong info (or made the wrong conclusion) from the web site, then the web site is not clear enough. If Bonnie is trying to manage the farm and lessons and whatever else goes into running the operation, then I think she should either hire or seek out volunteer helpers that can connect with people a little more. That said, though, we had a good time.

I am sad to see the reviews on here. I bought a trail ride through groupon earlier in the year and finally decided to redeem it.
It was a great experience! The animals were great to interact with, they all got along well too, which was nice.
The trail ride, even though mostly on concrete, was enjoyable. What can you expect in Auburn? I felt like the horses were really great. The one I rode was very responsive and I felt comfortable with the fact that they are so used to the noise and bustle of the suburb. Our fearless leader was Sarah who was a very experienced rider and fun to chat with! I have been riding for years and this is the first trail ride I’ve taken where I felt like the horses had a bit more personality than just following the others and walking or trotting when they did!
I also really enjoyed the company of owner Bonnie. She is a sweet woman who really cares for her animals. She was very welcoming to me and my boyfriend.
I would recommend a trip to the petting zoo and a trail ride any time!

I’ve always wanted to ride a horse and at age 39, I finally got the chance when my sister-​in-​law bought me a Groupon for a 90-​minute trail ride at Morris’s Shadow Mountain Stables for my birthday.
I have to admit I was nervous. I mean, you are pretty far off the ground when you ride a horse. And the horse could buck you off. I’m a city girl. What do I know? All kinds of anxiety-​filled thoughts ran through my head.
When we got there, we were greeted by Emily, a friendly, spunky gal who helped fit me with a helmet. She looked about 10 – 12 years old. It put me at ease that she was so comfortable in her role. We met her mom who was also very friendly. Then we met Bonnie, the owner, who was friendly and nice. Her and Jules helped us get on our horses and gave me some pointers. I would have liked to have more time to practice riding my horse before we went on the trail, but off we went.
I have to say I was nervous for about the first 30 minutes. I’m just not used to telling a big animal where to go and what to do. But my horse RotoFleet (sp?) was a sweet horse. My sis-​in-​law was up ahead on a saucy mare named Rocket Girl. And Jules, one of the trainers, was right behind me. After a while, I finally got used to the swaying of the horse. I got used to pulling Roto back on course when he would stray off the trail to munch on something. And I got used to simply riding.
Thanks to my sis-​in-​law for making my horse-​riding dream come true and thanks to the Morris Shadow Mountain Stables for providing a great riding experience!

Terrible, terrible facility! I have been riding for twenty years and could tell off the bat that this place is not safe. Little did I know exactly how unsafe! Like the previous reviews, when you arrive, you don’t know where to go (house? fenced in yard?) because nothing about the place is inviting — including the staff.
Once we were all finally saddled (rest of my group included two adults and three kids, all beginners), we set off without any of the beginners given basic training or safety tips. The owner instead thought yelling at the kids to «stop your horse!» was an appropriate tip. Luckily I asked if any of the horses don’t get along and should not be near each other in the line, to which she responded «no» only to correct herself and say the mare should be at the end. Horses that are temperamental and don’t get along can be very dangerous to their riders. These are elements that are first and foremost safety rules and should not have to be called out by the client.
Thankfully we all had helmets because the «trail» turned into the streets of an undeveloped subdivision. Fun. At one point, the owner had to ask a pair of bike riders if they could slow down as to not spook the horses. If your horses are not street trained, then you have no business bringing us out here! Entirely too dangerous.
It was all downhill from there. My horse bucked at which point I decided to dismount because we were entering a field clearing and fields often lead to over-​excitement in horses. We ended up having to cross a stream to get back to the barn (many horses don’t like water) and two of the horsed flipped out, skidded through the water, saw the barn in the distance and bolted! One of the riders unfortunately fell off. I was still leading my horse, he then reared at the chaos, knocked me down, stepped on my ankle and took off! Everyone was terrified and two of the three kids were in tears.
No apologies from the staff. She ruined horses for several people that day. Very sad. Save your money and yourself from injury and skip this place.

I love coming here every week. Bonnie and her helper Alicia are good people. There are tons of really cool animals running about the place and they’re super friendly. It’s very easy to plop down next to a furry creature and scritch ears until your heart is content. Morris’ Shadow Mountain Stables is definitely a unique experience. I’m hoping to take some of my friends with minions to this place when the kids are old enough.
Also, not sure what Anna is on about the yard; it looked like a normal stable with animals to me. Nothing screamed unkempt. They’re building a petting zoo which explains the construction materials and freshly dug dirt. There’s also the occasional poop on the ground from the free roaming animals. Though, I’ve personally seen someone come through and clean up the grounds. Perhaps Anna expects the mules to use a litter box?
Either way, this place gets a big thumbs up from me. Can’t wait to see the finished petting zoo!