Rustic Rides Farms

I don’t know what to say. The owner appears to be a textbook paranoid schizophrenic. But still gets the horses saddled. It’s kind of a zero star or five star experience depending on your taste for a good story. I figure if he’s been running this for 30 years, he’s not dangerous, but I sure hope someone’s checking in on him. Would you like a side of crazy with your trail ride?

My friends and I recently did the 2 hour guided beach tour. The only way to describe it was the «Horse Ride From Hell!» The pouring rain had very little to do with it. For starters, we got picked up 30 minutes late by the owner, Tim in the grossest car I have ever seen. In the car ride, he was talking jiberish (we weren’t sure if he was tripping or had taken too many drugs at one point in life or was schizophrenic?). He was talking all sorts of crazy. We got paired up with 2 tour guides-​Mark and Kyle. Mark was a very nice guy and if he had taken us out alone, we might have actually had fun. The other guy, Kyle is a complete lunatic who should not be working with people. He was yelling at us at the get go when we were riding. Oh by the way, I mentioned to them that 2 out of the 6 of us were inexperienced riders. Nobody gave us any instruction on how to ride a hours and guide them. I had to learn from my friend as we were riding on the road. They wanted us to ride in single file on the road and the first 10 minutes Kyle was making us all incredibly uncomfortable (mind you we are a group of women in our late 30s who are responsible and huge animal lovers-​we wren’t horsing around.). We finally made it to the beach and we found it odd that Mark was holding on to one horse and Kyle was holding on to another. Why? Oh because those 2 horses have a tendency to roll around in sand. They still decided to use those horses and put our lives in jeopardy. My horse, Peaches, wouldn’t’ walk on the rocks with the rest of the horses. I just thought she was being a pest and I did my best to constantly get her to follow. The reason why? She didn’t have shoes on and her poor feet were killing her! 5 minutes in to the beach ride, we asked if we could turn around. Kyle was screaming at one of my friends for no reason because her horse decided to run around in circles and she couldn’t control him. Kyle refused to turn us around because it’s a 2 hour ride. We were miserable. Nobody was relaxed and now we are beyond freezing because it is down pouring. We finally put our foot down and demanded that we turn around. After 3 wet & stressful hours, we made it back.

Here’s my issue: (a portion of) the money from the rides is clearly the only money going toward the care of these horses. If I say, don’t give this place any business, what happens to the animals? Likely shipped off & sold to slaughter.
I am so ashamed to have participated in — & paid money for! — a beach ride here. I work with horses professionally; I should have put that time spent riding into an afternoon of horse care there.
We showed up; the yard is empty except for the listless herd of horses standing tied & saddled. Some stoned dude rolled out of employee housing (which, if you get a chance, you should look at because it’s disgusting in a I-can’t-not-look-at-this kind of way — it looks like a squatter’s/junky’s residence), couldn’t figure out how to help us, so someone else came out. The second guy was firing on maybe half of his cylinders, but was a friendly trail guide with a little horse sense.
The horse I rode was in the best shape out of all of them, but he was not a trail ride horse — I can’t imagine putting anyone on him who didn’t have years of riding experience. The horse my partner was originally paired with was missing a shoe — yes, they were willing to send a horse out with three shoes. The substitute horse was a skinny little paint mare who really should be taken away from there & given to some little girl who will spoil her rotten. That mare was done, & I wish I had vetoed her, too.
On the ride, we essentially had free reign to do whatever we wanted. Canter down the side of the road? Sure. Gallop on the beach? Go for it. Going through deep beach sand takes a lot out of a horse, & the little mare struggled.
Maybe my horses are just spoiled pets for rich people. Maybe horses don’t really need access to clean water, or hay/​grass throughout the day. Maybe a good farrier isn’t necessary when you have people who are ski bums the other six months of the year there to hack at their hooves for you. Maybe it’s normal practice to stand tied to a rail with a poorly-​fitted saddle on their backs in the brutal summer heat. I don’t think so.
Anyone who tells you this place isn’t a shithole & that these horses are well cared for is a liar.
(I strongly encourage you to read the filtered reviews. I have no idea why Unilocal is blocking them, but they are dead on.)

The horses are treated well here. We had a great ride. One hour ride to the cliff. Owner Tim is quite unique character. He’s been in the island his own life. Ask him about the secret of the island

Great great great experience. Would recommend it to everyone to try this place. The car that picks you up is a little rough around the edges but the experience is amazing. After this experience horseback riding has become my new hobby. I forgot the person who was our guide but he only works there one the weekends and he was great! When I get back I will DEFINITELY be back!!! Make sure you visit this place.

Took the family tonight for the one hour sunset beach ride. I was skeptical given the mixed reviews and the place is not set up to visually impress. I lack expertise to speak to the quality of life and health of the horses (addressing references in the other reviews) but to my layman eyes, there were no red flags. The place is run very low-​key but in some ways, it jives with the vibe of the island. Also, we drove our own car there so I cannot speak to their transportation services.
Jacob took our money ($ 65 per) and handled the paperwork; nice and friendly enough and made sure we got started on-​time. Chris was our guide who was mellow, easy-​going, and engaged when we engaged. He was extremely tolerant, nice, and responsive to our two young boys who had tons of questions. We were the only ones on the trip and given the slow pace ride (which is what we chose), Chris walked alongside of us and the horses. The approach was different than what I had experienced elsewhere in the past but it worked.
As someone mentioned below, it was a fair amount of time walking (and some trotting) to the beach but the route was scenic (trees, nice homes, etc.). We probably spent 20 – 30 minutes on the beach but it was timed perfectly with the sunset and Chris did a great job lining up the horses and taking family photos for us; he offered. I also noticed Chris picking up garbage off of the beach (cups and such) every now and then which I thought was quite commendable.
No issues whatsoever about our horses trying to lie in the sand as some folks mentioned below (which scared the jeepers out of me and almost had me backing out of going). We were not warned nor did any of our four horse try. I repeat, our horses did not try to lie down in the sand. Actually, each of us (2 first time riders, 2 experienced riders) liked our horses very much.
Upon getting back at the ranch, Chris and Owen were very nice to our boys (8 and 10), answering yet more questions, letting them tie their respective horses to the post, and help remove the saddle.
So, we had a very nice visit and our two first-​time riders (my 8yo and my wife) both want to ride again which I think is a good indication that they really enjoyed. We would return and we would recommend Rustic to friends/​family. No regrets.

We were told they would pick us up at the ferry upon arrival. I called when we arrived and was told they were on the way. 30 minutes later when I called back (since they had not shown up) I was told that they would not be able to accommodate us. When I asked to talk to the owner, who I heard in the background, I was told he was too busy. I was then hung up on. And I have left a message. I will edit my review if I hear back from them. Getting to the island is not super easy and this was the reason we chose the day we did. Very dissapointing.

I have owned horses for years and ridden horses even longer. The horses appeared well cared for. We had the nicest guide (Travis) and saw a great sunset on the beach. People should give this guy (Tim) a break. People criticize easily without really knowing what it’s like day in day, day out to take care of horses and deal with the public. Not everyone is going to be happy all the time. Rustic rides is just that. They are the salt of the earth. After all isn’t it about going on a trail ride on the beach. That’s what service they offer and that’s what you get. Stop being so stuck up and picky people! Overall had a great time! Thank you rustic rides and Travis!

This place is pretty close to an absolute dump. I’ve been riding my whole life, own horses myself (at home) rode competitively, etc. I showed up with my mom and my two first graders for a trail ride, for which we had a reservation. They had gotten the reservation wrong, first of all. Thought it was for two adults, even though the person that took my reservation had specifically mentioned that they had ponies for the kids. The equipment is falling apart. The saddles are literally taped together. the helmets are the same, as well as full of dust. Wouldn’t put it on my head if you paid me. Brought my own, thank goodness. One of the ponies for my kids was a mini, with a huge saddle and very severe bit that hung down in the middle of its mouth. I pointed out that one of the ponies was in desperate need of a farrier, as her feet were severely overgrown. As in, similar to cases you see on Animal Cops. They said, oh, our season just started… So this leads me to believe that the farrier only comes during «the season». Several or the horses were underweight, and others on the verge. Coats in awful condition. Horses seemed lifeless. No hay to be seen, and no grass. Guides walk along with you. Never heard of such a thing, though I guess that is god if you need help. Not so much if a horse gets spooked and takes off. We decided to take a pass on the riding. Couln’t bear to put those animals through it.
As for the person that wrote that they used to work there, a) you are completely biased, and b) I was not expecting perfection. Just well-​kept horses and equipment. Not so much to ask.
For the person who commented on the lack of intelligence of horses, you couldn’t be more wrong. Horses are extremely intelligent. Go to a competition, in dressage, showjumping, eventing, driving, etc, or even just watch one well-​trained horse go through it’s paces, and you will see what extraordinary animals they are. They deserve respect, and the animals at Rustic Rides are not respected.
Working on reporting this place.

Had a great time, horses were in good shape and shoes were maintained (saw the earlier review). We took the Rodman’s Hollow ride– no sand, so I can report no rolling. A couple of the horses had a little disagreement over who was alpha, so there was a short bit of kick drama, but if you’ve been around horses, you know that they have brains and personalities, too. Want something that you get on and it just goes? Try a moped.
The ride was very pretty, we got to trot along some of the time and our guide was lots of fun. Definitely not one of the most polished attractions, but certainly exhilarating and a lot of fun.

We had a good experience at Rustic Rides. They offered to pick us up, but we chose to ride our bikes there instead. A nice guy, Angus, took us out. Since we were beginners he was very respectful of how fast we wanted to go and made us feel very comfortable. We went out for about an hour, including a trot on the beach. It was really fun. However, while the employees are super nice, the owner was pretty obnoxious and rude to his employees, as indicated by similar reviews. Overall, good experience, but it isn’t the prettiest of places!

Wanting to step outside our «safe zone» four friends and I decided to go horseback riding at Rustic Rides. We took advantage of their offer of free transportation. The owner, Tim McCabe, picked us up in a farm pick-​up truck (is that duct tape holding the side mirror on? what am I stepping on?).
He took us on a very round-​about route to the farm since he wanted to show us where some actor lived. He talked non-​stop about the guard rails, his troubles with the town, etc. Never saw the house. He asked us what we all do for a living, then explained that he wanted to make sure we weren’t there to spy on him or report him (paranoid?).By the time we arrived, none of us felt very comfortable going on the ride, but we did it anyway (lesson learned).
Although none of us were hurt or injured, it was a very unsettling ride. IMHO the roads were too narrow, the horses unruly (I’ve been on many trail rides, and never ever had any trouble). The guides were great, but outnumbered by issues with riders and horses. The guides were local high school students. Very knowledgeable and courteous. I wish I had more money to tip them better.
We felt relieved that we survived the horseback ride. We still needed a ride back to town. We hoped that one of the students would drive us, but Tim returned with the truck before they could find the keys to the other vehicle.
The ride back with Tim was more unsettling than the ride there. He took us by the airport, which is clear across the island from where were staying. He passed many turns that would have taken us back more quickly. The entire ride we listened to a monologue about his discovery of the Holy Grail, Viking tablets, Indian artifacts, a movie he made, how people are trying to shut down his business, etc., etc., etc. and guard rails, don’t forget the guard rails.
Google Tim McCabe and the Holy Grail for a bit of his flavor.

For $ 50 I got a ride through the island streets, a beautiful private beach and then almost died. Yeah you read that correctly. DIED. We’ll get to that minor detail later. So the ranch is about a 20 min bike ride from the ferry, not too bad, easy to find with clear signage and the owner, Tim, was really nice. A little talkative but there could be worse things… there was a long story about bunnies. I’m not sure why… it was slightly concerning. I digress.
There are a handful of young men working on the ranch, super shy, super helpful, but I’m not super sure they know a lot about horses. The ranch seems well kept, the horses seemed happy and the ride which was supposed to be an hour was a little longer. NOT TOO SHABBY. They even gave a ride back via car to the main drag of the island for 2 ppl in our party… free of charge. The people that work here are really helpful… now let’s get to that whole death thing.
Right before we went on the beach we were casually told that sometimes, + he used the word RARELY, some horses like to «roll on the beach». Terrified of this I not only had a pep talk with my horse but asked the handler what we should do in case this happens/​how will we know before we get crushed. He gave me a quickie run through… he said «if the horse goes on its front knees… it’s gonna happen, shoot ur legs out the stirrups and jump off.» Easy peasy.
Clearly my 1,000 pound horse decided it wanted to ROLL AROUND IN THE SAND LIKE A GIANT DOG + I did exactly what our handler asked + rolled around in some sand myself. It was VERY scary because if I had hesitated, gotten stuck or fell under the horse I would have gotten CRUSHED + although I kept calm the sand shooting in the air from the hoofs of the horse went all in my hair/​eyes. FAIL.
I did get back on the horse… he was fine other than this minute of insanity. The experience on the beach was really beautiful besides the whole death by horse. I highly recommend rustic rides… but WARN YOU if you GO TO THE BEACH be prepared. The handler told me afterward that it happens almost EVERY TIME. Wow. rarely/​every time?
If you want a lil’ ride on the wild side this is your kinda place.

This was simply beautiful!
My husband, his friend and I took a spur of the moment sunset horseback ride trip on Block Island and I could not have been more impressed. We were late for our appointment, but it did not matter. It is a family run business and the owner is this foreign, funny man. I do not know if he is trying to be funny, but the way he says things is just hilarious.
He has a beautiful selection of horses and his farm made me want to start one of my own! Chickens and goats were running all around and it was just an amazing sight. There were only 5 of us on a tour and then two tour guides. The ride was so nice and although the horses at time got a bit unruly, the staff was professional and helped settle the horses and gave riders confidence and tips on how to gain control of the horses. The guides were great! I got a lot of information about horses and even more about this tiny, rustic island!
The prices are reasonable for what you get. I had never seen a more beautiful sunset!

Stay away from this dump!
A couple of years back I had the unfortunate experience of going to Rustic Rides. I love horseback riding. I’ve gone horseback riding several times before and after but I have never experienced anything nearly as bad as this place.
I got a bad vibe the moment I arrived there. The premises were gross. Most of the horses appeared malnourished and sickly looking. Several had very noticeable mouth, skin and eye infections.
The horses my girlfriend (at the time) and I rode on were wild and out of control. The staff was rude, they could barely speak English and they couldn’t even control the horses they were riding. In fact, a couple of horses — with novice riders on them — got into a fight on the trail and started kicking and charging into each other. This fighting spooked the other horses, causing several to gallop wildly and uncontrollably through the woods. Needless to say, the riders of these horses were terrified and screamed uncontrollably. My ex-​gf is from a rural part of northern California and had many years of horseback riding lessons growing up and even she couldn’t control her horse.
The horses were clearly unsafe to ride and everyone on the trip demanded to be brought back to the ranch. Our one hour «beginners» horse riding excursion lasted about 15 (very dangerous) minutes.
We asked for our money back but the owner of the place, Tim McCabe, was incredibly nasty and obnoxious and refused, immediately citing a no refund policy on the receipt (apparently we weren’t the first people to complain and ask for their money back) .
Block Island is a beautiful place and the people who live there are wonderful.
However, if you want to enjoy your vacation — and return home in one piece — you would be well advised to avoid Rustic Rides. I don’t understand how Rustic Rides stays in business. This place should be closed down by the ASPCA!

This isn’t the most professional horse-​riding place. I’d suggest not getting picked up, because it’s kind of sketchy.
One of the employees mentioned how the owner of the horse-​riding place was a bit mean and unfair to his employees. Therefore, I don’t think I’ll be going back.

Horses
and
ocean
I have to admit I have an uneasy relationship with horses. Exactly why would I want to get on the back of a thousand pound animal with the intellectual capabilities of a rutabaga?
Horses are members of the order Perissodactyla and have been around in various forms for at least 50 millions years. The living relatives include such intellectual giants like the tapir and rhinoceroses and in the past the order was much larger, including some absolutely gigantic members. Most were driven into into well deserved extinction by their metal superiors like cows and aardvarks but I have to admit the fossil history is fascinating.
Even though I feel that gigantic animals with limited brain power are best admired from a distance, my wife and most of her friends are horse lovers. She even thinks that the fact they are so limited intellectually makes them cute. So I get dragged off to ride horses every once in a while. If you are forced to get on a horse Rustic Farms is certainly a great place to do it. It’s a real working farm and a friend of ours who owns a farm said that Rustic Farms smells like a farm is suppose to smell like. In other words it stinks like hell.
The people here are extremely nice and have that subtle farmer sense of humor. More than willing to give little bits of wisdom like, «don’t worry, that horse you’re on hasn’t killed anyone in a while», or «if he tries to bite you just bite him back». One young lady told me that if the horse tries to roll in the sand down on the beach I should stop him. Unfortunately she was bit vague on how exactly I stop a thousand pound animal from rolling in the sand.
Well, we went on the ride, along the road, though some fields and onto a great beach. I’ve hiked, biked and yaked every square inch of the island but I have to say that it all looks different and new from the back of a horse. My equine friend didn’t even try to bite me, kill me or roll on the beach. Actually, outside of having questionable hygiene, the animals are extremely friendly and well trained.
Sure my butt was sore as hell the next day but I had an absolutely great time. One of the people there said I was a natural, although I definitely got the feeling that this was a gratuitous remark saved for the most incompetent riders. It didn’t matter, we all still had a wonderful time and I have to admit, given a great place and great people at Rustic Farms, getting on the back of a mentally challenged thousand pound beast can be a lot of fun.