Horse N Around Trail Rides

Worst experience ever. I placed a reservation on line earlier in the week. Their online system doesn’t send a confirmation letter. I called immediately to confirm the reservation. The lady stated we were good and just show up. We drive two hrs and of course they didn’t have the reservation. To top it off… absolutely the rudest staff. They actually said that it’s not their fault that their website doesn’t give confirmations. It must be mine. They also wanted to make a point of the inconvenience of having to pull two horses. We walked out. Even if they contacted me for a free ride I would pass. I’m amazed that places like this stay in business.

My wife and both kids had rides this last week and they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Sara was AWESOME, super sweet with my 4 yr old and a pleasure to chat with, and Zoe took my wife and 9 yr old on a fun, trail ride with some epic views! We will definitely be back for some more riding in the near future. I recommend this ranch and their team, as this was my wife and kids first rides and they LOVED it. Very professional team, super nice, super informative. Great horses and we can’t forget the GOAT!!! LOL! Thanks to Horse N Around Trail Rides…

My husband surprised me with 2 private horseback trail rides for my birthday. I have to admit I was a little nervous as I haven’t ridden a horse in a long time. One of the guides Kat was amazing. She put me on a horse that was so gentle and easy to ride. The first day we went on a ride with amazing views of the bay and ocean and then through a canyon out to an open grassy meadow. The views were breathtaking. My favorite ride was the following day where we took the horses through the sand dunes to the beach. It was as if we were on a private beach there was no one around. What an amazing experience to ride my horse right on the sand and near the crashing waves. It’s obvious that Kat loves her job and is very good with the horses. The horses trust her and she was always in control. My fear went away almost immediately after we started riding. I hope we get to come back to this place soon. I want to ride more! I would highly recommend spending the extra money for a private guided tour and ask for Kat if you can! There were lots of laughs and beautiful moments.

Horse N Around Trail Rides is the best horseback riding business in Bodega Bay. They offer a wide array of guided trails throughout the Chanslor Ranch Property as well as a beautiful guided beach ride through the Bodega Dunes and along the Salmon Creek Beach. I highly reccommend you take a ride with the Horse N Around Trail Ride crew, everyone that works there are wonderful and every helpful with getting you fimilar with riding!

We did the group Salmon Creek ride which was 60 minutes and $ 75 per person. The trail was fun and varied, our guide was really nice and knew a lot about each horse and its personality, and it was a really pleasant experience in general. The hour went by really fast and they did a great job making you feel comfortable if you are a beginning rider. Oh the way back to SF, there are a lot of cute little places to stop for a snack or meal in Bodega Bay. I definitely recommend this as a great day activity when the weather is nice. It gets windy up there, so bring a jacket.

Should’ve done this review awhile ago but I have nothing but good things to say about Danielle and Chanslor Ranch. This is a very well maintained stable and the horses seem very happy and well taken care of. They look healthy! Coming here, my first concern was how well they take care of the horses and I knew as we drove into the property that this was a great place and happy home for them.
There is a big barn which is the waiting area while they get your horse ready for the trail. They have many horses and each have cute names. They match you up to your horse by height/​weight/​experience. My horse «tiger» was a former race horse and he was very eager to be on the trail. He rarely ever stopped to eat and was trotting 80% of the time lol. At first I was nervous bc we were going super fast and I felt like I could barely hold on but he would stop for a little in between and it was fun.
Danielle made us feel very comfortable since we were beginners. We were originally supposed to be on a group tour but ended up just having a personal tour since the other families didn’t show up. Awesome! Please be courteous and tip your trail guide, they work hard to take care of these horses.
The views are spectacular and it is worth every penny. Danielle even stopped to take some really pretty pictures of us on our horses at the beach. I will come here and bring along friends and family next time. Thank you so much for one of the best experiences!

Great experience. I love to horseback ride but haven’t been in years and my husband has never been so I thought it would be a fun thing to do on Valentines day weekend. Good staff, the horses are clean and well taken care of. They also have trails for everyone. short or long (90 minutes). We did their salmon creek trail that was 60 minutes and it was the perfect amount of time for us and had the best ocean view.

Best horse ocean trail ride ever!!! Grateful to Zoe our amazing guide. She was knowledgable, fun, informative and made our ride such a memorable experience. The horses were well maintained, well broken and easily manageable by beginner riders.

What a wonderful experience for Valentine’s weekend! My little family (hubby and 8 yr old son) went horseback riding here on a Saturday… very very beautiful day in February (Surprisingly). We are not riders and my husband and son’s very first time. I had been horseback riding a few times when i was younger, but that is about it. I did an online reservation (be ready to provide full details), and it does say they will contact you within 36 – 72 hours… so be a bit patient. I did get an email at 48 hrs to call them back. When i called, i rec’d an answering machine so i left a message for a call back. I did not get one, so the next day, I tried and got through. They confirmed my reservation and I provided my CC to complete our reservation.
We were told to arrive 30 min prior to our ride. We arrived and was able to fill out forms and pay (option for card or cash). All children under 18 must wear a helmet. option for everyone else. We booked the Osprey 60 trail. It was not a private ride. We rode with another family of 4.
Our guides were Angel and Amy. Angel had the pleasure of being the front guide and my son was immediately behind him. Angel was very patient with my son and you can hear the fascination my son had. They did teach us how to hold the reigns (my son caught on as well) and also how to stop and go. My son had Flour, who he enjoyed riding. My son asked a lot of questions to Angel — and he was very great with him. My son loved it so much he wanted to come back the next day. I loved my horse as well– Calvin. I felt like I bonded with him. It was a very relaxing ride. Amy was our guide at the back and she was very nice as well. I had the pleasure of being in the back with her and she talked about the trail and the views. She is very knowledgeable!
Next time we will be back and book a private tour. Nothing wrong with the group one, but we would like to experience it a different way. Thank you Amy and Angel for being great guides! See you again soon!

I visited with a friend in October 2015. The package we received wasn’t what I had paid for. I mentioned it that day before I left and also contacted management after I returned home.
With subsequent emails since that time frame, a copy of my receipt, etc., I guess I’m being ignored, hoping that I go away.
Very disappointing…
Update 2÷14÷16: I’ve just been in contact with management and this should get rectified very shortly.
Update 4÷13÷16: FINALLY rectified. More effort on my end chasing things down, but I’m finally DONE!

I went there on a damp day over the weekend with my two boys (had to get out of the house!) and it was wonderful. One of my kids was a little nervous and Zoe, our guide, was so kind and encouraging. He warmed up and ended up talking her ear off for the entire ride.
The area is absolutely beautiful, in the sun or fog. The trails are interesting enough that you don’t feel like the horses are bored and you get a bit of a trot every now and then. The horses themselves are very tame and so responsive. Really a wonderful experience.
My one tip: Either plan to pay with your cc and pay a service charge or else pay by check and bring cash for the tip! I didn’t think it through and ended up being a bad tipper due to a chain of circumstances… Don’t be like me; these folks do a great job! Hope to make it up on a return trip because it was such a good time.
Other tip: Pet the barn cat, Ollie.

Had a terrific experience with our guide on the private beach horseback riding. Our guide, Amanda was AMAZING. The tides were high and people were telling us not to go on the beach. Amanda guided us to a point and went to check the beach. The tides were low and we were able to continue on the ride.
The only reason I didn’t give perfect 5 stars, is due to confirmation. I called twice the day before to confirm my reservation and emailed and didn’t hear back until the day of. It would be helpful to have someone by the phones/​computer to help answer questions or confirm reservations.
I recommend this place in a heartbeat. The ranch have all rescued horses and if you’re lucky, you even get to meet the friendliest cats. Great place, amazing ride and beautiful horses.

My husband and I had such an incredible private beach ride! It was so beautiful and the horses are so well taken care of. Amy, our tour guide, topped off our trip making it even more AMAZING! She made us laugh the whole time. Request her if you can! Thank you guys! You definitly have our business next time we are in town!

Wow! I didn’t even get past the first phone call before deding this place would not get my money! What an awful rude experience — horrible first impression!

We’re not experienced horse riders but it was pretty easy to tell these horses are well loved and cared for.
We did a private beach ride which was spectacular. The scenery, the horses, and our guide were absolutely five stars. I would definitely ride with them again.
We did a 3 PM ride because by then the fog usually clears and there is no huge rush to get back for the next ride. It worked out because it rained/​was foggy in the morning and did clear up for our ride.
One thing to note is we had a hard time booking online — the booking didn’t go through and didn’t show an error. I’d just call them directly next time — everyone at the barn is super nice.
Speaking of the barn– they have the cutest cats. Get there early and you may be able to play with them.
Enjoy the ride!

Came here for a private beach tour. Our guide was Amy and she was awesome. Super experienced and looked all pro with her chaps. I’ve been horseback riding a few times before, I have to say, these horses are well trained! I usually have problems with my horse to get moving when they start grazing, No problems here. Felt like I was in total control and I like how many of these horses were rescue horses. Also the day I went, the beach was beautiful. No fog. It was great. Only negative is at the beginning it took a while to sign in and it’s very confusing who your guide is and where to go or wait. There should be a better way to organize it. We also met the owner, she was really nice and down to earth. Looked a little stressful from trying to pair riders with the right horse and making sure the horses had enough break between rides. Overall, great experience. Everyone was very friendly, including the other patrons.

Great experience. Amy was outstanding. Price was reasonable (30 minutes for $ 80 for two).

Wonderful experience all around. My daughter had turned 10 and wanted to horseback ride with her younger cousins so I reserved for two adult riders and four younger riders. One was only five and they said she could ride on a pony but not the trail ride.
Well, The staff in the barn when we arrived were helpful and down-​to-​earth w a wry sense of humor. Our guide, Maive, was just out of this world. Like a mother to the horses although she was not much over her early 20s. («I’m watching you, Flower!»)
My son is 8 and on the autism spectrum and I am now looking for a farm near us that can give him some horse experience or therapy experience since he has been asking me now to ride again repeatedly. My daughter was thrilled and both cousins were ecstatic, including the five-​year-​old who was given more than just your average «pony ride» in a circle.
Horses were sweet, although not the robotic trail horses I’ve experienced before. Nothing frightening but personalities of their own. Our guides had control the entire time even during a photo up towards the end that caused proposing that they didn’t save her as much as walking. Views were beautiful and although I wanted to go on a longer ride we kept it short for the two younger cousins who’ve never ridden before as was recommended to us. That turned out to be a wise decision for the youngest who rode with us on the trail. So we will go back again
I’ve read the other reviews and find it interesting that some people are irritated if a horse attempts to try to eat or move its head requiring the rider to adjust the reins while others are clearly angry when it’s a simple ride without anything other than calm walking. It seems you just can’t please everyone.

My husband and I had the most outstanding experience here. We came up for our honeymoon and he surprised me with a trail ride since he knows how much I love horses. I was blown away by Sarahbeth and this ranch. The horses are the happiest and healthiest I have ever seen, and I rode horses frequently in my teens. The fact that most of them are rescues is truly special, and they are also the most well-​trained horses I’ve seen, even responding to verbal commands. The trail ride was magical. We went to the beach and it was stunning. The vistas and weather here are really unique and awe-​inspiring. Sarahbeth and Angel were our guides, and we had the best time talking with them. They both are incredibly knowledgable and thorough, and just really awesome people! Everyone who works here is so happy and kind. It’s obvious that they all love what they do and are passionate about their horses, caring for them with an obvious overflow of love. We already want to come back, and will absolutely be doing so for our next anniversary!

Excellent experience here.
A group of us were camping at the Bodega Dunes state beach up the road and came here for a mini excursion. What a treat. From our party of 7, only 2 of us had rose a horse before, and one of the riders was a 6-​year-​old. We were pretty fortunate to have two guides, one lead the group, and another held up the rear. The guides (I feel horrible that I don’t remember their names) were amazing and made us all comfortable as we went through the one hour tour. The horses are all well trained and know the trails with their eyes closed :)
Would definitely go again. If you are going to be in the area, make a reservation because they do fill up quickly.