Marshall Creek Ranch

If I lived closer, I would be a frequent guest. The people are so friendly and helpful. The horses were great too.
If you’re doing a 2 hour trail ride, make sure to plan to be there longer because it takes awhile to get everyone on the horses. We were supposed to head out at 2pm, but someone (customer) was late, so we were waiting for them to show up. They also had a late reservation and more horses had to be saddled up. By the time we left the ranch to begin the ride it was after 2:30.

Had an amazing time here today! I will definitely be returning with my husband! Me and my cousin had an amazing time! The staff was amazingly f
riendly and warm!

Absolute blast! Ride was long, we got to trot on the intermediate trail, and as it got dark there were fireflies EVERYWHERE! Haven’t seen them in years due to all the pesticides so what a treat. I rode Apache who was described as the horse with A.D.D. and yeah we went off road and rubbed up against a few trees but its an animal and they are anything but predictable so I didn’t mind. We saw some deer and a coppperhead which the lead horse stepped on. The staff was very friendly the entire time. Cant beat this for $ 50. When the kids get older we are bringing them back. But the glued on smile my wife had the entire time was worth it alone.

After showing up unannounced without an appointment /​reservation we were greeted with open arms. The girls that worked there were more than happy to show us around the stables. She also let us hop on a horse and walk to a picturesque area to take some touristy photos. Would love to come back and actually go for a ride. Great people!

Had a great time at Marshall Creek Ranch. I had never ridden a horse before, and the staff was very helpful. The horses are beautiful and look very well taken care of. You can tell they really care about the horses. The trail was gorgeous, it goes right alongside Lake Grapevine. At one point, the horse I was riding, Uno, wanted to go off on another path. I was last in the line, but the leader was able to coach me (with her megaphone) on how to make him turn around so that we could get back on the right path. We had a great experience, would definitely go back!

It was a nice place. The
Blonde leader took over an hour to put about 12 people on a horse, but the views and the actual riding of the horse was nice.

Save a cowboy and ride a horse! Marshall Creek Ranch was great. The prices are affordable and the paths are right along the water. So incredibly scenic. I felt like a real Texas woman!
The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I rode a horse named Bullseye. I found it really funny that the rest of the horses were named after brands of liquor: Patron, Kahlua, etc. Ok. Im thirsty now…
Anyways, I would have preferred to do an intermediate adult-​only ride, but I was with a friend who had never ridden before so we opted for the beginner route. Almost all of the horses were well behaved, but on our trail ride a few people were not paying attention. As a result, one of the horses almost bucked. What could have been a very scary incident was handled extremely well by the staff. And on we went!
I strongly recommend this ranch. It’s lovely to visit in the fall. The routes are beautiful. I can’t wait to go back and take a trail ride during the sunset. So fun!

I wholeheartedly agree with Anne S. I am NOT a lifelong rider, though. I have ridden a horse or two in my younger years, but never had professional training.
We took our 5 year old here for his birthday and he was a ride-​along. I wouldn’t have had him go alone, or even with me, for that matter. I felt he was very safe with a seasoned and trained rider. I would NOT recommend this to children who have not been exposed to horses nor to those who have NEVER ridden.
The wonderful thing about this place is that they give you pretty much full reign (haha) of the horses. You get on the horse and you need to know what you are doing. Squealing at the horse isn’t going to get it to stop doing anything. They do try to match the horse to the temperament of each rider, but come on, it’s a horse.
I also admire this place because they could be making a whole hella lot more money… it is very reasonably priced. Instead you can tell this place puts a lot of emphasis on the care of the horses.
I know now, that I should wear a helmet — makes sense. No one in our riding group was bucked off, or fell off. My boyfriend’s horse did take off once we returned back to the ranch (never laughed harder), but he was able to control the horse. In our group, there were about 20 people and most of them were 9 year olds there for a birthday party.
We will be going back to this place. It’s fun and the horses are just beautiful.

As a lifelong rider and horse owner, let me say that I was impressed with the condition of these horses. Most dude ranch horses are overworked and underfed. These horses were neither. They had a good range of horses for all levels of riders: I got a feisty little mare, and my non-​horsey boyfriend (I’m working on it) got a sweet, tamer gelding that still had plenty of life. The wranglers lined us up before the ride and handed out loaner gloves and ear warmers to anyone who needed/​wanted them — very thoughtful, and not something most dude ranches would do. The ride took us through some beautiful woods and along the shores of Lake Grapevine. I think it’d be a great thing to do with friends visiting Texas. Very stereotypically Texan. haha.
To address Steve W.‘s comment, let me say this: a woman fell off during our ride too, and it was because she screamed when the horse started trotting, which spooked the horse, and so the horse jumped forward and she fell off. Big surprise. Horses are prey animals; they’re instinctively always on the alert for predators. Sudden, loud noises (or even some weird-​looking bush) can scare them. If you’re going to get on a horse, you should recognize that there is NO guarantee you won’t fall off. Generally, dude ranch horses are selected for being fairly safe and non-​spooky. But accidents still happen, because they’re ANIMALS. That said,
WEAR A HELMET WHEN YOU RIDE, ALWAYS. NO EXCEPTIONS.
The best riders in the world ALWAYS wear a helmet. There is NO shame in wearing a helmet. It’s the smart thing to do.

Had some friends visiting who had never been to the US. Thought they had to ride a horse if coming to TX. There were 5 of us who went. Two were my small children ages 4 and 2. Female wranglers rode with my boys and they had a great time. The women were great with them and helped them feel secure. My friends loved the ride and plan to look into lessons when they go home. I had fun too even though my horse was a bit feisty. The horse in front of me decided to poop and my horse wanted to sniff through it. LOL, so gross. I tried to get him to go but he wasn’t having it. He did that for just a few minutes then we went on with the ride. Later he decided to bite that same horse in the butt. poor horse.
while on the ride I spoke often to one of the wranglers. I found out the place has been in business for about 10 years. They have lots of trails, which can accommodate many riding levels. They have 2 horses that were once owned by Tommy Lee Jones.

Took my daughter and three friends (all 9), on her birthday (along with wife and son). Terrible experience. Horse threw my son. We found out the horse had «bump» on it’s back, which was painful with saddle and rider. This same horse threw an adult, days earlier. I could go on an on about our terrible experience with Marshall Creek Ranch. Don’t waste your money or risk your (or loved ones) safety.

I took my Little Brother out to Marshall Creek Ranch yesterday for a trail ride, and we BOTH had so much fun. It’s a Western-​style horseback riding school and ranch that offers lessons, summer camps, and trail rides. The trail rides are pretty reasonably priced — $ 30/​person for a 1-​hour ride. You can choose rides longer than this, but the 1-​hour is good for beginners. We went on the 1-​hour, but it really ended up being about an hour and a half. You walk in a single-​file line of about 20 horses through the woods and down to Lake Grapevine. Then the ranch employees dismount and take pictures of each rider on their horse by the lakeshore, which I thought was really nice (bring your own camera for this b/​c the stable doesn’t take or sell pictures). They also offer ride-​alongs for children under age 5; the kiddos ride in the saddle in front of one of the ranch’s «wranglers.» This is a good option if you have two or more little ones wanting to ride.
This is a great place to take your kids if they are interested in horses but have never ridden before. I took riding lessons for years as a kid, and this place definitely brought back many a fond memory. Any level of rider is welcome here — their horses are very gentle and well-​trained. The staff is friendly and helpful, and riding helmets are provided for children under 13 (and anyone else who wants one).
The ranch is in a very random location — off Hwy 114, you will pass tons of gigantic Southlake mansions and then suddenly come upon a tiny road leading out to the ranch. Follow the directions posted on the Marshall Creek Ranch website or you will surely get lost! I definitely recommend this place — wholesome fun for the entire family!