North Gait Equestrian Center

My daughter took one lesson with Rachel and participated in one week of the summer camp. This is an amazing place not to be missed by animal lovers. Both Rachel and Hannah are talented young women, and they have the perfect balance of patience and persistence to work with children. The animals (several were rescued), stables, and arena are very well cared for, and having them in the shade is a huge plus for the hot weather. They also maintain the stables with fly repellant for the comfort of the horses and campers. Camp included many lessons on horsemanship, and my daughter even brought home some «homework» that she loved to complete each night. At the end of the summer camp week, all of the campers put on a show that included horse riding and an adorable western dance. Highly recommend Northgait, and we will continue taking lessons here.

Our girls (9) & (12) had a fantastic lesson with Hannah today. As beginners, the girls were a little nervous at first — Hannah did a great job of getting the girls comfortable with their horses and explaining the basics. As the girls gained confidence, Hannah helped to encourage and enable them to do more — trotting and doing circles. I was so impressed by how Hannah adapted her teaching style to each girl’s needs and abilities. She was kind and patient and fun! We are excited to return for more lessons and definitely for summer camp! Five stars and highly recommend!

My 12 year old daughter and 8 year old son have been taking lessons at North Gait for several months now and LOVE it (so do I)! The staff and family are welcoming and know their stuff — we have learned so much! They take amazing care of their animals and facility. We can not recommend North Gait highly enough!

My daughter just completed a week of day camp! She loved Rachel and Hannah. Their care for the girls and horse was wonderful. We hope to return next year!

I have been wanting to take my daughter horse back riding, so I did a search of the Walnut Creek area and found North Gait. They have the best reviews! I called to see if we could get a lesson the next day, and to my surprise we could! Jill was very nice when we called. Her daughter Rachel was home from college, so she gave us our lesson. She is very calm and patient. She also knows a lot about horses. I was very nervous at first, because horses can be a little intimidating. Rachel made us feel very comfortable around horses. All of the girls who were teaching that day were very nice and made us feel at home. We groomed the horses and learned how to put the saddle on. She showed us how to clean their hooves too. We rode inside their covered arena and also around their property.
We paid for an hour, but we actually spent an hour and a half with the horses! There was no rush whatsoever, so that was also nice.
We hope to return for more lessons, and possibly go to the summer camp!
thank you Rachel!

I’ve been taking lessons at North Gait EQ for six months. I’m an adult and never rode as a child. The experience has been fantastic. Hannah is an amazing instructor. She goes the extra mile every time. She caters the lesson to my needs and is so good about explaining what we’re doing and why. Her feedback is always positive and kind, always delivered to help one improve. She’ll jog next to me in the arena and give me feedback while I’m riding. She sees horse riding as a holistic process, learning about the animals and about oneself with the animals. She’s extremely good natured about saying the same thing over and over, until it really sinks in. I can tell she’s constantly thinking of things that will challenge me and help me improve my riding. The family and their associate instructors are all very involved and clearly love what they do. The horses are all very sweet. They have different temperaments but SAFETY is always paramount, and the horses are all very well trained. I love that the arena is covered as you can ride not only rain or shine, but whether it’s hot or cold or windy. I’ve had really positive experiences there and won’t hesitate to have my son take lessons there when he’s old enough.

My daughter has been taking lessons here for just about a year. I am amazed at all the progress she’s made. Hannah is so amazing and patient. I never thought my daughter, who is very picky, would stick with it, but she loves it. As for me, I like that it is clean and run by a family operation. This place is head and shoulders above the other places we’ve tried.

If you are interested in taking lessons, especially for English riders, this is The Place to go! If you are more interested in trail rides and getting your boots a little dirty, it is a bit pricey.

Can only say positive things about North Gait. Many of the other reviews have said it all better than I can, so take a sec and read them.
This is a family run labor of love. Love for animals and love for people. The Henderson’s have opened their tiny slice of paradise to the rest of us. Offering an opportunity to safely learn horsemanship skills; which translates to responsibility, work ethics, and a bunch of fun.
Their focus is safety and respect. I toured other stables, and the feel here is very different. Two of their daughters run the riding schools and camps, and I can’t say enough about these young women. They give me hope for the future! They fully engage with their charges, getting to know them and their specific needs/​challenges/​strengths.
We will be back for lessons and camps, no question.

Just wanted to update on our experience with the Summer Camp! It was wonderful. Casual and fun with individual attention 100% of the time for riders who needed it. They rode three times per day which worked in rotation with the other campers so there were only a handful of riders at a time (I think 4 riders). When not riding, the kids (both boys and girls) learned how to take care of horses, how to clean stalls (which kids actually really enjoy!), learned horse anatomy, learned how to care for tack and what each piece is used for. They also colored, swam (in a large portable pool they bring out for camp only), ate an endless supply of frozen slurpees! The camp ended with a «show» where they got to «decorate» their horse with hand prints and other festive things! Our daughter was sad when it ended and asked to keep going for more sessions! She’ll be going back next year for sure. It’s definitely a hands on experience that any horse-​loving kid should experience. One of the things I love the most about this place is the family and their dedication. They do this camp because they love horses and kids, not because it’s how they make a living and it shows.

The best! Safe and FUN!

North Gait Equestrian Center was recommended to us by another family that has been taking lessons there for a while now, they spoke very highly of the family owned center and has had a good experience over the years.
Our daughter has almost been here a year and she already feels like one of the family and has learned so much in such a short time! The family that owns and operates North Gait is very vested in their clients having a positive experience and learning all about life with horses… and without a doubt a heavy concentration on SAFETY at a stable! The experience will include not only learning to ride a horse but what it is to take care of a horse. In addition, and good timing for us, we have been able to witness the caring and progress of two newborns at the barn, a great experience in of itself but it has been a bonus on how to care and respect all the horses at all times… Horseback riding is so much more than riding and North Gait is not only capable of but great at educating and letting the students experience a hands on process through pure immersion to get the whole experience.
This is something that we looked for in a stable as we have had experience at another local barn that were not so inclusive of much other than learning how to clean up around their barn… and occasionally get on a horse to ride!
Our daughter has had Hannah as her instructor whom at first seemed to be to young to be so wise, knowledgeable and experienced! But let us tell you she is incredible with the students and has an innate knowledge of behavior methods for instructing and teaching… including great respect for her students and the horses. Hannah and Rachel are both inherently tuned in to each individual student and how to get the best from them in a very short period of time, hence the result of rapid progress… and learning. Hannah has brought our daughter from a very beginning rider to one who is feeling confident on and around horses, the progress is uncanny but this center seems to have the perfect formula.
The family also cares very much for their animals and often opens their stalls to rescue other horses and nurse them back to health at a cost and either keeps or finds families to adopt them… a big plus for our daughter and all of us to witness such giving and caring for animals! This center without a doubt invests in your child’s learning experience with all that they have and each family member participates even if it is one of their adorable pugs or other dogs coming out to greet you as you enter the gate… or Steve coming out to check on the barn while getting his horse ready for an evening ride or by Jill making sure everyone is happy and the kids are enjoying and learning while she may be preparing her own horse for a ride too… Jill and Steve make it a habit to continually check in with the parents to make sure the experience is not only good for your child but for the parents as well. I think our daughter has found her home away from home and we are continuing to enjoy her enthusiasm and appetite for more knowledge of the equestrian world… We can’t recommend this equestrian center enough !

Our daughter just wrapped up her favorite camp of the summer so far at North Gait Equestrian Center. She loved the staff and made a lot of new friends all the while learning about how to maintain and ride horses and look after the stables and grounds. At 7 she was one of the youngest but that was no problem as everyone made her feel welcome and helped with her horse skills. They had a variety of activities around the horses but also a lot of other fun activities like dancing and swimming and basically just having fun. The horses are really well taken care of and friendly. Quite impressive what the staff has accomplished here. We’ll be back!

I brought my daughter to meet Rachel and Hannah to see if they could help alleviate my girls fear after she was in an accident. Initially she was apprehensive to go near the horses. Thankfully Rachel (a wise soul) was able to read through her emotions and help channel that by having her meet and touch the new baby horses on the property. My girl was given an opportunity to observe other young girls riding and in lessons with Hannah. The environment there at North Gait Equestrian is inviting, clean and happy and well cared for horses. Their number one rule there is Safety First. We left there confident that both my girls will love attending Summer Camp. I cannot express how grateful I am to Jill, Rachel, Hannah, (and Fa the Pug) for reaching out to us and helping us with the healing process. I hope others who are looking for a beautiful place to bring their children. That this review will inspire a visit.

My daughter has attended summer camp at Northgait Stable for three years, from the age of 12 — 14. She had been to two different horseback riding camps before that (including a 10-​day Girl Scout horse camp in the mountains), but she absolutely thrived at Northgait, more than anywhere else. The staff/​family/​instructors are excellent at gauging a student’s level and giving them an appropriate balance of guidance and responsibility. While she continues to learn and gain confidence in horse care, handling, and riding, she particularly loves the atmosphere, where she feels more like part of a family than she did at any other camps. She fell in love with all of the family dogs (and continued to get updates on them by text even after the summer). She loves drinking slushies on hot afternoons, helping out with the younger riders, joining in the water (and mud) play, caring for the horses, and helping around the barn whenever she can. Last year, she attended as a camper/​helper, and this year wants to go back as an assistant. While Northgait has an excellent and organized program, it doesn’t feel so scheduled and constraining as many other summer camps have for her – this is a highlight of her summer vacation! I appreciate knowing she’s having a great time and learning responsibility in a safe, fun, and welcoming program.
On another point, I’m happy they have a covered arena that protects the kids and horses from the hot summer sun, and eases my worries about damaging sunburns. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Northgait for a great experience for kids – I just wish I was going myself!

Our Girl Scout troop (10 Juniors about age 10) had a great experience here and earned their Horse Rider badge. They had plenty of helpers on hand who were great with the girls. Some provided instruction on horse anatomy and care while others taught the girls how to groom the horses. The highlight was riding a horse and this was geared to each girl’s previous experience and comfort level. Even our most reluctant scout was finally persuaded to get on the horse and ride (no small feat her mother and I agreed). My daughter continually asks, «When can we go back?». If we lived closer I would definitely consider lessons or a summer camp for her.

We love North Gaite Stables for riding lessons and day camp. Hannah, Rachel and Jill have provided the right amount of education, guidance, support, praise and challenge to help my 10 year old daughter not only learn to ride, but love to learn to ride. Animals are treated with respect and love, kids are taught respect, kindness and a healthy dose of self reliance. Rachel has helped my daugher gain confidence in her abilities and have a «can do» attitude. This place feels like home to my daughter because she knows they care about her as a person, we have never felt like customers, more like family.
Updated. 8÷9÷13 My daughter just finished 2^nd summer camp at this stable-​year 2 was even better than the last, more fun, more skills learned and more new friends. Thanks Northgaite staff for always providing a safe place for kids to learn and grow.

Jill & Hannah are great! My son and daughter absolutely love this place. Safety and education are evidently very important. My son just spent 13 out of the last 14 days at North Gait. I would highly recommend!

This is an Equestrian Center that provides a wonderful horse/​human experience. Lessons, Girl Scout Troops, and Summer Camp offered. Covered Arena, offered all year around. We have had such positive feedback. As the owner, I want to thank all of you who have personally told me how much your children enjoyed our facility. Your emails and letters mean a lot to us. Thank you.