outer banks riding stables

This is a wonderful place to ride! I am an equestrian and have ridden, owned, and trained horses for the last 10 years. I come here to ride every time I am in the area! The last time I went on a trail ride here, my group and I passed right next to a herd of wild horses, with foals nickering at us! As soon as we passed them, they galloped down the beach past us! It was truly magical! The owner is quite knowledgeable about horses, and you can tell that she is a good trainer and has a lot of love for them. She is also a great photographer! You can give her your phone or camera for the ride, and she will take pictures of you riding down the beach (she even managed to get great pictures while galloping next to me on her own horse!). All of the horses that I have ridden here have been very well behaved, and she is excellent at matching them with rider ability levels. I have been on many rides here and have never seen anyone get hurt or leave disappointed. The prices for the rides is also great! Many of the other beach riding establishments that I have seen charge $100 per hour.I am disappointed with some of the poor reviews here, as the people who wrote them clearly did not speak to the owner about their concerns or try to get more information - but I will address some of the negative comments that I have seen. One: The rides are right on the shore - NOT on steep dunes as one reviewer said. You even get to cross a small inlet with the horses if you go on a long enough ride! Two: The worst part about this place is that the paddock fencing is not in good shape. The paddock fences are held together with bailing twine in many places and it is not pretty. BUT, what can you expect? The barn is literally almost on the shore itself, so it gets damaged in every hurricane and storm! Plus, the horses ONLY spend the daytime at the barn. When they are done doing trail rides for the day, they are turned out on the island and get to graze and roam. They come back of their own accord every morning for their breakfast. I think that speaks a lot for the happiness of these horses.Three: The tack here is not brand new or fancy - for the most part it is used older saddles. They are functional and seem to be fit well to each horse. The owner, however, has a broad knowledge of tack and is willing to explain what each piece is there for if you ask. I have had many nice gallops down the shore here, and have never had a malfunction with any of the tack. Overall, this is a wonderful, affordable, and safe place to ride on the beach. If you have any concerns - speak to the owner! She may come off as a little stern sometimes but she really is a nice woman who knows her stuff when it comes to horses. As for me, I will be returning for another ride as soon as I can! :)

I never review things. Ever. But im Going to this time. I am an equine professional based out of Virginia. Lifelong equestrian and active trainer. I own 4 thoroughbreds. This establishment is horrendous. It is held together by ragged, sharp edges, zip ties, and twine. Thankfully the horses seem to have adequate hay/water but none are in the physical condition one would expect from active working horses. The tack (saddle, bridle, etc) are all fastened by double ended clips, which is not only dangerous should a rider get snagged but causes severe rubs on the parts of the horse they are touching. She has rigged nylon stirrup leathers which do not break in the event of a rider fall where their foot gets caught in the stirrup. She has mixed western and English tack on one horse. Again, unsafe as they are not designed to work together. Most of her riders are novices that may find themselves in an undesirable position as she traverses you up and down steep dunes at varying speeds with no thought to your preparedness or safety. No horses have the sand or mud brushed off of them before the ride, even at rider request, so the tack causes painful rubs. She suggested riding through the river in 30 degree temperature which I declined since I knew the poor horses would not receive adequate care post-ride. As a professional, I can say with no doubt that this is NOT a suitable establishment. I know, the concept sounds wonderful but the execution is not. Her horses live in squalor while she resides in a 6 figure RV.

We went on a one hour sunset ride on the beach last week and it was not what we expected. The problems started when we almost didn't go because we had a hard time finding the place. It was not very well marked. There was a beautiful sign, hidden behind a trailer, next to what might be called a barn. I definitely would not have stopped if I were by myself, it didn't look like a very safe place for people or horses. Once inside the conditions didn't improve. We mounted the horses from a mounting block that made it very easy, but then we were led through mud and 2x4s to await the other riders. We were given no instruction about how to handle the horses before, during, or after the ride. Our guide rode behind us most of the time which made it hard for us to know if we were going in the right direction. The horses led the way, not the guide. Those that I was riding with were hoping to canter along the beach, but they were not given the opportunity. When asked if they could canter, they were told that we were on the cool down part of the ride and that the horses couldn't run at that point. However, the horses did appear to be healthy, and they did know where to go. We did get to ride on the beach and even saw some wild horses which kept it from being a truly bad experience.

My children (10 & 12), my husband and I went on the sunset hour long ride last night. It was just incredible. We had the most wonderful experience. We road along the beach the entire way and through a very shallow river to another island (no more than 2 feet deep, I read another review saying it was very deep and dark, but I assure you the deepest part was 2 feet and you could see to the bottom all around you). The horses were all well behaved, and in great health. Cheryl was wonderful, she showed lots of patients with the children. This was also my husbands first time riding and he said he felt very comfortable due to all of her helpful tips and the well trained horse he was on. I have been on many rides in my life, and none of them compare to this one. It was perfect. The staff was professional and very helpful. This is a MUST DO. So many stables treat their horses as money makers, but Cheryl doesn't. You can tell she really loves these horses and wants the riders to have a great experience. I only wish I lived closer so I could come here more often. I also wish I could give this place 10 stars. I can not say enough about how great this was for my family.The barn is old, so if you have to use the bathroom, you must do it at the convenience store down the street prior to arriving at her stable. Also, she only takes cash, as she doesn't have a credit card machine. My GPS glitched out a couple of times on the way there, (it has never done that before) so we did arrive a couple minutes late.

My sister and I went on the one hour sunset trip this evening and it was one of the most relaxing/exciting/fun hours of my life. These horses are wonderful, extremely well trained, and there are no difficulties with terrain. Although you may get to cross a river like we did. (Don't worry, it's a cinch!) If you do one thing on the Carolina Coast, I think that this is what you should do. The guide is a horse expert and can handle all ages and skill levels. Make the time to do this if you possibly can! A word of advice: Get food and gas in Davis or well in advance. Cedar Island is very remote. Also, expect not to have cell service!

Loved this stable and would go again in a heartbeat. Cheryl has a great attitude and is very good at what she does. Just rember to listen to the instructions that she gives you and you will have a wonderful time. My friends and I loved it.

We visited with my wife and 4 year old son and had a great time. The combination of the horse ride on the beach and river with great views and the sea breeze is quite an experience. Definitely worth the trip and expense. Highly recommended to relax.

The ocean view from horseback. What could be better? Well worth the money, a trip you will not soon forget.

Our family visited here a few years ago and plan to return on our next visit to the area. The horses are great and well cared for. I have owned and ridden horses all my life and would not hesitate to recommend for any level rider.My one caution though is to understand that you do cross relatively deep water and life jackets are not provided for those children who cannot swim! We took our 5 year old daughter after being assured that she would be fine over the phone. She was, and the horse was very safe (there are no small ponies). A bigger fear though is that the "river" you cross is extremely wide, and black, and deep in spots (over the stirrups). Though I trusted the horse my 5 year old was riding it could have easily stumbled and sent my daughter into the water. There was no way we could have found her quickly and I was very worried about her. Of course, you go through the same water on the way back to the barn. Nothing happened and we all had a great time, but I would strongly advise a life jacket for smaller children or those very nervous about the water.

I had a friend visiting and took her for the sunset ride at Cheryl's place. We shared the ride with a family visiting from out of the area; our group was a mix of expert riders and brand new never been on a horse beginners. Cheryl selects the horses (not your average trail horses; they are very well trained, well taken care of, no bad habit horses) specifically to the rider. We rode across the river (shoes may get wet! LOL), got to canter and trot (if you were comfortable with it) and I don't know what was bigger; the smiles on my friend and the riders in the group with us, or all of the big outdoors). You ride directly on the unspoiled beach, and it gives you a chance to relax without having to worry about crappy bad mannered trail horses. Very much worth the drive, she accepts only cash so visit the ATM. The stables may look a little downtrodden, yet she uses reclaimed materials to house so don't let that daunt you. This is one of those events that 10 years from now, you and your family will reflect back on and say, Wow, remember how awesome that ride on the beach at Cedar Island was?. DO IT.

I am a local (Emerald Isle) and an accomplished equestrian. I say that because I want to qualify my comments about the quality of the ride, the location, and the experience whether you are a local or visitor, beginner or expert rider. My daughter came home for Spring Break and I had sold my horses a few months ago. We decided to try the Outer Banks Riding Stables (website: www.horsebackridingonthebeach.com - she has an answering machine giving rates; leave a message and she WILL call you back--it is likely she in in the barn or on the trail) and had the usual trepidation about "commercial trail horses". The stable, while not much to look at, houses some really terrific horses that meet all levels of experience and comfort. The owner knows her horses; the first thing I noticed as a horse person was that the horses' feet were in terrific shape and none of the horses were lacking for weight or health. We saddled up for the 2 hour ride which was really tremendous--lots of speed variances for our skill level, all over the barrier islands. Yes, we watched the wild banker ponies also which is always a treat. As a rider, one story I hear repeatedly is the "nightmare horse riding" story where the horse ran back to the barn, etc. I was impressed; the owner would keep the horses in check and was training and reinforcing them to NOT race back to the barn; the ride back was disciplined and fun. She takes LOTS of photos for you to enjoy later and it can create some wonderful shots and memories.It is obvious that she cares about her customers having a good time while keeping her guests safe and happy. In short, the horses are well-mannered, willing, in great health, have personality, and the overall experience was really first rate. I will absolutely go again. Her rates are extremely reasonable, particularly given the location (right on the beach, crossing in the water, etc). I explored many stables and am glad to have chosen the Outer Banks stable. It is located just at the entrance to the Cedar Island ferry, a good 45 minute drive from Morehead City. Well worth the drive, well worth the time. This is the ride you think about when you envision riding on the beach.

Horse back riding is a thrill anywhere, anytime BUT on the beach with the surf crashing alongside is the ultimate experience on horseback. We saw wild animals while crossing the dunes and going through the forest areas on the way to the expansive beach. Crossing water areas and climbing the dunes was part of the thrills. This is a beach adventure that should not be missed.

Great 2 hour sunset ride. Beautiful sunset in the west and Full moon coming up in the East when we got back. Just my husband and I and the guide. We walked, trotted and loped on the sand and in the water up to their bellies. It was on my bucket list and proved all I had dreamed of.