equestrian adventures

what a wonderful day we had. absolutely great in every way. i would recommend this ride to anyone passing thru. it is so worth every cent. :) hope to be back and ride again. excellent.

There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about Equestrian Adventures - we took our 2 daughters there for the birthday of our youngest,They did the whole day ride with a private guide (Biff, dorry if I write the name wrong). Both daughters, specifically the older one, have done plenty of trail rides before, but both came back saying this was the best ride they ever had.The owner was extremely helpful in setting this up, what he did for us, no horse riding stable would have done for my girls in MD, and the guide was fantastic according to the girls.It is quit far away from where we live, but the girls have decided to make this a yearly trip, so we will be back!

My husband and I were very excited to take the sunest ride. 3 hours before we had to be there my husband broke his collar bone mountain biking. When I called from urgent care to see what they could do to help us, I was pretty much met with "there's nothing we can do, the guides are all ready here". Okay, if guides are coming specifically for us, understandable, keep my money and pay these people. When I called again to see if the ride could be delayed half an hour and I would bring someone else, they said no, that there were other people going. I was never asked if I wanted to go in the morning or any other options, pretty much sorry, but we're taking your money. There was no sympathy or understanding, I just can't believe a business would operate without trying to help the people they serve.VERY DISAPPOINTED!

Ok so...if you can move beyond the less then tidy farm and the eccentric and straight-talking approach of the owner, you'll have a great time. We took our young child (beginner/never rode before) on the family ride...and had a really nice time. Andrew, our guide, was patient and big on safety. Kudos to him.There is one steep hill (both ways) at the beginning of the ride, but the horses knew what to do. They do occasionally want to go through the trees rather than the path, but you get used to it - even our young one learned to manage the horse. And the horses like snacking...grass or trees. No surprises there.Would do this again...

I went on the private ride today. There are not many places left that someone with riding experience can go to walk, trot, canter on a trail without owning their own horse. I had a great experience today and I would recommend it to anyone with previous riding experience. In addition to a calm yet peppy mount there was the beautiful scenery of the New River Gorge and some local history.

My fiancé and I wanted to do something new and unique at the Gorge. We had done the rafting but we wanted something a little more relaxing and calm. We booked an evening ride culminating with an overnight camping stay. All I can say is wow. This place was exactly what the doctor ordered. When we arrived we were greeted by the owner and a employee who helped get our gear out of the Jeep. The owner met with us and talked to us about our experience as riders ( a little for both of us). We then were escorted to the field where the horses were. Once there, we were given instruction on riding the horses. That was very nice. The ride was gorgeous and our guide was the owner himself. He told stories about not only the Gorge and the area but also told local stories about the property. The ride was very well done and the horses were actually really easy to ride and very sweet. At the end of the ride we arrived at our campsite to find all of our gear and an employee cooking the meal we had ordered when we booked this trip. Also, our tent was set up and a fire had been started. The campsite had its very own portapotty for those that don't like using the bathroom outdoors. The campsite was secluded!! We loved it. The next morning the owner came out and fixed us a very delicious breakfast and we began our horseback ride back to the car. All I can say is this was a trip we will definitely be doing again!! The horses were nice to ride, and well kept. The farm is clean and the ride is fun!! The owner treated us very well and was professional. Recommend recommend recommend!!!The

I have visited Equestrian Adventures many times throughout the years. I find it to be one of my families most enjoyable vacation spots. The owner and staff are always very helpful and knowledgeable and have always been great with our four children. While riding on horseback through the woods, I feel a sense of peace and serenity that I have not found at other locations. The horses are always gentle and definitely know there way around. I would recommend this location to those who love beautiful scenery, well mannered horses and experienced trail guides.

My niece and I went April 2014 and had a blast!!! The owner and staff were friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. The horses were well behaved and they took care to match each person with the appropriate one. We learned fun and interesting facts about the area. I will absolutely go again and recommend them to my friends! Can't wait to see y'all again!! :)

I have been riding with this company with my family many times over the years. The horses are always well taken care of and very gentle with my family members. One of the things that I like is when I bring someone that is inexperienced they always give a talk about horses in general and and then they show you how to ride. The terrain is typical West Virginia with ups and downs that make it fun.Last summer I took a ride ride with them in the most rainy summers that I can remember. It was very muddy from the nonstop rain and I was impressed at the way the horses worked in all of that mud. I highly recommend this ride!!

My family and I rode with these guys Summer of 2013, we LOVED it. The horses were matched to us well and we took a 2.5 hour ride through the beautiful mountains, at 1 point we could see the New River. I enjoyed the ride and so did my family, thank you for a REAL trail riding adventure.

Upon arriving we was greeted by some very nice guides, however the owner was terribly rude. He yelled at us as well as the guides. He was annoying and would have really enjoyed not having him there. The horses was in poor condition. They were obviously over worked, with little rest. The fields had absolutely no grass or hay. I really felt bad for the horses, they were pitiful. I'm surprised something hasn't been done about it. The trail was fine, with nice scenery. Interesting stories. The guides obviously worked extremely hard.

First of all I have to comment on some of the other reviews. Don't get discouraged because of them. The trail is a little bit challenging but its supposed to be an adventure, no? So is adding a bit of an adrenaline bad? I don't think so. Some people are control freaks and I guess those would need to be notified that its not all flat, but at the same time you are in the mountain area, so what did you expect? To me the fact it was uphill, and downhill made it more exciting. Horses are stubborn? Sure they are but THEY ARE animals, they don't have to listen to you especially if you don't know what you are doing, or simply because they don't know you. Its up to you to take control of the horse and try your best. I think they are trained very well and know the trail so it makes it so much easier for you. The owner was nice, and offered refreshments after the tour for free. The only reason why Im giving this 4 stars is because the trail was muddy and at times I was worried we would get stuck but it never happened. It just shows how the animal can handle it just fine.

I've been on multiple other trail rides and this will be my last! Our sunset ride started an hour late. Even though the owner said he had checked the weather, it was cloudy, rainy, and muddy the whole trail. The owner should have never let us go with those conditions that late. I couldn't even see the last part of the trip! My horse was extremely stubborn and not suited for a beginner. Because of the late start the horses weren't even fed between the previous group and mine. So, during the ride the horses were constantly trying to eat. The trail started out very narrow and close to a drop off and then proceeded up a steep curving hill. This would be fine for experienced riders, but they advertise as being a beginner trail. My horse missed a step and slipped in the mud. When that happened my saddle which had been slipping the whole ride (the guide had tried tightening it twice already! Maybe there's something wrong with it!?) shifted to the left causing the horse to slip further. I had to pull myself up on the saddle to keep from falling off! My 2 brothers horses hated each other yet they put one right behind the other. After two fights and multiple times of asking the guides to change the order, my brother was thrown off his horse after the one kicked his horse! After that... they changed the order. We didn't even get to see the scenic view of the gorge because of the late start and it was starting to get dark. I knew that the steep hill was coming up and with the rain the trail was going to be even muddier. I was not about to ride down that hill in deep mud in the pitch black! My dad who grew up on a farm riding horses knew it was dangerous (we were all beginners!) and told the guide that no one in our family was going down that hill. He was going to ride down and get the van while we walked down. The guide tried talking him into going, but with the conditions it was just too much of a risk. She called her boss and he said he would come talk to him. When the owner arrived he just started yelling up to him that it was fine and had the horses come down. All I could see was shadows of branches as they hit me. I tried to get my horse to stay so that they could get me off but these horses are trained to follow the horse in front of them. The owner then came up to my horse and pulled me down the hill! He tripped and fell my horse ran off in the woods and my reins got caught up in the front leg of my horse! I just held on tight to the saddle and prayed that she wouldn't slip off!I don't care who you are or how safe you think it is or how well your horses are trained! YOU DON'T FORCE SOMEONE TO RIDE WHERE THEY AREN'T COMFORTABLE! I'm a novice and I know it so don't push me above my ability in dangerous condition! That is just wrong and bad business!Right now my brothers in the hospital getting checked for a concussion! And my family is NEVER going near horses again! Thanks a lot equestrian adventures!

My family just returned from the sunset trail ride. Things turned sour from the very beginning. The owner greeted us by yelling about the former group with his beer-drenched breath. He seemed very upset about a family letting a 5 and 6 year old ride when the age limit was 8. First thought: if that is your policy, why did you allow them to ride?? We found out later the 6 year old had fallen off the horse. Our trail was supposed to begin at 6:30, but we didn't take off until closer to 8. The sun was already close to setting. As we started on the trail, my brother was told that his horse did not get along with the one in front of him. Instead of re-arranging the horses, they just let them be in that same order. My brother asked at least twice to move to a different place in line since the horses kept fighting one another. They ignored him. Later, this turned into a nightmare as the one horse spooked my brother's causing it to run away, throwing my brother onto the ground. He got a concussion from this.This however, is not the end of the nightmare..... throughout the trail, I realized this was not for beginners at all. The hills were steep and slippery, the horses were not calm, they were agitated from missing their meal earlier. We were taken along a narrow cliff, and the horses wanted to do their own thing disregarding the pulling of their reigns. My sister's saddle kept slipping to the side and at one point her horse slipped in the mud, causing her saddle to slip, throwing her into a tree. It was at this point that she asked to leave the trail. SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED. She was forced to continue through the trail. The guides were inexperienced and the girl who "tightened" my sister's saddle had been there only 3 days and could not properly tighten it. The head guide finally came back and tightened it for the third time.Later, we reached a hay field where the horses tried to roam even more. The guides were not helpful in keeping the horses in line. One guide let her horse eat whenever it wanted which was one of the main things they warned us against. When one horse tries to eat, they all will. My sister's horse was trying to eat instead of follow, even though she was pulling at the reigns. The lead guide came back to help my sister's horse and slapped it making it run ahead with my already scared sister on top. At this point, my sister asked again to get off the horse and go back. She was clearly upset and did not desire to continue. Still, she was FORCED to finish the trail! The sky was almost black now, we could barely see, and we were concerned about getting back to the stables by way of a very steep, slippery downhill slope. My father asked the lead guide about letting the whole family off the trail before the steep hill. He did not feel comfortable with beginners riding a horse down a muddy slope in pitch black. Especially since the horses had already slipped and had not followed the pulling of reigns. The guide agreed and contacted the owner. The owner met us along the way, but to our horror, he was still making us go down the hill in the dark. He begged for us not to have to go down, and my sister again asked to get off the horse and just walk the rest of the way, but again..... THEY FORCED all of us to ride down the scary slippery hill. My father was very upset because my sister didn't feel like she had control of her horse and was getting scared. The owner called her a sissy and said that 6 year olds do this all the time. (Wait, wasn't your age limit 8??) My father was shouting over and over that we do not want to go down this hill because it was too dangerous for beginners. The owner then began to cuss out my father claiming we were the ones being dangerous since apparently one is "safer on top of horse sliding down a mountain than walking down a mountain on your own feet".. hmm.. The owner then grabbed the reigns of my sister's horse and pulled the horse down the slippery mountain as she screamed for him to stop. The owner fell in the mud, releasing the reigns, causing the horse to run wild into the woods before finally coming to a stop. This was extremely terrifying for my sister and all of us. Shortly after the slope we were back at the stables where the owner basically tried to talk us out of a lawsuit by making the ride free of charge. I would NEVER recommend this stable to any riders who want to actually enjoy themselves. It was a time of stress and overall doubt if any of these people even knew what they were doing. Equestrian Adventures is putting money over the safety of their customers and has made our entire family afraid to ever go near a horse again.

They were able to accommodate us at the last minute. It was a drizzly day but we chose to ride anyway. Really long trail and were able to gallop some.