Lessons, instruction and schooling — find a yard to learn the ropes or bring a horse on.
Stepping Stones Riding Program is a barn in the Santa Rosa Valley Equestrian Park that offers riding lessons. Lessons cover Western, English and bareback riding, and include horsemanship skills such as catching, grooming, tacking and caring for horses. The program aims to connect horses and people through accessible, low-cost lessons. The barn gives riders access to trails in the park.
Western Trail Rides is a horse riding business at a ranch in the Ojai Valley in Southern California. It offers private horseback riding lessons for children and adults aged six and older, and horse experiences for children from age three that include grooming and riding around the ranch. Private trail rides around the ranch are also offered. Lessons cover horse care, tacking up and the basic skills of Western trail riding, and all equipment is provided.
Gentle Strides offers horseback riding lessons in Ventura County, California. The business also offers therapeutic riding lessons. Lessons take place in the arena or out on the trail. The horses are kept at Aliso Ranch Stables, on a 7,000 acre working cattle ranch just outside Ventura city limits.
Michael Lieberg Dressage offers customized dressage training for horses and riders. Lessons and clinics are part of the program, and horse sales are also offered. Michael Lieberg is a Licensed German Reitlehrer FN-Pferdewirtschaftsmeister who has trained horses from training level to Grand Prix. The business is based at El Sueno Equestrian Center in Somis, California.
Katie Wagner Show Horses is a horse training and show program on a ranch with twenty acres, two arenas and four turn outs. The yard offers full training and full care programs, private lessons, grain programs, blanketing and show clipping. The focus is AQHA and APHA Youth and Amateur All-Around teams, covering Western Pleasure, Trail and Showmanship. Each horse and rider gets an individualized program, and hauling to events is available.
R Farms is an equestrian training yard specializing in eventing and dressage for both horse and rider. It offers full horse training, private and semi-private riding lessons, and boarding with daily turn out and stall care. Lessons and training are led by trainer Robyn Fisher, who has competed at international level in dressage and eventing. The facility includes a 22-stall barn, two large arenas and a round pen.
8 Days West Horsemanship & Training offers natural horsemanship and liberty training for horses, including young horses, restarts, problem horses and tune-ups. Riding lessons are available for students from age four to adults at all levels, with a focus on Western disciplines and trail lessons. The business also offers equine wellness treatments using Pulsed Electromagnetic Therapy for horse injuries, sore backs and sore joints. Horse-assisted connection sessions for people and retreats for small groups are offered on a 52-acre ranch.
Urban Eventing is an equestrian training and boarding business in the Santa Barbara area, run by trainer Lauren Urban. It offers horse boarding in box stalls and paddocks, including a covered mare barn. Training packages for horses and riders are available, along with private and group lessons. Training covers eventing, dressage and jumping, with a focus on fundamentals and horsemanship. Services include turnouts, blanketing, grooming, clipping and vet assistance.
StoryTeller Farms offers horse training and riding instruction for riders from beginner to advanced levels. Training programs cover dressage, hunters, equitation and overall horsemanship. The farm also offers breeding stallions, horse sales and horsemanship clinics. The business is managed by Shirin Amier, an equestrian professional with 20 years of experience.
Happy Trails Riding Academy is a PATH International Premier Accredited Center based in Tulare, California. It offers equine-assisted services for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Current services include Therapeutic Horsemanship, Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy, and Equine Services for Heroes. Each service is taught by a PATH International certified instructor, and participants are placed based on individual needs.
Cannon Trails Riding is a horse riding business based in Santa Barbara, California. It offers private and semi-private riding lessons for riders of all levels, with horses provided. It also runs trail rides and beach rides on horseback, and summer skill-building camps. The business also offers trailer loading lessons and western riding instruction.
Windfall Stables is an equestrian facility in Carpinteria, California, located on a 15 acre avocado orchard. It offers boarding care for horses and riders at every level, with board, grooming and training packages. The stable specializes in training hunter, jumper and equitation horses and riders, with lessons and custom training programs. It also handles horse sales and leases and competes at shows from local to national Premier rated level.
Jackie Duncan Dressage offers dressage training for both horse and rider in Moorpark, California. Services include full and partial training, riding lessons, and starting young horses under saddle. The business also runs clinics and sales, and Jackie judges schooling shows. Jackie is a USDF Silver Medalist and has graduated from the USDF L Program.
LKH Equestrian is a private training facility in Malibu, California, offering individualized horse training and rider development. The focus is show jumping and young horse development, with personalized lessons for horses and riders. The yard also provides horse boarding in barn, paddocks or pastures, along with full training and care packages. Horses are regularly taken to horse shows.
High Flying Farm is a boutique hunter/jumper barn in Santa Barbara, California, located at a private facility near Hope Ranch. The barn offers a lesson program and trains horses and riders for the hunter/jumper show ring. It also runs a competition schedule with shows of varying ratings. The team emphasizes safety, horsemanship and individual care for each horse.
Special Spirit offers equine-assisted therapy and activities with horses in a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment. Its programs serve people of all abilities, including children and adults with special needs, underserved youth, people in recovery, and those seeking emotional healing. Adaptive riding lessons for individuals and groups follow PATH and EAGALA protocols and teach horse behavior, grooming, tack, and safe riding. The organization also runs equine-assisted coaching and team building sessions.
Ride On provides adaptive horseback riding lessons to children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. It also offers physical, occupational, and speech and language therapy that uses the movement of the horse to address specific medical conditions. The organization runs several locations in the Los Angeles area, including a ranch in Chatsworth. Specially trained PATH certified instructors teach horsemanship skills to riders with varying ability levels.
The Clearing Farm is a show barn built around the hunter, jumper and equitation disciplines. It offers full training and care programs tailored to each rider and horse, as well as board and lessons for non-training clients. The barn runs an active show schedule throughout the year. Head trainer Michelle Morris leads the program.
Bay Ridge Farm is a show horsemanship barn founded by Jeff Katz and Bud Wolf more than 30 years ago. The barn offers training packages that start with a personal consultation, including training of the horse and rider. It also provides riding lessons on school horses or the client's own horse for children from age 5 to adults. Boarding is offered in box stalls indoors or facing outward, as well as covered outdoor pens, with turnouts and wash racks. The barn competes at national horse shows in the hunter, equitation and jumper rings.
Kings Corner Training Stables is a horse facility based at Buena Vista Farms in Moorpark, California. It offers riding lessons at all levels, private or combined, using the client's own horse or the stable's lesson horses. It also offers training to start, school or work through issues with horses. Instruction is led by a USEA-certified instructor.
The Little Big Riding School is located off Highway 154 in Santa Ynez, California, and is run by Cindy McClellan. It offers Western horseback riding lessons, mainly for children and teenagers, along with kids' summer and Christmas camps. It also runs trail rides for the whole family, and provides general horse boarding and training facilities. Riders can use one of the school's horses or bring their own.
Rocky Creek Saddle Club offers guided private trail rides on horseback on mountain trails near Simi Valley. It also teaches private and semi-private horseback riding lessons, including horse care and tacking up. The club hires out its horses with a skilled wrangler for photo and film projects. It travels to surrounding neighborhoods and trails, mainly in the Conejo Valley.
Oakridge Riding Club offers horseback riding lessons and riding camps for riders of all ages. The club teaches English, western and dressage disciplines. Riders who do not own a horse can learn on horses provided by the club. The program also includes horse training and an emphasis on horsemanship, safety and horse care.
La Herradura is a polo club and equestrian center in Santa Ynez, California. It runs a polo school with lessons, clinics and leagues for beginner to advanced players, including youth and adults. The club also hosts club matches and tournaments and offers polo experiences. Lessons are taught by Guillermo "Memo" Gracida and a team of instructors.
