Rainbow Ranch

The staff was helpful, great at matching horse personality with rider experience. My kids were first time riders and the staff did a great job acclimating them to the horse. Horses were well cared for and the property was awesome. The only downside is that this review may raise expectations beyond those that may not match your personal experience… very unlikely though. Nice people, great experience, great price. Cheers.

My family and I have been coming here for years to horseback ride whenever we come to visit Michigan. The guides and staff are all amazing, and the horses have great personalities. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time riding or an expert because you get paired up with the perfect horse based on your skill level.
I have been to many different horse ranches in many different locations, but Rainbow Ranch is by far my favorite place to ride. The trails are beautiful and sometimes we see wildlife such as deer and turkeys. I highly recommend!

Great place! We go every year when you go to Michigan. The four year old rode alone on her own horse!

Rainbow Ranch was a great choice for a trail ride. They own the 100+ acres on which they ride, and the land is GORGEOUS. The horses we rode were well behaved.
We paid a little extra to be a private group (just my sister, me, and a guide), rather than be put into a larger group. I think that was definitely worth the money.
The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.
I also wanted an hour private lesson before the trail ride, which they were happy to accommodate. Unfortunately, the instructor didn’t show up on time, so it was cut down to mini-​lesson of about 20 minutes, which they did not charge me for. In the end, I was very happy with that. I do wish they had called my cell phone, even if I was on the way (if I had been running late, at the least the notice would have let me know I didn’t need to rush). I wasn’t interested in learning western saddle, and they were able to offer a bareback lesson, which I enjoyed (I’ve been riding english about 7 years). The trail rides were all in western saddle, which was comfortable.
We arrived first thing in the morning for the earliest trail ride, and I was happy with that timing. The farm was quieter then, with only the staff tacking up the horses, and a few barn cats around. By the time we returned a couple hours later, there was a crowd of people hanging around, going out on the trail or coming back. I enjoyed the serenity in the morning better. Even with the crowds, though, the place was organized and efficient.
There were a few places on the trail where the guide let us trot. I was impressed with how forward my horse was. I was with someone who didn’t have a lot of riding experience, so those bits of trotting were as far as we got. I wish there had been opportunities for me to do a bit more, but even without cantering or jumping it was fun.
The horses were very healthy. Our guide has been there for about 20 years, and has worked at other ranches too. She said Rainbow Ranch is the best place she’s worked. I like riding at a place where the horses and people are treated well.

The Rainbow Ranch is a diamond in the rough.
I’ve been coming here all my life and my favorite parts have changed over the years. When I was 8, my favorite part was when my horse would poo on the guy behind me. When I was 14 my favorite part was the 30 seconds of galloping they allow at the end of the ride, or is it trotting? Either way, don’t get your hopes up – it’s not that fast. When I was 17 I wanted to talk to the pretty girls scooping shit out of the barn. Now that I’m ten days shy of my 25^th birthday, I think my favorite part would be getting off the horse and drinking a Colt 45 with my bitches in the car on the way home from a day with the ponies. Yeeaaaeahhh, just kidding… Jesus… A) I don’t drink after riding beasts; and B) I’m not that cool.
Rainbow Ranch offers slow, lazy horseback rides through a beautiful Michigan forest. It ain’t no thrill ride, so all you fannypackin’ hippies can keep your mid-​back-​length pony-​tails and your paperback Danielle Steel novels with you.
Check out their website for detailed info.