Rock Springs Run Trail Rides

When arrive they were rude specialy when they found out that we were beginner. They did not take us to the river like they were supposed to. Rude service.

Wrong place. Went to review the reserve walking trails not the horse trails. However, I did see some horse trails and they looked decent. Although, the area is flat and there is a lot of burnt trees (not very visually appealing).

My 6 year old daughter and I were gifted a 1.5 hour ride for Rock Springs Run. The location was well-​marked and easy to find. You have to drive further down the dirt road than you may first assume: have faith and keep driving! You literally cannot miss it once you’re there!
Our horses were chosen for us based on our skill level. My daughter rode Rosie and I was given Splash. Two other riders went on an excursion with us, and our guide was Fred. Fred was awesome; I highly recommend him as a guide. He was helpful and warm towards all of us, no matter our skill level. He took time to point out local animals and trails as well as the history of the area including an old cemetery, a train depot, and a tree struck by lightning. My daughter, who has ridden a few times at a family farm, was nervous when she started, but by the end, she felt very confident and had a great time. I was having a blast reliving my childhood equestrian days and enjoying the natural beauty the abuts the Wekiva Springs area.
The area has a small area for picnic grounds, so if the weather’s nice, you can have lunch before/​after your ride and make a nice day of it. There is a Publix up the road if you want to pack subs. There was a woman there celebrating her birthday before her ride (we saw them as we ended our ride) and it seemed like a lot of fun; something I’d like to try one day!
Nothing but great things to say about this ranch, the horses, and the guides. Money well spent!

One person said it was boring? What did you expect? For them to give you some chaps, and a Six shooter air soft gun, they could have a wagon out there and a employee playing a damsel in distress while the other employees are dressed up as Indians about to scalp her, You go galloping by performing a Canadian Backbend and blast those Indians with your fancy wheel-​gun. Saving the day and heading back to the ranch for some Crackleberries and Texas Butter? smh
And the other 1 star reviews were about Groupon issues. There were 4 of us. None of us had issues with using Groupon
As far as the Ride itself. Someone said you basically walk in a circle and its boring and the woman who took them talked so soft no one could hear her. Well we had a guy named Travis. And he was awesome. We did not walk in a circle. Or maybe we did. All I know is we went from a open field, to narrow trails, over a hill into a open field, more narrow trails, more open fields. I can tell you this. I had no freakin idea where I was. So if we walked in a circle it didnt feel like it.
I think someone complained it was a slow walk the whole time. Umm… Noo. If you really want to trot you can. But literally after seconds i was like NOOOO. Im done… My testicles took a beating. I fear if I ever have kids now they will be born retarded. But this is a review coming from a city boy born in Jersey who has never been on a horse before. I found the hour and half trip very relaxing and enjoyable. Saw some fresh bear prints, a turtle shell, some deer, and just some nice scenery.
I actually thought I was going back next week this time bringing family. But i guess thats going to be put off. So maybe i’ll just return with another group of friends. As long as theres groupon’s out there

I thought this was a GREAT trail ride experience! We were visiting from Boston, and therefore did not have any of the Groupon related complaints mentioned by other reviewers. I wanted to do a trail ride for my birthday, and was going to book it at the Disney ranch, but did a little comparison shopping and discovered that the Disney ranch rides are 45 min and cost $ 45, and the Rock Spring Run rides, now operated by Cactus Jack’s, are 90 min and cost $ 55. Sold!
Our guide was a very friendly and comptent young man who grew up riding horses and working on ranches in Oklahoma and Wyoming– he was super patient with us as first time riders. The two horses were were on were very sweet and steady, and both were rescued retired polo horses. The trail itself was lovely, and we saw deer, vultures, turkeys, and many other small birds. The restrooms were clean and well maintained.
I say go for it– we really enjoyed this trail ride and would recommend it.

After reading these reviews I was a little nervous. But none of these reviews even come close to what I experienced.
Me and my girlfriend pulled up to Rock Springs Run Trail Rides about ten minutes before our scheduled time and was greeted by 3 friendly people. We walked into the office and signed the waivers. Then we were able to walk into the stable and check out the horses. I got to ride McKinley, a beautiful grey horse. The instructor lady, i forgot her name, helped us mount up on our horses. I have never rode a horse before by the way. They have a stair case thing that gets you pretty much level with the saddle for an easy mount. We started to walk off onto the road you drive up on for about 2 minutes before heading off into the woods. it is very fun. It was like an adventure and we were explorers. We saw a big group of turkeys. We went way out into the country and saw beautiful landscapes. It was amazing. I will be back again, but next time Im going for the longer ride because an hour flies by when having so much fun.

Stay clear of this deceptive crook! Never even got to step foot on their property. This began with the purchase of a groupon for a day of horseback riding with my family. The kids could not wait. Called multiple times each of which I was given a run around. They had spots available… Until he found out it was a groupon and then «oh we don’t have any availability.» This scenario played out during three separate phone calls. Needless to say I have contacted groupon for a refund. I will find another place to horseback ride with my family. At this point I am grateful to my guardian angels as well because I feel like we were probably kept safe. After all how safe can a place be that is dishonest and sketchy about honoring a groupon that THEY CHOSE to offer!

Well, I should have checked here before buying my groupon! I purchased the 1.5 hour groupon for 6 of us (1 for 4 people– the adults in the group and a friend purchased the one for 2 people for the kids in the group). When I called to make the reservation I stated I had 6 people, the man that ran the place said he had room for the day I wanted to go and it was at 9. When I stated I had a groupon the shadiness started. He no longer had room and claimed he thought I said there were only 2 of us. He said to try calling again the day before late in the day to see if there were any cancelations. I then asked when the next available one was for 9AM (on a sunday) and he couldnt give me a date before the groupon expired. He said it would be best to do a 1 or 3:30 one (in Florida, in August!!! NO THANKS!). The other part of the group then called and were able to schedule the reservation for the day we wanted at the time we wanted but told him she needed to call back with the credit card number. When she called him back and told him it was a groupon he then stated that he thought she was wanting the 2 hour ride and that there were no more spots for the 1.5 hour ride. So basically he reserves the 9 AM rides for full paying customers and wont give them to groupon holders until he knows that the space wont be used. If this was in the fine print that would be one thing, but no where on the groupon does it say that we dont get first choice because it is a groupon and that we have to go at the hottest time of the day. While we were upset that we didnt get to take the little guy horse back riding on his birthday, we truly believe it was a blessing in disguise. If this is the way the run their business then I wouldnt trust them safety wise to run the horses and I wouldnt trust them to keep my family safe. If they are shady and deceptive about booking, who knows what else they dont do properly!

Where do I begin? To start, my wife has never ridden a horse and I wanted to surprise her for her birthday. I found on Groupon this trail ride and thought, «why not»?
I called the ranch, several times to book a reservation, and no one answered. On their website, it says to call and make a reservation or book your reservation directly online. After fail attempts of reaching someone one the phone, I booked online. Several hours later, I received a response from the ranch stating «it’s best to call me». I called the ranch again after receiving that message, but they were now closed.
I called back the next day and finally got a hold of someone to book an appointment. The man that answered was immediately rude once I told him I booked through Groupon. He asked for the Groupon number and then told me he only had one spot available for my wife and I and I better book it now. He also told me that I needed to bring a printed out copy of the Groupon I just gave him and that my cell phone wasn’t enough for proof that is was real and redeemable. I complied with his request, even after he explained to me that past guests were committing fraud by receiving rides from their ranch and later contacting Groupon for full refunds. Apparently, guests would call Groupon and state that they never went to the ranch to redeem their ride and receive their money back. This may have explained his attitude towards me and the situation. The day of our ride was much better than the previous experience with the staff, but not perfect.
Our Groupon was for 2 people, for an hour and a half ride, which turned out to be a little over an hour. Not too sure why it was shortened. We were in a group of about 7 horses.
Warning, if you’re looking for fun on this trail ride, you won’t find that here. We basically sat on our horses and literally did nothing. Each horse played «follow the leader» and walked in a single file line the whole way. There was no running or galloping of any sort. The trail guide was very soft spoken and it was increasingly difficult to hear what she was saying. The scenery never changed. We went in a giant circle and came back the ranch. This was probably one of the most boring experiences of my life. Luckily, the experience wasn’t for me, but for my wife, who was just happy to be on a horse.
Lastly, before dismounting our horses to leave, some of the guests that were in our group wanted to take pictures together while still mounted to their horse. So my wife and I followed suit and wanted to take a picture together as well to remember of «adventure». One of the ladies that worked there began to lead my wife’s horse to the dismount/​mounting platform and wouldn’t allow us to take a picture. That definitely didn’t sit well with the birthday girl.
In the end, it’s safe to say that we won’t be returning to what could have been a great experience. It all started with the initial contacting of the ranch. I recommend that you don’t waste your time.

We didn’t even make it out onto the trail due to an owner with zero business sense. I almost pulled out the «I’m an elite Unilocaler» card but thought better of it. Let’s see how this guy deals with the general public.
I’m a stickler for rules when it comes to Groupons. I carefully read the fine print which stated:
Limit 2 per person, may buy 1 additional as a gift. Limit 2 per visit. Valid only for option purchased. Reservation required; subject to availability. 24hr cancellation notice required. Must sign waiver. Must be 6 or older.
The amount paid for this voucher ($ 33.00) with Rock Springs Run Trail Rides NEVER EXPIRES.
What I wanted was a 2 hour ride just for me (because I’m a more advanced rider) and 3 1-​hour rides for my family and I. I was having technical troubles purchasing both a 2 hour and 1 hour ride through the app and contacted the business. Deb (the owner’s wife) got back to me with the following reply:
Not sure but if you can’t get it done just book a ride with us and we will charge you only the groupon price
Deb
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 7, 2013, at 12:57 PM, Janene
Thanks for the response! Ill mention my experience when i book. I’m trying to buy both the 2 hour (for just me) and 1 hour (for me with my family) but Groupon is not letting me. Any tips on how to resolve? Do I need to do two separate transactions? Thank you!
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So three weeks before our Groupons are set to expire I call to book and speak to the owner, Larry. The conversation was pleasant enough, Larry was a chatterbox and told me «he could tell I didn’t weight 250lbs. by my voice». Ok…
I booked our ride and told him about the email and Deb saying she’d honor the Groupon price. He scoffed initially but told me to forward him the email, which I did. After some phone tag I finally spoke to him the next day. He said that each individual can only use a Groupon once that year. I politely and calmly asked him if that was in the fine print (I wasn’t completely sure yet) and told him I’d carefully checked. I told him I wasn’t trying to deceive or rip him off, but after Deb’s email where I had CLEARLY explained what I wanted I didn’t think it would be a problem. He got irritated and started talking over me saying, «it should be common sense» and «we didn’t think we’d have to put every detail into the fine print» and he actually said «this conversation is taking years off my life»! Mind you, I was calm, professional and polite the entire time. When I asked him about Deb’s email he just kept repeating in a condescending tone, «it should be obvious that it’s one ride per person per year».
In the end Larry refused to honor my family’s Groupon. I actually told him that «I did not have a good feeling about his business and wouldn’t be riding with them» anyway. It’s a shame that he had to conduct himself that way. When he thought he was getting my money everything was happy happy. But when it came to honoring his company’s promise he flat out refused. If only he knew that 1. I would be writing this honest review to warn others and 2. If he had done the RIGHT THING we would have been back and I would have written (if warranted) a glowing review on Unilocal.Too bad so sad!