Western Trail Riding Services

Took my very large Girl Scout Troop and those girls loved it even in the drizzly weather. Ever girl I saw they came back from the trail had a huge smile. I will definitely come back and take the longer trail ride with my daughter she loved it so much. It was so beautiful today and the one good thing about the rain it kept a lot of people from coming to the park so i wasn’t crowded at all.

This was an amazing experience for my son and me. They were extremely professional and super nice. I would give them more stars if I could. we are returning next month.

I booked my daughter’s 10^th birthday at Sunol Regional Park. Cindy was awesome returning my call and gave good, specific instructions. She explained to have all our guests (who were minors) have their waviers filled completely out, to wear pants and closed toe shoes and that they must wear helmets. She also explained GPS doesn’t work up there so to follow the directors on the website, which all held true. I read an earlier review about a birthday boy getting yelled at for going around the wrong way of the step… my birthday girl did the same thing but I was thankful Gary yelled at her cause it’s also the back end of the horse (and could get KICKED by the horse) and he beat me to yelling at her. We had just told her but in her excitement she ran the wrong direction, it’s for safety so I totally get it! Gary and Cindy were just awesome on our trail! They had a helper Maddie and she was super sweet and told us all about the horses different personalities. My one niece was very nervous and Cindy walked along side her horse the entire time which made me feel good since I knew my niece felt better. I even mentioned my daughter was in Girl Scouts and there’s a new horse patch, Cindy was very interested in getting the requirements so Girl Scouts could earn their patch. We had a picnic lunch at the picnic tables just outside the stable.

I was here for a Girl Scouts activity. It was wonderful! The owner, Gary, was terrific and really cared about his business.

I had my son’s birthday party here today. I wish I had looked at Unilocal first. Then, I would have been prepared to deal with the crotchety owner. I wish I could give ½ a star or zero stars based solely on the owner’s lack of common decency and social skills. It was supposed to be a fun day, instead I had to deal with some guy who needs an anger management course. I had just paid for 16 (yes, 16!) kids to ride his horses and he started yelling at me in front of my guests about one of the waivers being wrong. Did I mention I had just paid for 16 riders? And he has the gall to yell at me in front of my guests! Then he embarrassed my son by shouting at him for starting to go around the wrong side of the step. My son was the birthday boy and as such got to be first on a horse. He was the first one up! He didn’t know which way to go. I can’t count how many times the owner bellowed his bitterness at the poor workers and people who happened to be walking on the trail. Seriously, the guy needs some Prozac. At the very least, he should retire, so well meaning people don’t have to encounter his rancor. Just save yourself the hassle and stay away from this cantankerous coot.

Booking was easy. Ride was phenomenal. Customer service was great.
Cindy scheduled my ride a few days in advance. She gave great advice in regards as what to expect, what to wear, and detailed directions (get them from the website because you won’t have GPS service to map it en route).
My boyfriend and I did a 1.5 hour trail ride. Gary greeted us, saddled us up, and gave us lovely ride. He told us a bit about the park and was a great conversationalist. The ride was beautiful and scenic!
The boyfriend and I like to trail ride every few months in different places — this is definitely one of the quality ones.

I went for the Cerro Estes ride (2.5 hours) and had a fantastic time riding D.W. The location was a little difficult to find but luckily I was 30 minutes early. The prices are very reasonable for the amazing views and gorgeous trails. Chris was an awesome tour-​guide (he knows his history) even when I lost consciousness for a bit because of the heat, he was immediately there pulling me off the horse and even giving me his own water and cooling towels. I cannot thank him enough because even with all my years riding, I could’ve fallen and hurt myself. I managed to finish the ride without any more issues and I am definitely going to go again! I loved the ride, the scenery was lovely, and D.W. was a great horse, cautious and safe, and Chris… you rock!

Some friends and I did a 30 minute trail ride in Sunol. It was awesome Gary was just such a nice guy made my child feel confident, he was patient with us and made my 30^th birthday get together that much cooler. I recommend them to anyone who has never been or hasn’t been horse back riding in a long time to go here.

Riding a horse was on my bucket list, so when my family asked what I wanted to do for my birthday. I decided to cross it off my list. I found Western Trail Riding Services from Unilocal.
Give yourself plenty of time to find the place, because both my mother and I, driving in separate cars, missed the entrance to the park and wound up in the windy hills. Once we got there, we signed a quick waiver, got helmets, and were off.
The two of us were grouped with a couple, so there was a total of four riders with two guides, Gary leading the group and Chris in the rear. Gary pointed out all of the different plant life and new changes in the park, which was nice, though I couldn’t always hear him from the back of the pack. My horse, Cisco, didn’t really have a sense of urgency to keep up with the group, but I have no complaints. It was a nice, gentle ride on a beautiful morning.
The whole experience was a lot of fun (though I was a little bit sore the next day!). I will definitely go back.

Took my husband here for the 1 hour ride in Sunol last week.
Cindy more than tried to accommodate getting us in with 2 days notice for a 9:30am ride on a Friday.
The day of the ride, we arrived 30 mins, early; opened the back of the truck and enjoyed the peacefulness in the park until it was time to get checked in. There were a lot of little squirrels and rabbits running around and you could hear turkeys and woodpeckers in the trees too.
Check-​in time rolled around and we walked toward the enclosure area where Gary was checking in the other two ladies who were scheduled to ride with us. Got our helmets on, signed the waivers, paid and proceeded to saddle up.
I was the only one there for the ride with any experience so Gary decided to entrust me with Cheetah and my husband who has never ridden got Queenie. I had Dusty in front of me and I don’t remember who the last horse was. I guess Cheetah is used primarily for riding lessons at the stables so when we were on the trail ride she kept wanting to pass Dusty and I had to keep reminding her that we had to stay in line. Ha, ha! I could tell she just wanted to «go».
Gary led the group and Chris was in the very back; both of them were great. My husband had an amazing time and told his brothers and his friends about it as soon as we got home. Our dogs were very jealous too when we got home and they smelled the horses.
Will definitely come back for the longer ride and bring my oldest daughter who has never ridden as well. I’m so glad this place isn’t too far from home.
Thanks guys!

We booked a 2 hour trail ride with Gary. Horses are well taken care of, and clean. I was impressed with the prep work Gary did on the horses before we started, hoofs cleaned, fly spray etc.
We had a beautiful leisurely ride to the W tree. Gary was friendly and informative, but not too talkative. We enjoyed his commentary about the park and surrounding area. We will definitely book with Western Trail Riding again.
Already planning a ride in June. The only thing we would have changed was to be on an actual trail rather than the gravel road. There are different rides, trails and length of time to choose. Lots of variety. We are looking forward to our next outing. Gary Rocks!

Great 2 hour trail ride today!
My husband has only been horseback riding a few times — so it was important we had a good experience. After doing some research we picked Western Trail Riding.
We rode Dusty and Queeny. They were so mellow and well behaved. No issues while riding at all. Healthy horses, nice staff, beautiful scenery! We got to do a bit of trotting as well as crossed two streams. Our guide Chris was happy to take some photos for us.
Thanks Chris, Cindy & Gary for a fun day!

I definitely recommend this place. Amazing in service and beautiful view. it was our 3 year anniversary yesterday. I surprised my husband who loves nature and loves horse back riding although i am nit at all comfortable with animals. Gary was very friendly broke the ice for me since i was was so nervous and almost in tears lol i took the hour ride at sunol it was beautiful the horses were pretty calm and well trained and gary knew what he was doing very well. I live in brentwood area but it was so worth the hour drive for me and im so glad my first experience was with gary as my teacher. Thank you sooooo much gary i hope your business keeps growing while you keep the great prices low thank you again!

WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL! There had been so many times that we would be driving around the area and we would see people going for rides down the trails on those beautiful horses. It wasn’t until recently that I turned to my fiancé and said, «We need to get out there and do that!» He had never been on a horse, so I was even more inspired to get him out to try something new.
When I called Western Trail Riding Services initially, I left a message (turned out to be a day they weren’t working). The next business day, Cindy called me back and answered my questions regarding setting up a reservation. She was nothing like these reviews here on Unilocal that draw her out to be a mean, grumpy, unprofessional woman. She was nothing but friendly, cheerful, and helpful throughout the entire experience! So, I don’t know what these other people are talking about. She was great. She set us up for an appointment. Be advised, you must give them a credit card number to hold a reservation, and also any information pertaining to reservations (trails, pricing, times, etc.) are all located on their website that is listed on this page.
The day before our scheduled ride, it ended up pouring rain. She called me and kindly offered any time the next day which was scheduled to be sunny and pleasant again. We agreed to 9am the next morning. There were no questions asked, and everything was very straight forward!
We showed up (remember to print directions! It is easy to get lost. Don’t drive up the mountain but rather be sure to turn on Geary Road. You will have to pay a $ 5.00 park entrance fee. Once you pass the entrance podium, drive up the road some and look to your right for some stables and a horse pasture. There is a whole bunch of parking there), and Gary waved to us and gestured for us to come on over.
The horses were all saddled up and ready to go. They were very well-​behaved and happy horses. Gary took our payment ($ 45/​person for 1 hour) and he helped us onto the horses. Then we were off!
I highly recommend a morning trail ride because it is still somewhat brisk and pretty outside. Avoid that heat if you can! Nobody wants to be sitting in blazing hot sun for something like this. The dew was still on the grass and the fog was still rolling through the valley. It was truly beautiful. Our ride was calm, quiet, serene and everything we had hoped for. Such a great change of pace.
We talked with Gary on our way, and sometimes were just quiet and enjoyed the scenery. The hour-​long tour was perfect! It wasn’t too long, wasn’t too short, and it was the perfect length for us adults to get a feel for riding a horse.
Back at the barn, we were able to take photos and pet the horses. Please tip Gary and Cindy! You can have him ring your card for gratuity, or cash works as well.
We had a great time, and would love to come back in the near future for a longer ride! This is great for a date, a group, for children, for people of any age, and even for somebody to come out and do on their own as well. Such a fun, adventurous, and memorable experience!

5 years elite listen up
Bring cash to tip, made this mistake. Gary if you see this feel free to run my credit card for an additional 20% I know my total and felt bad leaving but I didnt have cash on me :(
Great locations, beautiful weather. wow so much fun!
he teaches you about the Poison oak before you go riding through it haha
Cindy had decent communication and was extremely friendly
To the reviews below regarding communication you will be taken deep into Sunil without any reception so just enjoy nature you doobers!

Customer service was terrible. Made reservation for 3. Was in a car accident the morning of so could not make it and didn’t have time to call because I was dealing with my car. Then they charged me the full cost and then some. I signed up for a 1 hour ride but they charged me for 1.5.
Called and tried to explain, even offered to show paperwork for my car but they didn’t care. Not cool and that’s not taking care of your customers.

I absolutely love this place! I went with two friends, one who had taken lessons for a few years, and one who had never ridden before (I also took lessons for a few years as a child). This experience was the perfect balance for experienced/​inexperienced riders. There was beautiful scenery with lots of different trail options, the horses were well-​trained and well-​cared for, the price is very reasonable, and our tour guide Chris was super knowledgeable and friendly. Once we were all comfortable on the trail, Chris asked us if we wanted to do a little trot — and my friend who had never ridden before also gave it a try and she loved it! Chris definitely catered to our interests and answered our questions in detail about the land, wildlife, and lives of the horses.
It’s a smaller family-​run (husband and wife) country stable, so they don’t have someone waiting by the phone all day. However, whenever I left a voicemail I always received a call back from Cindy within 24 hours. Cindy was very accommodating when I had to call to make changes three times — once to change my reservation date, and twice to change the number of people in my group! I felt bad that I had to keep calling back over the course of a week, but it was no problem to make the changes in advance (you cannot make last-​minute changes).
Tip: The gorgeous location is pretty much off the grid where there is no GPS signal, so please take my advice and print out the directions on their website! Allow extra time to get there once inside the park as it’s a big area and also easy to get lost inside (we were about 15 minutes late and had to shorten our ride — our own fault for not allowing extra time).
I’ve tried out many other trail rides around the Bay Area, and I have to say that this place is my favorite! It had the most gorgeous scenery, and it was totally personalized. That’s customer service! I definitely recommend and I look forward to going back again in the future. :)

Came here this past Saturday with the Living Social Deal of $ 30 for 2 ½ rides. Upgraded to 1 hour for additional $ 10 each.
Tips:
— This is inside Sunol Park so parking/​entrance is $ 5 per car
— Lots of parking
— It gets really hot here so try booking early morning
— Bring a hat if you’re not getting a helmet– most of the rides are in open uncovered areas
— Must wear closed toe shoes and long pants
— Wear sunscreen!
— Bring a camera
— Print Waiver off their website to have before hand to save some time
Staff is friendly and horses are very well behaved and very beautiful. The ride is slow and relaxing with plenty of time for you to enjoy the park and snap pictures.
It was the first time for the friend I went with and she really enjoyed it!

Seriously? Don’t come here. I was lured via Groupon and thought I was getting a bargain. They don’t have enough horses and my poor friend was so busy waiting for the actual trail ride to start that she didn’t realize she had already missed half of it!
The trail leader yelled at me and my riding mates a couple times and the horses seem so bored I was falling asleep. I like going horseback riding on occasion but this just wasn’t worth it!
Go to Daly City or make the drive to half moon bay!

We followed the directions from their website and kept track of the odometer. We got to the location easily. Thumbs up to their website. Don’t bother with your GPS as you may lose reception.
The hills and trees were all green and water levels high.
Used the groupon deal, upgraded $ 10pp to make it an hour ride and it was worth it. David was a good guide, patient and informative. Although halfway through our ride, the saddle off Woodstock horse came loose, David came to adjust and tighten. Pretty dangerous but all parties stayed calm. I had Lacey horse and she was very well mannered. She followed my commands through out the ride. I do notice that she’s more of a chill horse who would mosey along and Woodstock wanted to go fast and tailgated Lacey. Woodstock was a little feisty… but hey, he’s a boy about 13 yrs. I believe Lacey was somewhere around that age as well. Anyways, I was a little saddened that we couldn’t cross the stream b/​c it was just about overflowing from the cumulative rain. I understand it’s for our safety that we take the bridge over the stream. The weather was nice (cloudy and cool), horses well mannered and groomed, employees /​volunteers were very friendly. I’m glad the horses kept their cool and didn’t get freaked out with the hundred of people roaming around for the flower festival at the Sunol Regional Park. Overall, it was a great experience and tipped our guide well.
I would come back again for the 2 hour ride to the W tree!