Adult Horseback riding lessons?
Hello,
I am looking for recommendations on locations near Berkeley for horseback riding lessons for adults. The most recent recommendations I've seen here are from the early 2000's. I saw something on yelp for a place in Briones that looks nice- Rancho del Lago- but would prefer the personal input of that or other locations nearby from this BPN community. I know there used to be an equestrian center in one of the East Bay parks and a sign near the Trains in Tilden park but don't know much about that either. I'd appreciate any recommendations.
Apr 8, 2023
Parent Replies
My daughter takes lessons with Beany at Piedmont Stables in Oakland. It takes about 20-25 minutes from Berkeley. She is a great instructor. She has many horses and has a well run program. I know she teaches adults also. 415 867-9842.
Your best bet for adult riding lessons is probably Anthony Chabot Equestrian Center in the Oakland hills. Anthony Chabot Regional Park extends from Oakland to Castro Valley. The barn manager is Vijoa Ricardo (pronounced "vee-zhwah'"). You might try leaving a phone message, or show up in person and look around,
Another option would be Skyline Ranch in Oakland, on Redwood Road just east of Skyline Boulevard. The manager, Judi Martin; she also operates Piedmont Stables, farther down Redwood Road. Skyline is an English barn, Piedmont caters to trail riders. Skyline does not answer phone messages, so just go at a time when you would normally be interested in riding and walk around. I kept my mare there for years; it is a fine operation with several trainers.
An option near Briones is Hossmoor, on Bear Creek Road.
There are a number of trainers at each barn who work with students of different ages and abilities. I would suggest that you go visit, walk around the multiple barns at Chabot and Hossmoor, look for trainers' contact information posted on whiteboards and bulletin boards. Ask the people who board horses there or whichever trainers you encounter.
Happy riding!
Skyline has some really good instructors, but last time I was there (a few years ago), they didn't have very good school horses for adults/people too big for ponies. They have a nice selection of ponies. I changed barns away from Skyline to get access to better horses (I am 5'11"), but my teenage daughter liked it there. If you are petite, it would be a good choice for a beginner. I currently ride at Graceland Equestrian in Castro Valley, and they have a whole bunch of really good school horses of various sizes. I would recommend it although it is about 25 minutes from Berkeley (as opposed to 15 minutes for Skyline). If you want to be really fancy and compete and spend lots of money, Kenilworth, right across from Skyline, is really nice. Applecreek (via the Bay Area Sport Horse Equestrian/BASE program), in Castro Valley, has some fancy school horses and the teacher is really nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner -- the horses are spunky -- my daughter rode there for a while but broke her arm falling off a young horse over a jump.
My son had a great experience taking lessons at Horse and Rider connection in Martinez. They offered the most affordable lessons and the opportunity to do trail rides, not just ride in an arena.