Academy Riding Stables

Major shoutout to this Gentleman of a Cowboy Ben, who treated our friends like family & handled us beginners with such ease, grace always remaining calm.Our views were amazing & the horses were super sweet & patient with us. Totally recommend much love

I accidentally left this review on the wrong account so I apologize for double posting (though this review is extended). This is my active account.REVIEW:I booked a ride for me and my boyfriend for the 11A ride over the weekend. I was on Skeeter and he was on Beth. Skeeter is a sassy mare and I enjoyed riding her, she gave me something to do lol He rode Beth, who was sweet and easy going. The ride itself was beautiful and we had a perfect sunny day to make a brief exploration of the park. I def preferred the ride to walking through as it was hot and we could see more with the bit of height on horseback.Our guide and the rest of the staff was kind, knowledgeable, and informative. I would def go back, extending to the 2 hour ride! I grew up riding horses and 1 hour is not enough time, but great for beginners or if you're short on time.

What an incredible experience!! I grew up riding, but hadn't ridden in about 20 years. My husband had been on a horse one time in the past. He suggested we look for a good trail ride here in the Springs. After doing a little research, the ratings for Academy Riding Stable & the tour of Garden of the Gods were the winning factors & we booked a 1 hour tour. ARS was super easy to get to & they had a decent sized parking area. We walked up to the check in window & provided our names. A very polite lady grabbed us helmets & advised us to have a seat around the corner. They have you step on the scale to confirm weight when you're headed into that area. What a view!!! As you're waiting for everyone to arrive, you cannot only soak in the sight of Pike's Peak, but you can also watch the wranglers feeding & prepping the horses for the day. We were introduced to one gentleman who was going to be assigning our horse for the day & another who would be leading our ride. We were advised of the process, the safety measures that needed to be taken & asked if there were any questions. Once the safety portion was finished, we were told our horse's name. My horse was Clyde, my husband got Martini. Each wrangler brought a horse out, called out the name & you met them at the mounting block. The wrangler who helped me was very friendly & helpful. She ensured my stirrups were long enough as well as even, advised me that Clyde was a "headbanger" & told me to have a great ride. There were 5 of us in the group & our leader was spectacular. He gave us historical points & explanations of different rock formations. It was also nice when he would give a heads up of an incline, decline, steps etc. in addition to how to comfortably navigate. The entire ride was scenic, peaceful & a great way to spend a spring morning. I was very pleased with Clyde. He was the perfect fit for me & this ride. My husband was also very happy with Martini & stated he felt at home on her. All in all, we were bummed it was over when the tour came to an end. I couldn't have hoped for a better experience & felt as though it was a very fluid operation. I would recommend ARS to anyone regardless of age & experience. We're already planning our next ride!!! Thank you ARS for making this one of the best days ever!!!

Scheduled the 2-hour Garden of the Gods tour and was not disappointed. Staff were all professional and put safety first. Our guide Drey was top notch as well, he gave us history and details of the area, checked our group a couple times to make sure that nothing had changed in our saddles that could cause an issue. He also was respectful to others we met on the trail. I would definitely go back.

Great experience. We took the two hour ride. Scott made sure we felt comfortable and did a mid ride check as well for saddle or stirrup adjustment the horses were so gentle and my 14 year old said he felt he learned how to ride. Last one in TN they just dumped us on the horses and said follow me. It was nice to see how the horses well cared for.

Here's the impact of this company riding through Garden of the Gods for the 99.9% of guests not riding on a horse. I'm blown away that they get away with it day after day. Shame on the park and on the owners for allowing this. If the trails were for horseback only I would never be posting this.

Very thorough explanations for those who aren't as familiar with horses. They provide helmets and a saddle bag to put your things in! Also got some fun facts about Garden of the Gods throughout our ride. Highly recommend!

My niece and I did a 1 hour ride, which was really just right for our beginner level of experience. Being city slickers, we had more than enough saddle time. The wrangler crew was excellent and very polite and helpful. The trail went through the GoG Park giving the added benefit of beautiful views of the park and Pikes Peak. I recommend others enjoy the experience as well.

Very knowledgeable & friendly staff. We had unexpected weather & had to reschedule our reservation. They refunded a discounted portion at no request from us. The tour had amazing views of the park & our guide had all history & FAQ's of the park to share. The horses were more than capable of getting up & down in tricky areas in slushy mushy icy ground conditions so zero complaints and more than impressed w their capabilities! 10 of 10 would deff do again and recommend.

Loved the experience! Emma was fantastic. A must "must do" adventure when visiting Colorado Springs!