Heart of the Horse

I cannot say enough good things about this place!I'm a middle-aged man, who has always wanted to learn how to ride horses, and I finally took the plunge to commit to ten lessons of Western riding. The ranch is beautiful, and just five minutes from my house.The horses are beautiful, healthy, and well-cared-for.David, the owner, Jordan, and all of the instructors are wonderful people and excellent at teaching you all that you need to know.If you live on the east side and want to learn to ride, this is the place to go.

Loved this place. The people were so nice and the man I charge was so kind and helped me setup my Apple Pay. We arrived 15mins late because my father was slow to get ready due to a stroke he had in November last year. I let them know I was running a little late and they were very understanding and said they would start getting the horses ready. The price was not bad$75 an hour for a ride along with and instructor. They showed us how to brush the horse and but the blanket and the saddle. They would have showed us how to prepare the horses hooves but again we were late. We got in the horses and the had helmets for my young kids (11&13yrs). Even tho we didn't get the full hour we still had a lot of fun and we got to see the horses play in the water after. They treat the horses very kindly and with love. They mentioned that they only get ridden once a day if need be. They don't use their horses only for income. Which I thought was good because the horses aren't getting over worked. This is a very humane place and clean. Next time we come to Tucson AZ we want to come back to ride again, hopefully on a trail ride

This place is by far the best horse back-riding experience I've ever had. From the minute we called to make an appointment to the moment we left, David was extremely accommodating, professional and helpful. The prices are very reasonable and they allow you to spend whatever amount of time you'd like on your ride. The horses are beautiful and all healthy and well taken care of and you can tell he really loves them. The trail was full of beautiful scenery and he even took some pictures of us for us! David and Becca were awesome to ride with and let everyone ride to their best ability and were able to pick them perfect horse for each person to ride. We will absolutely be back here and highly recommend David and his crew of beautiful horses as your place of choice!

David at Heart of the Horse is an incredible horseman, teacher, and therapist! His property is not just a ranch, but a lovely sanctuary in our community of peace and good vibes. His horses are loved like his own children, and they are wonderful to ride. I am taking lessons there, and each lesson, David guides me on a ride that is helping me grow my horsemanship and riding skills exponentially! If you are looking for equine therapy or riding, this is the place!

Wishing we were still in Tucson! The Heart is the Horse is one of the most magical places I've ever visited. Their founder David Lavin is an inspirational ranch manager with the dream of making a difference in people's lives using help from his four-legged friends. The animals are well-trained and beautifully groomed. And trust me, there is much more to the #HEARToftheHORSE than horses. It's authentic, warm, fun, and loving. Absolute must if you're in #Tucson, #Arizona. 10/10! (Especially equine therapy or lessons!).

We didn't want to travel too far out of Tucson proper since we were staying in the University area, so we found Heart of the Horse and called/spoke with David. He was informative and answered all our questions and set an appointment for the next morning. The ranch is in a beautiful area and we were welcomed by a pack of friendly dogs, and a bit smaller pack of friendly ranch hands. We were assigned to our horses, who were fed, saddled, and ready for us. They were beautiful, sweet, and perfect horses for each of the three of us in my party. David and Ciara were our guides and were very helpful. David seemed to know exactly our strong points and weak points and shared the perfect, concise instructions we each needed. It was a beautiful trail that led us through a diverse terrain of native plants and trees. Our ride was around 8 in the morning, and the dew on the ground, easy breeze, moderate temps, and amazing mountain vistas made our ride fly by. We could not have been more happy! We appreciated that he took many digital photos of our group and shared them with us at no extra cost. My rating? 5 star for sure!

Thank you David and staff for my wonderful experience!! I loved every minute and hope to visit Millie soon!!

This place is great!! I've been riding for almost 20 years and have horses of my own, but when I travel to new cities I always love exploring them on horseback. And let me tell you, this was the best trail riding experience I've had yet! David takes great care of these horses and is very very kind. We ran through the desert and had a blast! If I'm ever back in Tucson I'll definitely come back for another ride. The price isn't bad and is definitely worth it! I'm super glad I chose this ranch, there are A LOT of them in the area that offer trail rides, but this one was overall truly great, especially if you are a more experienced rider. Thank you for a great time!

This place teaches and cares for the whole person--mind, body, and spirit. My daughter is building confidence while learning how to communicate with animals (and others) in deeper ways. Wisdom from David--"you can lie to me, but you can't lie to the horse." They sense how you are really feeling, which helps you understand yourself better. Best lessons in trust, risk-taking, and honesty you can learn, especially as a kid, when it matters most.

These guys are amazing. A horse to fit every rider and an instructor for every rider too. Great for first time riders to learn about grooming and saddling their horse. 10-15 minutes of tutorial and the balance of the hour riding. Very professional, a great value.