Morris's Shadow Mountain

I signed up for citysearch to write this review. All horseback riding is potentially hazardous but this riding experience was frightening. It included being bucked off a horse where the saddle was loose and sideways to start off with, horses getting in fights with each other because they are in-bred brothers and sisters, putting a horse known not to get along with any other on the trail, putting children on these horses, offering no instruction, yelling at the children for not controlling their horses properly, horses kicking children in the legs leaving bruises, and resulting in children who will never come near horses again and physical therapy for the back injuries after being thrown in bramble and muck near a river. I'm not making this up, look at the Yelp review for a fellow rider whose sister was very experienced with horses and actually chose to walk knee deep through mud rather than ride the horse since she could see how this trail ride was spiraling into a potential ER visit. The response by the owner? Our fault apparently! Plus, this was not a nature trail in case that's the vision you had in mind. It was suburbs, concrete streets, lawnmowers buzzing, highway, cars going by, lots of dried poop along the roads (sure the neighbors appreciate that) to let you know the route. Not relaxing, had to constantly work the horses since they really didn't want to be there, which seemed to be the attitude of the owner too. Her assistant with an accent was quite nice though and I liked the chickens and pigs roaming about. The ride, however, was very dangerous and I've been on horses before and took riding lessons. After being bucked off, I quickly ran to the children to control their horses before they got bucked off or their horses started to bolt like racehorses like one woman's horse did. I thought I would have an enjoyable leisurely ride but not even close. more

Great, down to earth place. The owner is really patient and understanding, especially with someone like me being new to riding. The trails are near the stables which offered a convenient ride. There are also many other kinds of animals to see there, quite a broad collection! Also new there is a petting zoo, great for kids. Overall, a very laid back, unpretentious place and great value. Would definitely also recommend for a whole family or group of people. more

My daughter and I love going to Shadow Mtn Stables! Bonnie is a wonderful instructor and my daughter has learned so much from her over the years. She has taken lessons, attended summer camp, and gone on trail rides. The horses are so well taken care of and have such wonderful gentle personalities. How else would I trust them around a three year old when we were just starting out. My daughter is ten years old now, but still awful small next to a horse, so the temperment of the horse is extremely important to me. I would recommend this stable to other mothers! more

This was the worst horse riding experience i have ever had. The entire property was a dive. There was trash everywhere and it was a giant mud hole. The lady who owned and ran the stable was incredibly rude. I went with a group of 6 women, we made a reservation a month out so she knew we were coming and she still treated badly. She was very unprepared. she wasted part of our 90-minute ride bushing out her horses and saddling them up. all the horses were dirty with mud caked everywhere and one of the 6 horses we rode, should not have been ridden. All the the horse bite, and one was extremely under weight. all of its ribs were showing as well as its hip bones. She did not match riders to horse size. My mother, which is the biggest of the 6 of us, rode the smallest horse. She did not explain at all how to actually ride a horse, she just handed us the reins and said to take your horse into the arena. after my mothers horse was acting up, the owner was very rude to her and said she wasnt doing it right (we didnt get any instruction) and said ""well you dont let your kids walk all over you, so dont let a horse""... my mom then asked for a helmet to wear because she didnt want to be flung off her horse and the owner said ""you already passed up the opportunity to get one, you said no, now you would have to start all over and get fitted for one"" so we continued around the arena and she said that she felt we should just skip the trail ride and just walk around. after a few words, we ended up going out on a ride that lasted all of about 20 minutes through some trees, stickerbushes that were not pruned off the trail and through a neighborhood. After we got back to the arena and dismounted, there was no ""thank you for coming,"" ""I hope you had a good time."" she just walked out. we went and looked at some of the other animals she had and they were in pretty poor conditions. in a round circle cage she had 2 alpacas, 2 mini horses and a mini donkey. they were standing in 2 feet of mud, no food, barely any water and one of the mini horses had green puss coming out of its eyes. They were very dirty, and very hungry. They all were biting. In a barn, she had a baby sheep and 2 goats who were trying to escape from the hell of no food and no water and living in a dog carrier. in the other 2 stalls in the barn were bunnies that were multiplying. There was about an acre and a half pasture on the side of the arena where at minimum 30 horses standing around in mud. she also had a baby cow that was very underweight. I do not support this place and i hope you will not either. I was very upset when i left there as was the other 5 women with me. Save your money and dont go. more

I have a daughter who, when we started with Bonnie, was a beginning rider. When you first pull up to Morris Shadow Mountain, you arrive at Bonnies House. We arrived to a home and yard never maintained. We decided to not judge a book by its cover and proceeded to the back of the house where lessons are taught. Bonnie, even after two conversations had forgotten we had a lesson. I had even called and confirmed the day prior, But after she finished the one lesson she was on, made an effort and apologized for her confusion. We just started 20 mins late. We then paid cash for the six lesson deal in advance. On the following Saturday lesson, Bonnie was no where to be found. We waited again for the lesson which was over 20 mins late and then she didnt even give us the alotted time for the lesson we paid for since she had another after us. So at this point we were frustrated, but hoping things would get better. On the third lesson, we arrived and NO BONNIE. A neighbor little girl was there working and helping out and had no idea where Bonnie was. We waited an hour, tried knocking on the doors, calling, ect. Bonnie had forgotten to call us an cancle since her other lessons did, she was out running errands. We told her about our frustration and told her we wanted our remaining lessons and over $150 credit refunded. She agreed and apologized, but never refunded us. more

Bonnie Morris is a wonderful instructor who cares very much about her students and their progress. She is attentive to detail and uses a variety of exercises to improve her students' riding technique. The atmosphere at her stable is one of camaraderie and goodwill. I highly recommend Morris's Shadow Mountain to anyone wanting to learn or improve their horseback riding. more

Bonnie has a great personality and has a great way with people, as well as with the horses. For those who do not have a horse, Bonnie is expert at matching you with a mount to suit your experience level. When you go to Shadow Mtn. Stables, you are constantly learning. Not only the how's, but the why's and when's. She explains each step and gives great exercises you can do at home to improve your riding. This is a fun way to get in shape and I recommend it highly. more