About
Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides offers horseback trail rides, pony encounters, a Magical Pony Encounter, a Family Fun Ride, River Trail Rides, a petting zoo, After School Farm Camp, and private weekly horsemanship lessons. Kids can ride retired champion show, rodeo, or ranch horses, including former champions in dressage, roping, racing, sport horse, and reining. Guides provide helmets and tack, which are sanitized before and after each ride, and all riders are required to wear pants and closed-toed shoes and arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled ride time.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Schedule: Rides are offered daily year-round by appointment, open every day except major holidays; Magical Pony Encounter and Family Fun Ride are one hour, River Trail Rides are 60, 75, or 90 minutes, petting zoo encounters are 30 minutes, and there is a 75-minute Horseback Ride Spring Special.
• Price: Spring Special 75-Minute Horseback Ride is $159 per person; Magical Pony Encounter is $114 per child (or $15 less without the trail walk); petting zoo encounters are $15 for a 30-minute session; a Local Riders Special offers 10 rides for $800; partner hotel guests save $10 per rider with specific promo codes; guest cancellations up to 48 hours prior to ride time or due to inclement weather are fully refunded, and last-minute cancellations receive a one-time rebooking certificate plus a $35 rebooking fee.
On the Magical Pony Encounter, kids have a guided pony ride around the arena and a short trail ride into the woods, and a unicorn is available on request. This session is designed for two kids per session, and up to three adults can ride along, and kids who do the Magical Pony Encounter get free access to the petting zoo. The Family Fun Ride begins in the Pony Arena with an introduction and lesson, and kids ride their own horse while being ponied alongside experienced guides after passing a simple test to show balance and basic control before the trail segment.
River Trail Rides reach the Santa Ynez River with up to four seasonal crossings, and the 90-minute River Trail Ride includes a deep-water crossing near a beaver dam with abundant wildlife such as eagles, deer, and beavers. Kids aged 8 and up can join the trail ride if they have some previous riding experience, and kids 8–12 on trail rides get their own mount and are attached by lead line to their own guide. Kids 6 and up can join their parents on the Family Fun Ride, and groups are typically up to five riders, with larger groups of 6–8 riders arranged by calling the office.
After School Farm Camp focuses on raising and caring for goats, sheep, miniature horses, mules, ponies, and full-size horses, and private weekly horsemanship lessons are offered for kids age 6 and up. Guides will take photos for guests using the guest’s phone or camera. The program states that no riding experience is necessary, rides are small-group or private, and it is safely open with social distancing as a practice.
Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides states that it was born out of the idea of bringing affordable, high-quality trail riding to the Santa Ynez Valley and is operated by Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides LLC as of 2023. The program notes that it is highly acclaimed as one of the Central Coast’s top attractions and that it is a brand new facility. It partners with several Santa Ynez Valley hotels, including Flying Flags RV Resort, SYV Marriott, Sideways Inn, Hotel Corque, Vinland Hotel, The Landsby, WorldMark Solvang, and Hampton Inn & Suites, offering their guests exclusive discounts and Wine Country Fun Pass gift certificates and promo codes emailed directly upon booking. The listed contact is Bob, who can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 805-693-4600.
Last updated April 5, 2026.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Schedule: Rides are offered daily year-round by appointment, open every day except major holidays; Magical Pony Encounter and Family Fun Ride are one hour, River Trail Rides are 60, 75, or 90 minutes, petting zoo encounters are 30 minutes, and there is a 75-minute Horseback Ride Spring Special.
• Price: Spring Special 75-Minute Horseback Ride is $159 per person; Magical Pony Encounter is $114 per child (or $15 less without the trail walk); petting zoo encounters are $15 for a 30-minute session; a Local Riders Special offers 10 rides for $800; partner hotel guests save $10 per rider with specific promo codes; guest cancellations up to 48 hours prior to ride time or due to inclement weather are fully refunded, and last-minute cancellations receive a one-time rebooking certificate plus a $35 rebooking fee.
On the Magical Pony Encounter, kids have a guided pony ride around the arena and a short trail ride into the woods, and a unicorn is available on request. This session is designed for two kids per session, and up to three adults can ride along, and kids who do the Magical Pony Encounter get free access to the petting zoo. The Family Fun Ride begins in the Pony Arena with an introduction and lesson, and kids ride their own horse while being ponied alongside experienced guides after passing a simple test to show balance and basic control before the trail segment.
River Trail Rides reach the Santa Ynez River with up to four seasonal crossings, and the 90-minute River Trail Ride includes a deep-water crossing near a beaver dam with abundant wildlife such as eagles, deer, and beavers. Kids aged 8 and up can join the trail ride if they have some previous riding experience, and kids 8–12 on trail rides get their own mount and are attached by lead line to their own guide. Kids 6 and up can join their parents on the Family Fun Ride, and groups are typically up to five riders, with larger groups of 6–8 riders arranged by calling the office.
After School Farm Camp focuses on raising and caring for goats, sheep, miniature horses, mules, ponies, and full-size horses, and private weekly horsemanship lessons are offered for kids age 6 and up. Guides will take photos for guests using the guest’s phone or camera. The program states that no riding experience is necessary, rides are small-group or private, and it is safely open with social distancing as a practice.
Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides states that it was born out of the idea of bringing affordable, high-quality trail riding to the Santa Ynez Valley and is operated by Santa Ynez Valley Horseback Rides LLC as of 2023. The program notes that it is highly acclaimed as one of the Central Coast’s top attractions and that it is a brand new facility. It partners with several Santa Ynez Valley hotels, including Flying Flags RV Resort, SYV Marriott, Sideways Inn, Hotel Corque, Vinland Hotel, The Landsby, WorldMark Solvang, and Hampton Inn & Suites, offering their guests exclusive discounts and Wine Country Fun Pass gift certificates and promo codes emailed directly upon booking. The listed contact is Bob, who can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 805-693-4600.
Last updated April 5, 2026.
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