Horse of the Sun Ranch Programs
Horse of the Sun Ranch, 28271 Old Hwy 80, Pine Valley, CA 91962
About
Horse of the Sun Ranch Programs include activities such as horseback riding, pony rides, horse grooming, feeding horses, and natural horsemanship lessons. Participants also take part in archery, laser tag, leather craft, crafts, gardening, hiking, animal husbandry, and time with goats and a petting zoo. Ranch Day Camp sessions in spring, summer, and fall include horseback riding, feeding and grooming horses, archery, crafts, and other ranch activities.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Horse of the Sun Ranch operates Monday–Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with Ranch Day Camp offered in spring, summer, and fall, 2-hour Mini Ranch Camps for TK–8th grade on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 2-hour Mini Ranch Camps for 9th–12th grade on the 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, and horsemanship lessons available in 30-minute or 60-minute weekly sessions.
• Price: Summer Family Ranch Day costs $10 per family; Mini Ranch Camps cost $100 per month; 30-minute Horsemanship 1 lessons cost $50 per session; 30-minute Horsemanship 2 weekly lessons cost $200 per month; 60-minute Horsemanship 3 weekly lessons cost $299 per month.
Horse of the Sun Ranch Programs are part of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego and serve active-duty military families, veterans, and the public, with special rates for active duty military families, veterans, and first responders. The ranch has 14 horses, each described as having its own breed, background, and personality, and programs use a natural horsemanship approach that focuses on presence, partnership, and peace. The Natural Horsemanship Program offers several monthly subscription options and matches participants with a horse from the herd, and Ranch Days can be joined on scheduled days or by booking the entire ranch for a private event.
Home School/Charter School Program days include horseback riding, feeding and grooming horses, archery, gardening, hiking, and other ranch activities, while Mini Ranch Camps include animal husbandry, archery, leather craft, riding, and related experiences. Summer Family Ranch Day is open to active duty service members and their family members and includes lunch and drinks on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteer Ranch Retreats are equine-assisted day retreats shaped around themes such as leadership development, team bonding, effective communication, or emotional awareness, and facilitators for these retreats are certified through programs including EAL, Equus, and Touched by a Horse.
Horse of the Sun Ranch is a program site of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego, an Association of the YMCA of the USA, and the Armed Services YMCA is described as a top-rated military nonprofit organization with a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, an A Grade from Charity Watch, and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid Guidestar. The mission of Horse of the Sun Ranch is “to connect people with horses—and in doing so, reconnect them with themselves, their families, and the natural world.” The Armed Services YMCA San Diego states that it provides free or low-cost programs and services for military children, spouses, and families to ease the unique challenges of military life, and the Armed Services YMCA describes its broader mission as easing everyday life for military families carrying the quiet weight of service.
Volunteer Ranch Retreat facilitators are identified as certified through EAL, Equus, and Touched by a Horse, and Horse of the Sun Ranch welcomes volunteers of all skill levels to help with daily operations, horse care, ranch maintenance, and special events. Horse of the Sun Ranch is described as offering a relaxed ranch and mountain setting and a peaceful and healing environment where horses and people connect. The Horse of the Sun Ranch program was launched in 2012 as a program site of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego, which has been “Strengthening Our Military Family” since 1861 and has a long history of serving military members and families in San Diego.
Last updated June 18, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: Horse of the Sun Ranch operates Monday–Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with Ranch Day Camp offered in spring, summer, and fall, 2-hour Mini Ranch Camps for TK–8th grade on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, 2-hour Mini Ranch Camps for 9th–12th grade on the 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, and horsemanship lessons available in 30-minute or 60-minute weekly sessions.
• Price: Summer Family Ranch Day costs $10 per family; Mini Ranch Camps cost $100 per month; 30-minute Horsemanship 1 lessons cost $50 per session; 30-minute Horsemanship 2 weekly lessons cost $200 per month; 60-minute Horsemanship 3 weekly lessons cost $299 per month.
Horse of the Sun Ranch Programs are part of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego and serve active-duty military families, veterans, and the public, with special rates for active duty military families, veterans, and first responders. The ranch has 14 horses, each described as having its own breed, background, and personality, and programs use a natural horsemanship approach that focuses on presence, partnership, and peace. The Natural Horsemanship Program offers several monthly subscription options and matches participants with a horse from the herd, and Ranch Days can be joined on scheduled days or by booking the entire ranch for a private event.
Home School/Charter School Program days include horseback riding, feeding and grooming horses, archery, gardening, hiking, and other ranch activities, while Mini Ranch Camps include animal husbandry, archery, leather craft, riding, and related experiences. Summer Family Ranch Day is open to active duty service members and their family members and includes lunch and drinks on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteer Ranch Retreats are equine-assisted day retreats shaped around themes such as leadership development, team bonding, effective communication, or emotional awareness, and facilitators for these retreats are certified through programs including EAL, Equus, and Touched by a Horse.
Horse of the Sun Ranch is a program site of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego, an Association of the YMCA of the USA, and the Armed Services YMCA is described as a top-rated military nonprofit organization with a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, an A Grade from Charity Watch, and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid Guidestar. The mission of Horse of the Sun Ranch is “to connect people with horses—and in doing so, reconnect them with themselves, their families, and the natural world.” The Armed Services YMCA San Diego states that it provides free or low-cost programs and services for military children, spouses, and families to ease the unique challenges of military life, and the Armed Services YMCA describes its broader mission as easing everyday life for military families carrying the quiet weight of service.
Volunteer Ranch Retreat facilitators are identified as certified through EAL, Equus, and Touched by a Horse, and Horse of the Sun Ranch welcomes volunteers of all skill levels to help with daily operations, horse care, ranch maintenance, and special events. Horse of the Sun Ranch is described as offering a relaxed ranch and mountain setting and a peaceful and healing environment where horses and people connect. The Horse of the Sun Ranch program was launched in 2012 as a program site of the Armed Services YMCA San Diego, which has been “Strengthening Our Military Family” since 1861 and has a long history of serving military members and families in San Diego.
Last updated June 18, 2026.
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