quicksilver ranch

We took the short drive here to see the ponies, and our daughter loved it. We had no expectations because we knew that there wouldn't be anything happening, and that this was not a guided tour. We did walk around for 15 minutes taking photos and watching the horses graze, but unfortunately, they didn't approach us.This is fine to kill 15 minutes, but that's about it.

Located about 3 miles from the center of Solvang, this farm breeds and sells miniature horses. The horses roam free in several large fenced fields. Visitors walk along the outside of the fence and view the horses. Often if you stand near the fence, the horses will walk up to you. Stay a few feet from the fence and do not touch or feed the horses. A delight for people of all ages. The number of horses you see depends on the time of day and season, but there are always enough to satisfy any visitor. Depending on the number and activity of horses this could be a ‘5’ attraction.

If you and/or your children like animals, here is a chance to see adorable miniature horses up close and personal and FREE. Even without children, this is a must stop place for us whenever we go anywhere in or near Los Olivos, Solvang, Ballard or en route up the Central Coast. Usually we try to come in the spring, because there are BABIES. . . from April to June, methinks, the baby miniatures are born, which are even tinier and MORE adorable (if possible) than the adults. If you come in Spring, and you don't see any obvious babies outside, go into the indoor shaded stables and you will find them. When we first started visiting the place, they would put up a note outside each stable as to precisely when each baby was born, and they do keep the newborns in the stables for a short time. Very short. It is amazing to see these baby miniature horses up and running around SO soon. We will never forget "Shirley" a baby miniature with so much personality, she was interacting with all the people and playing with a soccer ball and. . . well, it just doesn't get any more wonderful than SHIRLEY and it WAS difficult explaining why we didn't BUY Shirley and take her home with us. In spring, its all green fields and white fences and babies, and interacting with them. . .bring your camera. . .there's nothing complicated or commercial about the place . . . and it's amenity free. . .but it is ALWAYS a highlight of any visit in the area because, of course, the best things in life are free.

They allow you to pet the ponies, tour the area, and when they are closed it is still amazing to just pull over on the side of the road and watch these playful little guys and girls. Owners and ponies are very friendly. Very serene area.

I'm giving it a 4 because the services are limited. I would give it a 5 as to the horses. A beautiful setting on a very nice country road. Among vineyards and roadside lined with well groomed roses. Green fields and white fences, and the little Miniature Horses are beautiful. Fun to watch them play, and interact with each other. A very good experience for children. There is a small gift shop in the stable that has some T-Shirts and very limited other items. There was no food available that I saw for sale. We've been here before, and enjoyed going back again. I'd recommend it.

We enjoyed seeing and photographing the little horses. This was a free attraction but no one was in sight. Too bad they don't charge and offer a narrative and maybe pony cart rides for little children. We enjoyed seeing them but don't expect too much

This isn't an "attraction" as much as a generous view into raising miniature horses. There are plenty to look at and depending on the season there are babies, pregnant mares and studs rearing to go! You may not be able to get too close if the horses are shy - they are animals for crying out loud - but bring your camera and your patience and you'll get to see something very special. The area is gorgeous and the drive out to the ranch is short. The ranch is a must see every time we pass through town just because it helps us appreciate nature and the rhythms of life. (And they don't want dogs there so you'll need to leave them in the car.)Tips: prepare to park, meander around, be quiet, enjoy the landscape and the animals in it, bring a camera. Have patience.

Seeing these wonderful miniature horses at the Quicksilver Ranch very close to Solvang was a highlight for my wife and I.The ranch has a modern barn that we walked through. There were no horses inside since the horses were all outside in various fenced off areas for viewing. This barn was the cleanest I have ever seen. You could almost eat off of the floor. It did not have any odors either. They have separate stalls for all the horses.Next we walked to the various pasture areas to see a good variety of different coloured miniature horses.Lucky for us we were there only 3 days after the birth of a new colt. The colt was already walking alongside its mother.We saw the father of the colt too.This is a super attraction to bring children and adults alike.the best part is that there is no charge to park and see these cute miniature horses.

We stopped by this place to see the miniature horses because my daughter is crazy about horses. The Good: No fee to see the horses, can walk around freely to see them, we even saw a baby miniature horse with its mommy. The Bad: There is no one there on the ranch to greet you, not sure if they offer tours. Overall, my daughters enjoyed their brief visit.

I was super excited and all geared up to come here after I saw such high ratings. Well, we drove there and it was totally weird and boring. It's like you're just at someone's house looking at their yard! The horses are cute, but they are super far away. Maybe it's because we're from LA, or we're capitalists, but there should be SOMETHING to do there besides stand and feel like we're trespassing! I would have paid a dollar to feed the horses or pet them or SOMETHING! Wouldn't go back. The ostrich farm was far more entertaining.

We stopped by this ranch on our way to Rideau Winery (which is actually right accross the road), just to give our 9yo kid something to do (in exchange for his patience in the winery). It was really cool to watch the miniature horses; they are friendly and walked up to the fence so my son could touch them and all. But apart from that, there's not much to do, only roaming around the farm. In any case, if you're driving by it's worth stopping.

If you are visiting Solvang and if you have time, visit this ranch which is 5 minutes drive from Solvang. This ranch is free to roam around inside. You will get to see lot of miniature horses. Me and my wife enjoyed watching these miniature species. Kids will enjoy this place a lot.Tips: -You have plenty of parking. -Its a mud road once you enter the ranch, so when lot of vehicle movein and moveout, there is lot of dust in air. So if you are allergic to dust be little careful.

The ranch is located only 5 minutes from town. We were able to roam around and see the beautiful miniature horses. Two came up to us and allowed us to pet them. They were so adorable. Kids would love this, adults too! It is free, but you can give donations. We really enjoyed it. Nice diversion from shopping.

The miniature horse ranch was different. There were 20 or so little horses to see and some will come over to the fence so you can pet them. This is a pretty ranch, very close to the local towns. We did this ranch and the lavender farm in the same morning. Each took about 15 minutes. Then it was on to Buttonwood Vineyard and Farm for wine tasting. That place is huge and you could walk around their grounds for an hour. They even have a lake.There is no tour or interaction with the little horses, other than looking at them. On a weekday in September, we were the only people there. The ranch hands were in the barn working, guests are self serve for seeing the horses. Which was really cool, I love horses, so was happy they get to live a bit of a distance from people if they want. Better for the horses and very generous of the farm to allow the public onto the property. There is a big dirt parking lot, easy for motor homes and 30 cars.

This is fun, beautiful little ranch and the horses are adorable! It's great that it's free to see the horses. However, it'd be nice if the staff would interact more with visitors. Everyone was nice but simply said hello without offering any information. This place would be a lot better if they had some staff members who would tell guests about the horses and maybe bring one out to pet since most of them are way out on the lawn and not near the fence. I would pay a few bucks per person if they did this! Despite this, it's still a great little place to visit in Solvang!