rolling hills ranch

This was my first time riding a horse ever. I had no experience at all but wanted to give it a try anyway. We got there around 11:30am. The horses looked dirty and uncared for. The staff are inattentive and don't care for you at all. There are no safety rules at all. They gave me a horse named Mr T who is a temperamental beast. They told me how to control the horse really fast and sent us off without a guide or anything. My horse wouldn't stop along the way or listen to my commands at all and would turn around to eyeball me every time I try to command him. Even the staff had a hard time getting him to follow orders and they wouldn't switch me with another horse when my friend offered to switch with me. Finally when we started to head back, the staff sent us off on our own with no guides or anything. That's when my horse went crazy and went running through the trails in the woods and down the hills. I screamed for help the entire way but there was no one there to help me as my horse went astray from my group. I almost fell off the horse several times as i am inexperienced and the darn horse kept running so fast down the hills. He managed to pull the reins out of my hands at one point. Finally my horse got back to the barn and one of the staff members had the nerve to say he heard me calling for help but didn't go out there to help me at all cause he "wasn't in charged". Apparently some people had heard me screaming and none had came to help. None of them said anything to me about what happened. No apologies or concerns. My group arrived about 10 mins after me since mine ran the entire way back. After that traumatizing experience, I am now officially afraid of horses and won't be getting back on one again. And to top things off, I got stung by a wasp there. Terrible place. The animals could've been kept better and management should've been a whole lot better.

My husband, boys (10 and 8) and I went to Rolling Hills today having never ridden horses before. We went in Saturday morning, 10 a.m. The cost was $90.00 for the four of us. The staff was nice but I was a little surprised that they didn't give too many instructions. They placed my children on the horses first, told them to hold the reins, and sent us on our way. They have helmets available but we opted not to wear them. My 10 year old was told that his horse (Bubba) might stop frequently but he just needed to kick him in the side to prod him along. While I thought it was strange to give a 10 year old a less than willing horse, we set out on our journey. The ranch is beautiful, scenic and very peaceful. The ride lasts about an hour which is just right and you ride through a wooded trail, up and down steep hills. For the most part, the horses seem to move along the path on their own. There are guides along the trail but there are times when you are riding along without supervision. My horse, Rose, literally reared on her hind legs anytime the guides came near and tried to snip at my son's horse, Dart. When I asked the guides why this was happening, they said she didn't like other horses telling her what to do and that she didn't like the orange vests. If this had been my children's horse, they could have easily fallen off. Dart was stubborn and refused to move several times until the end where he headed back toward the barn. My husband's horse, Stitches, was fine. Overall, it was a very nice experience. We would probably do it again but I might ask for a different horse (not Rose). It should also be noted that you can become separated from your group as my son ended up finishing 5 minutes before us while our horses lagged behind. Luckily he was okay with that and I could see him ahead of me, but as a parent I was a little nervous about that issue. I'm sure we will be sore tomorrow!

My boyfriend surprised me with this - as I am a horse enthusiast and previous rider. I was beyond excited when we arrived at 730PM to ride (though rides don't start until 9). The first staff we saw asked us if we were "the accident victims"...which was sort of an alarming question. Not sure if she was joking or not. Regardless we signed our waivers and opted to wear a helmet (if I don't know a horse I am not risking anything). Long story short - the ride was way too long (hour and half) and way too slow and way too dark out. There were about 30 people and you had to ride in a single file line at the slowest walking pace. My boyfriend and I were separated the entire ride. Additionally because it was 930pm - 11pm we couldn't see anything. The horses didn't seem well mannered, mine kicked the horse behind it on numerous occasions. I Will say the bon fire and rib dinner afterwards was AWESOME, I'd skip the ride and go for just the bonfire, the food was great!this was not the romantic anniversary midnight right I had in mind.overall for $75 for two people, I think it was an incredible value - I just wish the ride had less people, a few more lights and maybe a saunter or two on the horse.I would like to try the ranch one more time during a day ride - I'm sure the ranch is beautiful when you can see it .

This was my third time on a horse. What I like about this place was it was just not you following a bunch of other people slowly around in a line. You had freedom to go up and down hills through mud and even let them run a bit. For a novice rider it was actually a little exciting for me. Very good deal at $25 an hour. Easy to find and the staff was very nice and helpful if needed. Awesome place.

Our first time here at the ranch but had a blast. "Sedona" was stubborn at first but couldn't wait to return to the barn for the last 30 seconds of the ride. What a hoot! ! The guides were great and helpful. We will be back. Sedona and I have an understanding. Not really ...but I'd ride her again!

My son has wanted to do this (and same with me), so FINALLY for his 26th birthday, we went. I was surprised at the other reviews that I saw regarding bad staff. I was beyond impressed with the staff here! They are attentive, and made sure we had a good time! We were also impressed as they all seemed to truly care about the horses, which was so nice to see! I like that they lead you for part of it, then let you go and explore the trails by yourselves! Not only was this trip a lot of fun, but the staff did make a huge impression on us, and that's what we remember the most! I would recommend this place for sure! We look forward to going back!

This was my first time riding in 30 years and was a bit nervous.I arrived at 9am and completed the paperwork and assigned a guide, Mike, for my first time out on the trails.I was helped up and off we rode into the lovely pastures down to the woods.Then forrest trails were fabulous and Mike was a great guide and conversationalist. He pointed me in the right direction and let me ride solo the rest of the day. I rode up the the high fields and trotted a bit.The views were spectacular and I could see the Pittsburgh skyline in the distance.I had a wonderful time recognizing this is a trail riding organization which is exactly what they delivered.

My 70 year old mother, myself, and my two daughters (8, 11) had such a wonderful ride. We were greeted and asked about our level of experience and given (optional) helmets. Each horse was specifically chosen based on its disposition and propensity towards leading/following. My lead horse was fun to ride and spirited enough to give me a good gallop on the way back to the barn. My mother's horse easily followed, my 11 year old's horse was sweet and willing to trot for a little thrill, and my 8 year old had an older horse that hesitated to keep up and had to be coaxed along - but good problems to have for a horse carrying a youngster - she was sweet and calm. The guide leaves the group to follow the trail through the woods which gives the ride a thrill of options and opportunity to go for awhile alone. But don't get anxious because another guide is waiting for the group to surface to take you up on the hillside if you want to run or gallop the horses with a guide right beside you. Then the guide lines the horses back up to go back through the trails in the woods and, again, the group is met of the other side by another guide to direct the group to the barn. All the horses get a pep in their step to get back to the barn, so be ready to ride! The price is so incredibly reasonable that we will be returning several more times.

My boyfriend and I bought tickets for the moonlight ride experience. Needless to say it rained on Friday and was cancelled. The establishment called his brother (who also was going with his girlfriend) and told him to tell us it was rescheduled for tomorrow. Due to prior plans made months in advance for Saturday, we were unable to attend. We called Friday to see if we could reschedule for August (we did not ask for a refund, just a different date). We were told to call Saturday to speak with the manager. On Saturday we called and were told thay rescheduling on another day was impossible because they already spent our deposit on food. Quite frankly, this is ridiculous. I understand canceling for rain, but not giving people the option to come another date due to the company canceling is stupid.I can only imagine how rude the employees would have been if we would have been able to go.

I recently decided to introduce my mother to horse riding or as she now refers to it as her near death experience (i'll admit shes a tad dramatic). The first time we went was fantastic the horses were calm and well behaved..we arrived at 9am the first time.The secind trip out was less than successful. We were helped on to our horses and asked for helmets that were not offered even though we didnt sign the waver. We got about 50 yards when my horse decided it didnt want me on. 33 decided to turn tail, as i pulled on the reins to try and stop the run 33 proceded to try and trow me off before i allowed it to return home. Feeling slightly nervous i mounted my second horse and started the trail a second time. All was seemingly well till the top of the hill.At this point we were informed we could run..this is when my mum began to panic. I informed tge guide she was inexperienced so he stopped and allowed us to walk. We started down the hill and met a hand over guide called dave..which is not how my mum chooses to refer to him but i will keep the language civil. Dave was very eager to return to the barns to collect another group as they only had two guides on the trail. He asked us to hang back so he could gallop back. This is when my mums horse lost it. She started to turn in circles and rear up. My mum screamed for help. Dave watched. My mum screamed again dave trotted another ten yards away and said pull back on the reins...this did not help. My mum began crying and begging for help.Dave tutted and repeated his instructions. I screamed at dave to help. I then dismounted my horse and helped my mum down. Dave came closer and told me to let go of the horses they would go back themselves. We walked back to the barn..dave passed us with his next group of inexperienced riders without saying a word or asking how we were. We discovered that dave had not explained to any of the other staff what had happened. I did that while my mum hyperventilated. We were offered a free ride...i did not reply I though perhaps she was trying to be funny. I facebooked the ranch to complain about our day they have not replied then have shown the same interest in my complaint as they did in my mothers safety.I will not return clearly safety is a hit or a miss. The horses were overworked and over heated. The ranch does not cater to inexperienced riders and i would not risk my safety again at this place..i can only advise if you go that you take the helmet and go at 9am because after that the horses are tired, hot and unresponsive to commants. Do not expect any help from the guides either they have more important things to be doing than wasting time preventing injury to the customers or the horses.

My 11 year old wanted to go horseback riding for her birthday. Being inexperienced city slickers we had no idea what to expect. The staff was outstanding and assigned us good docile horses. There were friendly, helpful guides well situated throughout the gorgeous scenic trails, and our ride far exceeded our expectations! We even were able to run the horses on the field. The horses looked clean, healthy and well-cared for. There was a place for them to drink along the trails. This was such a great first experience for us; we will definitely be back. Rolling Hills Ranch rocks in our book!!!

I'd like to start this review by saying that I am by no means an expert rider nor have I ever owned a horse. However, I have taken quite a few riding lessons (both English and Western saddle - Lessons also included horse care and tack maintenance) and consider myself a somewhat more experienced rider than the average person. I have perhaps visited Rolling Hills three times in all of the years I've lived in this area.Rolling Hills is pretty much what you'd expect from a stable/trail riding establishment: Plenty of horses and plenty of beautiful terrain to explore. It's a wonderful activity for a group of friends to take part in. That's about all of the positive comments I have for this place...The horses owned by Rolling Hills are perhaps the most poorly behaved, stubborn animals I've ever had the pleasure of riding upon. Horses are creatures of habit and these ones are so used to their routine that they refuse to listen to any commands from their rider. They simply go through the motions... If they're feeling up to it, that is. Be prepared for plenty of stops and refusals to change direction, walk uphill, or change the pace...I also find it somewhat sad that the staff does not take the time to clean or brush the horses before/after each ride. I suppose I'd refuse to move too if my mane was tangled and full of brambles, my hooves were full of gunk, and I didn't receive a nice massage or a break from my saddle after carrying 150+ pounds of human in the summer heat.Also, the most attention you'll receive from the staff will be when you're saddling up. Just forget it if you require help on the trail. If you do run into any staff, they'll likely heckle you for attempting to ride with the proper form or comment on the "stupid animal" you're riding.These horses aren't "stupid animals". The people that keep them, however, might be.

I've boarded horses here for years before I had my own farm. They did a nice job and were very friendly.

Went family horse back riding and had a great time. My son came back again with his girlfiend :-) Very relaxing

I highly recommend this place for a relaxing time. The horses seemed very well taken care of when I was there. They even had a R&R field for tired horses that got the day off!!! lol. The trails are beautiful. The horses seem well behaved, if you are honest with your riding ability then you shouldn't have a problem...I get more advanced horses bc I've been riding for a long time and I've never had a problem. My kids get the "beginner" horses because they don't have much experience...the horses don't want to go sometimes but that's because they're not sure what my kids are asking from them when they're pulling back on the reins and kicking at the same time!!! The horses are confused but very tolerant and patient at the same time:))) The staff is very friendly and helpful.