Zia Ranch

My 5 year old daughter has been riding at Zia Ranch every week for almost a year. Debbie has been absolutely amazing. My daughter can be very timid and shy. She had never been around a horse. Debbie has made her feel so comfortable and confident. Debbie is so patient with her. I have gotten to know her on a personal level over the past year. She truly loves all her students and horses. What makes her such a wonderful instructor is that she is doing what she loves. I can’t say enough wonderful things about the program. I love it so much that now I’m taking lessons too!

What a wonderful place this is. My granddaughter takes horseback riding lessons at Zia Ranch and I’ve been there several times to watch. Debbie is such an honest, caring person. All the others that work there are fantastic too. These people do a lot of good things for a lot of kids that wouldn’t have the chance otherwise. The grounds are gorgeous and if I was going to have a wedding event, this is the place I’d choose. Honest, nice people. You can trust them.

When I first found the ranch I was thrilled! It was absolutely beautiful just as I had envisioned for my wedding. Debbie kept in good communication at first. However, my experience quickly went from great to very poor as my wedding got closer and closer.
1. I NEVER received a contract like I had asked for in the beginning (which lead to many promises not being kept)
2. I was told $ 1,500: they would provide tables, and hay bales for seating for both ceremony & reception. The week of my wedding I was told I had to pay extra for hay bales to be set up & taken down ($ 500). Also, they tacked on another $ 500 because my guest count went from 100 – 125. (so now $ 1,000 more than I was originally told).
3. I was also told by Debbie her dogs would be put away during the wedding. Well the day of they refused to put away dogs and the big Great Dane ran out during my ceremony right as I was getting ready to walk out.
4. They also told me the day after I needed to take all the trash bags.
5. When I came to clean up the next morning they had taken ALL of my cans and said they were cashing them in. Which was supposed to go towards out honeymoon. (There was a TON). And due to all the extra expenses that we weren’t told about we weren’t able to go on a honeymoon.
6. They were periodically very rude and other times very nice. Made me feel very unwelcome at times.
7. I had extension cords taken that were mine. The next morning they were mysteriously missing and unplugged from all the lights I had rented.
8. I asked when if I could pay via PayPal for remaining $ 300 owed and I didn’t hear back for a month! And she emails me like its my fault when I haven’t heard from her.
On a positive not I do think they are very nice people, however, I do not think they should consider doing events because the etiquette for it just wasn’t there or maybe because I was only they’re 2^nd or 3^rd wedding they have a few kinks to work out.
Over all my feelings were just really hurt because I trusted them and I feel like they totally took advantage of me. My wedding was beautiful thanks to all my friends and family who helped out and made things happen for me. However Zia Ranch didn’t help with anything but collect a paycheck.