Ross Ranch

We had a fun beach ride with Tobi (guide), Hemi and Cowboy. It was cold and beautiful and the horses were wonderful! We’ll definitely come back when it’s a little warmer!

Loved making this memory a part of our romantic weekend trip. Toby was amazing and she could make a baby feel comfortable on any horse. The backdrop of the ocean was perfect!!! It’s such a great value too! Very affordable for such a great time! Thanks Toby!

My then boyfriend (now fiancé) surprised me with a horseback riding trip on our winter vacation to Elk, CA.
I am an avid animal lover but was terrified to go horse back riding!
Let me just say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Tobi was our guide and she answered all my questions and made me feel very safe. She also put me on a very kind and gentle horse (who’s name is escaping me now and it is driving me crazy). Anyway, the beach was beautiful, the ride was magnificent and the horse was amazing. We became very good friends by the end of the ride :)
Can’t wait to do it again!
My fiancé rode Cowboy and love it as well! :)

We had a great experience with Ross Ranch. Tobi is great, everything well organized, the horses are super calm. Very kids friendly. We did both the forest and the beach trips and both are recommended.

Such a fun day! We are a family of 6 and have one that LOVES horses. We did this for her. After, we all agreed it was our favorite day of vacation. Huge thanks to Tobi for her kindness and patience with each of us. The beach was gorgeous and the ride was fun. We will be back! Thank you Tobi and John!

We scheduled a forest ride for two adults and two children. Had a great time. The horses were well matched to our abilities. None of us are experienced and were able to ride with guidance from Tobi. Would definitely schedule another ride if we are ever in the area.

My boyfriend and I had a great time riding out onto the beach. The scenery was beautiful.
Friendly staff and the horses are healthy and well maintained. We’ll book again next time we visit the area.

BEST TIME EVER FOR US ALL. My husband & I took our Grandson’s (both very small 7 and 10 years old). TOBY & JOHN were WONDERFUL and gave perfect instruction to the 1^st time, less experienced & experienced rider. I visit Manchester/​Gualala twice a year and will be adding this to my «to do EVERY TIME» list. BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, NICE PEOPLE, just the perfect day & a PERFECT memory!
ANYONE who complains regarding «rudeness» by owners, obviously knows nothing about horses & that the average weight for a horse is around 1000 lbs. YOU CAN GET HURT IF YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. As far as «refreshments being served», THE PRISTINE & TRASH FREE BEACH was gorgeous! ** We had water & snacks waiting in the car”.**
We will see you in SEPTEMBER. Thank you Toby & John!

I wasn’t impressed and I thought the male owner was rude.
Wouldn’t go back and wish we had of done the beach instead but thought the woods would be rugged and fun and more scenic and not as monotonous. I was wrong, it was boring and nothing really to see.
Surprised that they didn’t even have water to offer, some bottled water, for your guests would be a simple nice gesture.

Tobi met us at the gate along with five others. There were 7 of us going, so Tobi walked along side. Since this was a trail ride to the beach, I was fine with that. I asked Tobi when I booked the ride if it was two hours. She said the ride itself would be about an hour and a half and the rest would be mounting and dismounting at the end. The trail down to the ocean is a bit steep, but the horses are well matched for it and there is no danger. It was a pleasant ride along the surf line. We were not allowed to cantor the horses, but they did have free rein to walk where they wanted. If we would have been able to ride faster and freer, I would give them a five star. Overall it was a pleasant experience and my sweetheart got to take one more thing off her wish list.

I booked up to go riding on the beach in December. It was a great experience, the horses were well matched to my wife and my abilities. I became quite attached to mine, Cowboy, by the end. While it wasn’t quite 2 hours, it was just long enough that we were beginning to feel cold and stating to hurt when we finished. John and Ally were our guides and were great at answering questions and small talk. I’d go again in a heartbeat!
The only thing I would change is adding a chance to grab some photos on the beach to remember it by.

Owner, the slightly overweight man, is a pervert. Totally ruined my wife’s and I ride. I believe his name was John, he spoke to my wife the whole ride and suggested she take her short off to take pics at the beach. He spoke to her the entire ride, making her uncomfortable and showing his disconcert for patrons experience. It’s been a while since we rode but wanted to warn everyone of our disgusting experience. He stated another couple took topless pics, so that’s why he suggested it.

My parents, my husband, my two kids and I did the beach ride a Friday afternoon in September 2013 and had a terrific time.
Tobi was our guide and she took excellent care of us, matching us up to horses of suitable size and temperaments. She suggested the noon trip would be ideal as the low tide made the most beach accessible.
The horses were reasonable to control and maintained a comfortable walking pace, which suited all us well as mostly first-​time riders.
Don’t let the other reviews scare you with their description of a steep trail to the beach. You begin your tour just inside the fence along highway 1, cross a field and then you go down a trail to the beach, but you do it slowly and by traversing a series of switchbacks which are not steep. I would not call it scary. My kids were fine with it too. After you get down to the beach, it’s all flat again.
It’s cold down on the beach, colder than out by the road where you mount the horses, so we were glad we accepted Tobi’s offer of gloves to keep our hands warm, and we were very glad we’d worn our winter coats.
Tobi was wonderful to talk to, fielding questions and engaging in conversations initiated by us, from curiosities about the horses to the kelp to abalone.
Per Tobi’s suggestion, we budgeted an hour to get from Fort Bragg to the spot where you meet for this beach ride and that was perfect. If Tobi hadn’t warned us, we probably wouldn’t have given ourselves enough time. Highway 1, because of its curves, is slower to travel than you might anticipate; There was also construction. We had previewed the map and knew where we were going before leaving town. We couldn’t have figured it out on the road since the GPS on our phone doesn’t work in that area. It would have been difficult to find the meeting spot without knowing the mile-​marker, so write that down before you set out.
For the ride, you meet Tobi and her trailer of horses on the side of highway 1 and follow her through the fence, mount your horse and begin. If you have any members of your party NOT planning to ride the horses, don’t bother bringing them here as there’s not a building they can wait in while you go out on your tour. Except for a porta-​potty, there are no buildings. So if permitted, I assume the waiting spots would either be a big empty field or decent hike down to a cold, windy beach. So I was glad I left my aunt and baby back in Fort Bragg.

My 9 yr old. twin grandchildren and I (in my 70s) went on the beach ride. It was a wonderful experience. We have all ridden… a very little bit… so Tobi and John matched us well to the horses. My horse was the slowest of them so I got to be in the back and watch my grandchildren have a great time walking through the surf. When I commented to Tobi that Caddie, my horse, was slow she said he just liked being in the back. That was perfect for me. One other family was with us and Tobi was great with all 4 kids. Not for those who want to trot but great for those who want to walk through the surf on comfortable horses and enjoy the beautiful beach. Next time it might be fun to go on the forest trip.

My wife and I went for a beach ride on Monday. Tobi was our guide and did a great job. We are not experienced riders and this walking ride was plenty for us. Wind was blowing strong, as it usually does on the coast there, but Tobi loaned my wife a wind breaker and gave us both gloves. Other than our hats blowing off, the wind was just exhilarating. The horses were well behaved, sometimes trotting a bit on their own to catch up with the other two. The horses weren’t old, tired ones we’ve had on rides at other places. They had just enough spirit, but were obedient (if not patient) with inexperienced riders like us. Tobi is a great conversationalist and knowledgeable about the area. Yes, the trail down to the beach was a bit steep, but nothing the horses had any difficulty with. Thoroughly recommend Ross Ranch. Would go back if we get the chance.

John was our guide. He seemed bored with and even slightly annoyed with us. It was clear that he was not interested in whether or not we had a good time. We went noes-​to-​tail back and forth on the beach. We’d ridden with other outfitters before, and Ross Ranch was the worst. We would never go with them again.

My friend and I rode with Tobi from Ross Ranch this weekend and couldn’t have asked for a nicer experience. As noted in other reviews, these are walking only trail rides. Unlike so many other head to tail trail rides, what was really nice about the beach ride was you could ride abreast and talk to your friend on the ride instead of trying to shout up or down a string of horses. The horses were clearly part of the family unlike so many rental strings and tack was well maintained. Gloves and nice, clean helmets were provided.
The beach was beautiful and deserted. We saw 2 – 4 other people on the entire ride on the wide open beach. We also happened to be riding as the seals were playing in the surf and a sea otter was spotted as well. The horses were great — solid and unflappable in their job and happy to do it. It was so relaxing to wander down the beach watching the seals. There were a couple of spots for photos that Tobi took, but the horses were solid enough that you could take photos without a concern while riding. It was nicely coordinated and very professional. I’d go try their other ride if I’m back in the area.

I promised my wife (then fiancée) almost 11 years ago that I would take her horseback riding. Life’s buisyness and then kids prevented it from happening until Thanksgiving weekend 2011.
We decided to go horseback riding on a whim as we saw the advertisement in the Manchester Beach KOA campground map. Making reservations over the phone was a snap and we had our choice of a ride through the woods or on the beach. We chose the woods.
A short windy ride up into the coastal mountain range and we were there. Ali was our guide and she was great. Very patient with all of us and excellent at getting my 6 year old son used to being on and controlling his horse.
The ride through the redwoods was beautiful, especially with the clouds licking the top of the mountain ranges. Two hours on a horse was plenty long enough for us novices and we all had a blast. An experience we will likely never forget.
I definitely recommend Ross Ranch if you want to go for a great ride in the Manchester Beach /​Elk area.

I was a bit apprehensive of what I would get after reading the reviews on Unilocal but Ross Ranch really impressed me!
Tobi and I had been in communication about our reservation and we had confirmed the week before. I called her the day before our ride and asked if we would be able to move it to a later time the same day. Tobi accommodated us and said she could do the ride at 4pm instead of 2pm. This worked perfectly! We were driving up the coast and actually didn’t make it until 3:45 so I was completely relieved we had changed the time!
We got checked in by someone (co-​owner, I think) that was pretty abrasive with the entire group. He expected everyone to be an expert when we clearly weren’t.
We went on the beach ride. We began the ride through a short field and then started down a cliff on an extremely narrow path. It was extremely scary, but exhilarating! We were on top of the beach and the view was spectacular! I’m comfortable on a horse, but I knew if one of those horses tripped, we could all be goners! When I saw what a huge climb we had up and down to get to the beach, I immediately regretted opting out of the helmet.
We finally made it down the hill to the beach and the horseback riding on the beach was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I wish I could do it every day. It was so peaceful. Tobi told me the horses actually prefer to ride closer to the beach. It was really cool when they would walk through the water!
The ride was pretty long up and down the beach and Tobi let us stop and took our pictures! I thought that was extremely nice of her!
I was in the front of the group and my friend was the only other experienced rider in the group. We were both dying to trot so I asked Tobi if my friend and I would be able to. She said she would normally let us but because the other riders were so inexperienced it was too big of a risk. Anyone who knows trail riding horses knows, when one trots, they all do! I was disappointed, but it was still the best walking horseback ride I’ve ever done!
I would go back to Ross Ranch in a heartbeat to do the beach ride again! Only this time, I’d ask for experienced riders only and run like the wind!

I was cheated.
My major disappointment was that our ride, including mounting and dismounting was less than an hour and a half. I mentioned to our guide, their daughter, the rate and time listed on their site and was still charged for two hours. I can’t imagine that saddling the horses wouldn’t have been built into the cost. The ride was advertised as 2 hours, my partner and I were cheated.