Lynne’s Riding Center

I take lessons at Lynne’s almost every weekend and look forward to them all week. I rode competitively (hunter, jumper) for 10 years training at a few different stables with several different trainers over the years and after a 15 year break started riding again a year ago at Lynne’s. Lynne is by far the best trainer I have ever worked with. Lynne teaches me to engage my muscles and align my body in the proper way to be safe on the horse and so that I have control of and understand the slight cues I provide to the horses. When she explains something she will use different references (a yoga pose for example) until I understand it. I can’t say enough about what a great instructor Lynne is– her training has helped me to have better posture and less back pain even when I’m not riding.
The barn is clean and well maintained and the horses are very well cared for. There is a nice waiting area out front and an indoor waiting area when you first enter the barn. The indoor arena is great as it allows new riders to train under close supervision as well as provides cover from inclement weather. There is even an additional room that allows spectators to view the lessons. Once a rider advances they can progress to riding in Forest Hills Park which is a hidden gem in our busy city. Riding through the park is an amazing experience and makes it easy to forget that you are in the middle of NYC.
I volunteer with Gallop (a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with physical and mental handicaps) and Lynne’s barn is one of the 4 that gallop uses which speaks again to the safety and professionalism of this stable. Everyone at the barn (from the barn manager to the owners to all of the instructors) is extremely professional and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Lynne’s to riders of all levels. In fact I have referred a few people and they loved it!

I have just been reading some of the reviews and felt the need to chime in. This is a barn where you won’t find jumping, you won’t find a turn-​out for the horses and you won’t find a gigantic indoor ring. It’s Queens not Montana. And the indoor ring is more than sufficient anytime but especially during inclement weather. Lynne is the best and cares first and foremost for her horses. Riding through the park is an amazing experience but before you run you have to walk. So your abilities need to be assessed first before you go out on group rides or lessons in the park. The barn gave me years of joy and comfort and a sense of accomplishment and was a major part of my life. Moved away almost 12 years ago but will always have the best memories.

I love riding at Lynne’s and come just about every weekend. The bridle path in the park is a treasure.
Lynne provides very mature instruction almost yoga inspired so easy for me to understand. I’m proud of my riding accomplishments at this great barn!

I had been out of the saddle for well over 15 years when I first showed up to Lynne’s Riding Center. I had high hopes for an immediate connection back to my favorite childhood activity. This, unfortunately, did not happen. Perhaps naïve, but given the name of the facility I thought I was going to be able to have a lesson with Lynne herself.
I showed up 20 min before my scheduled lesson, paid the fee, waited for a very long while (20 min approx after my scheduled lesson time) until they found an instructor for me. The instructor herself was very sweet and clearly loved to ride, but we were simply limited by the size of the ring and the lack of organization (there were two other lessons going on at the same time). I am a beginner again after all these years, but I was essentially led around the ring on a lead line. We did a little basic stuff about posting, but it was not all I had hoped. At the end of the 30 min, they were so rushed I had to hop off the horse and couldn’t even get a photo.
They seem mostly focused on the trail riding, and the facility itself was as good as it gets in a city I suppose. The instructor told me that they don’t jump at the facility because there is not enough space for it. The ring is so small that they can’t do that there.
I think the horses seem well cared for, despite not having paddock turnout. My horse, Sadie, was a good weight and had a beautiful sheen to her coat. The instructor and the volunteer helping us definitely loved the horses.
I would say Lynne’s is an excellent place for children, pony rides, and trail riding. However, if you are looking for that iconic equestrian setting and want to jump, this is not your place.
It was not the right fit for me, so I am now riding at Bergen Equestrian Center right across the Hudson River and am concerned because all I want to do is ride. I’ve gone for the past couple months and am farther along in my pursuits than I would ever have imagined when I first showed up to Lynne’s months ago. I am back to my connection to horses and riding!

Former Country Mouse Turned City Slicker Highly Recommends Lynne’s Riding Center.
I started lessons at Lynne’s Riding Center a year ago with the intention of getting in shape to go on a week-​long trail ride out in Utah. It had been many years since I’d been on a horse. I found Lynne’s to be the perfect match to my needs. Lynne’s is welcoming, the staff is excellent, the premises and horses are well-​maintained, and the mounts range from ponies for children to challenging horses for experienced riders.
I took three months of lessons before my vacation last year, and the team at Lynne’s got me up to snuff and then some. I was pleased to be worthy of the excellent horse I rode that week (and in all honesty, happy that I could walk after dismounting at the end of each day in the saddle). The Utah ranch owner complimented my teacher — no small thing in my book.
Lynne’s puts safety first. Riding helmets are mandatory, and the school provides a large selection for use during lessons. Expect to take lessons inside the ring until the staff is satisfied that you have the skills and temperament to handle a horse in the park. And remember, this is NYC, so handling a horse in the park isn’t like it is back home in the sticks. I’m from the sticks. I know. And that’s all to the good. You want to be safe, you want your horse to be safe, and you want runners and people walking their dogs on the same trails with you and your horse to be safe. Lessons in the ring are great preparation, and a chance to work on horse handling skills. Once you’re ready, riding in the park is glorious.
Logistics: Lessons are easy to arrange, I’ve never had an unreturned phone call. There is good street parking (no meters). You may want to arrive a few minutes early to sign your waiver and to pick out and adjust a helmet for your lesson.
And a note about the spiteful reviewer who resented her first (and it sounds like only) lesson in the ring and left a pissy review (1) Only a complete fool would turn horses out in NYC. Are you kidding me? You can’t even lock a bike on the street here. (2) The ring is small? Not to my eyes, but maybe she forgot that NYC is a series of islands, and space is at a premium (I get the impression that she’s probably still complaining about the square footage of her apartment too, so I take her with a grain of salt.) She didn’t get to jump? I don’t know anyone in NYC who is going to let you jump during the first lesson — remember, safety first. (3) Lynne’s horses are very well cared for. I’ve been riding here consistently for a year — no horse is left hungry, thirsty, dirty, tacked up all day, unexercised or is mistreated.
The bottom line is that this is a solid, well-​run establishment where you can learn to ride and/​or improve your riding skills, and where you will meet other riders who share your enthusiasm. I highly recommend Lynne’s Riding Center.

Lynn’s is not a bad place to learn how to ride especially if you’re a beginner according to many of the other reviews, but I’m giving it 3 stars for a couple of reasons.
1) The horses appear to be kept inside ²⁴⁄₇ without turnout. (There is no pasture available to them in the area, which is a requirement for these animals to live out healthy and happy lives.) They also appear to stand tacked up throughout the day in their very small stalls without getting brushed down or hosed off after rides. The horse I rode (Felix) was actually huffing and flaring his nostrils when he was brought into the riding ring, which isn’t a good sign. He also appeared to be a little underweight; but even at the age of 19, he should have decent muscle and fat content on his body.
2) The riding ring is smaaaaaaall. I had a private lesson but ended up sharing the indoor with 2 other beginner lessons, which got very crowded very fast. As this was my first lesson at Lynne’s, I wasn’t able to ride in the park down the road, but it would have been nice if they had spread out their schedule a little more.
3) Riders do not have access to jumps. It makes sense because the ring is too small, but as I am an eventer of ~10 years of experience, I was hoping to advance in my dressage and/​or jumping abilities, neither of which Lynne’s caters to. In fact my instructor seemed to think that I was more advanced than the barn could accommodate thereby encouraging me to seek lessons at another facility.
Now, I do think I received good quality instruction at Lynne’s, and the staff seem to be fairly professional (although they did have problems returning my calls in order to schedule the lesson). However, I really don’t think that the way they keep their horses is at all appropriate or fulfills the needs of the horses in any capacity. The facility itself was relatively lackluster, and as an experienced rider, I was hoping to see a larger riding ring and access to jumps.

I woke up and said 2 myself «today I want to do something different» so i decided a pony ride would be something cool, new and exciting for my 6 yr old son! So after doing some research I decided upon Lynne’s and I’m so glad I did!!! My son was terrified at first he started 2 cry so we left but he conquered his fear and decided he would give it a try so we went back! The staff is very pleasant and they were very understanding of the first time jitters that my son was feeling which any mother would appreciate, they introduced him to the horse, made them both comfy then we were able to proceed with the pony ride! My son cant wait 2 go back!!!

Brought my boys here for their first riding experience. They really loved it. The assistants have a great attitude which helped the boys enjoy it all the more. Being an avid rider I’d love to come back again and ride the trails.

First let me say that no one asked me to write this review! They don’t even know I am writing it, and it comes straight from an appreciative heart!
Lynne started me off riding when I was already older, and I cannot imagine a better start. She was amazingly patient, truly cared about my learning, and studied me in the saddle so carefully to see where I needed to learn. As a result of hours of hard work together I have been able to ride at farms and trails around the world as I have traveled — what a joy! I am continuing to study and hope one day to do dressage. I will owe it all to Lynne!
The fear that I felt before has gone. Lynne teaches safety first and I feel pretty confident that I know how to stay as safe as possible on a horse, enough so I have fun and enjoy learning and growing.
Her horses are far better than I hoped for. I know places up the Hudson that have larger indoor rings and more space, but where the horses are dull and unresponsive. This barn keeps a variety of well-​trained, responsive horses that are happy and well cared for.
And with all this, I can get here on the F train from Manhattan.
We are lucky to still be able to ride through a New York park trail. I hope we can keep our few remaining stables forever.

I finally had the experience of what it was like to ride a horse! I was so nervous and a little intimidated by the power of these animals, but I also knew they had gentle souls.
I rode «Daisy» and she was great for me as a first time rider. The instructors and other staff members were wonderful. I felt on top of the world when I left!

Horseback riding in Forest Park is near the end of it’s days, and what a shame it will be when that day finally arrives. I use to manage the old Dixie Dew riding academy many moons ago, and our stable was always known as the fun and crazy one, and it’s sad to see that it is no longer with us. [Parkside] Now Lynne’s Riding School, was always top notched in horse care and very well respected. Lynne always had a serious aura about her, but her sweet and caring personality was always there with it. At Dixie Dew, we use to glue peoples pants to the saddle and pray for the best. [joking] [sort of]. At Lynne’s, she teaches people the art of riding. And let’s not overlook the trails of Forest Park that instantly take you away from city living and transport you back to another time. LRS is a great place to learn and enjoy riding.

The instructors here are AWESOME. While the facility isn’t the nicest, what do you expect 15 miles outside of NYC. If you’re looking to have real riding lessons — this is the place to go.

Hard enough to find horseback riding in Queens, the fact that Lynne’s stable is only a quick drive away is wonderful. I’m waiting for the Little to be a tad older to take real riding lessons but this place is a great way to start getting friendly with horses and ponies. I can’t wait to take my own lessons here. Lynne is very accommodating and friendly. Updates to come in that today was for a quick pony ride, but I am definitely optimistic.

Whenever I go out West to do range management or rope cattle, just for the fun of it, I’m asked, «where did you learn to ride»? I’ve been riding at Lynne’s for almost a decade and assure you that if you are serious about riding, Lynne’s is the place for you. It’s not for those looking to compete, but if you’re looking to become a better rider and want to go about it in a safe manner, Lynne’s is the place for you. If you are willing to put in the time it takes to improve your skill set, you’ll find that Lynne’s Riding School will complement your effort.

I’ve taken out horses into the park with both this place and the former neighbor Dixie Dew. Hey, what kind of choice does one have? There aren’t many stables in the NY area. But I was not happy.
First of all, the place seemed totally disorganized. You sit around waiting for horses to come back. I took a couple of lessons, and found the instructors to be inexperienced. Lynne was, to coin a phrase, nasty. Dixie Dew used to be a lot better, certainly friendlier, but it closed a while back. Really slim pickings in general for people wanting a good riding stable in NYC.

Lynne’s Riding School is the best place to learn to ride! Lynne not only provides great instruction, but also gives you an understanding of the mechanics for your every move on the horse. She has a keen intuition about your strengths and weaknesses and works with you on them. She has many teaching aids and provides you with the tools you need to safely ride a horse. I have ridden in many places on Long Island, but didn’t know the best kept secret was in Queens, NY.

Let me preface this review by saying it’s a long one, I know… but the negative reviews have to be displaced!
Lynne’s Riding School is a breath of fresh air in the Type A hustle that is Queens. I’ve always adored horses from afar but never had the opportunity (financially or otherwise) to ride. Go figure that after growing up in CT, I would start riding in Forest Hills of all places.
I started riding about 4 months ago — we’re talking wobbly scaredy-​cat «what am i doing here» beginner — and from the moment I walked in, felt right at home in the smell of the barn and the welcoming nature of the employees. Fast forward to today, and I’ve finally achieved my personal goal — «making it to the park!» The best part about the school is the adjacency to Forest Park, one of the most beautiful and untouched areas in NYC. There is a dedicated bridle path there that few know about, allowing equestrians a gorgeous ride through forestry and quiet. Again, in QUEENS?!
At Lynne’s they truly love their horses, and besides teaching the basics of riding, the instructors really help riders appreciate each horse’s personality and how that lends itself to the ride. Personally I never realized how sassy they can be! However, equally as important as respecting the horses, is the emphasis on safety.
Safety was one of my key concerns in starting to ride, especially as an adult. I have to say, I never once felt scared atop the horse due to the staff’s direction, and frankly, the horses’ absolutely obvious respect and comfort with the staff. The horses rarely spook when around the staff since they truly feel safe. It’s quite amazing to see.
While everyone is absolutely lovely here, there are some people I feel are very special:
–Lynne: the woman behind it all, I’ve never seen firsthand someone who is such an expert in her craft. She’s direct and thorough in her teaching style (I’ve been lucky enough to work with her one on one quite a bit), with a huge emphasis on the basics for safety. I like how conservative the school is with safety — it’s so important. I’ve always felt like I’m in great hands with her, and I know her horses feel the same way.
–Diana: I adore her. She was one of my first instructors when I started taking lessons. She taught me a lot about what I know about horse behavior and how they think, which has made me a better rider. She also got me comfortable enough on a horse to be taken off lead line quickly.
All in all, I’m addicted to this place — it is my new version of yoga, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly!

Went to Lynne’s for a refresher session. She has a very different English riding style than what I’m use to. Besides that, she’s a very attentive instructor. I would recommend her for first-​time riders or trail riding.