Kenner Horse Ranch

My friends and I had a great time riding at Kenner Ranch!
Our reservation was for 10:00, we ended up arriving a bit early, which was great because it gave us more time to meet the horses, and Kathleen of course!
I can’t say enough good things about our experience! Kathleen was very knowledgeable and a great guide. She didn’t just lead us around, we got to have a great conversation and we all got to know each other very well.
The horses are very very gentle, and some of the most responsive horses I have been around. You can tell they are very loved and well cared for. I got to ride Max, and my friends rode Sunny and Buddy. Max is a youngster, but he and I really connected I think, and we had no troubles at all. What a wonderful horse! I didn’t want to leave. Hahaha, i almost offered to stay and brush all the horses for free :)
We will most definitely be back, frequently!

I brought my wife and it was awesome! We’ve never ridden horses before and Kathleen was very helpful and kind. The land was beautiful too. Now I’m feeling like me and my wife are pros and ready to ride some more lol.

If you love to ride horses this is not not not the place for you! Kenner Ranch is for beginners only! If you have any experience riding horses do not go to Kenner Horse Ranch. Kathleen the host was very cordial she gives great instructions on riding, however you will NEVER at any time even get close to using any riding skills. We had a group of four, three adults and one teen. Kathleen and her son actually used a horse lead to lead 2 very experienced riders the entire time ! During her leisurely walk guiding the horses she would even slow down the pace If the horses pace increased but I’m sure it was to stall so she could use up the entire hour agreed upon. We rode at a snails pace and didn’t even need to touch the reins at all.
But she got our money$$$

Kathleen and her family are so great! We loved our trail ride. The horses are very sweet and well taken care of. If you are in Julian, give Kathleen a call :)

I took my daughter here for her first horseback riding adventure! Kathleen was so awesome in taking the time to tell her about horses. She had a blast. Such a beautiful place.

I have been looking forward to writing a review for Kenner Horse Ranch. Kathleen and her son were very friendly and accommodating. My almost 6 year old son and I were camping in Julian and called Kathleen on our last day to see if she could fit us in. She answered right away and gave me all the information. A couple hours later we were riding the sweetest horses. Kathleen went above and beyond even giving my son a snack for the ride. They seemed to genuinely like kids and made my son really comfortable. We had the best time! I’ve rode horses and have to say that her horses are very well trained. I was very impressed. We also got to say hello to her goats. Make sure to write all of her directions down with how to get there so you don’t have to call three times to ask like I did :)

I’ve never been so excited to write a review! :)
My boyfriend and I wanted to do a day trip to Julian for Valentine’s day and we decided horse back riding would be fun! Definitely call in advance to reserve spots because I think they only have a few trips/​day and I’m sure it gets booked relatively fast. We booked ours at 10AM.
Directions can be a bit tricky since we’re obviously out in the middle of desert mixed in with forest. Once you turn onto Harrison Park Road you will come to a fork in the road with a green sign that points to Whispering Winds. Turn right like the sign points and take Julian Estates Road because it will quickly change back to Harrison Park Road. Eventually you will come to a gate that says Kenner Horse Ranch. Open the gate (it’s not locked even though it looks locked-there’s a padlock on the right side of the gate) and drive on through. Make sure to close the gates! The road will fork again and take the left side and just drive all the way down towards the barns.
The horses here are seriously the friendliest and sweetest horses I’ve ever met. They aren’t shy and love being affectionate which obviously I IMMEDIATELY fell in love! Kathleen is also seriously such a pleasure and was such a great host and her sons were also super helpful (Colin walked the whole time next to us while Kathleen led the group riding her horse). They were sooo accommodating to us because we brought my dog (we were going to take him hiking with us after the horse riding) and she let us have the option of having him stay in the stall or just hang out on their porch! This was my dog’s first time meeting horses and he was just SO excited. Our group had 3 couples and it’s obvious that Kathleen and her family really know these horses, their personalities, their temperament, and their habits and that they take great care of deciding who should go on which horse. But honestly, all the horses were super well behaved and absolutely had a great «ride» (more of a walk and maybe a trot here and there haha).
The land itself was gorgeous even though you can still see some of the burnt parts of the forest but just being on the horse and being a part of it just takes you away from the real world for a second.
My horse was named Sundance and they call him Sunny for short. I was/​am absolutely in LOVE with him! haha He’s so sweet and affectionate. They have quite a number of horses on the ranch but I believe only a certain number of them actually go out for the rides.
I can’t wait to come back! :)

I decided to go on a trail ride and found Kenner Ranch. It was the best experience I’ve ever had at a horse back riding place before. The owner Kathleen was so incredible and just the sweetest person. The horses are well cared for people that have never ridden she shows you the basics of how to ride most places I’ve been to don’t actually do that. If you are out in Julian this is definitely a place to stop.
Thanks Kathleen I had a great time with Gabe today!

My husband and I spent our 1^st Wedding Anniversary in Julian this past weekend. We wanted to do something we had never done before and decided on horseback riding. We read Unilocal reviews of a few places and Kenner Horse Ranch had a lot of positive feedback and I’m glad we chose them! We didn’t have any problems finding the place. It was about 1.5 miles from our hotel.
We had a 12pm reservation and we were the only ones there! It was great to get a trail ride with just my husband and I. Kathleen had the horses saddled up and ready to go when we got there. We were fitted with helmets and she adjusted our stirrups for the ride. She didn’t waste any time getting us up on the horses. We were hands on the whole time. She gave us some basic instructions on how to give directions to the horse (like how to stop, go, and turn directions). It didn’t take long before we were off on the ride around their 200 acre property.
I rode Bravo, a retired carriage horse from Knotts Berry Farm and my husband rode Sunny, a rescue horse from Canada. They were great! They were calm and gentle and followed Kathleen’s lead in front of us. I was nervous going into this because I had never been on a horse before but it was amazing.
I would definitely recommend this place. We had a great time!

To sum up the experience we had on a late December afternoon, safe and relaxing! Kathleen was welcoming even though we arrived late afternoon, and selected two very gentle and friendly horses for us. She came with us and answered all our questions with great background on the ranch and the local area. She clearly loves what she does, and the guests and the horses sense it! If you have never ridden or have experience, this is the place. Just to spend time in such a beautiful setting is worth the drive to Julian!

After calling several horseback riding outfits in Julian, Kathleen took my call and was great. We arrived around 3pm and it was a little chilly. Thankfully they had jackets for us. I’ve got two daughters that have never ridden a horse and my wife is pretty afraid of horses. Kathleen and her son and one other helper were awesome and took great care of us. She’s got the nicest horses I’ve ever seen and is situated on 200 acres. We went on about a 40 minute ride and my kids loved it! I definitely plan on going back to this ranch and have told everyone I know about this place.

This is our third year in a row bringing the family to Julian, and it is our second time on horseback. This ranch is magnificent and the experience is head and shoulders above the other stable we visited.
Our reservation was for 8:30am. Kathleen and her helpers had all our horses ready. The kids (four of them, ages 3, 3, 5, and 6) were introduced to the horses with care and they were given the important task of brushing the horses while we got ready. They loved that.
Kathleen allowed the younger kids to ride with an adult (per our preference). It was the perfect way to introduce my daughter to horses. Once we were all on, she took us on a journey through the beautiful countryside. We saw deer, hawks, and lots of interesting wildlife on the way. Our horses were beautiful, some of them at the ranch because they were rehabilitating from injuries at theme parks or equestrian centers.
Our ride was longer than an hour even though we only paid for 45 minutes. We loved every minute of it and we can’t wait to return next year.
This is definitely the ranch to visit when you’re in Julian.

This is a fantastic place, but the people and horses are even better. Kathleen did such a great job at pairing us with her horses and explaining all the intricacies and personalities of the horses. It’s definitely a family business and her sons are super helpful. One member of our party had to stop riding and Kathleen problem solved quickly and made sure everyone was still happy and content. The ride itself was wonderful and the scenery was beautiful! The ride was catered to our level of riding, which is difficult to find and do when you ride with a group.

Wow, a beautiful, stunning ride through heavenly oak savannah (Santa Ysabel) with a riding guide, Kathleen, who felt like an old friend. Kathleen has raised and rescued many horses and given them a happy, fulfilling life, some at the ranch and some on the trail. She is an easy-​going, professional and personable guide who is happy to share stories of her horses as well as let you know what to expect on the trail. I look forward to riding with her and the Kenner Horses again.

Kenner Horse Ranch is a beautiful place to get away from the city and to explore Julian’s scenic back country. The last two horseback riding experiences I had at OTHER stables left me feeling very unsafe and unsure about horseback riding in general. I told Kathleen about my last two experiences and she did a great job of teaching me about horses and riding in general (something those other stables never did).
She put me on a great horse, Foxy, who was gentle and very responsive. We had a great time on a leisurely guided ride. I highly recommend this place for a great personalized experience. They are able to cater to all people no matter their age or ability and do it in a friendly, professional way that makes you feel like a valued guest who was invited to their home (this is where they live too).
We’ll be sure to come back again.

When we were looking for a place to go trail riding, our primary concern was that the horses be on a ranch where they are well-​cared for. Our second was scenery. We were beyond impressed on both counts at Kenner Horse Ranch!
I’ve been on several trail rides at other places, and what really made KHR stand out above the rest was that Kathleen and her family are so personable, and take wonderful care of all of their animals. From the cats and dogs to the goats and horses, they are all clearly very much loved, and it shows in their wonderfully social personalities. Another important part of our visit that I’ve yet to experience elsewhere was that she took time before we headed out to give us a good, solid mini riding lesson on the basics: stop, go, how to sit in the saddle, etc. Sounds silly to mention this because you’d think anywhere would do this, but it’s not necessarily the case.
And the scenery! We rode late in the day and the light was beautiful against the mountains. There was also plenty of wildlife (deer, wild turkeys, you name it). Too beautiful for words, you have to just go see for yourself.
We were beyond thrilled with our ride and all of the great stories Kathleen shared with us about the ranch and the animals. Directions can be a bit tricky per other reviews here, but we made it without much trouble. We’ll definitely be visiting again soon.

went riding this Saturday and it was a great ride for me. Slow & steady & the ranch is beautiful. Kathleen makes sure that you are comfortable with the horse and really loves her animals. Getting to the ranch is not as hard as some of the reviews make it seem, but she did tell me not to use mapquest, but to use the directions on her website. We saw wild turkeys on the ride and Kathleen is very knowledgeable about the area around her. I would definitely go riding her again. Thanks again, Kathleen

Awesome! If you are an animal/​pets person in the least, then go. Kathleen is a great teacher/​ride lead. She can accommodate both experienced and newbies alike and is very engaged with her riders and horses.
The ranch is an unbelievable slice of California history and the way Kathleen and family are managing it is fantastic. If we head to Julian again, we will look forward to riding with Kathleen again.
Last of all, it’s not hard to get there.
–Take the road out to Lake Cuyamaca.
–Turn right at Harrison Park Rd.
–Look for the sign for whispering winds Catholic retreat and follow the road right and slightly down as if you are going to Whispering Winds.
–Take the road to the end and stay on it for maybe a minute. Open the gate and drive back and you are there!

Read the other review for directions as it is tricky.
I had not ridden a horse for a very, very, very long time and got on a gentle horse, perfect for the ride I needed. Family owned, so very kind and really, really appreciated the whole experience.

First order of business I will point out to you is how to get to the ranch because it can be a little tricky. Once you turn onto Harrison Park Road you will come to a fork in the road with a sign that points to Whispering Winds which is Julian Estates Road. Take Julian Estates Road because it will quickly change back to Harrison Park Road. Eventually you will come to a gate that says Kenner Horse Ranch. Open the gate (it’s not locked) and drive on through. (Just close the gate afterwards)
This was my first experience horseback riding and it was quite something. I had read a few reviews from other sources that were raving about the experience and my family and I were not disappointed. The whole Kenner family works on the ranch and they are quite friendly and helpful. We were able to pet and walk right up to the horses before we went on our trail and during the ride we were able to see the beautiful surroundings that is Julian. Overall it was a pleasant experience and we hope to be back soon.