Santa Fe Stables

My friend and I recently did a two-​hour sunset horseback ride with Ashley at Santa Fe Stables. We had not been on horses since we were kids, and I was a little nervous about what we were getting ourselves into. Needless to say, we survived — no accidents or close calls, and minimal soreness the next day. I was glad that we were on a private ride since I was beyond remedial (unlike my friend, who was a natural!).
I rode Old Joe, who is 12 and seemed to follow the trail on auto-​pilot — kind of perfect for this rookie city slicker. My friend got to ride Ramon, a 7 year-​old who recently met Johnny Depp on the set of «The Lone Ranger.» Ramon can also be seen in «Cowboys vs. Aliens.» I guess that means he has met Daniel Craig too. Lucky jerk!
The scenery was very pretty, and being out at sunset was fantastic! Ashley said that we were in a valley that is characterized as a badlands area. We heard a rattle snake and saw a lot of micro-​cactuses, juniper bushes, and dead grass on our ride. Ashley was really friendly and patient, explained a lot about what we were seeing, and offered some good tips for the rest of our time in the area (visit Valles Caldera!). She was also a tremendous sport about taking pictures.
Overall, I highly recommend Santa Fe Stables. Booking our ride was super-​easy, they gave us perfect directions to the meet-​up point (near a golf course), the ride itself was great (see above), the price was very fair, and I was pleased that we could pay and leave a tip on-​site with a credit card.

I recently spent two hours with Karen (the owner) on a trail ride through the beautiful countryside of the Santa Clara reservation. It was classic Northern New Mexico: big, blue skies, dramatic cliffs, and every color of green that one can imagine. My horse, Rosie, was a sweetie. Very responsive, but patient with my lack of skill. I felt absolutely safe.
Karen is fantastic. She has a great sense of humor and is very concerned with the welfare of the horses at the same time that she wants to be sure that riders get a good experience.
I signed up with Santa Fe Stables because they could accommodate a single rider for a modest extra fee. I initially hesitated when I read that the ride would include countryside along a golf course. Don’t let this stop you! The golf course remains on the fringes of your view and defies most cliches about golf courses. It is a sustainable design that uses a special drought-​resistant breed of grass developed by NM State University and is run by the Santa Clara pueblo tribe. It is surrounded by rugged landscape, and the only structure is the modest clubhouse. There are no luxury homes. The patches of brilliant green against the native landscape are gorgeous.
I can’t wait to go back to Santa Fe Stables.

Absolutely the best horse back riding experience with a guide ever. We rode spirited horses with amazing personalities, were able to ride off the path and our guide was the coolest cowgirl.
Not only did we have a great time riding, we also got a great lunch recommendation. My friend and I drove off, and I left my water bottle. While at the recommended restaurant, our guide’s husband found us in the restaurant (a good 15 minutes away from the stables) to return my water bottle.
Amazing people, amazing horses, amazing experience.

What a great adventure! The ride was beautiful and I was impressed with the staff and horses. I have owned my own personal horses for many years and this is a close as you can get to a «real» ride with animals that are happy, cooperative, and enjoy the ride as much as you will. I highly recommend this ride!