Willow Tree Stables

I used to keep my horse here and it was a wonderful place. Monte, the owner truly cares about the well being of the horses and it shows with the happy healthy horses who reside there. They are fed and cleaned up after regularly. The surroundings are stunning and there are plenty of trails with no cyclists.
A special shout out goes to Tricia Yates. My horse was three and although I was experienced I had been out of it awhile and had lost the confidence of my young horse. Tricia talked me through some low points in my training with him and worked with him for 30 days. I was close to thinking I had to find a different more capable home for him but with Tricia’s help and guidance he and I are now doing great! This is a lovely place and I only bumped off one star because when I was there the turnout options weren’t what I’d hope they’d be. I moved my horse only because I needed him closer to home.

I am a big fan!!!, I have boarded my horse for over 7 years and can’t be happier (and there are people there that have been there for a lot longer). They take such good care of the horses, plus the workers are very friendly and helpful. The owner Monte is absolutely wonderful with kids. There is a great summer camp every year, fun play days and Willow Tree is adjacent to Marin Open Space which makes it real convenient to ride if you do not have a horse trailer. There are 3 arena’s one that is covered with lights and another with large arena lights to ride during the early winter nights. My kids grew up loving horses because of Willow Tree Stables. I can’t imagine being anywhere else if you are a mom or dad who loves horses and wants to share and make memories with your kids.

My daughter and I had a lovely time on our one hour trail ride. It was a mellow walk through lovely country side with 2 guides that were very friendly and helpful. This is a beautiful area of Marin County and it’s great way to see more of it. I probably would not have gone without the Groupon deal but now that I have, I’m sure I will go back.

When we arrived, we heard the horse whinnying loudly. Holy crap, we hoped we weren’t getting that horse. Turns out it was a mare in heat surrounded by males. What torture, huh?
I got a Groupon deal for $ 50 — a 60-​minute trail ride for two. It was certainly an interesting experience. A city girl on a horse! It was actually my second time on an equine, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t appreciate a refresher on how to control the animal. Joan led us on the trail ride, but we did not receive any tips on how to steer, get it to go, nor stop the horse. Yet she got frustrated (definitely perturbed) when I couldn’t keep my hungry horse from getting distracted by the grass along the trail and when I had difficulty getting it to stop when it started to veer away from the group as it charged. At some point, my horse was way too tempted by the food around her rather than continuing on our course, and Joan had to lead it by hanging on to my horse’s rope.
The trails were really scenic. On this hot day, we were all thankful for the shaded trail chosen for us. We rode along tree-​lined trails, streams, bridges, and paved roads. There are boots to borrow if you happened to wear shoes without a thick heel because you need to kick the horse to get her going.
The saddle was not comfortable, especially when we rode on the paved road. Let’s just say my heinie was extremely sore afterwards. The most enjoyable part of the whole experience was petting these beautiful animals and feeding my horse carrots after the ride. That was when I realized that I would much prefer just to pet them instead of riding on them. I guess I’m not fond of having to kick the horse to get her going. My gentle nudging was not doing the trick as my horse continued to ignore me.
I wished that the guide would offer instructions for first time riders, instead of getting pissed off when we have no idea how to control our horses.

Went to Willow Tree on my first real horseback ride. Loved the rustic look. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the horses (her own) and the flora we rode through. Regular riders would smile, wave, and say hello as they passed by. Went up on an hour long ride surrounded by beautiful scenery. The horses were calm and easy to manage. My girlfriend and I had a great time and both agreed we would love to go again.

While the horses were nice, it was truly the worst experience I’ve ever had with a guide. Joan provided absolutely no instruction and put my 12 yr old nephew on a horse not meant for a first-​time rider, and spent the whole time yelling at him to stop his horse, or turn him a direction — without telling him at all how to do so! Since she wasn’t providing him any instruction, I attempted to do so — only to have her snap at me to shush (and still not explain anything at all to him).
It’s a shame because the owner of the farm seems very pleasant and we were really looking forward to a pleasant experience. However, Joan, the assigned instructor by no means made it enjoyable. Not the place to have your child learn to ride if you get Joan as your «instructor» — as there is no instruction provided!

Dangerous. Stay very clear of Willow Tree Stables.
When we checked in Joan spent 20 minutes complaining about riders she had the past week who had been thrown from their horses. She was saying it was all their fault and bad mouthed each client terribly. I should have fun right then! She then put my 10 year old on a horse that immediately started reacting. I ask her to change my daughter’s horse with mine. She refused. Before we even started to move, my daughter’s horse took off with her on his back. It ran full speed and then jumped up a steep embankment. Then it galloped full speed along the embankment– literally jumping over obstacles. The instructor never moved. She kept saying «She’s fine.» Miraculously my daughter had stayed on the horse to that point. Then the horse jumped about down from the steep embankment– throwing my daughter from its back. My daughter literally flew off the horse’s back and landed flat on her back on the driveway entrance to the stable. Her back was hurt and she broke a finger. It took her back weeks to heal and her finger has never been straight again.
When I posted on my Facebook what happened, I got several replies from friends that said it was a dangerous and poorly run stable. Wish I had checked with them first. STAY FAR AWAY!!!

awesome trails, caring staff, wonderful atmosphere
my horses are happy and well cared for
covered arena for when it rains…
love it!

We recently moved our horse to Willow Tree Stables. He is a tall strawberry blonde Tennessee Walker named «Sierra Leon». When you drive in for the first time it looks like you entered into «No Man’s Land» or the original Old Town Novato. You drive through a neighborhood then the road stops at the top of a hill and you ride a long dirt road into another world. It is huge and open. It has allure and you fall in love with this rare place. It is a gold nugget in Novato. It makes you forget you are in the Bay Area. From my house (San Rafael) it is a short 30 minute drive to Willow Tree. It is lovely and rural here.
His stall is a huge brand new outdoor stall and paddock for $ 425 per month includes shavings daily. See pics, it is nice! vs $ 800 per month that we were paying in the Marin Headlands. There he was cloistered into a cramped dark stall with one window and in wintertime he often was not allowed to be turned out into the tiny paddock because of wet ground and lots of rules, so he’d have to stay in his tiny cow sized dark stall. We have noticed a big difference in his emotions. He is more social and is stimulated by his neighbors who are friendly to him. His stall has a ‘golf course view’ and looks kinda ‘country club’. The horses near him are so mellow, even the young Oldenburg mare that he loves, next stall to his. It’s like the Breakfast Club out there.
One thing I like about all the fresh air here is that if there ever were an outbreak of an equine virus he is far away from other stalls in his Golf Course view location. None of the other 14 stables I looked at offered a Big Sky Country feel from the horses’ stalls. We all saw this year that viruses can affect even the most expensive barns and Polo facilities. Everyone is playing it safe.
The owners are improving the older stalls in this exceptionally large 20 acre ranch of over 110 horses. I have seen improvements in the short time I have been there (three months). The footing is being improved too. The owners are really nice and are approachable. At our last barn we could not change our stall or paddock. Here you can. They allow you to customize your stall, improve it or even build a tackroom. It is a wonderful feeling to have a little room of your own.
The men that work around the horses are gentle, caring, and friendly. They always greet me when I arrive. They feel like family; you feel like family here. At my former barn they locked us out of the arena after they dragged it. Here they never lock you out, or kick you out of an arena, or scream at you.
I am enjoying riding trails there. The people are friendly here. They smile at you. When we showed up in August riders kept saying «Welcome to Willow Tree»! Fellow riders help you out and are generous. People ride together in small groups on the trails. The owner is someone you want to ride with. I find I want to be there any free moment that I have. The community of people here is unique and warm. There are 12 Adirondack chairs set out next to a BBQ area where you can sit and chat as you watch horses and riders riding in the arena. That is a very pleasant. They have bar-​be-​ques open to all some nights and I hope we have the organized full moon ride that is coming up next month. The owner takes small groups of riders to Pt Reyes and gets permission to ride through private ranches (no bikes again) and you eat lunch at the Olema Farm House or at the Pelican Inn when we ride there.
If you want a fancy upscale barn with the white gloves this is not the place for you. Sierra likes the big Warmblood mare that is his next door neighbor. She is a great neighbor to him. He is so relaxed here and happy. This is a good new home for him and this is a really cool place! We lucked out. The trails are beautiful in Marin County Indian Tree Open Space Preserve. It is lovely and rural here.
— Food: The grass hay is excellent.
— Water: Excellent too. Well water from springs on the land. Stafford Lake Water District is ½ mile away.
— Care: Our horse is receiving good care. We are there a lot, almost every day. He gets fed three times per day. When they give him his flakes of hay they enter his stall and place it (not throw it) so they will not spook him. They also place his shaving inside his stall (not throw it from the bucket). The men make the rounds several times per day to make sure nobody is in trouble. Our horse is safe and happy. I think his new home added 5 years to his life.
— Social Activities for the horse: Excellent. Lot’s of enrichment.

While I don’t have a horse here, I have to say their summer camp is a great way for kids to actually learn to ride horses. The camp is about care of the animals and the fundamentals of riding and that is it. No crafts, no videos — just what I want from a summer camp for horseback riding! The counselors are sweet and fun and yet I felt my girls were safe, too.
The people at the barn are friendly, both staff & horse owners, which cannot be said for many stables around Marin. I have ridden off and on for many years and this is the friendliest stable that I have come across in Marin.
My girls have taken both lessons and summer camps at various stables and this one is my favorite hands-​down. Yes, it is not pristine and perfect looking, but the kids learn to ride and the animals are well-​cared for.

I took a look at this stable to board my horses, but was shocked at what I found. The website couldn’t be more misleading. Terrible living conditions, these horses stalls are all over the place in conditions, a few horses were dry and almost comfortable– but the majority were in what I would call horrid conditions. Looking at the dry stalls, I think the owners put in a lot of work to make them livable, seeing as how they were conducted using different materials and effectiveness. The website said rubber matts were in each stall– Ha! Maybe they were hidden under the urine and feces, but only some out of over a hundred were dry and padded. Their stalls are scarily constructed, made from rusted pipe metal, rotting wood, holes where screws used to be, no foundation. The horses all had hay bellies, and when I looked at their feed I understood why. It looks like 6^th cutting hay, full of dust and dry as the desert. They receive no other feeding. It’s nice they have automatic waterers in a majority of the stalls, but they were all gross with growth and debris and clearly do not get cleaned. I went to tour the ‘ranch’ at about one or two in the afternoon, and workers were still cleaning up the stalls– this should be done by 10 or 11am, no? Watching their ‘workers’ fall asleep on their stallforks explained the time it takes them to clean. The arenas were another disappointment, the footing was deep sand in the main arena, no professional footing by any means. Horse must go lame at this place often. Their indoor arena was dusty and missing panels, ‘indoor’ arena may be a stretch. They slapped unfinished particle board to the sides of the arena, and I could see structural ‘oopsies’ with that arena: ie: there were support beams that did not touch the roof but were meant to hold it up. Scary. The arena in the back of the property has been cut up to accommodate two mediocre and small turn-​outs. One is against a hill, the other awkwardly shaped. Well, both were shaped poorly, not conducive to working with your horse due to unnecessary corners and layout. Their only pasture is on a slippery and steep hill, thick, deep mud and with one shelter and one wood standing area. I assume, well at this point hope, they throw the food on the wood area. Many dangerous fallen trees and brush that can injure a horse in the pasture, as well. Their instructors are sub par, considering their lessons are $ 60/​hour. Their lesson horses? That’s another crime. They are in a hilled pasture, and frankly they look like they have all seen better days. I was watching a lesson take place, and I’m not sure words can do justice. I actually heard the instructor speak to small children on horses and say, «Now, does anyone know what this is? It’s a bit.» I trust my children with those horses, because they look dead, but I don’t trust my children to learn much of anything, or properly. That, unlike the rest of this review, is an opinion you’ll have to seek yourself. Back to facts: All what I describe does not come cheap! The minimum is $ 305 for a stall, not even including shavings ($ 105), which you will need to keep your horse nearest to comfortable living. I did notice two brand new cars in the owners garage, perhaps that is where the board goes? Oops, there is another opinion. Everything on this property is rusted, with the exception of scarce galvanized metal, I couldn’t find any improvements within the last fifty years– no, really. The closest to improvements are jerry-​rigged patches. None of their wood is treated in any way, so I can’t tell how old it is. I guess I just expected a place where my horses would live in a level, dry stall with clean water available, that was clean and didn’t wreak of horse refuse. And I expected the arenas to have footing, this is very important. This is the wealthiest county in the United States, and to think probably a hundred+ people allow their horses to live in that mess is atrocious. Not my horses. Bottom line: All those horses have seen better days and care, or at least I hope. Use caution when dealing with this ‘establishment’ (rinky-​dink, sub par, penny pinching, greedy operation).