Wagon Wheel Ranch

I’m writing this review with an open mind. I saw many negative reviews that from my experience could be the truth regarding business practice.
Overall experience deserved a solid 3 stars for sure. No issues with Pat or the business really. I took my wife today as an early Valentine’s date since I have to work. We got there 20min early. Park on the far right of the parking lot. Walk down the path to the barn and hangout by the benches since it’s a community horse area and he doesn’t have a location set up here. At 1025 he is coming back with the first morning group. They dismount and leave and we hangout until he gives us paperwork and collects the remainder of the balance. 2 of the 6 people riding today showed up over 15 min late and we had to wait. We get assigned horses based on our size and skill. Here is my personal breakdown of the horses: Shannon is the size of a bull and needs a solid rider to control, Chico had leg issues and leans one way and is very slow, Prince packs an attitude and likes to be out front and can be tougher to calm down.
When they say it’s a 1 hour ride it means 1 hour of waiting and getting on horses and then 1 hour ride. Not knowing this we didn’t make it to our lunch reservation. The ride is nice and scenic. Half the time Pat is on the phone calling customers back or his guys to pick up lunch. Overall Pat is nice and really dedicated to this profession, but does seem the operation is disorganized. Would like to see the use of email confirmations of orders, more timely start, if you are late then too bad, and I just feel Chico is too slow and slanted to have a solid ride. Staff is friendly and the little girl who helped is a pleasure, but you could see some issues between employees and Pat.
In the end, I would recommend it to anyone. $ 75 a head for an hour. Be on time with tennis shoes or boots, pants, and Pat recommends a tip too.

I booked what was expected to be a fun horseback riding trip for my 7 Girl Scouts in October. They sold endless cookies to be able to earn this trip. I paid in full with the Girl Scout credit card. A week before our scheduled trip, I received a call from the owner stating that he was going out of business and cancelled our reservation. He told me that he would not be able to pay me back now, but to give him a week and he was hoping he could sell off his last 3 or 4 horses. He never called me back so I filed with the credit card so I would be reimbursed for services not rendered. The credit card company called me today to tell me that the owner stated we did use his services. He is not an honest person. I am looking to write reviews on his business so everyone is aware of what he has done. We have not been refunded our money and it has been over 3 months. My troop was upset and are hoping to sell more cookies to be able to book with another company. It is a sad lesson for these girls to learn about the lack of business ethics and honesty.

Overall the experience was amazing! The owner Pat is a total trip… complete with endless stupid but funny jokes to tell along the journey through the hills up to the top. Once at the top, we saw a 360 view of the LA area which was awesome… luckily the weather was super clear that day!
Our trip was super spur of the moment too and we were able to meet up with the crew an hour after speaking to Pat on the phone. So if you’re suddenly in the mood to go on a trail ride, give them a call!

I used to go horseback riding as a child, but I haven’t ridden a horse in years, so I was so excited when my friend SZ invited me to ride with her at this place! The staff here is really nice and they made sure that everyone who comes is comfortable with their horse. Pat is the owner and is a bit gruff on the phone (he’s also a bit hard of hearing, at least on his flip phone haha) but we were able to schedule the ride easily and smoothly. Wagon Wheel is pretty easy to find with navigation, and they have some dirt side parking. Pat is hilarious – he is very passionate about letting people know about this place, so he changes every car’s license plate frame to a Wagon Wheel Ranch one (with your permission, of course). He also gave us business cards afterwards to hand out or leave in coffee shops.
A one hour guided horseback ride costs about $ 50, but they offer a package deal where you get 16 rides for $ 600, which saves you a total of $ 200.(*) We ended up doing that, which is why we keep on coming back with different friends. Tip is not included in this price, and the guides do a really good job, so I always suggest tipping them after the ride. The first time we came things were a bit hectic because they had been robbed the previous night of a lot of their horse gear, so there was a news crew there to document what happened and interview them.
(*12/​28/​15 NOTE: I found out he no longer offers this package deal and that his prices have gone up. Please support him still because he needed to raise the prices to continue to take care of his horses! The 1 hour rides now cost $ 75/​person.)
Because I’ve only gone in groups of 2 – 3 people, we are always paired with another group for our ride. But since they have a guide in the front and the back of the ride, we always had a guide to talk to. The first time we had a young girl who had been riding since she could walk, which meant she was really comfortable around horses. The second time I went we had a young man who had only worked with horses for a few years, but obviously compared to us he was a pro. He was really nice about taking pictures for us so I basically let him hold my phone the entire ride and then ended up with dozens of pictures of us horseback riding. Is that vain? ;) The first time I went we rode to a cliff overlooking Torrance, which was really cool; the second time we went to an equestrian park because the cliff was off-​limits now. All the rides are in a single line formation.
The horses here are all sweethearts. Most of them are rescues and would have been put down if Wagon Wheel had not taken them in. They have several racehorses and a couple dressage horses, as well as several oldies. They are all well trained but they do like to eat, so you have to be careful while riding to make sure that they don’t stop to eat the foliage on the route. If you ask the guides afterwards, they will give you some carrots to feed your horse. That is how I bribed the horses into taking pictures with me… except some of them are more camera-​shy than others: P
It has been almost a year now since SZ and I first came here, and I think we’re maybe halfway through the 16 rides she signed up for. I’m definitely looking forward to coming here again and I recommend that you come here too if you are interested in horseback riding. They even host birthday parties here so definitely ask if you are interested!
*12/​28/​15 NOTE: They have also moved to a different location.
Ernie Howlett Park
25 851 Hawthorne Blvd
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90 274
He will provide you with detailed directions when you book your ride.

I was looking for a place that offered horseback riding as a birthday surprise to my Aunt.
The day could not have gone any more perfect.
First off let me add how they accommodated us and our early schedule!
Sure enough by 730am we met with our guide. Pat was the most sweetest and knowledgeable man! We loved him and his cute little jokes that kept all the girls in our group laughing the whole time. He really does put time, effort and love in what he does.
If you are looking for a nice horseback ride for any occasion Wagon Wheel Ranch is the place to go!
Thank you Pat.
We had a memorable time and you made sure the day was special.
We even sang Happy Birthday to my aunt while riding through the gorgeous trails.
It doesn’t get any sweeter then that.

My girls and I had an amazing day today! I was a little apprehensive as I have had very few experiences on a horse, and my younger daughter had only ever ridden ponies, but everyone made us feel comfortable and at ease. All the kid campers were helpful as well. I was so impressed I went ahead and bought the package deal so my girls can come back on Monday for horse camp– they are SUPER excited :)

Horseback riding is my favorite thing to do and from my personal experience it’s really hard to find good tempered horses, friendly guide/​staff, scenic clean trails. At Wagon wheel ranch you will get all that and more! Pat is a great guide and is super friendly. The horses are clean and in great shape. If you’re experienced ask Pat to let the horses run. It’s the absolute best feeling!

The location was fantastic. Thanks to the rain, the trail was green and fresh, with pretty views. The employees were friendly and answered all our questions, the horses were relaxed and healthy, and Pat –the owner– was great and genuinely cared about us having a great experience.
Also, in my group there was a teenage boy with mild autism, and Pat and the employees integrated him just as any other person in the group. I was glad to see that, because sometimes I see companies making a big deal when a person with special needs wants to be part of a group.
I really recommend this to anyone wanting to take a break from everyday life and interact with nature. We will be back :)

I want to bless this horseback ranch personally, although I know they’re already blessed! For some reason, people who live on the southwestern side of Los Angeles are a lot more approachable, laid-​back, but attentive at the same time.
Every employee here is patient, kind, and resourceful. I met Kathy, one of the most positive, amazing, and experienced equestrian tour guides there. Not only did I learn all about Western vs. English, I mastered trotting properly, and even got to canter for more than 5 seconds!!!
This Palo Verdes ranch is special because of the incredible view! Long Beach is to the right, the ocean is to the left, and on a clear day, you can see past the Santa Monica Mountains and even see the Hollywood sign.
The first equestrian experience I had in LA was at Griffith Park Ranch, but you won’t be received with the same experience and they barely let you canter.
Wagon Wheel Ranch is the best!

My daughter and I rode today at Wagon Wheel Ranch. We had a wonderful experience. The horses were well taken care of and beautiful, the staff was friendly and Pat was great! I love that the horses are rescue horses and he tries to fit the horse to your level of experience.
You can tell that he loves his horses. My daughter had only been on a horse one other time and had so much fun today that she is asking when we can go back — which we definately will.

I took my mom recently to the Wagon Wheel Ranch for our yearly horse-​ride. Naturally, I turned to Unilocal to see what others were saying and quickly made a decision that Wagon Wheel was the place for us.
We had such a great experience. The staff was helpful, patient, and kind and the ride was great fun. I highly recommend this Ranch for a trot through the beautiful hills of Palos Verdes.
The view is amazing and if we do go horseback riding again next year, Wagon Wheel is the spot! Thank you Pat, Jessica, and Matt?, and our horses (Dolly and Thunder). Special thanks to Thunder for not throwing me. :)

Found a 12 year old girl in a canyon a mile away from the stables, no horse, no phone. Pat, the owner left her and took her horse when she was afraid to ride a new horse that was harder to control than her regular mount. We were hiking and came upon her, 3 adult women with kids and lots of young family, couldn’t leave her alone at 12 years old in this humidity with no water. Apparently the owner of the stable could.
I wouldn’t trust my children to someone capable of leaving a 12 year old in a canyon but having an employee care enough to guide his HORSE back to the stable but leave a HUMAN child on her own. He had a whole lot of excuses but the fact is he left a 12 year old child in the canyon by herself for the better part of an hour.

5 stars for the crew that took us around but 0 star for the owner. Couldn’t stand him. He asked if he could put his license plate frame on our cars to promote his business and we said NO. When I got home I saw that he had put it on my front license plate! Not cool.

Really upset that I have to give this review. We were so excited to finally ride horses here. We heard great things… and after reading all the reviews, I couldn’t wait to meet Pat and his team.
Very very disappointed… for several reasons.
1. Very disorganized. We arrived early as suggested. We filled out paperwork and then waited… and continued to wait and wait and wait. We are extremely patient people and understand that things can run behind. We had no issue that they were behind… the issue was that there was absolutely no communication. (Although 6 people– assuming employees– were hanging around, chatting, on phone etc.) we waited 45 min before anyone gave us direction… and communicated they were running behind but we would start soon.
Once the instructors arrived… we felt like an afterthought. We were asked– how much experience do you have. We responded that we had been on a horse a few times. They brought up our horses and we were off. No helmets — no directions… nothing.
2. Instructors… we had 3 girls/​instructors (2 under the age of 15) that went with us. 2 of these 3 girls mainly talked about friends, training bras, and songs — not engaging or instructing us. At one point, they broke off from our small group to run their horses. (Juliet, however, was extremely helpful and informative).
3. Safety– I do not think there was enough instruction at all. I felt that the instructors (not Juliet) were more focused on socializing than our safety or experience. When our ride had finished, the employee told me she was scared of my horse bc he was unpredictable (as I was getting off the horse). Very unnerving– especially when I don’t have a ton of experience on horses.
On a positive note– Nice views. Horses seemed to be very well taken care of. It just seemed that all the adult instructors were with child groups and we were an afterthought. Very disappointed

Best horses, best prices, and best guides in all of SoCal.
Pat loves these horses like family. I’ve known him for 7 years and this business is his passion and he devotes his life to it and the horses. He has an array of horses– from smaller, gentle kid-​safe quarter horses to big sturdy warmbloods and draft crosses. He has horses for every level rider and if you tell him your experience and comfort level, he can match you perfectly to a horse. Pat is super kind hearted and tells the corniest jokes. It’s a fun place to spend an hour or even a whole day!

Excellent staff, view and experience. The owner is the best! He cracks corny jokes and takes phone calls throughout the whole ride, but he is thoughtful and cares much about the client. I’d recommend this place to any first timers or non experienced rider!

Pat and his crew are great and helpful. Josh is great on the trail and he makes my kids feel safe when on the trail.
When you look at all the positive reviews don’t pay any attention to the 3 negative people here.
Pat makes you feel comfortable through the whole ride from experienced to novice he and his staff take you on a beautiful trail where you don’t even think you’re in LA anymore.
I bring my 2 boys here and they have a great time. I keep reading about the $ 50.00 but when you weigh it out, it is worth it. Going to a movie with a drink and popcorn is 60.00, this is well worth it with some beautiful horses and amazing views.

Pat and his crew are excellent. This was our first visit to the Wagon Wheel Ranch, and the first time on a horse for the youngest of my two nieces. She was scared at first, but Pat and the other staff members calmed her down, giving her instructions for riding and encouraging her all along the way. She was beaming by the end of the ride and loves her horse, Luke. The two girls and their two aunts had a great time! I think Pat and his staff are as good with people as they are with their wonderful horses.
The horses are gentle, yet beautiful and poised. It was fun to learn a little horsemanship as we proceeded along the trail, and to learn about the horses, too. The one hour ride took us from the stables through the hills and up to a bluff where we had a great view of the South Bay.
Not only did we have a great time, but the photos Pat took with my camera are excellent mementos of our day at the stables and on the trail. Yes, a little expensive, but totally worth it!

$ 50/​hour trail ride
Great for first timers and Pat, the owner, explained everything so thoroughly; from introducing us to their horses (i got seagor… one of the workers mentioned he felt like hollywood) to helping us take pictures during our trail. The Whole staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and encouraging. Pat mentioned that he would love to participate in school fundraisers and Chruch Activities.
They really like getting involved with the community
Its a little steep
Amazing city view during the peak of the trail

Came here for a 3PM ride with my best friend on a Saturday. She made reservations in the morning and it was $ 50 per person for a one hour ride. A little steep, but not unexpected in this area. If you really want cheap riding, I would suggest going out to Corona/​Norco area.
Pat, the owner of Wagon Wheel Ranch dresses and acts like a cowboy (OG Wranglers included). He’s friendly, knowledgeable, makes sure everyone is riding their horse correctly, and even stops to help take pictures for people on their cell phones along the trails.
Our ride was 20 – 30 minutes delayed but they sent us a text notifying us of it and apologizing for the inconvenience 40 minutes early. That gave us plenty enough time to walk around the mall for a little bit and stop by Barnes & Noble.
The workers here were very friendly, courteous, and always made sure we were safe. They gave us great pointers and tips and made great jokes and interactions as well. My best friend was on Smokie while I got to ride Blue. They do a great job of checking to see how comfortable you are riding, what level you are, and what your height is. The horses are also well groomed, managed, and healthy. They even have their own personalities :)
The 1 hour trail takes you up a mountain to a view of Long Beach, Hermosa Beach, Downtown LA, and even the Hollywood sign if it’s clear enough (too hazy for us). It’s a pretty slow and entry level ride, so if you’re looking for something more Wild West, I’d consider talking to them about a different ride or going somewhere else. This place is great for kids and great for anyone who just wants to get on a horse every now and then to relax and ride.
This place gets bonus stars for trying very hard to please its customers. I heard Pat speaking to a few other riders about getting involved in community activities (churches, schools, etc) and it seems as though they are really trying to be a good face in the area. Bonus points there.
Definitely check out this place if you’re interested in riding for fun in the area!

Rode here today and absolutely loved it! Had a wonderful time and couldn’t have asked for more. I highly recommend booking a ride or two+.
Beautiful horses and wonderful people. Everyone was extremely courteous, great sense of humor and showed a thorough appreciation for their customers.
Definitely going again!

My daughter and I arrived on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Pat, the owner welcomed us and made us feel at home right away. Cool dude but he reminds me of a P.T. Barnum type — part showman and crafty businessman. I was really impressed with the pretty ranch hands working for him. Nice touch.
Our trail ride with PV Horses was therapeutic and exciting at the same time. Despite having some strange phobia of riding on a horse, next to cliffs and then falling off, I still had fun. The ride has awesome views but scared the BEJESUS out of me!!! The views of the South Bay and ocean are incredible and quite exhilarating.
The guides were really personable and took a lot of pictures for us with our phones. They really care about the horses, the trails and nearby neighbors.
The horses were great — mine was «Dreamer» and he was a super cool and sweet horse. I felt 100% comfortable with him — he was cooperative and laid-​back along the rim of the hill top.
*My only gripe is the $ 50 fee for the one hour ride.
*They also don’t make you wear the helmets if you don’t want to.
*Safety for the horses and riders is the first precaution at PV Horses.