Experienced horseman helps students hone riding, communication, and safety skills during one-hour one-on-one lessons

Lessons in natural horsemanship espouse the value of establishing interspecies relationships and nonverbal communication skills

CHA-certified instructors impart essential riding skills to students mounted on ponies or horses at a ranch in the Mount Diablo foothills

Horse carries rider and wine out into the rolling countryside, where they can stop to imbibe among oak trees or by a peaceful pond

A ranch arena becomes a sandy stage for lessons that cater to ages 5–75

Friendly steeds welcome riders to climb aboard for safe, supervised instruction and rides at a picturesque, tree-lined farm

Medal-winning dressage rider Tracy Schlabach leads 45-minute lessons in dressage, eventing, hunter, or jumper riding styles

Owner and lifelong rider Linda Gonzalez imparts horseback basics in expansive indoor and outdoor riding arenas

2-mile trail ride takes riders to Inspiration Point, showcasing panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin, Pacific Ocean, and Catalina Island

Riders set out on horseback into the scenic Garden Valley landscape rife with emerald pines of the Idaho Mountains