ricochet ridge ranch

My husband and I really enjoyed our experience at Ricohet Ridge Ranch. We have never ridden horses before, but are always up for new adventures. The staff were very patient and helpful with both of us. Our 1 1/2 hour ride took us through the forest and out to the beach of MacKerricker State park. We were shown an instructional video with basic horse riding information before the ride that was really helpful. Our horses were beautiful and looked well cared for. The ride was a slow pace, but just right for our first time.

We had a fun ride at Ricochet Ranch. I can't recall our guide's name but she was great... very knowledgeable. The ride was uneventful (a good thing when riding horses) and the terrain beautiful. Walking along the beach and looking at the seals on the rocks was definitely a highlight. It was my boys birthday and they gave them each a horseshoe as a memento.

I came across the Ricochet Ridge Ranch at the hotel I was staying (Cobbler's Walk Inn, in Little River, a very relaxing and tranquil hotel) and decided to go for a ride.The ranch offers both group and private rides, ranging from 1.5 to 4 hrs or even whole days, , and I went for the short group one, which comprised 5 people only, led by Vida. She was so helpful, enthusiastic (and efficient) and made me feel very welcome. I hadn't sat on a horse for 10 years, so the slower pace of the group ride was fine, but if I ever come back this way, I will make sure to give Vida a ring and organise a private ride and a galop along the waves.In fact, if I am in Northern California again, I will make a detour to ensure I fit that in my travels!Thanks for a great time, Vida!

I am so glad that you and your fiancé enjoyed the trail ride immensely and had some great views. If you would like to ride with fewer than a group of six, we do offer "private" rides for 1.5, 3 or 4 hours, or all day, on which you would be riding alone with your trail guide. And don't forget to bring your camera to capture those views!

We are so glad that after 15 years of planning, you finally came to ride with us. Every week is different, but spending that particular week with you folks really made a vacation for my staff and horses also. Not that we didn't gallop enough mountains to make the horses sweaty enough for a good bath, but then again, we all felt like we needed one as well! Great fun! Thanks for making it happen!

We had Veda as our guide and were lucky enough to have her all to ourselves! Veda was so knowledgeable about the local wildlife, history, current events, etc. that it also felt like an eco tour as well as a trail ride. The horses are kept in immaculate shape and Veda was a great teacher on how to appropriately ride the horses. The video they have you watch is also very educational and both me and my husband learned a lot just from that! When we're back in the area, we'll definitely stop in again!

Don't waste your money for a terrible experience. This excursion was planned to be one of our best on our vacation but turned out to be the worst. The men and women were abrupt, rude, and downright mean to my granddaughter. Our guide was boring and terribly offensive and we wished we had not wasted our money nor our time.

My children and I were so looking forward to an enjoyable horseback ride on the beach, but it ended up being a complete nightmare!!! We are still in shock about how rude the manager and trail guide were to us. They belittled us and treated us horribly. The trail guide yelled in a very ugly voice at my little 6 year old daughter a couple of times and had her in tears. I'm so disappointed because it could have been a great time had by all, but their hateful attitudes ruined it for us. What a shame because it's such a beautiful place with beautiful horses, but the people are truly hateful, degrading and downright rude. The trail guide even had the nerve to hint for a tip at the end of the ride! Here's a tip: Learn some basic customer service skills and how to be kind to people and treat them with respect. I would never return and would definitely not recommend this place to anybody unless they enjoy being treated like trash.

We are sorry you interpreted the "blonde lady's" concern for your welfare as short and rude. We always encourage our guests to wear approved protective helmets, which we loan free of charge. We appreciate your input and will in the future present our concerns about wearing a helmet in a more sensitive manner.The office is part of the stables, we do our best to keep it presentable but mud and dust throughout the day makes it tough. We have received many compliments on our safety video but yes, you are correct it is a little old. However, the instruction that it gives is timely and very relevant to the activity you were about to participate in. The woman on the video is a certified instructor, as well as an accomplished endurance rider with many published articles. Your guide had to raise his voice in order to make sure that everyone heard him, as his main concern was your safety. We are sorry your niece fell off her horse, and very thankful she wasn't badly hurt. Although the horses being ridden on your trail ride have been doing this together for many years uneventfully, sometimes animals can act unpredictably. Again, we thank you for your input and will endeavor to try to communicate during the rides in a more congenial although still loud manner. We do hope you will give us another chance to show you our beautiful beaches by horseback.

Three of us (including my 12 years old daughter) did a 4 hour private redwood trail ride with Vida on Monday of Thanksgiving week. It was our first horseback trail ride! Weather was pleasant, and the view (overlooking the ocean and coastline) was amazing. Couple of horses were a little bit naughty sometimes, but Vida is very experienced and helpful, all the little surprises turned out to be pleasant and memorable ones. Thanks Vida! for this wonderful experience. 4 hours felt so short, we will definitely ride with you again in the future.

My husband and I made reservations for our second anniversary on Halloween. The evening prior to, a large storm came in and was predicted to rain until 10am the next day. Even though our reservation was at noon Lari was honest with us and told us that the horses where soaked, the beach was extremely sloppy, and we would need to take it very slow. She was well aware that I wanted to trot and canter on the beach. She said she would still take us out but wanted to make sure that since we are paying to ride that we enjoyed ourselves. We decided to hold out and see if the weather would be better the next day. The next morning my husband called at 9am and she was able to get us in at noon on Saturday the 1st.We arrived early and my husband walked up to the gentleman tacking the horses, and asked if the portapotty was ok for him to use. When my husband returned to the car he stated the man was a little rough around the edges and felt like he had bugged him. Once he was ready for us to fill out paperwork I could see what my husband meant (i'll elaborate a little later). He asked us to watch a video about mounting, dismounting, and basic riding. The poor video is really outdated and old with skips in the footage. Although I am sure the information would be the same it would be nice to have a crisp clean video. With today's technology this could pretty much be done on a cell phone and burned to a dvd for cheap. After the video he asked us to go outside and go by the mounting blocks and he will bring us horses to get on. On my reservation I had stated that I would like a english saddle. When he brought a horse around he told me it was mine. I was surprised because the horse had a western saddle on. I asked if an english saddle was available and he stated I ddin't ask for one and prompted me to get on. I was a little taken aback by his response and did not want to start an argument so I got on. My husband thinks that maybe because our reservation was moved the information was not transferred over??? Being an individual who has trained hunter/jumper, dressage I am most comfortable in an english saddle. I was a little bummed but at least it was not a bulky western saddle and was a western endurance saddle. I was paired with Cowboy and my husband was paired with Roller. My poor husband had no idea what he was doing and Roller was doing whatever he wanted in the parking lot. I was concerned we may have to pony him. There was another lady and her two children in our group who had some issues so they cancelled their ride. It turned into a private ride for us which was nice. Our guide mounted his horse Chardonnay and led us across the road. Once we started riding he actually turned into a nice guy. I engaged in conversation with him while my husband and Roller slowly brought up the rear. We took a relaxing walk on a path above the beach before we headed down onto the sand. Once we got closer to the ocean our guide offered to get off his horse and take pictures for us. I thought that was so nice of him. I expected him to only take one or two pictures but he took closer to 20 from all different angles. By the time I was going to ask if I could canter he lead us back up to the paved path. I wasn't sure when I should have asked or if he was going to tell me I was free to canter on the beach. I was really disappointed that I lost my opportunity especially since the lady we made the reservation with was very aware that I was really looking forward to it.As we made our way back Cowboy started limping on his front left leg. I was concerned for him and offered to get off and walk back. Our guide checked his hoof and could not find anything in it. I took a few more strides and there was no improvement. I dismounted and rode Chardonnay who was such a gentleman. I anticipated him needing a little more guidance since he had spooked earlier on our ride and gotten frisky a couple times. With a quite seat he actually started to round his neck and his ears started to flop with his steps. It took a little coxing until Cowboy would walk but eventually his limp went away. Our guide gladly walked the mile and a half back and did not mount Cowboy. To me this is a person who really cares about the horse's well being. He even said if his limp didn't go away once we got to a spot a trailer could get to he would call to have Cowboy picked up. We we got back to the ranch I was able to dismount on my own. My husband on the other hand needed a little talk through. Our guide was very patient with him. Before we left he brought us out a horseshoe to hang over our door for our 2nd anniversary. I would take a ride here again! I would just be a little more vocal about an english saddle and wanting to do more than just walk. It was a nice relaxing ride.

We are so glad we picked Ricochet Ridge Ranch as the place to celebrate our 5th anniversary. Day 1 we went on a private beach ride and Day 2 was a private Redwood forest ride. If you have to choose between the two- it would be close- but we would definitely go with the Redwood forest ride due to the scenery and the fact the general public are not allowed on this land. No bikes etc to have to deal with. Our guides on both days were fantastic. Gina and Vida are very knowledgeable, great horsewomen, warm, funny, and engaging guides. We can't say enough good things about them. Gina and Vida both showed a lot of care and love toward the horses. It is very important to us, as horse owners ourselves, that we were giving our money to a business that treated their horses well. The best of part of the ride was when I surprised my husband with a vow renewal ceremony overlooking the ocean on a peak in the Redwood Forest. Vida our guide on that day was kind enough to be part of the vow renewal. We are honoured she partook in our ceremony by reading part of our vows. Owner Lari Shea was kind enough to have a bottle of chilled wine waiting for us which we shared over looking the ocean with the horses nearby. It was truly a beautiful amazing experience. We cannot express how much we truly appreciate everyone at Ricochet Ridge Ranch for truly making this experience one we will remember for the rest of our lives. They have a lot of heart and soul at RRR.

Spent the afternoon exploring the redwood forests up in the mountains overlooking the Pacific - what a stupendous view! I was guided on this 4-hour private excursion by Gina, a wonderful equestrian who was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and made sure I was comfortable and happy at all times. As a bonus, she's a great conversationalist! My mount was perfectly suited to my experience level (intermediate) and I felt safe throughout our trek, even when we cantered through the forest. What a rush! It truly was an unforgettable experience, that I think anybody wanting to fit some riding in their vacation in the Mendocino area, should sign up for at Ricochet. The ONLY negative criticism I would make is that there is a small section of brush, at the beginning of the trail up on the mountain (near the owner's house) that needs some serious pruning. My horse navigated as best he could through all these thorny bushes, and even though I was wearing long pants, I got thorns pricking my legs through the fabric. Not fun. Somebody needs to get a weed-whacker and pay this section a little visit.

I have ridden horses in many places around the World and there is no finer riding experience than the champian endurance horses offered at this place. Long canters through virgin growth forests, unbelieveable canters along every mile of 10 Mile Beach. All of this is orchestrated by the Owner, Lari Shea, who is truly a magical sprite. She will forget more about horses by close of business today than most people will ever know after a life time of interestand she happily share's all of her knowledge and experiences with all her guests. We all felt we have know her for decades by the time the wekk long adenture ended. She was bright, charming, and as funny as the best stand up, and took care of us like we were family. All the horses in our group were proven endurance champians and even though they are willing and able to go all day if needed, each ride is customized to accomodate the ability and wishes of each rider. The gorups are small and safety for the rider and the horses is first and foremost. So, even a novice will have the best possible time, along with the most accomplished riders. No detail is left to chance, as every aspect of the weeklong ride is carefully planned from excellent meals, and surprise entertainment after a long soak in a hot tub and a glass of local fine wine. The price was more than fair and I got maximun bang for my vacation buck. There is simply nothing like this experience for the consumate outdoor adventure. You don't have to be a skilled equestrian to enjoy this, but you will be by the time you have to reluctantly head back to your real life. This is not to be missed by rational adults who love the pristine outdoors and seeing it all from the back of a wonderful horse. This was the second best thing I ever did with my clothes on. Yee Ha.

I wish I could give 3.5 stars. I wanted to love this experience, but it was just ok for me for a few reasons. We were in the back of our group trail ride, and we couldn't hear anything that our guide was saying. He got a bit salty when we asked him to repeat what he was saying - it was windy, and we couldn't hear him, we weren't trying to be ignorant. The bigger disappointment was that when I called, I talked to them about the best thing for us to do - I'm an experienced rider and my boyfriend is not. They said to do a group ride because no matter what I would have to walk, not trot or canter, since he didn't know how to ride (this made sense, so I didn't question further). So that's what we did. But, once we had gone on our ride, the staff said that we should have done a private ride, because the guide could have waited with my boyfriend's horse while I went to canter on the beach, or another staff person said she could have "had him trotting and cantering in an hour." It would have been nice to know that, because we would have paid extra for the private ride instead. Just a thing to note if you are going with someone else and you have different levels of experience. It's worth asking a few more questions than I did so you can be sure you get the experience you want. The horses were in great shape and really well cared for. I would definitely go back, but just for a different experience based on what the staff told me once I got there.