DO NOT COME HERE!!! STAY AWAY!! NOT SAFE!!! I don't normally write bad reviews, but I feel like we weren't treated very well and I also wanted to let people know how irresponsible this company is....so bare with me. On Jan. 1, 2020 we came here with my nieces and mother for a land and beach ride. There are 5 of us. 3 adults and 2 kids. Our appointment was 11am, but they were running late so we had to wait til almost 11:40am to depart. Our guide was Kendra. She was nice at first, but she does not seem to know how to put or adjust the saddle or stirrups. My horse actually had 2 stirrups and it was not comfortable for my legs. And my 9yo niece's saddle was crooked, she adjusted a little, but didnt do much. My 72yo mother's saddle was also crooked so she had to keep on adjusting it herself during the ride. And whenever she told Kendra abt her sliding saddle, Kendra just said "sit up straight" without checking her saddle. Towards the end of our ride, the kiddies wanted the horses to trot a little and we did. However, a minute into it, my horse jumped suddenly and when I turned around to check on my nieces, the 9yo was lying on her side on the ground with the saddle next to her. She was just lying there. My mom wanted to get off the horse to check on her, but Kendra said no! She told my mom to stay on the horse. My niece was in shock and was on the ground for awhile before she was able to move. She started to walk but eventually told Kendra that she wanted to get back on the horse because it hurt too much to walk. On our way back, we ran into another group, and when Kendra told the guide that my niece fall off the horse with the saddle, she said "Again?" From this you can tell that this happens a lot and the management didn't care to fix it. When we got back to the office, the manager (Raylene M) tried to ask my niece if she would like to come back and ride and that she'll personally guide her. My niece said "no!" I don't blame her. And she tries to explain to her that it's normal to fall off a horse and that it's okay. Umm.... NO, it's NOT okay for the rider to fall off a horse with the saddle. She only fell off due to the loose saddle! And imagine if my 72yo mother were to fall off the horse too?!! I then asked her for her number, the owner's info, and insurance info. (In case we need to contact them later). You know what she said? "WELL, YOU KNOW YOU SIGNED THE WAIVER RIGHT?" Yes, I signed the waiver, but the rider didn't fall off the horse on her own, she only fell off the horse because the saddle came loose. THIS WAS THEIR NEGLIGENCE!!! I was not very happy, but I didn't want to make a scene in front of the kids. My niece cried herself to sleep on our ride back home. And up to this day, no one bothered to call to check on my niece and no apologies. They do not care about you.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS PLACE. I’m new to San Diego and was looking for a part time weekend gig, specifically around horses. I stumbled upon a job posting on Craigslist that was looking for trail guides for Pony Land: Pony Rides and Petting Zoo. I went for an initial interview where I met the owner/manager. It lasted about 30 minutes. I groomed and tacked up a horse to show that I had experience. The owner/manager explained that there would be a part two of the interview in a couple weeks where I’d come back “on a slow day and learn the trails”. So last Saturday I went to “learn the trails”. Well I got there at 7:30am and didn’t leave until 7:30pm. I didn’t “learn the trails”, I was put to work for 12 hours and received zero compensation for my time. I started the morning by grooming and tacking up horses, then led multiple trail rides where customers were tipping us. I was told to ride Apache, a horse that has been in Arizona for the last 3 months and hasn’t been ridden. Apache was a sweet boy but clearly lame and out of shape. I rode him for about 9 hours. Any horse person knows that a horse who hasn’t been ridden for months needs to slowly get back into work. However, they believed me riding him for 9 straight hours was healthy. Furthermore, there were absolutely no covid precautions taken. Masks were not necessary and nobody cleaned any of the tack or disinfected common surfaces. Some customers even rode barefoot. At the end of the day I was told that the manager/owner would give me a call but that there were multiple people interested in the position. How can someone with any morals run a business and put somebody to work for 12 straight hours and not compensate them? Not even give me the money that customers tipped me?

I had such a great afternoon doing the beach ride with Morgan! Beautiful landscape from desert to beach, a view of Tijuana, with plenty of wildlife on the way! My horse was great for my intermediate skill level - comfortable, responsive, with that slight amount of "I've got to make sure you don't try and snack" to keep me engaged with my horse and get us doing some work together. Special props to my guide, Morgan. I thought going alone on a 2.5 hour tour would be awkward, but it was great! He knew a bit about a lot of the horses on the property, eagerly pointed out local plant and wildlife, and had plenty to talk about in so many aspects of horsemanship. Plus, shout out for the photos! Definitely coming back the next time I'm in San Diego.

This company fraudulently took money from my bank account, promised to refund it to my account, and here we are... 3 months from when they took it and I still don't have the refund. I disputed it with my bank and they fought it and took it back. What a terrible company that they would steal $68 from a family and refuse to give it back. I would never ever do business with a company with such low integrity. BEWARE.

Our beach ride was cancelled due to the beach being closed. I still decided to take the other ride option. Big mistake. It was such a dry scenery. Just a bunch of dead bushes. I’m sure it’s beautiful in the summer. That’s is not the reason for my one star. Our tour guide was a younger woman. She seemed so annoyed to have to take us on this ride. She never told us her name. She didn’t talk to us the entire ride. I tried to make small talk & asked about the area/trail. She had no clue. So weird since she is the tour guide. She got super annoyed when I asked her to take a picture. At one point her horse started to take off from her and she grabbed him super hard by the tail. I still tipped her but i honestly didn’t think it was deserved. For this I gave a one star. I’m all about customer service. This ruined the day

The petting zoo was extremely dirty. You pay $40 for 30min and would think they would at the very least clean up the poop from time to time. Nope. There is literally nowhere to walk without stepping in poop and for very little kids I found that disturbing. I recognize it is a farm and animals poop but there were were piles of poop everywhere. The part that made our experience super awful was that you pay $40 to reserve the half hour for you and your family. The woman working behind the desk allowed another family to come in during our time. We honestly couldn't believe it. The other family's child was older and a bit of a bully. Our child was getting pushed around and it really ruined it. They essentially overtook our time with the animals ruining what was supposed to be a very special moment for our family. We didn't get any videos and they were in all of our photos. No attendant could be found anywhere, so my mom left to go find someone and she was rudely told "well they paid too". It was a massive disappointment. It felt like they were trying to maximize their profits and there was zero consideration. Again, there was no attendant or anyone anywhere when you needed someone and it felt like a massive flop, the whole thing. What if someone got hurt or a safety issue comes up? At least pick up the piles of poop between families. It was one of the worst experiences, ever. There are a lot of other pony/horse farms in that area. It didn't look like the animals were well taken care of. I do not recommend this one at all, we will never come back.

Awesome experience. Red was a completely chill guide and it was great to have a relaxed knowledgable guide with an obvious love and passion for horses. My sister and I brought my 7 year old niece for the seaside ride. Even though she has ridden before, having her pony led made the ride much more relaxing for her. And between my sister and I we have about 40 years of riding background and horsemanship, and as a veterinarian as well, I was impressed with the health and condition of the horses. Their feet were in great shape, they were extremely well mannered and it was impressive to see that each horse was fitted with a bridle tailored to them. Red was always attentive to safety on the trail, warned us when our horses would try to steal a snack and made sure the slower horse in the back of the line was caught up. The horses were clearly well rested, enjoyed their work, and their variety of horses allowed for tailoring of the horse and rider. It was the perfect way to spend a morning enjoying the marsh, the ocean, the horses, and great conversation. Would be fun for any ability rider, just make sure you know that 2.5 hours in the saddle for the seaside ride is some work for your knees and bum.

Best petting zoo ever! What a great way to wait for your ride and visit all the animals. Fantastic trail rides, really nice horses, a knowledgeable staff. Definitely take the Beach Ride!!!

Our second time at Pony Land and we had such a great time. It certainly won’t be our last. The staff is really friendly and fit the right horse to the rider for any skill or experience including first time riders. The horses and equipment are great and the guides were fabulous.

Masha (guide) was an absolute gem. She was kind, patient, very knowledgeable of the area and even laughed at our corny jokes. Masha paired us with the perfect companions (horses) for the day. Our tour/ride was more than we bargained for and worth every cent. The view of the beach on horseback is breathtaking. As beginners, we felt safe and comfortable on our tour. This is a must do if you're ever in the area.

We had the best experience with Hannah White! she was the absolute best guide ever!!! We enjoyed our ride so much, when we come back to San Diego we'll differently come back... thank you Hannah you Rock!!! Love from Kimmy & Bklyn 💜

Even better than I imagined! Cecy (Cecilia) was my guide. She was personable, attentive, knowledgeable of the area and fauna. Im not an experienced rider, Cecy made me feel comfortable and confident. This is a professionally run organization and my Beach Ride was worth every penny!! All of the crew was friendly and helpful! Thanks so much!!

My kid had a blast

Cool ranch

Lily and I had the best time for her 13th Birthday! Our guide was super sweet and fun to hang with for 3 hours!

Such an amazing experience. I never thought I would be able to ride a horse on the beach, let alone at sunset! An experience I will never forget and will cherish forever. Our guide was incredibly friendly and made us beginners feel right at home. Thanks for the memories!

Hannah was our Sunset 🌇 ride guide. Great young lady. Loved the ride down to the beach and back. A great and fun place to visit. Thank you.

Such a wonderful experience. Jules is an amazing guide. We had great conversation and my daughter loved her first time horseback riding. We can't wait to go again.

Great fun for the kids. Petting zoo and 15 minute, guided pony rides for kids under 65 lbs. Horseback rides available also. Book in advance. If you can get passed that rustic animal farm smell it's great! There's also a small shaded area that has picnic tables. Right now there's about adorable baby piglets. There's also goats, a chicken, an alpaca, a llama, a camel, a huge old tortoise, a cow and a Texas longhorn.. plus ponies and bunnies and horses.. the kids had a great time!

What a fantastic experience. Lauren did such a great job as our guide. She provided history about the area on our tour and was all around a great tour guide. I will definitely come back. The ride to the beach was beautiful.

We were supposed to have a food and wine tasting tour but we accidentally didn't book it.. so we booked a tour here last minute, the night before. When we showed up the next day even the lady at the desk was surprised, she definitely wasn't expecting us. But she gathered and readied the horses for us and took us on a great ride.

Had THE best experience ever. A dream come true. Lauren was a fantastic guide. I loved how she explained the history of the nature preserve and our surroundings. Pokey was my horse and he was such a great boy. I highly recommend going on their guided ride. I will definitely be doing this again.

Had the best expirence here I forgot our tour guides name but she was absolutely amazing we rode 2.5 hour sunset beach ride and loved every minute of it the beach was incredible and the horses where gorgeous definitely recommended this place

Levi, Preacher and Jules (our guide) were the best crew for our beach ride. Jules was super knowledgeable about the horses, and the natural landscape surrounding us. This was a fantastic experience—thank you ponyland!

We had such a great experience. The staff, horses, and views were amazing. We couldn’t have gotten a more perfect tour guide than Matt! He was assisting, kind, and very knowledgeable. (I’m bragging on him because he was just that great!) If you are considering this place for horse rides just go ahead & book. You won’t be disappointed!

Best trail ride ever! Courtney was an amazing guide. The horses were fat and happy. Not one complaint it was such a great experience! Will definitely go back if I am ever in San Diego again.

It was my bf first time on a horse and this was on his bucket list to ride in the beach. We had a great time on the 2. 5 hr sunset ride and had a real cowboy as our lead. The horses were well trained and we were extra lucky to catch a rare lightening storm on our way back.

A fun day out at Pony Land. Lots of animals to pet and pony rides. Also a good spot for a bday party.

Such an amazing day. My husband and I did the sunset beach ride and it was so much fun ! We looooved our trail guide Kara she was absolutely amazing and informative, she also took such beautiful photos of us too. The horse were also the sweetest as well and so well behaved. We would 100 % go back and do it again.

Had the best time at Pony Land. Our guide Jules was really attentive/patient and so much fun to ride with. We booked a semi private tour but just ended up being my partner and I. We did the sunset beach trail which was a little over 2 hours. The scenery was so beautiful and we would definitely recommend this company for your next excursion.

We originally had booked for the sunset beach ride but the state closed the beach due to rain and we ended up doing the mesa ride with Matt. As he said this should be called the panoramic view. We turned out to be so much happier doing the mesa ride where you can see the beach, the city and Tijuana. Matt was absolutely wonderful to spend the ride with and so informative. Will definitely be back!

Very lovely experience. I’m very thankful to Pony Land for fitting me in last minute. I arranged a ride with about 48 hr notice. It was booked as semi-private, but was actually a private ride. My guide was very knowledgeable about the area, and filled the time chatting as we rode. 10/10 would recommend. (But if you are a germaphobe or scared of spiders I’d use the bathroom prior to arrival.)

Had such a beautiful and amazing time!! Definitely a day my mom and I will never forget! The stables and all the horses were well kept and the horses seemed happy and well taken care of; and our guide, Austin, was the best! And so was White Lightening, Pearl, and Opal; they were the biggest sweethearts ever and were so well behaved on our ride to the beach!! I saw an old review on Pearl misbehaving, but she was so well behaved and there were no issues with our horses or guide whatsoever. The private tour made us feel so special with just us 3 and the horses. Definitely worth it!!!

Incredible, peaceful ride with incredible horses. This isn’t trotting/galloping or anything of the sort, it’s a lovely scenic ride which if you go in the spring is through fields of wildflowers. We rode Cash and Jax and they were fun, silly and sneaky horses (trying to snag flower snacks along the way) and our guide Danny (Danielle/Daniella?) was AMAZING. Knowledgeable and sweet.

We took the 2.5 hour trail ride to the beach with Matt as our wrangler. We loved every moment of it!! We rode Pearl. Opal and Apache. The horses were awesome. Matt was super friendly. Definitely recommend this place if you are in the area.

Me & my friend Sofia went for a sunset ride on the beach with Mack and it was beautiful. One of the horses had a scare but we felt super well taken care of and our overall experience was great. Thanks Mack !!

i had the opportunity to experience the tijuana river valley 1 hr trail with my mom and we were accompanied with Hanna. she is a very kind and patient guide and kept us engaged and involved!! my mom was a first time rider and she enjoyed every single second of it (even if her horse would sneak a bite of the nearby bush lol). overall 10/10 and SO worth the money!!

Awesome

great time! very COVID safe with masks and sanitizer. loved our leader and the horses

Took my 2 year old for her first pony ride! She had a blast! They belt them up that way they don't fall off. And paid a really good price! We also got to go into the petting zoo! Thank you Pony Land, we really had a good time!

We had a great time! The people are really nice, the horses are well cared for and you can tell the staff really likes what they do. Everything is done in a very safe manner so even if you've never ridden before, you'll feel quite at home. It's a nice relaxing way to spend a few hours and they have other animals on site to check out too including little goats that you can pet which are super cute!

Varied, interesting trail. Great guide, we had Kendra. Will definitely be back.

Great ride. Our guide Kendra was fantastic! We had a lovely ride up to the Mesa overlooking San Diego and Tijuana then headed into the estuary. We stopped for photos at the top and explored the jungle together.

The whole family enjoyed! Horses are healthy and the ladies/guides are very friendly. Our guide was Viv for short and was fantastic! Friendly professional educated us on parts of the ride with the river plants, etc. The most thing impressed me was how she communicated with my granddaughter 8. She asked alot of questions and Viv just answered each and everyone while ponying her horse! I will recommend and go again and again. Excellent riding rentals!

Amazing way to end my vacation to San Diego.  We rode Annie,  Levi, and Grace. Grace had a mind of her own, wanting to eat every now and again on the trail.  Almost took me into a tree and we went into some bushes a few times. Morgan was a great guide helping me out. It was so much fun. Definitely recommend you wear long pants so your legs don't get scratched up from the brush and bushes. We originally booked the beach trail but it was not available due to the boarder patrol.  Morgan still took us on a great trail.

Great place for horseback riding especially if you never ridden a horse..like me and my kids 😁 Be sure to ask for a private guide for an extra fee. You be glad you did because the guide's attention will be concentrated in your group only. Unlike a multi group guide will have too many people to keep an eye on. Our guide Kendra was great!

If I can give 1 star I would’ The lady that works there has a very nasty attitude and she’s such a huge liar 🤥 she doesn’t greet you when you arrive. And she’s just there basically to receive a paycheck don’t waste your time you will be highly disappointed!

We did a 1.5 hour private riverbed ride with our guide, Kendra, who was awesome and very knowledge about the horses and San Diego history. She really went above and beyond! We can’t wait to come back!

My daughter likes their horse riding lessons.

petting zoo is not worth it. Its just goats and the llama and pigs are behind another fence which they say we can reach over and touch. The pigs are short so I reaching over a higher fence does nothing. They leave you in the enclosure and thats it. No baby chicks or atleast let us feed the goats. The only part the kids likes was the pony ride. So the 4 stars is for the pony ONLY.

We went recently. And very overpriced. I have taken my family to similar places that were priced better, you got to feed the animals and there was more animals.

They have the cutest baby goats right now. My 2 year old was in love.

Called to get some information and Raylene vas very rude. I'm sure this place is magical reading the other comments. I wont know that now because of the way I was treated over the phone.

I'm a fan!!!

Nice to see nature 😀

My fiancé and I would like to thank Pony Land, Kendra, Apace & Fiona 🐴🐎 for such an amazing experience. Kendra is such an awesome instructor her vibe was beautiful and the horses did an amazing job, we loved the scenery. My fiancé and I will definitely be back & recommend Pony Land to anyone looking for a great enjoyable time.

I went out for the Jungle Trail ride this past weekend. We had an excellent experience and ride with Ponyland. Kendra was an excellent tour guide and was very focused on ensuring that all in our group were comfortable and had a positive experience. She is knowledgeable about the trails, landmarks, and history of the area. The ride was a top-notch experience for all in our group! It was a great local escape.

Great sunset ride.

I had so much fun 😁 I love animals. Especially pressing zoos. They have pigs, a horse, and goats that you can pet. I have videos of the goats though. You can only post pictures on reviews.

Bianca was an awesome guide!! We did the 1.5 hour river valley ride for my fiance's birthday and it was so much fun. We learned all about the plants, animals, history, and geography of the region on our ride while enjoying the beautiful views and seeing lots of wildlife. I had never ridden a horse before and I felt completely safe. The guides take time to make sure you're comfortable and the horses are very calm and well trained. It's clear that the staff really love the horses and take wonderful care of them. We will definitely be back to explore more trails!

Caroline was what made this experience so amazing. She was so easy going and was explaining the trail to us as we were going. You can see the genuine love she has for the horses. Loved everything about this ride!

Great ride, beautiful trails and very friendly staff. Took the 1 hour ride and it was perfect. Will be back to do the sunset ride.

The guide was great as well as the horses! Bug spray and helmets provided if you forgot yours.

Great place to allow your little kiddo to get some animal time in. There are pigs, goats, rabbits, llamas, a camel, a bull and cow, ponies, donkeys.... and more! Pony rides are fun and inexpensive and they now offer feed, so you can feed the petting zoo animals, too! I can't wait til my little one is old enough to go on a trail ride! She LOVES it here!

We had SO much fun with Bianca! Thank you!

This place is awesome! All the animals seem very well cared for and even some would say a little too well cared for. I'm calling you out Snip. Lol. We did the hour Riverbend ride and it was exactly the adventure we where looking for. Our tour guide Caroline was so sweet, funny and informative. We are super glad we had our jeans and boots on, which is an absolute must to get the most enjoyable ride. Thank you for the great memories!

Our guide was great

Horseback Riding in San Diego? Yes, this is a thing. Before I get into the review, please patron this business. I have no connections to this business except, I am honored they exist. I consider myself Miss San Diego and always in "the know" with festivities, hidden gems, things to do from no cost to high cost activities. Embarrassingly, I only Horseback Ride in other states or cities. Effective today, this changes. What a spectacular activity that is budget friendly. Private rides for solo or group exploring the snake valley ( because of the windy layout). I would recommend this tour for friends, couples, novices, kiddos, solo, proposals or "just because." I treated my 10 y.o. as a Valentine's gift and she was astounded and this tour tickled her fancy. Quite a memorable moment to string lifetime pearls. Beautiful quarter horses that are well kept, healthy, and trained horses ( instinct diagnosis). The trail is a horses cuisine but the guide can assist you to redirect your horse. A nice 1-hr stroll that is just enough and not too long. We saw a hawk and several types of greenery, open land, and musical hoofs between the 3 horses. No stopping points, no stop and selfie shots, & no restrooms along the trail. A 1-2 minute trot may occur toward the end. Essentially, if I was a visitor this tour would absolutely be on the agenda. Take an 830-930 ride then head south to the border. Uber can get here without a glitch. Not trolley or bus friendly. TIPS: Ask for Red. He has a natural instinct and love for nature and horses that is intriguing and eases your angst while riding. Arrive 15 minutes early. Gratuity. Ask a few questions. If you got it, wear go-pro cam. Phone cam is just fine. Visit the Petting Zoo next door. You'll see a camel. All Covid safety standards are practiced.

Great fun for the kids and family, rent a horse for a ride on the beach or show the kids what a llama is at the petting corrals.