It appears they are a "one-person" business and make a big deal about getting the horses ready for the horseback ride, like they have 100 other things going on!!
They are supposed to be a working horse ranch and one would expect they have figured out a faster/efficient method to do that one job they have, getting the horses ready and have at least 2 or three people on staff to saddle up a few horses quickly and take customers on a ride!!
We were exactly 34 minutes late for our 12.00 ride due to the Jul 4th weekend unexpected traffic issues even though we left 3 hours prior for what would have been a 2.20 drive from San Jose. They refused to take us on a ride even though only two people went on that 12.00 ride. Their claim that one person has been riding since morning and there is nobody else to take us on a ride and so cannot accommodate anyone arriving a few minutes late. The next scheduled ride was only at 3.00pm.
After leaving multiple messages the day before and also on that day to tell them we are stuck in unusually heavy traffic, never received any call back. They claimed they have issues with their phone service. Duh! you are running a business up in the hills for few years now; you should by now found a way to get a phone to work!
After 3 hours driving just so i could give my kids a unique riding experience in the Sonoma hills and combine that with that with the rest of the family trip to Healdsburg downtown, I was refused a ride as well as a refund. After I was told by the other gentleman to wait for that one lady doing all the rides to get back from her ride and see if we could be squeezed in or maybe even get a refund - she just blatantly refused to do either. After begging for a while, she agreed to offer 50% refund of my approximately $500 bill for myself and three kids.
They charge very high fees and act as high priced lawyers for something I could have gone to 10 other horse ranches in / around the SF Bay Area and for a better experience and minus the attitude.
I do empathize and respect the hard work that goes into maintaining horse ranches, but please no need for the attitude. Everyone works hard in their chosen professions. So, choose something else if saddling up a horse is a big deal for you. I love horses and never found that to be a chore!
Odpowiedź od gospodarza
Jul 2021
This review starts by admitting they were only 30 minutes late for their tour, when in fact the arrival time was scheduled for 11:45 for a 12pm departure. This family arrived 45 minutes late for a tour that was long gone upon their arrival and expected a refund. On July 4th weekend, this was a day we turned away at least 15 customers who would have showed up on time, taken those 4 horses that were prepared for this family, and enjoyed the tour. This is not only a disappointment for the customers we turned away, but also for the family that did not arrive on time. As you can see from the review, we tried to be amenable and make the customer happy even though it was their mistake and not ours. The cancelation policy is clear on the booking and on our website, if the customer had experienced the tour I am sure they would have had a good time.