Maple Farm Adventure - Waterdown, Ontario

Meher B.

I went for my first trail ride a month ago and it was truly the best horse adventure I’ve ever been on. The farm and forest trails are breathtaking and so much more interesting than riding in circles. The horses are simply stunning and so happy in their paddocks or on the trails. Ramy was our trail guide/instructor and his knowledge and trust with his horses was clear to see. Even though I last rode 15 years ago, I felt at immediate ease with Kelly, the horse I had the privilege to ride. What struck me is how all the horses were all so calm and seemed to enjoy each other’s company and the ride as much as the riders did! That, to me, was very important as I’ve had so many stressful rides where school horses don’t like to be ridden or get spooked easily, or cannot be close to other horses. In comparison, this ride was a therapeutic, nature-focused experience made interesting by the varied gentle trails in the forest. I could focus fully just on my horse and our environment instead of worrying about how other people were riding. The experience was meditative and transcended a regular trail ride.

I also liked that the terrain was not too challenging for the horses to navigate and they seem to know it very well. I was so glad that the trails did not include any steep hills that would unnecessarily tire the horses, and Ramy assured me that his horses have strict limits on how long and hard they are worked to keep them in the best of health.

The bottom line is that happy, healthy horses on beautiful, relaxing trails is why I love Maple Farm adventures because nothing else matters more to me - and that is why it is my preferred place for future horse adventures! Thank you Ramy for a great introductory experience at your farm - I can’t wait to be back!

야호

말들도 착하고 관리해주시는 분도 친절해서 안전하게 잘 체험했음. 1:1이라서 좋은듯. 해질무렵 승마 낭만 지림 캐나다 와서 체험 추천👍👍👍

Ashley W.

From the very beginning of our horse adventure, Remy was incredible patient and friendly with us. He allowed us to go at our own pace since it was our first time ever riding the horses… even my husband was very timid compared to me, and he worked very well with him continually reassuring both of us. His horses were VERY friendly and listened very well (other than when they wanted to take breaks and eat the grass haha it was funny)!! He was also very generous with the time… we originally paid for an hour experience and he never rushed us into finishing up our adventure. He generously gave us 30-45 minutes extra to get comfortable with the horses/ spend more time with them! but overall very pleasant experience. We will definitely be back!!

Heba H.

The best farm ever to learn horse riding. My family had a really amazing experience with riding horse, grooming the pony and feeding the friendly horses. The instructors are so professional and expert. Definitely we will go back there a lot.

Chloe K.

Definitely would not recommend going here. Not worth the price & the owner is rude and unprofessional. I cannot stress how bad this experience is in comparison to other farms I have gone to.

There are beautiful ranches in Oakville & Conestoga with knowledgeable, kind staff members who know how to run a reputable business. I am not a beginner rider & I was appalled at how this farm is run. Clearly this is just a way to offset the costs of a ranch versus a reputable ranch that cares about customer experience and the animals. There are no bathrooms or places to wash your hands. All the tools/helmets are extremely dirty & the owner chalks it up to “the farm life” (his words). Maintaining equipment when you run an operation open to the public should be a priority. I’ve ridden horses at several different places & have never received such a dirty equipment to use. I can’t imagine they are cleaned at all between rides, as we were given a spray bottle with the label ripped off and told that was the sanitizer and we can clean it ourselves.

$100 ppr will get you 15 min “grooming” time & 45 min on the horse. They barely give any instruction, & use the 15 min to get all the equipment on. Anywhere I have ridden has always had the horses saddled up before your arrival. Saddles are not suited for beginner riders & have no horn to grip on. Better ranches will give you a full hour on the horse with actual instruction beforehand.

The owner told everyone to pick their own horses, & then didn’t even know which horses were actually available & gave confusing instructions to us. He then singled me out implying I was too fat to ride the horse I picked. I am 70 pounds under the weight limit of 220 pounds & I am much smaller than his helper & himself who were both on small horses. I have ridden several small horses before as I am short & have never had this issue. He embarrassed me in front of the entire group & ruined the experience for me. If it wasn’t for my friend’s birthday, I would have asked for a refund on the spot & left.

Then my friend picked a horse, spent the entire 15 minute “grooming” experience caring for this horse & then right as we are about to get on, the owner told him that horse wasn’t available & he could pick another horse or not go on the ride. Again I have never had an experience like this at any ranch. Horses are always assigned, not chosen by guests. The owners & helpers know the horses personalities & limitations best. Because of that they should be assigning horses. Especially when the owner doesn’t even know which horses are available to ride. This small change would have made the experience completely different, but instead they have given the impression that they are unprepared, rude and unknowledgeable.

The trail is poorly maintained. Again the owner may tell you this is the “farm life” but I have been on amazing, well maintained trails & I know this is just laziness on their part. Branches are not trimmed so you will be hit in the face constantly. There are large fallen branches on the trail that hit the horses & there was even 4 glass bottles on the ground which we were told to just avoid. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that that is unsafe for the animals to walk on glass. Trails should be checked before rides to ensure safety.

They need to be aware of what order the horses walk best in. The horse that wanted to go the fastest was at the back of our group meaning the entire ride was spent in a traffic jam with horses right beside each other always. This actually resulted in one of the horses being kicked in the face by another horse. The ride wasn’t even stopped to check on the animal. The horse was hit extremely hard. The horses are poorly trained in comparison to others I have ridden and seem unhappy to be doing this.

For less money you could go to The Ranch in Oakville which is an amazing experience. They will give you more time riding, have clean equipment/bathrooms, happy horses, a beautiful trail, kind & knowledgeable instructors and will give you thorough education before starting.

Harsan

The best place to learn horse riding and best place for trail riding. Very trained and calm horses. Instructors are very informative and work with riders very closely, whether you’re a beginner or advanced rider.

Isa A.

Ikramy is the best coach I’ve ever had! It’s always a great session full of learning and reaching new goals. The trail rides are amazing with such a stunning and calming view. The confidence I’ve gained with horses from Maple Stables has made me a great rider. I’ve recommended many friends and family members to ride here and always had amazing feedback.

Elena D.

I was staying at a nearby cabin and found out about this horse ranch. They accommodated a last-minute booking for me, which was great.

The experience was fun overall. The horse I rode was friendly, and the guide was very patient, taking his time to make sure I was comfortable before we hit the trail. His guidance helped ease my nervousness since this was my first time.

The trail was scenic and peaceful. The guide was attentive and made sure I felt safe throughout. He was very kind and friendly, which added to the positive experience.

I recommend this ranch for anyone looking for a relaxing trail ride!