We had a wonderful ride on a beautiful morning - nice weather, wonderful views, and Natalie, who was the perfect tour guide for us! My husband and I got to ride River and Moo-Moo. They were well behaved horses. I bonded with River instantly because she has my personality - very calm, likes snacks, and has to be encouraged to move a bit faster, lol. You all made our day! We will visit again next time we are in Arizona. Thank you for a wonderful time, Natalie!

The ride and the scenes were amazing! The horses were happy and well taken care of. The highlight of the adventure though was how the staff handled the delay (caused by another group being late). They turned this situation, that could be sore, to a memorable day for our family by managing it so well and making us feel special and taken care of! We loved the horses: Buzz, Barbara, Apache, and little black and enjoyed the conversation with Wrangles Eddie and Jake! Thank you!

We had last ridden 25 years ago on our Honeymoon and were so excited to be lucky enough to ride again on this our first holiday abroad since then. The stables, personnel and horses were all so very wonderful that it is difficult to know where to start! We were made to feel at home by the friendly staff the moment we arrived and set off at 8 in the morning for two hours, to avoid the heat. Paige and Wrangler Eddie were both so professional and kind and helpful. They did apologise for the no-show of the coyotes!!! The horses were clever and good natured and obviously enjoyed their jobs too. The trail was excellent and even though we could see where we were going, it still felt like we were in the middle of the Old West. I have long been a Western fan and this was the best thing out of our Best Ever Holiday so Kudos to Ponderosa and all the staff and horses there - thankyou for a memory I will treasure forever.

Very fun experience for my daughter and I! We have good horse experience, but have never ridden in the desert so was fun to have horses that knew the terrain & a guide to explain the area. Fernanda was great and does her job well!!

This is by far the best trail ride experience I've had in Arizona. Eddie, our wrangler, was very knowledgeable of the area, the preserve itself, and the individual horses' temperment. He didn't just point out things; rather he took the time to explain the history and meaning of what we were seeing and experiencing. The horses we rode, Lucy, Crock, and Lil Black were just beautiful with excellent temperment. They were perfectly matched to my sons and my skill set. As the rear rider, Eddie made sure to check on me periodically and chat which was nice because I'm usually the rear rider and often forgotten about on other rides since I'm an experienced rider. Eddie did several safety checks on my sons and the other riders to ensure that everyone was safe and felt good about what they were doing. Every hill, he made sure to remind the riders of what way to lean to assist the horse. We went on the 2 hr ride and the time passed nicely. All the wranglers work on tips so please be sure to bring cash with you as the tip is not included when you book your trip.

We had such an amazing time with Eddie and Natalie. They were so knowledgeable and gave us such clear instruction on what to do and when. They knew our horses so well that they were instantly able to direct them (and us) to get back on course. They took pictures of and with us and, for being strangers, by the end of the ride we felt like great friends. AND they found my friend’s lost debit/credit cards and her ID that fell out along the trail. Please note that our ride was AFTER sunset but they were determined to find the lost articles. And they delivered. They are an amazing crew and I’m so thankful to them for kicking off an amazing 2024 for me!

The stables were easy to find with Google maps. Parking was easy. They have a little western town set up we took pictures around before our ride. We were greeted by a wrangler who got us checked in. Our ride started on time. They have a boardwalk which is raised so you can sit onto the horse instead of pulling yourself up which may benefit some riders. Chris was our guide, and Crazy was his horse. He was new to the area, but informed about the South Mountain park area. He pointed out some boulders that had been struck by lightening, and gave us info about the cactus in the area. He took our group photo with all of us on our horses which was a great keep sake. He did a safety check of our saddles during the ride which was comforting as we are not experienced riders. I was riding Eleanor, my husband was on Corn Dog, and my mom had Deputy. We did a 1 hour ride which for us was sufficient. After the ride we continued to drive up to Dobbins Lookout which is on the same road. Overall I would recommend this trip to other beginner riders who want a taste of the wild west. Thank you Chris & Crazy!

Wrangler Chris and his crew are amazing. The horses we calm and ride was well organized. We did the night ride to T-bone steak house. Ride was beautiful on the south mountain trails and steak was very good. There was one guy who got drunk and was making problems. But Chris and the crew handled him professionally. Highly recommend!!

It has been a long time since my husband and I were on horses. If that’s the same for you, do t worry about it. This is about as safe as walking beside a horse. The wranglers are all volunteers and they absolutely LOVE these horses. One wrangler I know volunteers 8+ hours six days a week just so she can ride the horses. I really feel like being a volunteer causes you to care more. Safety of humans were first and then the horses. The trail we rode was beautiful, easy to navigate and safe. No natural predators. So the horses are relaxed. They may try to eat but we told not to let them. Gives them a belly ache. They are well cared for and loved. I’ll go back and ride again.

Thinking about booking a ride? Do it!! Wranglers matched us with horses that fit our ability (beginner family) & confidence level. Our ride wranglers Chris & Emma went above & beyond to make sure everyone was safe on the trail & made it fun with their positive attitudes & interesting info along the way. Perfect way to see the beautiful desert with sweeping views of Phoenix below.