Arrowmont Stables
Arrowmont Stables
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Arrowmont has one of the best trail ride programs in the SE, maybe even the country. You ride breathtakingly beautiful trails with majestic mountain top views, a picturesque valley with creeks & streams, and cool fern forests.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
123 reviews
Excellent
93
Very good
14
Average
7
Poor
3
Terrible
6
Heather H
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
The stables were nicely kept and the horses were clean, well groomed and seemed to be taken good care of in general. We did the 2 hour ride and the scenery was pretty. Our guide, Jess, was not very personable and spoke little. My 3 daughters and I were the only ones on the trip and she didn’t make any effort to talk to us, point things out or seem to care that we had just spent over $500 to ride. She never offered an opportunity for us to take a nice picture of us on our horses with a view. But rather said she would at the end of the ride in the ring… Overall it was an OK experience. Its just a nose to tail ride, hilly and rocky with lots of trees. I would have felt better if the cost had been about half or maybe if the guide had just been better. My kids are 12, 13 & 15. They felt it was OK but would have rather just taken a lesson in the ring to practice controlling the hose and then go hiking.
Written July 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking your time to let us know about your experience. I regret it wasn't up to your expectations and I've talked to your guide about it.
Written September 2, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BT
Huntersville, NC15 contributions
Apr 2022
We stayed in the small room and took a few horseback rides. The room was clean, but very small without a sink in the kitchen area. The horseback riding trails were beautiful. We went on three trails on different days. Personally, we were reminded to tip the guide. We were annoyed at the customer service. One of our rides was cancelled and we were given the option of a longer, more expense trail. We did not anticipate this and normally would be given the same rate at other locations. Come to find out they didn't want to do two different rides with only two people. Again, we felt like they just were concerned about the money.
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Becky,
Thanks for taking the time to write a review.
I'm sorry if you thought you were getting a "kitchen". In the advertising, we tell Guests this is a Small Room with a microwave, frig, coffee maker, and a toaster. We specifically avoid even calling it a kitchenette so there aren't any illusions. It is simply a small motel room with some conveniences like a microwave and refrigerator. That's why we are able to rent it at a reasonable rate vs the larger complete cabin.
We even send a video to our guests of their accommodations so there are no surprises on arrival. I regret if you weren't able to view it before your arrival. But I did describe the unit to you when you made the reservation.
Regarding the horse ride, we only had one guide available that day to take out 2 separate trails at the same time. Sometimes the booking program makes a mistake.
Please understand, I had already given you an $85 discount on your small room for the 3 nights and really couldn't afford to give you more than the 15% discount you were already receiving on your trail rides.
I'm sorry you felt you weren't being given good service.
Blessings to you and your child.
Written June 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Melanieanderson02
3 contributions
Oct 2014
I'm so heart broken to be writing this awful review. This was the one thing I wanted for my birthday while we were vacationing in the mountain. I used to ride religiously a few years back and have been wanting to get back into it. We thought this would be a gorgeous and relaxing hour long trail ride through the beautiful scenery but boy were we wrong. I have been on 6 trail rides all across the country and have never been more disgusted or displeased. We barely got out of the ring before our ride was over. The two horses my boyfriend I were given seemed as though they had never had a saddle on their backs let alone gone on this trail ride. The instructor couldn't even control his horse and said this was his first time on said horse. If that isn't terrifying enough, he rode FAR ahead of us and when we couldn't get our horses to listen he yelled down from the hill at us what to do instead of coming to be helpful. My boyfriends horse seemed terrified and was quickly spinning in circles thrashing its head and stomping its feet. He was terrified. Still, no help from our instructor. After about 15 minutes of this behavior we felt completely unsafe and said enough is enough. The instructor replied "as you wish" and charged us $70 for his troubles. I was fuming. I left crying my eyes out the whole ride home and was so upset by the experience. That is the only thing I wanted for my birthday and my boyfriend and I feel so gipped.
Written October 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I regret your experience. I was out of the country at the time and depended on staff. Please contact us to receive a refund. I'm sure staff thought they were doing their best. But we are doing retraining to ensure the best experience for our guests. You are also welcome to come for a trail ride completely on us. We value you and want to make sure you have a great experience.
Sincerely,
Arrowmont Stables
Written November 8, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ken H
Clarkesville, GA7 contributions
Jan 2014 • Couples
New Year Days, told rides to start at 2 pm, by 3 pm still waiting for some late folks to arrive, when they did workers had no horse for us and made no attempt to even be nice. In addition we had to pay up front, they added a 20% tip, that's right,
and when we told them we were the first there the became rude to us.
We had to fight and call credit card company to get our $289 back.
There are many, many other stables within the area and we ride regularly.
Arrowmont Stable is the only place I would never ride but would run away from.
and when we told them we were the first there the became rude to us.
We had to fight and call credit card company to get our $289 back.
There are many, many other stables within the area and we ride regularly.
Arrowmont Stable is the only place I would never ride but would run away from.
Written January 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Ken,
I'm terribly sorry you didn't enjoy your time at Arrowmont and I thank you for taking the opportunity to let us know. When guests call we do explain there is a safety program before going on the trail which takes 25-30 minutes plus an opportunity to try your horse out in the ring. So there is about 45 minutes of time before you actually start your trail ride. We try to make this clear on the phone.
I'm sorry you and your wife weren't the first to be mounted on your horses. You should have been. Your horses definitely were there.
When I saw you in your car, I immediately came over to see what happened. Upon learning of your displeasure, I immediately agreed to return your money. It doesn't profit us to refuse or argue. We do ask for payment up front and do give an opportunity to put a tip on your credit card at that time, later or not at all if the guest prefers. When asked what the usual tip is, the answer is "generally like in a restaurant, 15-20%, but that is up to you", and it is.
Thank you for your valuable insight. It truly is appreciated. As I said at the time, I'm sorry and please forgive me. I would appreciate the opportunity to say so again, personally, if you would please call.
Sincerely,
Nancy Sellers
Arrowmont Stables
Written February 20, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Annabeth R
Jenks, OK43 contributions
Jun 2018 • Family
Our family group - 5 family groups - 13 people total (!) have an absolutely fantastic time today! The staff who provided the training was great and extremely helpful. The trail guides were very understanding and patient with everyone in our group of novice horseback riders. After our ride, we had lunch. The chocolate chip cookies were out of this world! and the brownies were a warm from the oven! All around, a great morning spent with family!
Written June 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were happy to be a part of your family reunion.
Blessings to all for safe travels home
Written June 15, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bearhall
Bradenton, FL134 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
We had a great young guide who was very knowledgeable about horsemanship and local flora. This is a nice family operation. Pleasant experience!
Written July 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Foddie-Traverler
Cape Girardeau, MO526 contributions
Aug 2016 • Family
So this is a mixed review. The trails and views are very good but that's the only good. The guides have no personality and one was a little rude. My son struggled some with controlling his horse and the head guide basically snapped at him and told him it was his fault. Once he got settled in it was fine. The horses need quite a bit of guiding and that's ok with me but don't tell my kid he's the problem when he first gets on. The guides that went on the ride weren't rude but barely spoke. We don't know anything about where we were or what we saw. They never asked to take our picture. There was 4 of us riding. We've rode horses all over the world from Ireland to Aruba and these were the worst guides we've had. The office person wasn't any better. She couldn't look to see if I was charged my deposit or not so she charged me the full price. No big deal I knew one way or another I would get my money back. She tried to get me to tip 20% for the guides before the ride. Glad I didn't. I did add 11% but she didn't add it. I would have tipped them just for getting us from point A to point B. What a mess!
Written August 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are grateful you did enjoy the trails. They are majestic. So sorry you didn't enjoy the rest more. Regarding looking up your charges, we have had difficulty all summer with our phone and internet service. Frontier has been trying to upgrade the service but it's been at a very busy time and it has caused problems. I'm sorry.
Written August 7, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BrownieNewOrleans
New Orleans15 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
Our group included an experienced horsewoman (saddleseat, hunter/jumper and dressage), a man who grew up with horses but with little formal training, and a rider about a year into formal training--all had a great ride and were favorably impressed with the high quality of the horses, personnel, equipment, and environment. A high quality experience for all riding competencies!
Written June 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for letting everyone know you felt you had a high quality experience. That means a lot to us. We strive to do our best and are grateful your group enjoyed their trail ride.
Thanks again,
Arrowmont Staff and Sellers Family
Written June 8, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sandra M
Wake Forest, NC39 contributions
Sep 2012 • Family
This was the finale to our outdoor adventure vacation (myself and my teen daughter). We had been horseback riding the day before at Biltmore and that was it for experience. The horses we were given were very difficult to control. Nancy, who was very nice and friendly, couldn't get the horse to obey either. I chose Arrowmont because my understanding is that we would not leave the ring for the trail ride until we felt comfortable on the horses. We arrived at 11, went into the ring at a little after 12 (had to complete paperwork and watch a video). 12:30 we were heading for the trail even though I expressed concern that we weren't ready. Nancy made it part way up the beginning of the trail when my daughter's horse refused to budge (Nancy was guiding the horse). My horse started to get antsy from waiting for them to move and wouldn't stay still and then started backing up and doing anything but what I "thought" I was indicating (stop). I decided that we were done and insisted on returning to the ring and asked that Nancy give my daughter a riding lesson in the ring instead of going on the trail. My daughter ended up getting a lesson on the horse that Nancy had been riding. My $260 2 hour trail ride for two ended up as a 2 hour riding lesson for one :( Would not recommend this stable for anyone who is inexperienced. Nancy even told me that it was probably time for the horses to be retrained.... Nancy is the only person we saw or met: she's super nice, but I don't feel our safety was priority that day; I think she was overwhelmed with running the farm and helping her husband recover from surgery.
Written September 27, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In a way this comment was a surprise since it was by Sandra's suggestion
that I give the personal 2 hour lesson for her daughter. I also offered
to provide her with a lesson but Sandra didn't want to. She said several
times that providing this for her daughter would be enough.
I even offered to take them back out on the trail after working with her
daughter (there would be no additional charge). Her daughter was on a
lead line (like a leash) on the trail which is as about as safe as one can be
with an inexperienced rider. That's how we handle 6 year old riders.
We certainly wouldn't have had as many positive comments as we have had
nor be in business as long as we have, if safety or customer satisfaction
was not a priority.
If she was as unsatisfied with the experience as indicated, I wish she
would have asked for her money refunded rather than a lesson for only
her daughter. I would have gladly done so but it was never mentioned. Not
even when we returned to the stables and dismounted. The trade off for
the lesson was immediatedly requested. She even mentioned this wasn't available
at Biltmore.
I am still willing to provide a refund for Sandra's part of the ride or for the
entire program if she doesn't believe her daughter received value for the
2 hours of lessons ($60/hour). But she should have been up front with me
rather than give me the impression that all she wanted was for her daughter
to be given private lessons and that would satisfy her.
My goal is a satisfied customer and I do what I can to achieve that goal. Afterall,
isn't that the whole point of being in business because you don't make money if your
clients/customers aren't satisfied?
Written October 1, 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
stuartdilse
Scranton, ND28 contributions
Dec 2021
We took our four sons on a horseback ride on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful day with great scenery. They were very friendly at the stable. We are not horse people so we didn't know what to expect. The horses were very well trained. It was a great time.
Written January 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was wonderful having you and your family ride with us. It is also appreciated that you took the time to let everyone know how much you enjoyed the ride. Of course, we can't take credit for the beautiful day. That was a gift from the LORD!
Written March 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
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