Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Riverdale Stables in Bronx
Phone: +1 718-548-4848
Site: http://www.riverdalestables.com/
Site: http://www.riverdalestables.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11AM–7PM
- Tuesday:11AM–7PM
- Wednesday:11AM–7PM
- Thursday:11AM–7PM
- Friday:11AM–7PM
- Saturday:10AM–6PM
- Sunday:10AM–6PM
Comments (61)
The best park in the Bronx in my opinion. Super spacious for all kinds of outdoor activity. Just experience it youll love it. Parking is a very nice feature of this park Pun intentended. 😉
Updated review - staff is extremely rude. I’ve been riding at this barn consistently for almost a year now and can’t tell you how many times I wish it was nicer. For the amount of money you pay....No longer recommended.
My daughter has been taking lessons here for 4 months and loves it. We’ve had a few bumps in the process, but overall they’ve been accommodating. The horses are well loved and taken care of. She especially likes her instructors Becky and Nicole. So convenient to upper Manhattan!
Under new management, love this place!!! Highly recommend for beginners and even advanced riders.The lady at the desk is a tad bit grumpy with poor attitude, she could use a smile on her face but other than that, everything was awesome. Looking forward to coming back!
I come here and do volunteer work on Saturday mornings. The place is clean the location is easy to get to they provide a parking lot for your vehicle what more could you ask for the horses are all kept for this is a great place 😆
If theres anything to see here, they really dont make a big deal out of it. Actually, I walked by the other day and there was a sign claiming it was closed due to COVID.
The facility is nice and the horses are great but the service isnt great. The staff make you feel like they are doing you a favor by interacting with you and scheduling lessons isnt easy. While the facility is beautiful, it is expensive and the staffs attitude doesnt help
Signed my daughter up for an initial 30 min lesson. After 15 minutes past the scheduled start time, I flagged down Stacey, who was to be her instructor, as she sauntered by. She proceeded to take her to the stable to saddle up a pony, which despite the fact my daughter had ridden large horses multiple times, I was ok with for a trial lesson. After 14 minutes of walking around the property (max 5-7 min actually in the ring), the saddle came off and about 12 minutes later the lesson was over. I signed up for a 30 minute LESSON. Talk about tack and care before or after— don’t include that in the lesson time. Never experienced that anywhere else. This was a complete waste of time and money. A glorified pony ride and a tour of the stables for $60– maybe fine for a first timer, but don’t bother if your child is an experienced rider. And of course some teenager, who can’t even look at you as your speaking, just gives the programmed lines about policy, despite the fact they knew my daughter had had over a dozen lessons at other facilities. Only gave it 2 stars because the facility is fairly nice. Won’t be going back. 👎🏻
Super friendly staff, professional.
Well Ive read the reviews..I was thinking of getting a horseback riding experience from here ..but since I am a mixed race woman with a domician child ..I think not ..all the positive reviews are basically from WHITE people.. Not going through the racially biased people who only want your money..close it down and move to IDAHO if they cannot treat people of color with the same respect they do when taking their green money
My daughter has been riding at Riverdale for almost 2 years they have taught her how to ride and she has had her first show there we love it.
I see a lot of people saying that the staff is mean, and I don’t know when you went but as of August 18th 2019 the staff is amazing. The almost always have smiles on their faces and they know me by name even though I haven’t been there long. They try to get me my favorite horses and genuinely want me to have fun. My trainer Becky and Karen are both so nice and such good trainers. They are really good at teaching. If you want to ride horses I suggest you come to river dale, a bit pricey but worth it. If you want hands on experience with horse care, though, go somewhere else.
Left high and dry!Good to see that they are still giving a great service.....Not! Booked a session several years ago but was unable to write review back then....Left me sitting in central park for two hours - shocking customer service! Dont bother wasting your time and money!
From what Ive seen, its alright. The horses are mostly friendly and well taken care of. The workers are relatively friendly. Dont know about riding instruction, but otherwise it is a decently good stable.
Love this barn. Have been riding here for 5 years now and it is amazing. The horses teach you tons and the instructors are both firm and friendly.
Such a beautiful place just at the edge of the city. Very clean and with attention to details of what you would expect from a horse riding ranch.The guides are professional and helpful with children.
Just had my first lesson. Easy to get to on public transportation. Well-kept, good-sized stable. Knowledgeable teachers. I recommend going there.
This place deserves 0 stars and it has nothing to do with the animals. They are very well taken care of - this is more about the staff. I took my son here as we were thinking of bringing his horse from Wellington, I did not share this info with the staff. Though I was told by another industry contact that this place was extremely rude.1. Dont even think about having your phone call or email answered in a timely manner or a nice manner. The Irish woman that usually sits the front desk has the worst attitude and takes everything you say as if its a major task to do. You are paid to sit and take appointments for lessons and manage a front desk at a barn facility, please act courteous or find a job where your nasty attitude wont matter.2. The barn management and manager never seems to be around. Theres always some mysterious person to answer to and the manager is always traveling for shows. Ive grown up in CT under several very large A rated barns and never did their barn manager travel for shows. If you hold the title of barn manager then you are to be on site and responsible for horse care and staff.3. With the above mentioned - I would highly advise against boarding your horse here as Im not sure that staff would be around to take care of your horse should you have an issue. They are too busy chasing medals and points to take care of your horse.4. Boarding starts at $1800 a month for the basics. Take your money to a better, well managed barn just a bit further out of the city.5. The barn manager isnt any better than the woman at the front desk. I feel so sad that these people feel the need to treat people like dirt.
Very good stable, friendly stuff and experienced trainers. They take good care of horses!
Great place to get horse back lessons
I love this place I remember going there as a kid seeing the horses and it made me feel safe.
Beautiful stables in NYC. Nice escape from the city life for horse lovers - Peter is a great instructor. Great staff and the horses are lovingly cared for. Best kept secret in NYC
Ive given this place two chances. Unfortunately, they failed me twice.My 7 years old who loves animals would like to learn how to ride horses. I chose this place because its relatively easier (less transfer) to get there from our place in public transportation. Still, it took us one hour to get there. Below is our story.First time, we were 15min late for our lesson due to the subway train delay on weekend. I bought an one hour lesson, and paid $100 for it . We were told that my daughter couldnt ride the pony, because its too late to do so, but she could learn how to groom that pony. Even its a little surprise and upset to me, but I took it as our responsibility since were late. I just wished the woman and the young lady coach could be more friendly and considerate during our conversation.Second time, Were 30min early for my daughters one hour lesson (another $100). We waited patiently and happily by watching other kids and grownups having their lessons. When the same coach (as last time) came to collect my daughter, she told us that my daughter couldnt get on the pony because her rain boots didnt qualified to ride the pony. I patiently explained to her that I was told on the phone that for the first time rider, its ok to wear rain boots. That coach said that the heels of my daughters rain boots wasnt high enough. I was shocked. Another parent past by, and suggested me to rent one of their boots, that coach immediately replied that those were not for renting. At that moment, I asked my daughter she had choice of leaving or learning to take care of the pony again for one hour (maybe 50min left). My daughter thought about it, and told me that she would like to take care of the pony again. So, I let that coach brought my daughter to the back.I was little concerned since the attitude of that coach wasnt friendly, so I followed them. After we walked to the back where they kept all the ponies, I saw several teenage girls were walking around without helmets and boots, but one of their friend was dressed up properly. I said hi to the girls. That coach saw me and asked me to leave. I told her that I just wanted to make sure to where my daughter was taken, and whether or not that place was safe to her. She told me that I should leave now because its not safe for me to stand there. I asked her why. She told me because I didnt have helmet and boots on. I asked how about the other teenage girls who were dressed like me. She said they were experienced riders. I had to say goodbye to my daughter, and left.I walked back to the office to ask the lady whos behind the desk why I couldnt rent the boots in the counter. She told me those were not for renting. They were for selling for $10 a pair. I told her I would like to buy them so that my daughter could ride the pony. She looked at her watch, and said its too late because they normally let kids to ride the pony in the first 30min of their lesson, and use the rest 30min to groom the pony. The most important thing was she wasnt even sorry, or showed any emotions while she talked with me.I dont normally loose my temper, but this places staffs really got on my nerve. I DO NOT recommend this place for beginners. I DO NOT recommend this place for any people with colored skins. For those of you who have had good experiences here, well, luck you. I with you the best. Anyone else, your time and money would be well spent somewhere else.Thanks for reading.An extremely disappointed parent
I try to take lessons every spring here and I have fallen in love with the horses and riding! I miss my original riding buddy Jerry who passed away last year but staring new lessons with Remy is keeping me motivated. Definitely a beautiful location and easy to get to from the 1 train!
The trainers are very nice people, Im looking forward to ride there again.MANNY
I never rod on a horse beore but im going to start. the times i went with my cousin i loved it. the horses are nice and clam
I love it
Ive been riding at Riverdale Equestrian Center for several years and, yes, there were definitely some problems at this barn (bad attitudes, unsafe tack, problems with horses that went unaddressed for long periods of time). But, they are under new management now! I think things have changed in the last few months and the majority of the changes have definitely been for the better as far as the experience for the riders is concerned. Im an advanced rider (adult) who has been riding for 10+ years who takes a weekly jumping (beginner) class, so I cant speak to the experience for kids or for boarders. I also dabble in dressage a little and those experiences have been all been really good (this barn has some of the top dressage instructors in the state, maybe even the country), but I dont know a ton about dressage.For jumping Ive taken classes with Lauren and Kara. Both were good, so it depends on your style. Lauren is a lot more hands on, Kara will give you an instruction and a bit or space to practice, so it depends what you like. I would absolutely always suggest going to watch an instructor before signing up to take a class with them so you can choose which instructor best meets your needs as a student and make sure you are comfortable before you commit to a lesson. Where horses are concerned you cant be too careful, especially when jumping. You need to ride with someone you trust. There are always instructors at any barn I wouldnt be comfortable taking lessons from, so observation is really the best way to go, they have seating areas where you can sit and watch.They now offer group classes for adult (and kids/teens) in dressage or jumping at pretty convenient times on the nights and weekends. You have to buy a package to guarantee your spot, but that is fairly standard and the price for group classes is really reasonable ($60 per class, less with a package), especially for the NYC area. If not its subject to availability, but right now the classes often have space. The schools horses are really good and very safe and there is a horse for every rider through intermediate jumping. After that point you would really need to look into leasing a horse anyways at almost any barn you could possibly take lessons at in the NYC area (believe me, Ive looked).Every barn has its problems and Im sure there will be some here, but overall, for the things horse people care about Riverdale is far above the rest of the barns in the area that are easily accessible by public transportation. The horses are fed well, their feet are properly cared for, their medical needs are looked after, they are properly groomed and are treated well. Theyve really fixed a lot of the problems and are working on more improvements and updates to the facility so I would encourage people who tried it in the past and had a less than stellar experience to give it another try now that the program is being run differently. Only time will tell for sure, but I think most horse lovers will be pleased with the changes that have been made and the programming that is now being offered.
Michelle is amazing, I highly recommend her as your instructor! Sterling is the horse I ride and he is just perfection!!
Go there twice a week. Love this place. James and Danielle are my instructors and they are awesome
The response to my email inquiry was curt to say the least, thank you for not answering my questions and leading me to another barn.
I used to ride here when i was young. It was a generally positive experience
Bad reviews all around. Obviously not kid friendly and improperly managed
I will say this in two sentences: Welcome to the McDonalds of horseback riding. Take your money somewhere else.
Booking is a mess
Nice place to ride if you like English.
Lovely Park
Spanish people is not to welcome 😒
Beautiful place for kids a d adults
Good parking
Good barn
Great stables
Beautiful clean
Very professional and friendly.
I in love
Waste of time and money.
Just beautiful.
Very expensive
Excellent
Good attention, and very careful with his work
I always liked it
Total reviews rating 4.1
61 Reviews for Riverdale Stables 2023:
Review №1
2022-07-03I send my love to all the horses there. Animals are so beautiful, & absolutely amazing! I met two New York City Parks Enforcement Officers on Fathers Day on Johnson Ave. Those two Officers were very nice, & we had a nice about 10 minute conversation. They were both on two horses. Told me they were doing Park Patrol for that area. I was obviously petting one of the horses a lot. It was wonderful. I feel bad I didnt pet the other one. Didnt think about it. They told me that those two Law Enforcement horses were from down there. Very cool! I got lessons when I was way younger at Riverdale Stables. I love how great they take care of the horses. About 5 months ago I saw one female NYC Parks Enforcement Officer going through the forest part of Van cortlandt Park on one of the horses. Cool. This photo is of the two very respectful Officers, & the two beautiful horses I saw on Johnson Ave that day.I have to add the male Officer was very handsome.
Review №2
2021-08-07My children ages 13, and 10 loved it!! The staff was very friendly and informative. The horses and stable were lovely. They will be returning for more lessons.
Review №3
2022-05-11No public restrooms even though they recently put in a childs playground. The people who work there have their own private bathrooms PLURAL BATHROOMS. How can you take a 4 year old to a playground that has no place for them to go?Oh and the stables which are on public lands are used to house horses of the Manhattan well to do . Poor people are not welcome there . They used to offer pony rides when I was young ,but they offer locked gates and unfriendly glares now . No trespassing you unwashed masses is the attitude of staff . Sad to see the public monies spent renovating the stables so only the well off can use them.
Review №4
2022-03-19So I brought my daughter to riverdale stables because she loves horses and wanted to learn to ride, I never though a stable in the city could be so nice. My daughter rode this very beautiful chestnut pony we, took a tour and the horses and stable were in very good shape. My daughter couldnt stop talking about how much she loved riding that pony. The facility is very kind and puts the safety of the rider and horse first. They are very good with scheduling, and they have spare helmets boots, ect... in case you forget. The area is quite big and has lots of room so you dont have to worry about having to many people, as it the out door ring, it is quite open and big.**UPDATE** (3/19/22)My daughter has been enjoying her lessons and it is all she ever talks about at the dinner table. If you are looking for a barn in NYC would recommend.
Review №5
2022-03-20My daughter rides weekly. The staff is helpful and kind. We are glad to have a location so convenient to Manhattan.
Review №6
2018-11-22This is the park that I grew up playing cricket. One of my favorite park in the city. I wish the park department never took away two of us pitches. It is unfortunate that they took it away from us. But thanks to the park department for giving us the space and giving us a place to enjoy our weekends. I wish there more bathrooms. Anyways I’m looking forward to next season. Enjoy all three sports in the park!
Review №7
2022-03-29Beginner, intermediate, advanced. They have it all covered. I never got on a horse in my life but was able to walk and trot by the end of my lesson!
Review №8
2021-08-23Just look elsewhere. I read their other reviews AFTER I had experienced Riverdale, and needless to say, I wish I had read them beforehand.Like others, I am a non-white female who did not enjoy my experience with Riverdale. Like others, I can vouch that Riverdales communication is NOT good at all. They dont respond to emails and they do not answer the phone.. talk about taking 9 days to respond to an email. And thatd AFTER Ive already sent 3 reminder emails saying hello, just following up on the previous email that wasnt repsonded to.Most importantly. They disregard your previous experience with other stables and with previous riding I am not a newbie, yet they force me to take 30 minute lessons due to policy. I saw another review where a lady was upset because they put her experienced daughter on a pony rather than a larger horse. Just because we are new to your stable doesnt mean we are new to riding and its very disrespectful to us when you treat us otherwise. If you want customers happy, treat them with respect. Simple.
Review №9
2021-05-02I highly recommend recommend Riverdale Stables! Everyone there was super friendly and helpful (staff and riders). Im a beginner and itwas hard finding a stable during Covid (I spent a lot of time researching and calling places that didnt return my calls). They answer the phone and return calls! Beautiful stables and the horses look happy.
Review №10
2022-07-02Love this place. So casual and so easy.