San Diego Horse Riding Center

Just thought I’d let everyone know that the voicemail states that the SD horse riding center will no longer be offering trail rides to the public. :(What a shame. My husband and I went a while back and it was a great time!

Brought hubby here for his birthday and I’m glad I did. We had such a nice ride and Rose and Renee were great trail guides. We will be back!

San Diego Horse Riding Center gave us one of the best experiences we’ve ever had on horseback. Upon arriving, Rose introduced us to our horses. After our introduction we mounted up and hit the trail. The trail was gorgeous and fairly rugged. There were lots of ups and downs. This made for a fun and exciting ride without the feeling that your horse is just following another in a line. We rode through a beautiful forest and the entire time our trail guide, Renee was very informative about massive pine cones (ask her why they’re called «widow makers»), old gold mines in the area that we passed on our ride and the many different types of flora and fauna found in the backwoods of Julian. We even saw a mule deer out on the trail. The entire experience was very enjoyable. Go and see Rose and don’t forget to bring carrots for the horses.

Great, just great! Rose the owner/​op was awesome. We spent a little time with the horses before we rode, which was nice as I rode cirrus. He is huge; but couldn’t be more nice and gentle.
Trail ride was very pretty, and the weather was spectacular! We loved the trip. We paid $ 50 each for the hour ride plus tip got to feed the horses some of the hay.

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic ride here! He has only been on a horse once in his life while I am an intermediate rider, but Rose created a great experience for both of us. She was friendly, laid-​back and knowledgeable about the area. She started off by introducing us to our horses (and her sweet dog, Mellow!) and giving us a quick tutorial. Then we were off! We went on a 1-​hour trail ride through the woods, which including riding up to the top of the mountain to see breathtaking views all the way to the desert. All along the ride Rose told us about the property and the scenery, including lots of old mines along the trail.
The horses were sweet and gentle, and are treated kindly. I would definitely come back. The only downside is it’s a little hard to find, but it’s only a few minutes from the main street of Julian so the location is great.

Me and a couple of girlfriends headed to Julian for a girls getaway in September and got the exact relaxation and fun outdoor activity we were looking for! I’ve gone horseback riding at another location in Julian but the San Diego Horse Riding Center was definitely the best. Rose was an absolute pleasure to work with, so friendly and understanding. I also adored the dog, Mellow.

What an amazing trail ride. Me plus 4 friends set out for an awesome journey last Saturday afternoon. Amazing view of the Saltan Sea, the Town of Julian & the Pacific Ocean. Sue and her gang were super nice and very informative.
The best part is that the money for the trail ride… $ 50 goes back to rescuing horses.
I highly recommend this venue!

WOW, what a wonderful riding experience our family had! the owner, rose, was a fabulous interpretive guide, telling us all about the horses, how they are trained and handled (with great love), the scenery, foliage, etc. we learned so much.
we are beginner riders and i was very nervous. rose and the horses put me at ease right away.
this is a non-​profit organization, so the prices are good and most of all, they do it for the love of the animals. therefore, the horses are very happy and well taken care of. in turn, the horses treat the riders very well.
we started off with the 35 minute ride, but unanimously extended it to an hour. it was so worth it!
note: call in advance to make an appointment.

I took a friend out to Meadow View for a birthday trail ride and was very impressed! I used to ride a lot growing up so consider myself fairly critical of riding establishments, and was happy on all counts. The horses here are well taken care of and have great temperaments. Rose is fantastic and she and her business partner (both accompanied us) were very attentive during the ride. We took the one-​hour ride on the Meadow View property and had great views of the surrounding area, and yes, did get some trotting and cantering in.
They also run an outreach riding program (and I believe it has a larger focus than just horseback riding) and the profits from the trail riding help support the outreach program, so you get to feel that you’re also supporting a good cause. Wins on all counts. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back.

Meadow View Riding Center is located on the property of the Meadow View Inn. The Meadow View Inn used to be Angels Landing, this might help if you’re talking about it to the locals in town. It’s also a little tricky to get to. I personally would not turn onto the road leading to the Inn because once you get to the top of the road where the inn is located you need to take a very rough road down to the stables. Which is fine if you’re in a truck like we were but if you’re not you may want to try the alternate option. However, if you continue on Farmer Rd. you will eventually see a large yellow street sign with a black arrow pointing left because the road abruptly turns left. Just before the street sign is a road you can turn right onto and it is much easier to travel on.
Upon arriving, Rose was waiting for us with horses saddled and ready to go. After a few minutes of paper work and going over the safety guidelines, I got to ride Cirrus, a beautiful large white 14 y/​o male with a great personality. Rose warned me right away to be firm with him as he will wander off for succulent patches of grass and weeds. He was a very easy horse to ride. You can tell he likes his job.
My fiancé rode Amera, female, who was quite a bit smaller than Cirrus but really wanted to do more galloping. She is part Arabian and something else I can’t recall right now. She was a sweet horse who was also very easy to ride.
Rose took us up and down trails, passed old collapsed gold mines, and along a ridge over looking the inland valley. The weather was perfect for us. A light breeze and scattered clouds, with an occasional drop or two. Perfect riding weather. Rose keeps the trails groomed nicely and has great stories to share.
I highly recommend Meadow View Inn Riding Center.

Of several horseback riding places in Julian and no one responded except Meadow View Inn Riding Center which actually answered their phones! It appeared most horseback riding places had 1 hour rides. Past experience with these outfits are that you ride slow, lifeless (but sweet) horses with lots of other people while wearing helmets.
Not so with Meadow View Inn Riding Center! Upon request, Rose was willing to provide a 2 (or more) hour ride. She trailered the horses out to the Santa Ysabel Preserve East. No helmets– yay! These were real horses with a real personalities. Fatih is the alpha mare of their group and she had some spunk. (Rose said she would not put a beginning rider on her.) Hubs rode a big guy names Cyrus (he and Faith are «stall mates»). Rose guided the ride (just Rose + the 2 of us) through a field with a herd of free-​grazing cows. Trotting & cantering was encouraged! Rose warned us not to let horses run or it could start a stampede and draw the bull — who WILL charge! Now THIS is horseback riding!
(Don’t worry thought, they DO offer 1-​hour rides also, back at their property… much more tame and vanilla, for beginners and children.)
1 hour is $ 50pp.
2 hours is $ 100pp — well worth it!
The location was gorgeous with the added bouns that this May Day happened to have the most SPECTACULAR temperature and weather… crystal blue skies and a light breeze.
We would both DEFINITELY do this again!!!