SunCrest Farm

My experience at Suncrest Farm can only be described with one word — FABULOUS!!! My kids are all under the age of 12 but we were all rookies (4 out of our group of 5 had never been on a horse & 1 (me) hadn’t been on a horse in over 30 years). The horses were all clean and in great shape. We arrived early and her staff had our horses saddled & ready to ride in record time. Our trail scout/​guide (Stephanie) was incredibly fabulous and very patient. We were all scared to death in the beginning, but Stephanie worked with each of us before we started our trail ride. She made sure our saddles fit correctly & gave us a quick lesson on the basic commands. She made it very clear that our safety was paramount. We didn’t start our ride until everyone was both comfortable & confident on their horses. During our ride, we saw lots of other animals (goats, cows, horses, ducks, chickens, rabbits, etc…) & learned a lot about the cowboy way of life.
In the end, we had great time. Since our ride, my kids ask daily when we can go back to Suncrest Farm. Truth be told, my wife & I can’t wait to go back either.
Comfortable — YES
Clean — YES
Fun — YES!!!
Worth the money — YES!!!
Mark Gee

SunCrest is a great place to come learn to ride, or do your own thing with your horse.
Stephanie offers riding instruction for kids and adults alike, as well as camps for the kiddos during school breaks and holidays. The best part about that is there is a SunCrest van that will meet you in Austin! Yes, you don’t necessarily have to drive to Manor to take your kid to camp. That rocks.
I’ve been riding with Stephanie for about six years now and we’ve been on countless parades and trails. She’s knowledgeable and willing to give as much help as you want.
I would recommend boarding here and/​or just coming out for a ride at Lake Travis or one of the other places that the SunCrest horses visit.

I just got home from another wonderful trail ride with Stephanie Ward and wanted to share my experiences with other Unilocalers. I have been at SunCrest for over two years as a leasee, trail rider, and, most recently, a boarder.
SunCrest is conveniently located to the east of Austin — 20 minutes from my home — so I go almost daily and spend time with my horse instead of commuting. I know that my horse is receiving the best care in terms of quality of food, nutritional program (my horse is trying to gain weight, and I know others that are on a diet to lose some pounds!) and, if anything should go wrong, I trust that Stephanie will be there to identify it and keep me informed.
Stephanie is extremely knowledgeable and generous. She strikes the perfect balance of letting you figure things out for yourself and making herself available when you need her. As a first time horse owner, she has been invaluable to me from the process of looking for a horse, going to evaluate him, beginning his training, and learning about all the necessary care. She has been incredibly patient with all of my questions– from health to training to tack fitting.
This weekend I joined Stephanie on two trail rides — my horse’s first time being ridden off the property. I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather have watching my back. Stephanie is calmly reassuring and I know that if I get into a pinch I can trust her not only to be right by my side to help me, but to notice I’m having a hard time before I even look to her for help.
All of her horses are absolutely stellar– I have had the pleasure of riding her trail horses on park rides, ranch rides and several larger road rides. These horses are as honest and steady as they come. We even took a few horses down to ride on South Congress and they barely batted an eye. So, not only do I trust Stephanie to keep me safe, but to show me a fabulous time!
Since I started riding at SunCrest, I feel like my horse dreams have come true. I have gotten the opportunity to haul out to many breathtaking locations and ride some great, fun horses. Stephanie has really gone out of her way to take me on the kinds of rides I have shown interest in, whether riding on a ranch in a small group or going to the lake for the weekend. She is an excellent camera-​phone photographer, so I have some great pictures of myself on horseback in these picturesque settings. I feel like the scope of my horsemanship has really expanded and I’m getting to do things on a regular basis that I have only dreamed of.
I cannot count the number of times I have told Stephanie that I just had the best day of my life — somehow each ride we go on seems to top the last one. Whether you are a child or adult, just starting out or an experienced rider looking for new adventures, Stephanie will have something for you. I cannot recommend her and SunCrest Farm highly enough.