Maloney’s Horses

Horrible! Horrible! Horrible! The sad thing is, I haven’t even had the opportunity to book a session. The service they offer is ridiculous! I purchased a Groupon last October (2015) and I’ve called roughly 5 times to book a couple’s session and no one has returned my calls. Their staff doesn’t seem to want my business. The sad part, I’ve already paid and my Groupon expires on March 1, 2015. This is quite possibly the worst experience I’ve ever had with any business, small or large. Clearly the staff avoid their customers who have a group in since they probably give their regular-​price-​purchasing customers priority since they pay in full. This isn’t fair nor ethical, why offer Groupon if you are only going to avoid booking sessions for those clients who choose to pay via that service? This is considered scamming innocent people who clearly want to to use your services but cannot afford the full price. The only comical aspect of my experience is going through the other Unilocal!reviews to see individuals recommending their services or speaking highly of their experience. This is misleading. I am writing this review with only one intention and that is not to defame their reputation, I want a response. I know that small businesses live and breathe for their Unilocal!reviews. So whoever is the office manager, or owner of the location, I would greatly appreciate my calls to be returned. For I have been scammed out of my money and not one single employee has attempted to contact me regarding my calls and messages I have left. Once again if I may reiterate, I purchased a Groupon in October 2015, and I’ve called numerous times, with no response and my Groupon expires on March 1^st. This isn’t fair or good for your reputation from a business standpoint.
Thank you,
— Unsatisfied and Scammed Client of Maloney’s.

Unfortunately, another bad review for this barn because I could not get in touch with the business. Also a warning, as of writing this review, there is a 3 month wait to use your riding Groupon (if you want to ride on a Friday or weekend, weekdays I do not know). I called and called, and left voicemail after voicemail, and heard nothing.
After filing a complaint with Groupon and asking for a refund, I finally get an email from Cheryl. She assures me they are not honoring the expiration date, so even though the soonest opening is 3 months from now, I can still book and expiration doesn’t matter. This is great news, but I reply that I would still like a refund, because I don’t want to wait 3 months to ride. I also suggest that this information about not honoring expiration and the 3-​month wait should be stated somewhere (as I’m sure I was not the only one panicking about my Groupon expiring before there is an open ride available). They’re obviously extremely busy, I assumed the last thing they wanted was to follow-​up with customers who were worried their Groupons were expiring.
After that, I have never been treated so rudely as a customer at a business in my life: She «thanked me» for my «un-​solicted advice,» and added, «As far as the expiration info, it has been on my message for three years and I just recently took it off as I needed space on the message.» I can’t imagine what she decided was more important than telling customers that the expiration date was meaningless, or why she believed that because the information was accessible to me before I bought the Groupon that it’s somehow my fault.
In short, they’re busy as hell. The worst part is I would have attempted to schedule if I wasn’t met with such rudeness — unfortunately Cheryl’s emails were short and unclear, and I misunderstood her. It’s too bad they’re so busy and stressed they respond with rudeness.

Despite reading all the reviews about how difficult it is to book an appointment, I was determined to surprise my boyfriend on his birthday with horseback riding lessons and Maloney’s had a great deal on Groupon. I had already purchased the groupon before I even read the reviews so I was very persistent. I had called the number multiple times every day for three days in a row the week before and left a voicemail each time. I had planned to just show up and crossed my fingers that they would schedule us in without an official appointment. Luckily, I received a call back from Cheryl the day before his birthday and she was very kind to schedule us for the next day.
Sarah, our instructor, was AMAZING! She was very engaging and helpful. She asked us whether we had any experience on a horse before, and we both haven’t, and catered her lesson around that. We both really enjoyed the horse psychology lesson and learning how to take care of a horse (grooming/​cleaning). To be honest, riding is not as easy as it looks! It was very difficult to get used to but nonetheless, Sarah made it exceptionally fun and was very patient with us as we are beginners.
I would definitely recommend Maloney’s. My advice is to keep calling and be persistent. They are very busy maintaining the horses and are pretty booked. We were fortunate that everything worked out and had a ton of fun. The wine and picnic at the end was a great way to reflect on the experience as we watch the sunset on the beach behind us. If you’re still contemplating on whether or not to purchase the groupon (or living social coupon), I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it again. :)
Thank you Sarah for helping me plan a wonderful birthday surprise!

Enjoyed the riding lesson… slow and unorganized to start. Seemed not prepared for groupon group. Be prepared to work at grooming your horse first. After riding two hours and trotting… you will be sore for a few days. We paid for the picnic but they only brought out a few bottles of wine leftover from another time each half empty. Dont expect much.

Update from my previous review: Nobody ever got back to me to make an appointment and by the time the online booking system came up there were no reservations available for weeks if not months. I emailed Groupon about this terrible experience and got a refund.

My 4 kids and I had a wonderful time! This is a small ranch personally run by the owner with a super friendly and accommodating staff. My kids ages range from 27 on down to 6 years old and we all had a 90 minute class together learning to ride English style on horses perfectly suited for each of us. It was so well run with plenty of help, by the end of the day we all could trot and control our horses confidently! It was the best experience I’ve had, can’t say enough good things! Even ended with a glass of wine with the owner, this place has real California style!

My friend took me on this little adventure today and we had a blast! The instructor, Sarah, was amazing and very informative. I was under the impression we were going on the traditional trail ride with a big group but it just so happened that this was more of an introduction to English Style Riding which we throughly enjoyed. Sarah was so attentive to each rider and extremely patient! I couldn’t imagine having to deal with completely inexperienced people on a daily basis. It was so interesting to learn and appreciate the hard work of caring for a horse as well as understanding them. They’re beautiful creatures.
The lesson lasted about two hours and I feel much more educated in this department. After riding, we all sat down and had a cute little picnic accompanied with wine provided by them. Great way to end our day!
One thing I would suggest is for them to just post a few signs off he highway and on the street so we know where we are going. It was a little difficult to find but we are glad we did!

My experience :
For 6 weeks now I’ve made so many attempts by phone, and in person to schedule a groupon deal for my family of 4 that we purchased for mothers day. They never responded to my calls and the day that I went to go visit and tried to reserve the service the person in charge (the owner) wasn’t there, only the instructor. They took my name and information, which I already left so many times in my voicemails and there excuse was that the owner has a Google voicemail service and because of my accent maybe she didn’t understand my name or phone number. I found it very offensive and I felt discriminated. What was weird is that my daughter, who doesn’t have an accent, called many times with again no response. I don’t really understand why this business promotes themselves with huge discounts when they can’t follow through.

We had an amazing time!

They don’t take calls for groupons. No one answers. Can’t leave Voice mail too because its full. Horrible service for people with coupons.

My boyfriend took me here to celebrate a late second anniversary. At first I was skeptical, and we were 30 minutes late because we couldn’t find the place :(HINT: look for Seahorse Ranch and turn in the driveway and continue towards the back lot for Maloney’s Horses. We purchased a Groupon deal consisting of a 2 hour lesson and beverage. The lesson started off with learning how to properly groom a horse and how to familiarize yourself with interacting with a horse. Then we saddled up and learned how to ride the horse. It turned out to be quite exhilarating but quite painful. I was so sore for the next few days so I’d advise against booking an appointment right before an event like graduation!
The owner is super nice and ended up drinking wine with us after the lesson. Definitely thinking about coming again, this time more prepared for the soreness!

Best. Thing. Ever.
It was so cheap on Groupon, so I figured why not. I went with my boyfriend and he ended up having even more fun than I did. I have to admit I was a little scared to begin with (I was on the older horse, Caballo), but once I got into the swing of things it was super fun.
Be careful about bouncing too much though! My butt and thighs definitely hurt over the next few days, but still worth it. Definitely want to go back!

My boyfriend and I had an exceptional experience visiting Maloney’s for our two-​year anniversary! Our technical instructor, Isabelle, was lovely as she explained some valuable information about horses, and our hands-​on instructor, Sarah, was fabulous! She was incredibly patient and encouraging throughout the lesson, and we both walked away feeling completely accomplished having learned so much for the amount of time we were there. She was not joking when she said we would be feeling it the next day… What a workout! Luckily, with the Groupon my boyfriend purchased, we were rewarded with crackers, cheese, and wine!
We really appreciated the care and personalization that went into our visit. The staff paired us according to our comfort levels and gave us time to bond with the horses, and they could not have been any more helpful. Overall, fantastic experience with great excitement to return.

So, I did moan a little a bit to my spouse about skipping a proper 5-​yr anniversary date, given, we both forgot to tell each other «Happy Anniversary» until it was a few days after the event. It’s no big deal that we don’t celebrate on the exact date. Having three kids, and a tight budget, it’s hard for us to get away for an evening of the usual dinner, drinking and dancing because we don’t want to burden our family, nor do kids care if you have a hangover at 6 AM. Needless to say, we get to be flexible when it comes to quality «us» time.
My husband found this social media deal, and he remembered that I have always wanted to go horseback riding. I think I had suggested we go on a cattle drive in Wyoming, or something crazy. We’re City Folk, and we sure have our creature comforts, so a cattle drive might be a lot more than we bargained for. He thought a scenic drive down to Half Moon Bay would be just the ticket for a two and half hour basic English-​style horseback riding lesson. We called, and reached a voice mail, which forwarded to another voice mail. As we were leaving a message, Cheryl (sp?) picked up the phone! YAY!
We told her we preferred weekdays, since those were the times our kids were away at school. Lucky for us, they had a an opening the next day (Friday) at 2:30 for a lesson and a picnic. She reminded us about what types of shoes to wear (or not wear), and was pretty pleasant on the phone. I wore some knee-​high «chore» boots w/​rubber soles and a two-​inch heel. My husband only owned athletic shoes or dress shoes. They had loaner shoes, and helmets, which may, or may not, have ever been cleaned in between uses. My helmet had someone else’s hairs in it, and I know I was sweaty by the end of the ride. I definitely wouldn’t have minded if they directed us to clean/​sanitize our loaner helmets & boots for the next person. I know there are plenty of things to do around that place (with over 40 horses in their stables), so I don’t mind that we pitch in a little.
Upon arrival, we were a little confused, as the sign for «Maloney’s Ponies & Horses» was on a gate tucked in away from Cabrillo Hwy, along a couple of houses. The stables are behind these houses, and you wouldn’t be able to see it from the highway. It was only because our GPS told us that we had reached our destination that we started down a pebbled road. Luckily, we came in a side gate, parked, and met a man named Jack.
Jack was very matter-​of-​fact, and I see that he needed that personality to deal with some of the personalities of these big horses. I’m 5’2″, 106 pounds (give or take), and I was paired with a horse nicknamed, «Red.» We were instructed on some horse basics, and the difference between Western and English riding. My spouse and I had learned some Western riding, which is geared toward cattle herding, when were were wee Scouts. English style riding is geared towards the cavalry and hunting.
We started off grooming our horses to get to know them, and for them to get to know us, for about half an hour. My husband’s horse, Betty, was a huge black beast that wouldn’t let him take her hoof, so that he could pick all the horse pucks out her hooves. Warning: if you’re put off by dust, dirt, and horse poo– maybe this isn’t the romantic trip for you. It’s plenty dusty, dirty, and there’s no shortage of horse poop. Apparently, they have a bowel movement every 45 minutes to an hour. Awesome.
Sarah (sp?) led us in the small arena. After we gained some more control over our horses, we went to the bigger arena. That’s where we learned to change directions, trot, and change directions while trotting. There were plenty of times when Red didn’t heed my heels clicking into his ribs (albeit, he probably thought my tiny legs were massaging him), so Jack handed me a riding crop! Win! Red knew what the riding crop meant, and a few light taps with my hand, and he was off! The riding crop, by no means, hurt the horse, but it was definitely more effective than my constant tapping of my heels.
By the end, I knew I was going to have some saddle sore (the kind where walking down the stairs and sitting on the toilet is problematic). Jack set-​up a nice sunset picnic w/​peppered salami, crackers, cheese and two bottles of wine– one red, one white. We were in a rush to leave to pick up our kids from school before 6 PM in San Francisco, so we took in a few deep breaths with the technicolor sunset over the beach, and grabbed some salami and cheese for the road.
I forgot my jacket, and other affects, and called twice and left messages. I remembered that Cheryl had said weekends were the busiest for them, so I just drove back to see if I could recover my stuff. There’s only a few of them there, and they’re immersed in giving lessons and caring for the horses, so it makes sense that the phone goes unanswered. I genuinely enjoyed my experience, and will come back with my kids to get lessons when they’re older.

I went with a LivingSocial deal. I read all the horrific accounts of not being able to book, but my experience was fine. I did reach a google voice inbox when I called, but I got a call back the next day… which I missed. I left another voice mail and got the booking call the same day. Everyone was super friendly. Our instructor did mention that since it’s google voice, the voicemails get translated into text, so if you don’t enunciate, your number might not be entered correctly. So maybe repeat your number and say it clearly.
They are super accommodating and are fine with booking for weekends even on a discount deal. We went on a Saturday afternoon. There are helmets and boots to borrow for free. I felt safe having the helmet (which is mandatory).
I really enjoyed our time there. It was the first time I’ve ever gotten on top of a horse. We brushed our horse and got to bond a little before we got on. They match your physical build and level of anxiety with a horse that would best suit you. I was with Bailey and she was such a trouper. She would pause when I seemed to be stumbling. Such a sweetheart! I’ve never really aww’ed at pictures of horses, but I definitely see them in a different light now.
This was definitely a beginner lesson. We were 1 of 3 couples in the group lesson. You ride in an arena, not on a trail.
At the end, we drank generous pours of wine and even got a lesson on horse breeds and temperament. Overall, one of my favorite life experiences (:

I was excited to experience this with my daughter but after calling multiple times and only being able to leave a message and never receiving a call back I finally just gave up.
What horrible customer service, especially in this economy!
I’m so glad I kept this as a surprise and didn’t have to let my daughter down as this was going to be a surprise mom/​daughter date.
I’m certain that with non-​responsiveness and treatment like this, without even meeting us, the whole day, inclusive of the picnic lunch, would have been a miserable let down, so in the end I guess they did us a favor and saved us the agony.

I was very much looking forward to redeeming my riding voucher, but this business has not been responsive. I have been calling for 4 months now and although, they assure you they will call you back within 72 hours, they have not. I have left my email, phone number, and multiple voice mails, with no response. I have contacted Groupon for a refund, and I really hope I don’t have to deal with this headache anymore. This is no way to run a business. If you run a promotion like this, you should be able to accommodate or at least communicate with your customers if there is a delay in reservations. VERY disappointed.
**TO MALONEY’S HORSES: PLEASE CHANGE YOUR VOICEMAIL GREETING IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO GET BACK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS OR ARE OUT OF BUSINESS.

Pros:
The people who helped us were very nice and showed us how we should to groom the horses before we got on them. The class was a little longer than what we expected (~3 hrs) and we ended up leaving early fpr another event. It could well be closer to 4 hours. They had wine and snacks for us afterwards which was great because this class is a good work out! Overall, I enjoyed the class because of most of the people and the horses!
Cons:
A few things I noticed was that our class was quite large with 11 people (imagine 11 horses with newbies!). We ended up not learning too much in those 2 hrs we spent riding, im not sure if that was intentional or if it was because like 5 people had trouble with handling their horse the whole time. I didn’t like the constant negativity/​rude yelling coming from the instructor. He seemed a little impatient. I think they should organize their instructions better. And maybe have smaller groups so people can get more individual help if they need it.

I purchased my groupon last year and was only able to redeem it a couple weeks ago. Yes, half a year later. It took us months to finally schedule an appointment and when we finally did it had to be re-​scheduled due to weather. Their next available slot wasn’t until a few months down the line. So if you are okay with waiting half a year to redeem your voucher– then by all means.
The lady who is in charge of booking on the phone is VERY rude. She has serious communication issues and is just not a pleasant person to deal with. She will make you wish you never purchased your Groupon. However, if you’re able to get on the phone with the owner or anyone else they are super friendly and accommodating.
As others have said, this is not a relaxing trail ride on the beach. This is a lesson designed to introduce people to horses and riding. This class is GREAT for a beginner who has never had any horse experience. For others that have experience, it might be a little bit boring but still worth it because you get to be around horses!
Getting there is confusing, you do have to help yourself through a shut (but not locked) gate to park inside. Maloney’s is different from other stables that just do trail rides because you can tell that the people actually care about the horses.
So if you’re thinking about purchasing a groupon, be forewarned it might take half a year to redeem. But if you’re fine with that and dealing with the insanely rude booking lady on the phone then go for it!

Ride like the wind, Bullseye… er, I mean Thèo!
Thèo was the horse I got to ride when I visited Maloney’s (Blue Moon Riding Company) this past Sunday. I had purchased a Groupon a few months back for their 2hr horseback riding lesson since my friend wanted to go horseback riding cause she’s never done it before.
This place is located at the blue house that has a little sign on the fence. It’s located with one house in middle next to Sea Horse Riding Company. Not sure why they are located next to each other so closely cause that is some close competition. Lol
You would have to go thru the drive way to park in their parking lot; don’t park in Sea Horse’s area cause they don’t like that. (As I was informed of this while I was there.)
Bring hard sole shoes. Since I wore my red boots, they told me to borrow one of their shoes from the closet to use for the lesson. None of the shoes really fit me but one managed to kinda fit.
During the lesson, we got to learn how too groom the horse (not that exciting), basics of how to ride the horse, & trotting. Holy moly, the 1^st time of trotting the horse, I seriously thought that I was going to fall off immediately. It was so freaking scary! But overtime, it was not too bad.
Just have to listen to directions from the directing person & you’ll be okay. The person who was showing us the lesson was Jack & he was pretty cool and helpful with the lesson.
I wish there was a pillow on the saddle cause my crotch area was so in pain during the trotting & it is still sore right now (2days later). Ouchies!
In our mind, we thought this was going to be easy chill trail horseback riding. But it is actually a legit horseback riding lesson in an arena area of the ranch.
Afterwards, we got enjoy a glass of wine to close the visit. That helped with the pain a little. Haha…
Overall, it was an interesting experience to have but I don’t think I’ll be riding any horses anytime soon.