Coyote Ridge Stable

We had a fabulous evening trail ride with Sue, and our horse trail guides Hank, Bridger and Opi. The ranch is set up against the mountains in a beautiful peaceful setting. We spotted a bunch of wildlife — including a tortoise! — and learned more about the local ecosystem. It was a very special place and fun activity!

As an employee for an airline we often have the ability to go out on adventures of our own and then recommend things to our customers. I HIGHLY recommend Coyote Ridge. The staff was friendly, the horses were great, their dogs are adorable and came with us on our ride, and the price was beyond reasonable.
Coyote Ridge is ideal for any animal lover — my suggestion is to give yourself a little time to go hang out with the chickens and the sheep.

We had an amazing ride!!! Our guide Debbie was so friendly & helpful. The horses were great & the view & serenity was breathtaking. We did the Coyote Trail and it was gorgeous so peaceful and my nieces had the time of there lives!!! We will definitely go back & highly recommend this for beginners to experienced riders.

My boyfriend took me up to Coyote Ridge Stable this past weekend to ride horses. We went on a 2 hour horse ride with Sue and it was amazing! I didn’t plan the trip, so I can’t speak to that, but I was the «co-​pilot» driving out into Morongo Valley and the directions from the website were very clear and easy to follow. Sue owns a beautiful property and you can tell she really cares for all of her animals. As soon as we got there, Sue greeted us– she was very friendly and laid-​back during our entire visit.
The horses we rode– Hank and Sonny– were awesome and very well trained! Both my boyfriend and I have little experience riding horses (I would definitely call myself a beginner), but Sue gave us the instructions we needed and then led the way. If you need step-​by-​step training and someone to hold your hand the whole time, this might not be the place for you. If you want someone who knows what they’re doing, has extremely well-​trained horses, and will make sure you have a safe, but enjoyable ride then Coyote Ridge stables is for you! Sue pointed out all sorts of plants and wildlife on our ride and even showed us some of her own animals after our ride. We definitely plan on going back and taking our friends!

My 9 year old daughter and I had a fantastic ride with Sue and her wonderful, well mannered and sweet-​natured horses: BB, Bridger and Hank! Not to mention, the Hank the dog, a perfect companion during our 2 hour tour at Sunset. I’m sure the morning ride is also amazing, but my kiddo and I are just not morning folks.
What a fantastic experience! Sue makes sure you are safe yet doesn’t press on a lot of the unnecessary ‘rules’ that keep you on pins and needles hoping you don’t ‘mess up’. Some rules «Lean forward when you horse pees to take pressure of the bladder.»
She knows her horses, and you can tell all of the animals are cared for with the utmost love and respect. She tells you enough of what you need to know for a safe and enjoyable ride.
The result is that you feel completely calm, relaxed and comfortable with your kin and self in the saddle — so that you can enjoy the ride and take in the beautiful surroundings of the desert. I highly recommend the sunset, 2 hour tour! Definitely the highlight of our trip! Also, Coyote Ridge Stable is insured… you should check and make sure when seeking other options… just sayin!
My perspective is based from over 10 different horse ride establishments from California to New Hampshire.
p. s. Her «petting zoo» is just icing on the cake!
p. p. s. TRUST the directions on the website. Do not try to be tricky and «Google map» intersections in the directions. Google doesn’t even know where Rawson is. Seriously. Trust the directions and know that when you get on Rawson, you will be on bumpy, unpaved roads until you reach the house. Take all the proper turn in the directions. You will get there. Pass the place on the left with horses on the white gate and it will be soon there on the left. You will see a brown fence (big enough for cars to get through.) There will be a sign on the ground confirming the address painted on a rock. On the Right of the electronic gate is the ‘people’s gate where you will enter.
Have fun!

My partner and I did a two-​hour ride with Sue and loved it.
We were in a group with a mom and her two daughters, and I thought she did a good job matching everyone up with an appropriate horse (even letting the Mom — who was carrying a high-​end camera — ride her own personal horse so she’d have «a more stable photographic platform»), and making suggestions here and there on how to handle the horses. Sue was friendly and engaging without being pushy, and gave us a wonderful tour of the Morongo canyons.
She also gave us great turn-​by-​turn directions for getting there. You will be on dirt roads for the last couple of miles, so do give yourself a little extra time to go slowly where you need to.

If I were to summarize my overall impression of Coyote Ridge Stable in one word, it would be «unprofessional.» While the trail ride itself was OK, Sue has no idea how to run a business or act in a professional manner.
We had arranged for a 2-​hour private trail ride, and Sue emailed us directions to the Ranch. So far so good, right? Except when you actually get on Panorama Drive and look for the stable, it’s not at all easy to find, and her directions are misleading at best and grossly erroneous at worst. For example, her directions state, «Go up to Panorama and go left», but this is incorrect. You do not turn left from Panorama, as the Ranch is ON PARNORAMA. While driving on Panorama, we went up a steep grade which was not suitable for a 2-​wheel drive vehicle, after which, the street came to a dead end. We then turned back around and continued looking for the ranch. Her directions could have and should have warned us not to go up the steep, poorly kept grade.
Upon calling Sue for assistance, she simply repeats her street address over and over again. It went something like this:
«You have to drive on Panorama Drive and go to number 50 639. Are you at number 50 639? Keep going until you see number 50 639. Are you there yet?»
Sue mentions no landmarks, and nothing at all which visually describes her property. Her horses are not visible from the street, while horses from other ranches are. But here’s the kicker: Her street address is not displayed in any way, shape or form! So she’s on the phone, talking to us like we’re idiots, telling us to go to an unmarked ranch with an unmarked street address. When we finally find the ranch, we notice a sign that is about 8″ wide by 3″ tall which says «Coyote Ridge Stable». Moreover, the sign is sitting on the ground at an angle which is almost impossible to see from the street. Clearly, Sue does not care to invest the minimal amount of time, effort and expense to elevate her sign or mark her property with a street address. All of this is extremely unprofessional.
Sue was not personable at all. We have been on many trail rides, and most guides take the time to talk to their riders. Sometimes the talk is of horses, what we can expect on the ride, some suggestions on how to approach the ride given the terrain, and so forth. Sue did virtually none of this. She just got on the trail with Sally and her two dogs and we followed her as she and Sally made small talk.
While the trail ride itself was OK, it was nothing spectacular to say the least. Sue took no initiative to actually lead us. In fact, she did not care whether her horse was in the lead, or one of ours. Alas, it was the most boring ride I’ve ever experienced, and the most expensive ($ 300 for a two hour ride for two people).
Just a few days prior, we took a trail ride in Houston which involved a 10 year old girl having a temper tantrum and two non-​paying tagalong riders, one of which kept complaining about the muddy conditions. However, the Houston trail ride was FUN! Why? Because the guide had positive energy, showed a genuine interest her riders, and actually cared about whether we had a good experience. Sue did none of these things, and the ride cost over twice as much.
I love horses, and will not hesitate to take another trail ride while in the Joshua Tree area; just not from Sue.

I’d still be riding here if I still lived in California. As it is, whenever I visit, this place is a major goal.
Sue & Sally run a quality establishment that can manage riders across a wide range of ages and sizes, and an equally broad range of experience levels.
They can even manage the occasional jerk or dork (I’ve watched), despite California’s regrettable limitations on management techniques for such creatures.
Wonderful trail rides, understanding and talented guides who can educate you on riding technique (Hint: *LISTEN*), and a good array of options. Worth a stop if you’re in Palm Springs, or headed out to 29 Palms to visit a Marine, or even a special trip.