Echo Lake Stables

My mom and I went on a trail at Echo Lake stables and we had a wonderful time. I didn’t know what to expect as it was our first time there. Also my mother is 71 years old so I was a bit concerned. Well the staff really knew their horses and paired us up with a couple very gentle steeds. John our trail guide expertly led us through the water shed area at a leisurely pace. We both had a very enjoyable time. I would highly recommend this stable. Another highlight were the extremely friendly greeters — a very gentle border collier and a cat that demands to be scratched.

I’ve been to Echo Lake Stables twice and each time I had a great time. My friends and I have done the trail ride and it was such fun. I’ve gone in the summer and in the fall. I’m looking forward to going back in the winter because the trail ride is supposed to be beautiful.
The staff is very nice and helpful. And you can really see how well the take care of all the horses.
I would definitely recommend this place for birthday parties, friend gatherings and even dates.

Just a word of advice… they are very strict with the weight restrictions there. The sign says 220 pound limit and they mean it. That means 220 FULLY CLOTHED AND WITH RIDING BOOTS! That’s like 205 lbs. They will not let you ride. Just be warned. Very embarrassing to weigh in and told you can’t ride.

All in all i had a great time. The only complaint i have is the timing. The trail ride was from 6 – 730. And by 6:45 is was pitch black. It was cool looking up at the stars but i wouldve liked enjoying the scenery a bit more. After the ride is a nice little cookout by a bon fire. All you can eat cheeseburgers and hot dogs, chips and drinks (water, soda). Then after we eat we all dance to the electric slide, chicken dance, and a few others. It was a lot of fun. I would love to go back soon.

The people were nice and so were the horses. A really nice place for an easy horse ride.

I’m a horse person. That’s an understatement. From the time I could talk I made up songs about BEING a horse (or a unicorn, which was the initial desire until I was old and cynical enough to modify my wish into something a tad more realistic). I begged my mom for every horse magazine available. I begged for horses so desperately she took me when I was eight on my first trail ride in Mexico and serenaded the trail guide in Spanish even though she is, shall we say, not exactly a horse person.
Well, she created a bit of a monster. A horse-​loving monster.
I worked at a few ranches training and trail guiding and scooping poop (which I love to do), and before this becomes a bio instead of a review («TOO LATE,» you might be thinking), I will say this:
I love Echo Lake Stable.
For several reasons:
It is unique to not have reserved (and possibly cancelled) trail rides. My friend and I showed up at 12:15 and we were on two horses with our excellent trail guide (I think her name was Miranda??? Oy, I’m terrible with non-​horse names: long blonde hair, willowy, super kind and knowledgeable) at about 12:30. Amazing.
Every single staff member was phenomenal.
It had been a woefully long time since I’d been on a horse (five years!) and I was so so thrilled to just be around them again. And the place is gorgeous. And the horses are gorgeously kept. And the staff is great. I’ve been on ranch staff. They can be, shall we say, ornery. Everyone was awesome.
The ride wound through beautiful leafy trails in a vast foresty place so pretty I expected fairies to pop out. And it was bloody hot today. But you wouldn’t have known it in the breezy shade of the trails.
The ONLY ONLY thing I would have changed is that there is one trail speed: walk. I love to trot and canter. But no worries. This is a horse experience. There is one priority: BE WITH HORSES. With everything else in perfect order, that’s all that mattered in the end: being on a beautiful, happy horse in a gorgeous setting with a wonderful trail guide.
And oh, did I mention the price? $ 35 for an hour, on-​call, at your service, whenever you show up. That is unheard of. We charged $ 50 for 45 minutes at the ranch I wrangled at over a decade ago. The one I trained at six years ago was at about $ 100 for a half hour lesson.
Go here. I’m so glad I did.

The reviews for this place are right on! We tried out the stables right across from our resort and the staff was very rude. This was well worth the extra drive. The place is large (80 horses) and the staff very friendly. You can tell they love animals and horses and have great customer service. My daughter was a party of one and they didn’t give us a hard time about a trail ride for 1. The prices are reasonable and they have a lot to offer. I wish we were staying longer on vacation as this place is a keeper. Highly recommended! Thank you for a great time!

This is a great place for beginners. If you are an advanced rider, you may be bored, unless you go with a group of other advanced riders. The horses are essentially on auto pilot and need little to no actual steering.
They will allow you to trot and canter if you know what you’re doing. Tip: If you want to do that, show up early in the morning before the horses are tired from a full day of trails. If you’re interested in seeing what the night rides are like, I made a video from ours on 7÷26÷14 —
The night ride is a fun group outing, but no matter what you will walk the whole time. The prices have gone up $ 5 for the first time in years, but the experience is the same. It’s still a great value and the staff is very friendly.

This place is great for horseback riding. They have an excellent, long trail. Really pretty with nice views. Every one that works here is super nice and they take very good care of the horses. I plan on coming back here again and definitely recommend it.

This place is good for a trailride if you‘re a beginner or just want to get on a horse for a nose to butt ride. One and done type of a place. That‘s it! Their horses are very slow and seem tired or old. If you want to have lessons, this is not the place. The owner taking reservations will tell you to make a reservation but when you get up there you have to wait because they have first come first serve policy if a larger group is coming. We had been going up regularly week after week and had no loyalty for being a repeated customer. Each time we went up, we were treated as if this was the first time we were coming up. We ended up going to morisstown where the horses are
100% better, staff and trainers are professional and nice.

Went here as part of a Discover Outdoors outing and it was ok. We basically walked the whole time as most of the group were beginners so experienced riders will probably be bored if they ride with inexperienced riders.
The 2 hour trail ride is through forest-​y wood area — no wide open fields :(

horse back riding. interesting.

I came here with a Living Social deal and had a great time! The staff is friendly, grounds are well kept, and the horses look like they get a lot of attention. I’d say I’m an intermediate level rider but anyone above that might be bored. There may be opportunity for private lessons where you could do what you want but as far as the trail goes, you’re following the leader at their pace so it’s a nice walk in the woods. Horses are in a variety of sizes and levels so there’s plenty of options for all riders!
Basic riding 101 is reviewed but all in all a good experience :)

Great place !

Amazing place! My horse could not be happier in the beatuiful enviornment

My family & I really enjoy riding here on the weekends. The trails are really nice, quiet & worth at least one experience.
The staff are always ready to get you on a horse & on your way. We’ve never had a wait, although one day we came we weren’t allowed to ride because it was too close to closing time. A woman had made a comment along the lines «I told you when you called what time we closed», but the thing is no one from our group had called. Simple misunderstanding.
They are very good at pairing you up with an appropriate horse, I’m just not sure why they ask you your riding level on account the trails you stay single file the entire time and at most they will offer a bit of trotting, yet it’s very controlled. I would prefer if they offered some more independent riding, they may, it just hasn’t been brought to my attention.
A few of the people who took us on trail rides knew a lot about horses which made the experience even better. Other times I often wondered why they’d allow someone to take us on the trails who didn’t have answers to job related questions, maybe they were new.
Overall it’s a nice experience, well tempered horses & friendly staff. Derek was one of the better trail guides there you could just tell he had a passion for horses. I don’t believe he works there anymore though. He was always willing to help you take pictures and kept the conversation going.
I hear the midnight rides are a great time so I will for sure try that out next time.
3 out of 5 stars because I’m not «wow-​ed» by the experience, yet it is very pleasant. Affordable as well, $ 40 for an hour trail ride.

Ok, let’s play Wheel of Fortune… feel free to fill in the letter:
BIG HORSES _​AKE REALLY BIG SHI_​S.
I had the fortune of horseback riding on the biggest horse at the ranch (Tux). He was a former carriage horse and absolutely massive — he was more like a SUV amongst horses. He must have shat (yes it’s the past tense of shit) or pissed every 15 minutes or so.
It was 9 degrees when we started horseback riding. It was my first time horseback riding and I’m not sure what I expected — I just wish it was a bit more scenic (streams, rivers, and vistas) and less head-​to-​tail.

Enjoyed a lovely one hour trail ride recently and would highly reccomend this to others looking for a pleasant riding experience. I am a beginner but felt safe because their experienced riders come along and of course there is someone to lead you throughout the trail. The trail is beautiful – very scenic and peaceful. The people are extremely friendly and knowledgeble. Best stable I’ve been to in NJ hands down!