Sycamore Canyon Stables

I have been at SCS for seven years. During that entire time, the owners have perfectly maintained the facilities and grounds. In my many years of owning horses, i have never had the opportunity to ride every day or had the facilities so well maintained. Riding at night with lights is a pure luxury whether it is in one of the three arenas and round pen or on the perimeter roads around the ranch.
Because of SCS’s weighing of feed, my mare who could be prone to founder if overfed, has been wonderfully healthy the entire seven years. And, SCS arranges for vet clinics twice a year which increases my ability to keep her healthy.
Cindi and Dwight care as much for the care and safety of the boarder’s horses as the owners themselves. And the opportunity to see different riding disciplines is exciting — especially dressage.
Access to Gooden Reserve is a quarter mile up the road and provides the trail rider the ‘get away’ we all think about as we sit in offices or our cars anxious to be away.
Driving through the arch at SCS begins the escape into a beautifully maintained facility designed for horses and their owners.

This is a fabulous place to board. Great care is taken to keep this facility in tip top shape. Various equine disciplines happily coexist ! Not snobby or pretentious. It is not about riders egos at SCS, it’s all about the horses.
Owners are actively involved and always available.

I have been at SCS for a year and a half. I actually started there because I was riding Dwight’s, one of the owners, horse that he had rescued. This place is not a ranch, but a family. I can honestly say that when I am not able to get out to see my horse that I have no worries (this is saying a lot because I am a worry wart!) Whenever I go out of town, Cindi always makes sure I have someone to turn out my horse so he does not sit. They truly care about the horses and that is worth more than anything in my opinion.
The facilities are great for western and dressage. There are mirrors in the full sized dressage arena. They also have two other arenas (three in total). The front arena is one of the biggest I have seen in all of San Diego and you can turnout your horse in it to let them blow off steam. The back arena has stuff for western trail classes and also is large enough to lunge, ride, and turn out in. They have a wide variety of options for stabling. The have a mare motel, a barn, half covered individual corrals (which are very spacious), and then oversized corrals that are about 3 times the size of a normal corral stall. I am not good with estimating dimensions but they are very spacious. You would have to visit to see! :)
Another thing that I love is that it is right next to Sycamore Canyon which has trails for miles. You can ride there in about 5 minutes and ride all day! It is beautiful and does not require a trailer to get there. The trails are very well maintained and go forever. If you like trail riding then SCS would be perfect for you. There are groups that go out almost every weekend and it is great company and really fun!
There is such an amazing group of people out there and they take care of each other. About 3 months ago, we lost a member of the SCS family. The whole farm was silent for days. You could even tell that the horses were sad. Everyone pitched in to help out the family, take care of the horses, and attended the funeral. The place will never be the same after our loss and that speaks to how strong of a community this place is.
To counteract some of the negatives written about this place:
1. To say that the owners are cold is a bit extreme. I cannot imagine how a person could be cold who rescues so many horses. Wes, the horse that I was riding, was abandoned at the stables after the owner just left for another state and said she didn’t want him. Instead of letting him sit, he put him in full training with the dressage trainer there, Emily Lasher, who is beyond amazing but that would be another 5 page review in and of itself. Another lady who had two horses passed away and Dwight and Cindi took care of those horses (free board) until they found new owners. Dwight and Cindi both are always asking me about my life and truly care about and are engaged with their boarders.
2. The no jumping issue is something that everyone knows before they even board there so listing that as a con is a bit unfair in my opinion. I think of this as a pro and I am an eventer! By not allowing jumping, SCS is able to provide a lower cost option. The stables are pristine and very well maintained and are also one of the best financial options available. Insurance rates are lower when there is not jumping and, as a result, they can offer cheaper board and maintain high quality care and well maintained facilities. There is a farm down the road that has jumps
and will let you use them for a small monthly fee. You can ride there on a trail!
3. The wash racks do have chain cross ties but there is a second set of wash racks that do not have chains that anyone can use. They are located at the top barn so you have to walk up there but anyone can use them. Dwight and Cindi work really hard to make sure that there is a variety of options that meet each horse’s needs.
4. The turnout issue is for the care and quality of the facilities. Most horses chew on fencing and they do not want to have to raise the board rates so that they can continually be repairing fencing. It is also for the safety of your horse. If you don’t get out very much and your horse sits in a stall, he/​she is going to run around like crazy in the turnout and could very easily injure itself.
5. It is true that there are no mounting blocks in the arenas but I don’t know many high end places that have that. It is an eyesore and is unsafe when you turn your horse out because it is an obstacle they have to avoid. I always open the gate on horseback or use the fence and it has never bothered me. This may just be a difference in opinion but I have not felt that this was an issue.
To summarize, I love this place. I felt very welcomed when I came here and trust that my horse is well taken care of when I am not around. The facilities are beautiful and cater to a wide variety of people and horses. The family as SCS is amazing and supportive. If you come out to visit the facility, you will quickly realize what a special place it is.

I have boarded horses at Sycamore Canyon for several years. Before choosing SCS, my husband and I searched the entire San Diego County area for a stable that offers a safe, well run, and pleasant environment for us and our horses. It is a very good value for the services offered compared to most places that we observed.
Specifically, it is an exceptionally clean and well maintained property. Clearly, a lot of resources are spent in keeping the property up to a high standard. Reasonable rules for clients are much appreciated as they are primarily safety related.
The horses are watched over very carefully. I can honestly say that I do not have to worry about my horses, as Dwight and Cindi make rounds regularly. They truly care about the horses, and it is evident. If there is any concern about your horse, you get a phone call. A vet will be summoned as needed.
Multiple disciplines of riders work, play and show out of this ranch. It is amazing how well this works out, as the clientele are respectful of each other. There are a variety of trainers available.
Sycamore Canyon is the best kept secret in San Diego County, in my opinion. I would not hesitate to recommend SCS to anyone who seeks a high quality ranch to board their horse.

I haven’t been at Sycamore Canyon Stables long, about 4 months. My horse came in very skinny because the last place she was boarded at was stingy with her feed. She is now at a very healthy weight! I have had a ton of stuff going on and have had a hard time getting out to the ranch regularly. BUT, she is so happy there and they have taken such amazing care of her.
Pros:
— They weigh their food. The horses eat exactly the same everyday. You can have up to 24lbs of hay a DAY! This is great for my hard keeper TB.
— You can have any mixture of grass hay and alfalfa. So, 3lbs alfalfa and 8lbs of grass per feeding. This is huge if you are trying to control their diet, which you should be.
— They automatically feed supplements 2X a day. It has to be easy to scoop out and give, BUT they don’t charge extra.
— The facility is CLEAN and very pretty. The staff keep it immaculate.
— The arena’s have very good footing and are very well maintained.
— The stalls are HUGE and kept very clean.
— They check on the horses several times a day.
— They respond very quickly to calls, emails, and txt’s.
— All of the other boarders are super nice, friendly, and professional.
— The owners are very professional and do an amazing job of keeping everything top notch.
— They have all types of riders, except for jumping.
— Well behaved, leashed dogs are allowed and welcomed.
Cons:
— There aren’t any mounting blocks inside of the arena’s and you aren’t allowed to open/​close gates on horseback unless your horse is really well trained. So you have to get up on the edge of the railing to get on if you can’t get up from the ground. For this high end of a ranch there should really be mounting blocks in every arena to allow for riders to get on easily.
— Second thing I don’t like is that they don’t have any jumps and don’t allow any jumping. I think adult riders should be allowed to jump if they want.
— They don’t have dedicated turnout areas and you have to watch your horse the entire time they are out. So you can’t get anything done while they are rolling etc. You are allowed to turn out in the arenas but they don’t have actual turnout area’s.
— The wash racks suck… Really suck. The wash racks are cross ties and have chains that make noise when the horse moves around. They also aren’t very long. There is no where to tie your horse normally. I have a horse that HATES cross ties and she gets really scared in the wash racks because of how they are set up. :(
— The owners are a little cold, but, they are also super professional.