Cornerstone Ranch

Very enjoyable day. First time rider and no problems at all. Wonderful staff and very well organized. Really enjoyed having the pig and the dog accompany us on our ride. Highly recommend.

Went here for a trail ride today for my girlfriends birthday and we couldn’t have been happier. All the horses were great and well behaved and the staff was as friendly and helpful and anyone could be. We even had the company of dozer the pig on our trail ride. I would definitely recommend them if you’re looking for a place to ride

Awesome indeed. I bring my daughter to Cornerstone Ranch in Princeton MA every once in a while and she always has a wonderful time. We go through fun trails where we have to guide the horses around the trees. They usually follow each other and are very well trained but you often have to engage and direct them. Sometimes the horses will see something they like to munch on but the staff taught us how to manage those situations well. Sometimes we would see trails that split in two then rejoin a few feet later and I usually lead my horse through the other path, just to put a little twist on it for my daughter, she loves it and has a great time. We always have an awesome time. My daughter now wants to take up weekly horseback riding lessons.

Our horseback riding experience was wonderful! The property is beautiful and the ranch’s owner is very friendly and knowledgable. I wouldn’t hesitate to return for another trail ride or to send friends and family. I highly recommend visiting!

Seriously, if you want real horse riding experience, do not come here. The horses are very slow. The trail was muddy and filled with stone.
The only positive fact is that some of the horses were rescued. That’s all (giving them 2 stars only because of this.)

having never been riding before we bought a groupon and went for the 2 hour trail ride. staff was very friendly and informative. yes it is a slow walk with no trotting but for a beginner it was just what i was looking for. the horses were well behaved and well cared for. the two times we went we never had any issues with misbehaved horses. lots of complaints about the distance people traveled and about missing their trail ride because they were late. i don’t know about most people but before scheduling an activity i always check to see how far away it is and the site does say get there a half hour early. remember that there are other people waiting also if you show up late you can not expect everyone to just sit there and wait. i would def reccomend cornerstone ranch to others. i have even started taking riding lessons there. its great to see how well cared for these horses are.

I found out about this ranch through Groupon and was very interested in riding for my first time, and my mom’s and sister’s as well. After riding at another ranch elsewhere, I decided I had enough information to compare and write a review.
I believe this ranch is very professional and a great place for beginners and introductory-​riding. It may be hard to get to, as it is in the middle of the forest and keep in mind that they have a separate parking area. The staff and the owner are nice and try to connect with the riders, asking for names and creating small talk. You sign a waiver, select your helmet, and your horses are all ready and saddled-​up for you when you arrive. They carefully assign horse based on your characteristics which shows they know their horses well. I was assigned Hercules, a more bigger horse, and my mom was assigned a mother horse which was an excellent fit to a small woman. The instructor will go through exercises while on the horse to get you familiar and off you go on a nice, slow-​paced ride through the woods. The trails are nice and open, with many twists and turns, and it is wise to use bug spray. The instructor may be a bit too attentive, being very watchful, but we are dealing with kids and they would not want anything out of their control in case something serious happens, so I understand. They do not allow trotting/​cantering/​galloping, probably unless you ride with experienced riders, you may have to check with your instructor. Once you get back, they help you off your horses and offer to take pictures for you. They have an ice cream trolley with great choices and a complimentary carriage ride, if you wanted to enjoy your ice cream that way. Their lavatories are portable, but they do have soap and a sink to wash your hands, which is much needed after patting the horses and irresistibly petting their little pig, that loves belly rubs.
Overall, they really do appreciate their customers. They are a service and do extra to provide you a good experience and they have the right equipment to ensure a nice, smooth ride. Those who come to a ranch to ride horses should come prepared with some knowledge and understanding of the lifestyle and of animals. I feel like those who gave bad reviews and had bad experiences relied solely on the instructors when they should have done the best they can on their part to come prepared and on time. Yes, they ask for a tip but they provide you with well-​maintained equipment, organization, and facilities that cater to you, unlike other ranches. So, props to them for providing me and my family a good experience and a great memory.

My aunt went here with my uncle and was attempting to get onto a horse, she fell off and hurt herself really badly and ended up breaking her hip. the staff was no help and did not even help my uncle to help her up. It was horrible! now she needs surgery, horrible staff.

I just got back from a birthday trail ride with six of my friends and Cornerstone, and we all had a great time! We were concerned about the thunderstorms forecasted for the original time of our trail ride; to accommodate, Sue moved our ride to the late afternoon and the weather was absolutely beautiful. Sue and her daughter were friendly, funny, and down to earth. The horses looked well cared for, loved, and felt safe on the trails.
The trail itself was beautiful and very fun– other users have mentioned the fact that some of it is under power lines, which is true, but that didn’t affect us negatively. There were plenty of sections that were totally in the woods, and the power line sections were also beautiful in their own way!
Aside from my self, none of our group had much experience riding, but Sue and Julia made sure we knew the basics and Julia kept an eye on all of us during the ride to make sure we were all doing well and keeping up.
Sometimes barns are dusty and sometimes helmets are a little dirty and sometimes trails have rocks on them, and sometimes scheduling is tricky, but I don’t think any of these aspects can be considered a black mark on a stables, especially with such genuine people running it and such beautiful animals working there.

I went for a trailride today with my friend and we both had an awesome experience! Sue, the owner, is sweet, funny, and a people person and made the ride really enjoyable! We will definitely go back!

We had a 4:30p reservation and arrived at 4:28p. The tour had left without us because they thought we weren’t coming. Two calls were placed on the way up to let them know we were cutting it close (difficult place to find), but no one was there to answer. An unapologetic young man was there to tell us that the tour left. We told him we drove an hour and 45 minutes for this and if they were concerned we weren’t coming, a phone call or email would have been appropriate. He responded, «okay». We will not even attempt or consider rescheduling after that.

brought a groupon and took my wife and we had a good time, it was painfully cold, my hands were burning from the cold. the horses were beautifu, the trail was nice, the horses were a little tempermental but who knows how long they were working so I dont hold blame. Again, the reviews people post make you not do anything, its tough looking for honest feedback in perspective. im fair and try to be honest and real in my approach to reviewing as I know others will look for reviews like I do for new things.

I wish i could rate this place 0 stars. Its a pity I have to rate it so low as I love animals and admire people who devote their lives to rescue and care for them. However, I hope that the employees at this ranch treat horses better than they treat their customers. I spent an hour and a half getting there to be told that they were double booked and since I was 10 minutes late there wasnt a horse I could ride! They also refused to give me my money back telling that I should get in touch with the owner via email. After driving for an hour and a half and getting lost in the process, I arrived 10 minutes late for my reservation as the place is not easy to find. I tried calling to say that I was running 10 minutes late but kept getting a voice mail with an email address. I even sent an email while driving (very unsafe), but got no response. To top my frustration is not the fact that I ended up empty handed, but the way I was treated by the female employee. She was not only rude, but even got unnecessary abrasive and even aggressive. She never invited me in, showed the horses or even greeted me properly. She called me ‘tardy’ and told me to go hang out elsewhere and offered to come back in 2.5 hours if I wanted a different ride as they were double booked and there wasnt a horse for me. I believe it was the worst customer service experience I ever had. Its not the fact that they could not accommodate me after being late but the attitude and the unfriendly way the whole situation was handled I find unacceptable. And in all honesty, since I made my reservation 2 days in advance and paid for it, they could have picked up the phone or check their email to see why their guests are running late. Hope they care more about the animals and at some point start carrying about their customers.

I went here after seeing a Groupon for the trail ride. I thought the owner, Sue, was actually quite warm and personable. The problem is the location of her ranch, and the poor condition of many areas of the trail. The location is definitely off the beaten path; you’ll be driving for quite a while off the highway with the GPS until you’re guided to the entrance. The whole place just seems like a dump; run down, old, and dirty. I brought my own riding helmet and I’m glad I did, because the helmets provided to riders who have to borrow one sit in a bin and heaven knows if they contain lice from previous riders. A good portion of the start of the trail went over a very muddy (and I’m talking deep mud after rain) area and then good sized rocks. The horses were having a difficult time wading through this and it makes for a very rocky (no pun intended), hair raising ride – honestly, I was half-​expecting a horse to take a tumble and a rider falling onto rocks and mud.
Then, the trail goes through a very narrow path in the woods. My horse came very close to trees no matter how much I tried to steer him away and my knee got whacked because there just wasn’t enough room. After that, you’re crossing over a street (yikes…what if a car came zooming along?) and then riding along… power lines. Not exactly scenic. And then we were guided up a very steep hill where Sue told us we may see predatory animals… that made me nervous. At one point her horse got a bit spooked at something which caused my horse and the rider’s horse behind me to get a little scared and whip around.
It just doesn’t seem safe. If she had a nice, wide trail on more private, flatter land with nicer scenery without going through rocks and mud it would make for a nicer experience.
Also, after reading about another reviewer’s experience seeing one of the horses roll on the ground three times (which is also mentioned on TripAdvisor by another rider) I will definitely never return here. That is considered very dangerous behavior and poor training by many horse trainers and it has been known to kill or seriously injure a rider.
I also do not think they should be asking for a tip after they already got their money for a trail or sleigh ride.

Okay, where should I start?
First let me say that I have been here before and I had a pretty decent experience, nothing out of the ordinary happened for me to rate it one star, until today. Because of this experience I decided to return, today actually. I am writing this as I am on my way home from this ranch.
To begin, there are no bathrooms, just a single port-​potty in the corner of the parking lot. Expect to bring a GPS, because trust me, you will be lost without one.
Once I got there, the owner, Sue greeted us very nicely and told me to fill out a waiver. I was standing to the side and more people began to arrive (I got there a bit early). Then she once again greeted us all and told us to fill out a waiver and grab a helmet (bring your own if you have one, they are rather gross). Then Sue gave me this look because she saw that I was not doing either one of them (I had already filled out a waiver and was waiting for people to move out of the helmet bin!). She gave me this look and said «Can you do that?» as if I am some idiot who cannot follow directions. I responded, «Yes, just waiting for them to move», and she laughed sarcastically. Then she assigned each of us a horse, I got on it and had to do some «warm-​ups», they seemed pretty useless, and the way she was talking to me was just as if I was some idiot who could not follow directions. (Mind you, I grew up ridding horses, so I know a thing or two about horse safety). Okay so we begin ridding, and before we even get to the beginning of the trail, a horse decides to FALL DOWN! Yes! The horse was bothered by the bugs (which there were a lot of, I understand) but there was a ridder on it! The horse fell on the ground and started kicking all over the place, thank God the ridder was not injured. But I was just in shock that this even happened, they claim on their website that their horses are very well trained, but that clearly is NOT the case. How could a horse just fall down WITH A RIDDER! Then to make matters worse, Sue starts to laugh and makes a joke out of it to not make it seem like the situation is bad. Sue also sais that the girl should continue ridding the horse, WHAT?! How is this even remotely okay?
We begin the trail ride, and the horses are SO SLOW! I understand, it is a trail ride, but if you are looking for something genuine with horses, DO NOT COME HERE! This place is absolutely not for horseback ridding, its more for scenery and just saying you have been horseback ridding.
During the trial all the horses kept stopping because the bugs were going insane! This ranch really needs to invest in some bug spray. So everything is going as good as it can get, when suddenly there is a horse running across the street! With a ridder running after it! Then Sue gets off her horse, and stops the running horse. The runner is out of breath (mind you she works at the ranch). So if an employee who works with these horses everyday can’t handle them, then who can?
The trail finally ended, they offer to take pictures which is nice. Then all the employees say bye to you at least 5x’s each, almost as a reminder to leave them a tip. Like, might as well say, «Don’t forget the tip!», and I would have given them one if I felt like they deserved it. But after my experience today I can honestly say that I will NEVER come back here again. I still cannot believe that the horse decided to fall over with a ridder, I am still in utter disbelief.
Once again, please reconsider before you come here. There may be great reviews but please consider this one.

This place is NOT for horseback riders. We moved so slow it was slower than a pony ride walk… painfully boring!!! I’ve gotten better deals on private horseback riding lessons thru Groupon, I wish i could get a refund– what a waste of money. For first timers meh… you might enjoy the scenery. The family is super sweet and the horses are nice the only reason I gave this place more than 1 star

I hate having to rate this place so low because they rescue horses from slaughter, but I have no choice. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve ridden but I do know what a riding experience should be like. I’ll start from the beginning:
When you arrive to the ranch parking is a bit confusing and the lavatory is a stand alone port-​a-​potty in the lot. Sue and her husband are really sweet people and seem to know their stuff, however, other than that, much is left to be desired.
Upon arrival you’re instructed to fill out the waiver and put on a helmet. The bin of helmets was a bit unsanitary and in disarray (yes, yes, I know. It’s a horse ranch for peets sake, so of course things will be a bit unsanitary) also, my friend complained hers smelled and the strap was wet. My helmet was fine. However, I would assume that when you’re operating a place like this the helmets would be sanitized and you would check peoples helmets to make sure they’re on properly, not simply tell them to sign a waiver and throw one on.
They make small talk to figure out your personality and which horse would best suit you (at least this is what it seems). I liked that little touch because, IMO, it shows they know their horses. Overall the horses are great and well tempered. However, I couldn’t understand why I was given a horse that needed much more guidance and a riding crop compared to the others. Then during stops Sue would call out to me «You ok back there with Hope, Shirley?» There were other people behind me so it wasn’t as if I was the last, it was because I was given a «slow» horse that seemed a little unwell IMO.
As many others have mentioned, the trail is horrible and I felt guilty the entire time. The poor horses are walking on rocks and through mud the majority of the time. But especially ROCKS. My poor horse. It wasn’t fair to her. There were a few times she wouldn’t move because the mud was too wet or the rocks were too jagged and she had to really calculate her footing. A riding trail should be comfortable for the horse: on grass or that other soft stuff they use at ranches or on a beach (at least those are the experiences I’ve had). Lastly, aside from the rocks and mud you’re walking along power lines the entire time.
The mandatory «at least $ 10 tip» was another thing that rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, I enjoyed the day out with my friend but wouldn’t visit this place again. I also hope they reconsider the ‘trail’ they’ve chosen and give the horses a terrain that’s more comfortable on their hooves.

We went for a trail ride in April, and had a wonderful experience which was due in large part to Sue’s compassion & acceptance… please see excerpts below from a follow-​up email I sent her. This is a wonderful place and I will DEFINITELY return, HIGHLY recommend!
«…I just wanted to thank you again for helping to provide an enjoyable experience yesterday at Cornerstone for my son J. As I told you (and as you likely would have surmised), J has an Autism Spectrum Disorder… his ASD means that he can have difficulty processing verbal language, has some sensory integration issues, and (when presented with something novel, even when it’s something he’s excited about), can become anxious… This sometimes results in him NOT doing things he wants to do (and CAN do, with the right support)…has been interested in riding a horse for some time; we’ve been considering lessons & when we saw your Groupon around Christmas we thought it would be a good starting point. As you saw, J had some difficulty & anxiety getting started yesterday and it became clear to me that we would either need to bow out altogether, or I would need to walk him in order for him to ride: thank you so much for supporting the latter, and for all the encouragement you offered to J (it really made a difference, throughout the ride). As I walked alongside J on his horse for the trail ride behind the other riders, I was able to encourage him, lead sweet little Miller the pony, and give some additional instruction to J on holding the reins, how to stop, keeping feet in the stirrups, and trusting your horse to do his job safely. By about halfway through the ride, he was marveling at how „cool“ and „awesome“ the trail looked from the back of his horse, and it was SO GRATIFYING for me to see him feeling a sense of accomplishment and taking pride in doing something that he was afraid to do (equally gratifying to learn my Timberland boots truly ARE waterproof! :)). He was crooning to sweet little Miller by the end of his ride („who’s a good little boy??“, „you’re such a good little horse!“), and by the time we walked back to the barn, he was mostly under his own steam and the look on his face & his happiness just made my day (plus, I got some unexpected but much-​needed exercise! :)).
I’m always a little worried during group activities (especially those that also involve typically-​developing kids) that someone might resent J for „holding them up“ or make a rude/​ignorant remark about him (I’ve ‘toughened up’ a little over the years & have learned to respond neutrally or ignore it, although they still hurt & make me worry about how the world will continue to receive J in the years to come); I didn’t perceive yesterday that anyone objected to our relatively slow pace or that anyone was overtly negative about your occasional thoughtful pauses for us to catch-​up (and I hope no one provided negative feedback to you)… it warms my heart when we experience a truly inclusive and supportive activity in our community for kids like my son (even when „our way“ of experiencing such an activity may be a little different, or may need some reasonable accommodation, such as yesterday). We deeply appreciated your support & encouragement… J talked about Miller all the way home, and couldn’t wait to share with his Dad and his neighborhood friends that he rode a horse „all by himself“…talked about it all night! Thank you again, so much.»
Sue then responded to my email very kindly, and even offered me a complimentary ride. A positive experience in every single way!

Having NEVER ridden a horse before, I thought Cornerstone Ranch would be a good starting point, based on their website saying they deal with all levels of riders. Not so much.
After helping me on the horse, they gave some instructions for steering the horses, which was abbreviated at best. They DID ask if anyone needed a stirrup adjustment, but having never ridden before, I did not know I needed one. In hindsight, the fact that my left foot was not in a stirrup should have tipped me off, but again — rookie. It was not until I fell off my horse that they adjusted my left stirrup, but still told me to work on my balance.
What I was looking forward to an enjoyable afternoon with a peaceful ride turned out to be the complete opposite. Good thing is that I’m not deterred — I’ll try riding again, but will take some lessons first.

I absolutely love this place! They generally put out a few Groupon’s a year, so check periodically for specials. But I suggest you go anyway, even without the Groupon. This place is super fun. I’ve done the 2 hour trail ride on horseback and it was definitely the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Pros: The people that run it are amazingly nice. They’re alot of fun and give you instructions at the start of the ride, while in a big fenced in ring. All of the horses have names and some don’t like to be near one another, so they put you and your friends on horses that like each other so you can ride with the people you came with. It’s a great experience to go through the wooded trails, as your horse sneaks a snack from the ferns and baby oaks along the way. The views are really nice as you trek up a good sized hill and look out over the trail you rode. Great prices, great people, and cool horses!
Cons: It’s far out there for Metro Boston people to drive. Well worth it though!
Overall: Love this place! I suggest you plan a trip out there one weekday and get in a 2 hour trail ride.