Painted horse ranch - Elkton, Maryland

A B.

I've visited Wolf with our family in the past.
It was one of thee most memorable moments in our lives. I just mentioned horse back riding again, and my children yelled out, "With Wolf".
I can tell you, we barbecued after the ride, and hung out with the team members/family.
We're going back very soon.

Wolf, I apologize for just making this review late. I'm glad you're still providing a great service.
Last visit April 3rd 2021.

Madison M.

Wolf and Steve are AWESOME! Came here for a half day trail ride for my birthday. Had given up on finding a place until I found this ranch. The staff were so nice, horses treated nicely with good personalities and the ride was fun! Really made my day so special and Steve was an awesome guide. We even got the chance to trot and gallop if we wanted to. Highly recommend the half day experience here! We will be back.

Mia R.

I went riding at this barn today, March 9 at 11 AM, and the experience was extremely unprofessional.

First, my sister’s horse was bleeding, yet they still forced him to go on the trail ride. Some of the horses' hooves appeared neglected and in need of farrier attention. Additionally, my sister was also dangling off the side of her saddle while trotting because her girth wasn’t tightened. As someone with eight years of experience in both English and Western riding, I was repeatedly told to place my hand on the back of the saddle—something I clearly stated multiple times that I was uncomfortable doing. Proper equitation, balance, posture, and seat control rely on leg strength, not gripping the saddle. Research supports that this is an incorrect riding technique, and it’s basic knowledge I was taught in lessons as a child.

One of the riders, a brunette, long haired woman on a horse named Spirit, also a real estate agent, was particularly unpleasant. She kept insisting that she was “really nice, like Cinderella,” while contradicting herself with her rude behavior. Before trotting, she asked if everyone was okay with it, and while most of us said yes, one person did not. I spoke up for them, yet the woman on Spirit dismissively said, “Oop, well, you’re gonna learn now,” completely disregarding their boundaries, especially concerning since this person had never ridden before.

Another issue arose when I was riding a Thoroughbred named Wrangler. I continued to express my discomfort with the hand-on-the-saddle rule, yet I was still pressured into doing it. Wrangler then began crow-hopping before bucking me off and taking off. I landed on my head and shoulders, and instead of checking on me, the woman immediately yelled at me for not holding the back of the saddle. Her lack of concern was appalling. I’ve fallen off horses before, but professional trainers have always ensured I was okay, encouraged me, and helped me regain confidence. Instead, she screamed at me and blamed me—despite admitting that Wrangler dislikes having horses too close behind him. If they were aware of this, common sense dictates he should have been placed at the back of the line, not squeezed in the middle. After realizing how rude she had been, she suddenly changed her attitude, trying to flatter me by saying, “Your riding skills really helped you, you fell so gracefully.” A true trainer should have patience and professionalism, not the need to convince others they are “nice” while simultaneously yelling at riders for falling. Finally, she literally was talking to one of her clients from her real estate agent job on the phone as she was stating earlier that her job is to watch us and keep us safe.

On top of that, she openly badmouthed the barn’s owner, Wolf, to a group of strangers. She complained about how much he yells and claimed she didn’t want to be like him, yet her behavior mirrored exactly what she criticized. It was unprofessional to gossip about a coworker in front of guests. Additionally, the staff seemed unprepared for our visit, taking an excessive amount of time to tack up and get us on the horses.

Holly, the woman leading the ride, was also a disaster. She appeared to struggle with her own riding and, at one point, dismounted so poorly that she was hanging off the side of her horse while it was walking away. This was the person in charge at the front of the trail, which was concerning.

The only two people who acted professionally were a young Black boy and a woman with black hair and gauge earrings named Kendra. She went out of her way to switch horses after my fall to ensure I felt more comfortable. She even offered to give me a Tylenol so I wouldn’t be in pain. I also noticed that she didn’t follow the hand-on-the-saddle rule and even admitted she didn’t understand why it was enforced.

Overall, this barn demonstrated a severe lack of professionalism, safety, and respect for both riders and horses. I would not recommend it to anyone seeking a responsible and knowledgeable riding experience.

Loretta C.

This was the second trip we've taken our Pathfinder group to. Mr. Wolf and his staff are very nice and helpful. We had a nice one hour ride through a park. We were working on our Horseriding Honor. Old or young, from 6 to 62, you will have a great time PS: Watch your step, lol.

kim A. K.

Love riding at this ranch!! Great horses, friendly staff, and beautiful trails!! Reasonable rates for a horse back ride for 1-2 hours, even have half day rides. Love it there, will be back. Wolf, the owner is great, Steve the trail ride leader is absolutely amazing!! Go check k it out!

Faith G.

I took my daughter riding for her birthday. We both had such a great time! The staff was very helpful and explained everything well enough that my 7 year old was able to ride with minimal help after the ride started. The trail is absolutely beautiful! It was an all around great experience for us both, and we will definitely come again!

Veronica C.

Great time today! My sister and I booked a one hour trial ride. I booked it Wed and called yesterday to confirm. Once at the ranch we were greeted by some friendly and knowledgeable workers. We got our horses and led by our wonderful trial leader Mohammed. We were off . He was friendly, polite and knowledgeable. The hour went by too fast and we will definitely be back for a longer ride next time.

Elena S.

Great experience! Came here with my coworkers, the trail was wonderful and service was great. Thank you!