Woodlands Trail Riding, Oaklands Junction

Fantastic experience. Horses well trained. If you haven't been on a horse before, try it. The young lady who was our lead through the field was very patient and friendly.

I am writing to provide feedback regarding our horse riding experience today, which unfortunately left us feeling extremely disappointed and concerned about the level of care provided. There were three of us in attendance—Joumana, Aziza, and Iman—and our instructors were Talia and another young staff member. While some aspects of the experience were positive, particularly the temperament of the horses assigned to Joumana (Kabootz) and myself (Snowy), the overall experience was overshadowed by the handling of a distressing situation involving Iman. Iman was allocated a horse named Texas, who was described by Talia as “grumpy.” From early on, Iman was visibly anxious and expressed multiple times that she was struggling and needed assistance. Unfortunately, her concerns were not met with the level of support we would expect in such a setting. At times, her requests for help appeared to be dismissed or met with frustration, and she was repeatedly told to manage the horse herself despite her distress. Throughout the ride, Iman became increasingly anxious and panicked, which was clearly audible to both Joumana and myself as we were positioned further ahead. It was concerning that the instructors did not proactively intervene or offer her the option to safely dismount earlier. Additionally, there were moments where the instructors appeared disengaged, including being on their phones during the session. Toward the end of the ride, another staff member, Kiara, was called over, and Iman was finally permitted to get off the horse. However, even then, the support provided was limited. Iman was required to walk the horse back toward the stable herself, during which the horse was nudging into her, further heightening her distress. By this point, she was extremely overwhelmed and ultimately broke down in tears. While Talia did apologise for coming across as rude and encouraged Iman to ride again to avoid developing fear, we feel that this does not adequately address the seriousness of the situation or the lack of care shown when it was most needed. This experience was not only upsetting for Iman but also distressing for us to witness. We had hoped for a supportive and safe environment, particularly given that horse riding can be intimidating for some individuals. Instead, we left feeling let down by the lack of attentiveness, empathy, and appropriate intervention from staff. We would appreciate it if this matter could be reviewed, as we believe situations like this require a higher level of care, especially when a rider is clearly anxious and asking for help.

Was great fun, friendly staff, highly recommend

Our granddaughter enjoyed her riding experience. It was efficiently run and was not cut short as some other reviewers have claimed. My only disappointment was not being allowed to get close enough to see her on the horse. But I fully understand that this would be necessary for safety reasons. They did however take photos for us to view on their website which was greatly appreciated