FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hand-feeding the horses we care for is limited for training purposes to reward for positive responses. We would love it if you will donate a bag of apples, carrots, or horse treats for us to reinforce positive behavior at appropriate times. The horses would love and benefit from your kindness. ❤️

At the Ranch, we make certain the horses have nutritious hay available 24/7 when they are not working, which is a sizable amount of time. 🤠 Having such a natural environment with so much hay keeps them very healthy and content.

Here is the Ranch PayPal link if it is easier for you to donate toward the care of the horses: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/CornerstoneRanch

Service fees help to cover processing, administrative fees, and a very small portion of some of the high costs of caring for our many horses, and paying staff a living wage. You may opt to have ticket protection included, which covers your reservation should you encounter an unforeseen circumstance on the way to the Ranch; with a doctor’s note you may rebook without forfeiting the ride. We do not collect gratuity in advance, although tips are most welcome after your ride if you’d like to thank your trail guide or driver for their exceptional service.

Consider choosing to include Ticket Protection in your booking, which will allow us to provide you with a voucher to re-book your ride if you end up having to cancel for a last-minute emergency or medical reason with less than 48 hours’ notice. Proof of the emergency such as a doctor’s note would be required.

We try not to cancel rides if precipitation is forecast, because it can be intermittent, and storms often don’t materialize. If we do decide to cancel the ride, you may of course rebook at no additional charge, and we hope that you will! We also do allow  cancellations and complimentary rescheduling up to 48 hours prior to a ride, and we will refund the reservation fee if you aren’t able to reschedule. Our service fees are non-refundable in any case.

However, if someone doesn’t show up at the last minute, and we have all the horses saddled and employees in place to take them out, we are unable to offer a refund because we need to pay our staff for their time that was spent preparing for the ride. You may opt to have ticket protection included, which covers your reservation should you encounter an unforeseen circumstance on the way to the Ranch; with a doctor’s note you may rebook without forfeiting the ride. This has been especially helpful when Covid has made scheduling more challenging.

Usually, trail riding will be canceled if it is a very steady rain with a high probability of rain throughout the day, ice or heavy snow. There is a good chance we will cancel trail rides if the temperature is below 25 degrees, horse-drawn rides if the temperature is below 15 degrees. We typically will just delay if there is a thunderstorm in the area. Threat of rain, lightning, or snow will usually NOT cause us to cancel a trail ride.

Please show up a half-hour prior to your scheduled trail ride if you haven’t been notified of a cancellation. If rides are cancelled you will be notified via email. Please be sure to provide a number to text in the event email does not work.

Horses are prey animals and may react adversely to barking and/or animal mannerisms. Cornerstone Ranch has a strict no dog policy for safety reasons.

Weight limits are to be no more than 230 pounds per person for trail riding. For horse drawn rides, we may decide to split the ride up if the weight capacity is over the safe limit specified by industry standards for the vehicle to be pulled by the horses, or if we feel the ride is off balance or unsafe.

Please send your cancellation request via email. You will receive a confirmation email with rebooking instructions once your request is processed.
We require a 48-hour notice for all cancellations. This way we are able to open up the space available for someone else who wishes to book. The more notice the better, and we appreciate your understanding of the necessity and balance in having full rides, yet not overbooking.

Rides cancelled more than 48 hours before the ride day/time may be rebooked at no additional charge, or the ticket price may be refunded. Please note our service fees are non-refundable.

Yes, signing a waiver is mandatory to participate in any horse-related activities at
Cornerstone Ranch. Once you make a reservation, you will receive a waiver link specific to your reservation. Please read and sign electronically. Completing your waiver this way ensures the ride is not delayed while you are filling out paperwork at the Ranch before the ride. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Yay, no paperwork needed! We use the reservation system to keep track of everything. Come enjoy your ride and be early!

Anyone whose behavior is disruptive and/or causing an unsafe condition to ride for horses, other riders or themselves, or any rider who is not respectful of Cornerstone Ranch policies and/or staff, will be excused and asked to leave the premises.

Age 6 y/o, or older is generally a great age to start taking riding lessons on a regular basis. We love working with all ages and will tailor the riding lesson to be specific for the level of the student.

Riding Lesson may be purchased 10 at a time for a $100 savings. Use this

Pony rides are offered every afternoon on weekends in warm weather, May-October. No reservation is needed for pony rides; just show up! Pony rides are $15 and are structured to be like a short riding lesson.

To take sleighs, we need frozen ground with enough snow covering to ensure the sleigh runners do not come in contact with any obstructions on the ground. There is no set measurement of snow to determine this because the frozen/unfrozen ground comes into play. Also factoring in is the type of snow: light fluffy or heavy wet snow has its influence.

The safety of the horses, drivers and customers are the determining factor in the vehicles used. We may start out with sleighs, and as the day unfolds need to switch to wheels as conditions change.

Horse drawn rides are a fun way to enjoy time outdoors with friends and family and we love taking people on rides. Please come back each year to visit the Ranch and see your horse friends!

We have a lovely festive red wagon that we use when there is not enough snow to use the sleigh. Don’t worry, the magic of the season is still in the air no matter what is on the bottom of your horse-drawn ride! The rides are beautiful with fun and information along the way, and it gives our horses jobs, so we hope you will join us!

Please note that our cancellation policy offers a refund of the reservation fee only with more than 48 hours’ notice. Cancellations received with less than 48 hours’ notice will not be rescheduled and will not receive any refund.

If weather is predicted to be extreme, we may cancel rides. If rides are cancelled, notification will be sent via email to the email address you booked under with instructions for rebooking.

We may still hold the ride if it is raining, especially in the warm weather. Please remember to bring raincoats!

Helmets are required. You may borrow a helmet which there are plenty of. Helmets are cleaned and sanitized in-between rides.

A shoe with a small heel is strongly recommended. This prevents your shoe from going all the way through the stirrup and getting stuck in the process. An ankle boot or work boot is fine as long as they are not big heavy hiking boots. This could be an opportunity for new cowboy/cowgirl boots if you can get some shopping in between now and your ride.

Dress as though you are going hiking and it is 20 degrees cooler than what the thermometer says. In the winter, bundle up like you are going skiing. A thin hat to go under the helmet and gloves are wise to have along unless it’s summertime. 

Trails are paced at a walk to keep our horses and riders as comfortable and safe as possible. Our trail rides are great for all levels of riders and those whom have never ridden before.

We offer riding lessons for riding at a faster pace in an enclosed riding ring. Riding lessons are taught by professional, licensed riding instructors focused on balanced seat and good horsemanship. Cornerstone Ranch has many students committed to being better riders for their horses and we’d love to see you in a lesson.

Yes! Riding in the snow can be fun and beautiful. We are open year round and only cancel due to the cold if the temperatures drop into the 20’s or lower. Please dress warm, lots of layers!

All trail rides are led by a guide from Cornerstone Ranch. Some spaces are available for cash-only walk-ins, but it is recommended to make a reservation.

You may book a trail ride with other riders, usually up to 8 riders, or you may book a private trail ride exclusive to your group of 1-8 riders. Use this link to the options for booking trail rides.

For best mounting practices, we use a mounting block. One has two steps, and the other has three steps.
We use mounting blocks out of concern for our horses’ backs. If a person can’t get up
using a mounting block, they may wish to reconsider getting on to begin with.

The age requirement for our trail rides is 10+ years old. We do have some flexibility for children having ridden before.

When booking children, please also book adult family members so the rides have a balance of youngsters and beyond. We prefer not to take large groups of kids on trail rides. Birthday parties at the Ranch are more suitable for groups of kids.

Riding lessons are for ages 7+, and are a great way to start learning more about good horsemanship. Lessons are also perfect for adults who would like to learn how to ride with a balanced seat at a walk-trot-canter.
Pony rides, horse drawn rides, and birthday parties do not have an age requirement.

Helmets are required and we have plenty to go around. No need to run out and buy one unless you plan to ride consistently. We would be happy about that!

Helmets are cleaned and sanitized between rides. In the winter it’s a good idea to wear a light knit hat under the helmet for extra warmth.

The weight limit for riding is 230 pounds maximum weight. There is no maximum weight for the horse drawn rides. If we feel there are any factors which may pose a danger to our horses, staff or other riders we reserve the right to deny someone the opportunity to participate in any activity.

Children must be 10 years old to go on a trail ride. Children who have taken riding lessons may go on a trail ride if they are at least 8 years old and we feel they are able to follow instructions.

Trail rides for either one or two hours include approximately 15 minutes of lead time to assist riders to mount up safely and help riders get acclimated to their horses. During this time, our Wranglers will also provide beneficial instruction prior to riding on the beautiful trails at the Ranch, to help make the trail ride as enjoyable as possible for both horses and riders. This time is a great opportunity to learn about the horse you are riding and to understand the practices the horses at the Ranch are familiar with.

At the end of your ride, we also allow a few minutes to take everyone’s picture with our camera, which automatically emails photos to riders.

We’re excited about your interest in taking trail ride! For your safety and the horse’s safety, understanding basic instructions in English is essential. We want to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience on our trail rides. Riding on horseback independently in an open forest or road environment requires riders to understand basic English commands.

We’d love to have you join us, but speaking a minimum level of English is crucial for understanding directions and ensuring safety on the trail. For horse-lovers who aren’t comfortable enough with English to participate in a trail ride, we suggest a horse-drawn ride instead. Sit back, relax, and have fun as you are carried in a sleigh or wagon on the wooded trails and roads.