Foggy Bottom Farm

"My mom bought my daughter lessons here for her birthday. The first lesson went great and she was very excited. The second lesson we noticed that her trainer was talking very rudely to her. Belittling her for missing spots when brushing the horse, not kicking the horse hard enough, and not stopping the horse perfectly. None of it was meant for instructing but for being condescending. We let it go and my daughter excused it saying “it’s ok, I have to learn.” But she made it known that she only wanted to ride if her dad or I were in the room. Her third lesson came and same thing. She was repeatedly spoken rudely to. It all came to a head when she loudly yelled “THIS is your right. THIS is your left. And then put her body over my daughters to move the horse.” My husband ended up stepping in and saying that was excessive. She is 10 and has never rode horses before. She cried the whole way home. It was all new to us. I understand wanting to maintain a safe environment for the kids and the horses but we were upset with the way we repeatedly watched and heard kids being spoken to. Unfortunately I see other reviews that echo what we experienced. It’s a great farm with lots of cool animals, so I hope if they continue lessons they will learn how to communicate kindly and with respect to their students."

"Disgusted. Absolutely furious. The owner of this farm was so indescribably rude and disrespectful. Words don't do it justice. She insulted me for not having my daughter (6 yrs old) wear the right shoes. First, we don't own horses. I thought close-toed shoes were sufficient. Secondly, she didn't respectfully educate me or ask her to change, she belittled me (honest to God) in front of my kids. I held my tongue because my kids were so excited to ride. But it just continued with her mocking my 3 year old son for being too scared to get on the horse once we got there. We paid for my daughters ride AND HIS in full even though he never once sat on the horse. Was mocking a scared 3 year old necessary? She continued to be rude and talk about other customers ("spoiled brats sitting in air conditioning") in front of me and my children and then, the tip of the iceburg, she called my daughter a "fear baby" because the horse changed positions suddenly and my daughter got frightened. She was six. The horse was huge. And it was her first time ever riding. So, during our hour ride, she belittled me, mocked my 3 year old, and humiliated my six year old. My daughter is the happiest, fun loving kid on the planet. She makes friends with every stranger she meets. But as soon as she got in the car, she started crying and told me "I just quit smiling or talking after she made fun of me so she would quit being mean." Seriously. If you're an experienced rider, maybe she will show more respect but she owns a farm that advertises pony rides for kids...I put up with a lot and I am a really patient person, but belittling children (nice, happy, polite kids) because they're new to something? She should be ashamed of herself and aplogize to both of them."

"Took a group, we rode horses and went to their petting zoo. For $25 it was worth it. Dee, the owner, and her team will treat you amazingly well, I strongly encourage you to visit. The only setback is sometimes it can be a little hard to get a hold of them (They are working and not always near their phones) so be patient. They will call you back and work with you. Great environment, great team, 10/10 would go back."

"Very great experience! My bf and I went on a trail ride with D and she was very nice and she helped me understand the basics of riding since I am not an experienced rider, she also educated my bf and I on the different kind of horses on the farm. Definitely worth it!"

"We had a great time taking our girl scout group to this farm. We were amazed at the knowledge the girls got and the hands-on experience and training. The girls also got to ride horses and learn a few skills. Highly recommend for other groups or if you are looking for riding lessons."