Trail Horse Adventure — Attraction in Cottonwood

Trail Horse Adventures is housed in dead horse State Park by Cornville and about 15 miles outside of Sedona. What they probably didn't tell you you have to pay a $7 Park entrance fee to get to the horseback ride. The owner, employees and guide are very nice people. The trail however was not that interesting. We went at 10 and it was already too hot. By the end of the 1.5 hr ride we were boiling hot. You're not allowed to try or Gallop in the park and you must go with a guide. We walked the horses through sandy parts of a pretty flat park. We went through a little river went around and went across the river again with the horses. That was kind of the highlight of the ride. The trail is nothing to write home about. The trail was mostly out there in the boiling sun but there were little parts that had shady trees. I was hoping for some Red Rocks or some beautiful mountain scenery. Our tour was supposed to start at 10 we arrived at 9:45 I guess when we pulled up, the lady wrote down the time and started counting an hour and a half from the time the car pulled up. We got on the horse at 10am after we signed all the paperwork and got some riding helmets from her. She gave us a little carrying bag that goes over the horn and has two pockets on each side. She put a bottle of water in there and then I put my money, keys and phone in the other side pocket. They discourage you from keeping anything in your back jeans pocket. They have the horses already saddled up. I looked at that horse and I said I can't get up there from the ground do you have a stool or a loading ramp. We waited til they got a stool to get up onto the horse which helped. The western movies make it look so easy they just jump up on that saddle but I can't and I could barely swing my leg over once I got on this Earth. Which reminds me to stirrups were way too long for my feet and so the girl had to make them a lot shorter. We were somewhat needy so I bet you they were glad to see us go on our way. By 10 we were on the trail, but by 11:10 he was leading us back to the ranch. We were kind of gypped out of 20 minutes and we mentioned it and they said oh no you were here at 9:45 and now its 11:15 but that wasn't the case but it was so hot so I really didn't care. My riding partner was upset because she wanted the full 1 hour and 30 minutes. But since we won the tickets through a timeshare offer I didn't feel like complaining too much but of course it is coming in the review. The owner lady was very very sweet I must say and the guide who was 77 years old was really great too. We tipped them at the end. I gave him five and my friend gave him only three so I'm sure he wasn't happy about that since there were only two of us in the party. The owner had two other girls who were helping lift us up onto the horse. My partner got a huge horse that I did not want and I got a middle-sized horse which was a beautiful brown color with a gorgeous black Mane. These horses look well cared for. It really hurts me when I go to a horseback riding place and the animals are half dead.This horse was so beautiful I just loved it. I would never go on this tour again because it's so flat and boring but I think it was a good experience and if you do want to take a simple ride do it early in the morning. Don't go in at 10 anytime fro. May to October. It's already too hot. Maybe in the early spring or late fall the temperature will be perfect. I feel sorry for these people that run this table because something was wrong with their main cabin so they had to be outside under a picnic table. I don't know how they can make money because a lot of times there were commissioned through these timeshares and then the timeshare pays a reduced price. Normally it's $89 a person. Think of all the upkeep and vet bills and food and clean up of horses. They have to move the horses every day to the park because they're not allowed to keep them in the park overnight so they got to get horse trailers to move them everyday and every-night. See you on the...

It was a overall a good experience. I spent a great deal of time researching horseback riding in the Verde Valley with many stipulations such as pricing, are the horses well cared for, group size, etc. this seemed to be the best bang for our buck.

The horses were well cared for and looked very healthy. The ownership staff was very passionate about their horses and their care and maintenance.

Our group size was 6 people, my husband and I and another family. We booked the outlaw trail and overall it wasn’t that exciting. It felt like the majority of the ride we followed close to a road so we never felt “disconnected”.

Our stopped three times out some some historic scenes but didn’t offer to take any photos of us on the horses or any extra benefits. We never crossed a river, but maybe it wasn’t the right trail or the right season? Not sure.

The entry procedure seemed a bit…. Stressful maybe? There was really no instruction on how to guide the horses, what to do, or anything they helped you get on then sent you on your way which was a little nerve racking. My horses kinda had a mind of his own and luckily I had some prior knowledge to guide him. Otherwise, my husband who it was his first time on a horse may have been going in circles in the pasture for awhile.

Overall I’d recommend it.

The parking lot was large and their were restrooms...

Trailhorse Adventure responded immediately to this review to offer the best customer service to correct the situation. We are completely satisfied with their response and would give it another try if ever back in the area.

Disappointing Experience – Poor Customer Service and Shortened Ride

I was really looking forward to this horseback riding experience, but unfortunately, it fell short in several ways. First, the operation was disorganized—we waited over an hour and a half past our scheduled time with no clear communication or apology. When the ride finally began, the lady wrangler did not introduced herself or made any effort to create a welcoming atmosphere. She had a condescending tone that made the experience uncomfortable rather than enjoyable.

We had paid for a one-hour ride, but it was cut short to just 45 minutes without explanation or compensation. Overall, the lack of professionalism and customer care was disappointing. With better communication and a more respectful attitude from the staff, this could have been a much more...