Big Bend Stables — Attraction in Manuel Benavides

The actual experience was super fun for a first time horse rider. The guide that was from Wylie, Tx, (forgot her name) was super fun, nice, and funny. The trail was nice in my opinion but I’m also a city guy so I consider grass enjoyable. The man that was working there made a somewhat rude comment as we arrived 3-5 minutes late. When we arrived everybody was still filling out paper work and putting stuff in their car. Ones we got to the gates for the horses, they let people in only in sets of 3’s which is inconvenient for couples that want to hop on together but wasn’t a big issue, we asked the other couple of they wanted to go first attempting to be nice to the people were going to be stuck with for the next 2 hours but the man that worked there cut us off and said we need to get inside as we were already late. Frustrated, my partner went inside and hopped on the horse and I waited and went in the next batch. That essentially set the mood for our upcoming 2 hour ride which would have sucked but again, the girl from Wylie, Tx really turn the experience around for us!

Experience- 8/10 Value- 9/10 Service- 3/10 (except the Wylie, Tx lady, 10/10)

(Edited after owner response)- They clearly don’t care about the people and would rather argue. Defiantly won’t be back. Just to clarify, we’re we’re 3-5 mins late but we were the second group ready for the ride while others were still preparing for the ride. Second, the comment the the male guide made didn’t appear rude, it was rude. Anyone who yells “y’all gotta go in y’all were already late” is rude literally causing other guests to stare at our group. Third, they don’t let people in based on certain characteristics, at least when we went, they asked people who would like to go in first so that...

We've spent the past week in the Big Bend area and this was hands down the best part of our trip! Neither of us had been on a horse in over 20 years, but our horses were easy to ride and knew exactly where to go; our guides (I think their names are Armando and Evo) did a great job at matching each horse to the appropriate rider. Shelby checked us in and she was so friendly and welcoming, all of the staff was great.

The sunset trail ride was gorgeous, we had multiple stops for photo opportunities and our guides even took pics of us on our horses.

If one of our horses tried to hold up the line to eat something, the guides would ride over and coach us on how to get the horse to focus on the trail ride again. They ensured that everyone was safe the entire time and even noticed that my horse caught an Ocotillo branch in his tail; they immediately had me stop so that they could remove it.

My boyfriend and I can't stop talking about how much fun we had, I would 1000%...

My husband and I booked the 2-hour tour. I'm an experienced rider, so I'm always skeptical of these types of tourist businesses. But here, there's really nothing to complain about. The animals are all in very good condition. Customers are asked about their height and weight, as well as their riding experience, in advance. After checking in, you're given saddlebags for water bottles and cell phones. Then you go to a small riding arena in groups of two, and everyone is assigned a horse or mule. There's a short briefing (start riding, stop, steer), which was also very good for me, as I'm not used to the Western style. Then we head out into the countryside. The horses and mules mastered the trails with confidence. Our guides stopped frequently, tightened the saddles, and stopped the riders for a drink, as it was very hot. They took photos with our cell phones, so you have a great memory, and your partner and the animals are in...