Gunstock Ranch — Attraction in Oʻahu

We booked the “Pony Ride for Kids” tour with Gunstock Ranch for our daughter.

It was one of the best experiences we could give for our daughter. She has always wanted to ride a horse or pony and was super excited that she would get to do so for her 9th birthday.

After checking in, we spent sometime enjoying the scenery and checking out the animals while we waited for our tour to start. The staff there was very friendly and welcoming, even introducing us to Ace their 26 years old miniature horse. The facilities were clean and well maintained, and the parking area is a beautiful grassy field away from all the dirt. There were plenty of photo ops for us to take even before our tour started.

When our tour began and our guides/wranglers, Connor and Paige brought out a horse named Joy, my daughter went from super excited to terrified that she began to cry. Connor and Paige were very patient and understanding. They gently encouraged her to become used to Joy before she attempted to get on her, having our daughter pet Joy for a good 5 minutes. Once they were able to persuade our daughter to sit on Joy, they took it slow and our daughter gradually became more comfortable riding.

Paige and Connor spoke to our daughter so cheerfully and kindly. They were both very knowledgeable of the land and animals, and shared with us many fun and interesting facts about the horses and about being wranglers. Joy was such a sweet and tender horse; she was the perfect one for our daughter on her very first horse ride. We all fell in love with Joy’s gentle soul.

My husband was able to walk right next to our daughter and my son and I were able to follow along, taking pictures and videos along the way. The tour took us up a small hill to some wonderful views of the surrounding lands. Not knowing what to expect, I wore slippers, which was not a very smart choice. But, the tour did not feel too long or too short; it was just the right amount of time for all of us to enjoy this special occasion.

I would just like to send out a special thanks to Paige, Connor, and Joy for your kindness and patience, and in helping to make our daughter’s birthday an awesome and...

My boyfriend booked this ride for our anniversary, and overall, it was such a beautiful experience. The guides were lovely, the scenery was stunning, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it. The only issue was my assigned horse, Meatloaf, who made the ride a lot more challenging than I had expected. Right from the start, Meatloaf kept wandering off the trail and ignoring commands. I totally understand that animals have their own personalities, and I don’t mind that at all! But I was told the horses were well-trained and would listen, which unfortunately wasn’t the case here. She kept stopping to scratch herself against tree trunks, and at one point, she pressed her whole body into a tree—while my thigh was caught in between. It hurt so badly, and now that I’m home, the area is completely swollen. At the end of the ride, I was told that Meatloaf is “probably the horse with the most character on the ranch.” That would have been fine—except that before the ride, I had mentioned to a guide that I used to do equestrian as a kid but had a pretty bad fall that left me too scared to ride again until now. Given that, I don’t think assigning me this particular horse was the best choice. This was meant to be a casual beginner ride, and I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared to handle a horse that required extra effort to control. I really don’t think this was just a matter of me not pulling the reins hard enough—some horses simply have stronger personalities, and that’s okay. But it does make me wonder: what if Meatloaf had been given to a younger rider, maybe a teenager or someone with even less confidence? Would they have been able to handle her? I truly think she’d be a better fit for more experienced riders rather than someone just looking for a relaxed, easy ride. That being said, I still really appreciate the staff and the overall experience. Everyone was kind, nice, friendly, and professional. I just wish I enjoyed the ride more and stressed less. I hope the ranch considers being more mindful about horse assignments...

We decided to experience this one as well because of a small discount with the Zipline package. The two activities are about 5 minutes apart by bus or Lyft if you don't have access to a car. Walking would take more than 20 minutes. Since it's originally part of a plantation, there's only a ranch and a hut, no store, and no lockers to store valuables, so having a car and bringing water might be necessary. The staff can take care of your backpack in the reception hut, but they are not always there.

There were more horses than I have ever seen before, and they were well-groomed, clean, and clearly well-cared for, trusting the staff. The one-and-a-half-hour tour involved a slow ascent and descent along a mountain trail, riding in a single file. At the viewpoint at the top, they took pictures of us, and we could even see the ocean in the distance. Some of the horses had nets over their mouths to prevent grazing, but my horse stubbornly continued to graze despite my attempts to restrain her with the reins.

I understood that the horses might be tired and bored from doing the same thing every day, so they probably wanted to eat some grass. I did gently stroke my horse and thank her, but she was smart enough to graze whenever the staff wasn't looking. I kept pulling the reins frequently, so I was warned by the staff, "Don't pull the reins when the horse isn't doing anything." I wished there was a way to have the nets put on their mouths even during the tour.

One male staff member was cheerful and pleasant to talk to, but overall the staff, including the guides, didn't seem to like communicating much. The focus was mostly on keeping the horses in line, and we moved in silence for most of the tour. The photos were also very perfunctory, just capturing us, and there were three pictures of...