Gold Creek Equestrian Center — Local services in Woodinville

As a past boarder and a frequent observer of the lesson program, I am appalled at how the Gold Creek program takes advantage of those without experience or the background to judge the quality of horse or instructor. Gold Creek employs teens with NO qualifications and little to no experience outside of Gold Creek, to teach riding lessons and charges more than many qualified instructors. When a quality instructor does come to Gold Creek, they move on quickly after realizing that no professional would wish to have their name associated with the barn. Gold Creek has a property with great potential. However, in the hands of the present ownership, necessary repairs go undone, regular veterinary care is routinely skipped, and tack and equipment are worn and at times unsafe. School horses support school programs. Income is earned on their backs. Every care should be taken to ensure that they are happy, well cared for and contented. Unfortunately this does NOT apply to the school horses at GC. Poorly schooled, sour, unhappy horses are not good teachers. Students cannot be expected to learn when they cannot trust their mount to be trustworthy. And above all, school horses must be SAFE. That certainly cannot be said of the GC school horses. Bad habits, bad manners and unsafe behavior under saddle is routinely tolerated. When the behavior is judged too bad, no reschooling takes place, instead punishment is delivered in a highly unprofessional manner often in front of impressionable young students. As a long time A circuit competitor, a former manager for one of the most highly respected trainers on the West Coast, and a horseman, I find the behavior of the GC management shameful, unethical and ignorant. Their continued poor management of the facility, horses and clients will someday result in a tragic accident. The GC program is an assembly line where students are shuttled in and out on a tight schedule with no time to develop the vital skills of horsemastership. GC has frequent instructor/trainier turnover. The reason is clear. Any professional horseman would rather be unemployed than have their name associated with this facility. I makes me furious that so many students with a love of horses and a desire to learn are being molded to think this is how a well run barn should be. They don't have enough knowledge to realize they are being taken advantage of, let alone to realize they are themselves being put at risk. If you are looking for a reputable facility, please ask around. Talk to your local equine vet or to the local tack store. Visit other barns! We are so lucky to have many QUALITY facilities in this area. Don't waste your money...

This place was gross. I walked into the "lounge" and the first thing i saw was dust, a gross floor the office area was cluttered and no one was there. The largest arena was an okay size i didint really have anything to complain about when it came to the arena itsself. but the barns were unorganized, they were falling apart the bedding in the stalls was like a gallon of wood shavings each they were very small and most horses had no space. The water in each stall was cloudy and all the horses looked shagy and sad. The washracks are gross and muddy just a muddy and gross as the paddocks outside (there was about a foot of mud in each if there wasent mud it was gravel no grass at all). The barns were unorganized and the service was terrible (i couldent find a staff member at all). The arenas were okay but hard to get two (you have to go down a winding path down a hill to one of them). The muckheap was spread around and disgusting. The tack was dirty and unkept (bits and saddle pads were caked in either dirt, dust, or grass. The saddles bridles martingales and hackamores were falling apart, the tack lockers were gross and misskept. The floor of the tack rooms look like they were never swept at all. In the western tack room the gear was thrown about there was cat food all over the floor and there was extra helmets and boots that were falling apart and a big blue bucket with3 of english saddles (they look like they were thrown in). 1/3 of the stalls in the third barn were for storage and one had three ducks and what looked to be a dying sheep who was laying next to its cage (it looked like a rusted dog cage). The sliding dutch doors on the second barns were dangerous the top of the doors werent secure so the horses could just push them open. The horses looked shagy and mistreated and alot of them would kick, chew wood, suck air, nip, and just either shy away from you or act agressively when you pass by.Most horses were sweathearts and looked like they wanted to be helped out of there. Dont board there your horse will be just as sad...

Since I noticed that most of these reviews are 5 months old or older I thought I'd update people on the current standards here at Gold Creek. I've ridden there for now a full year and let me tell you a lot has changed in the past two months. They replaced the footing and railing in the main indoor arena and the lesson horses are being well treated! Yes, some of them are overworked but they love their job. All the lesson horses get moody and mean, I've been to multiple barn with the same problem. They get tired of the little kids always poking and prodding them, or brushing them to harshly. For example, thoroughbreds are known to have very sensitive skin and brushing irritates the skin, so the horses natural response to discomfort is to rid of it hence, pinning of the ears and nipping. Yes Zues, Joy, Tugg, Louie, Lexi and the other lessons horses are not the nicest but that is not all their fault. I've fallen off twice and the footing broke my fall. Gold Creek is a good place for your kids as well for your self and the staff is very friendly. The owner is one of the nicest guys and he is very considerate. All the trainers are nice and very skillful. You'll learn a lot by coming...