lake glendale stables

The views on the hour long ride we took as a family of four were BEAUTIFUL, I'll never forget!! The horses were so well behaved and our guide was so smart and in tune with them~ she knew exactly which horse should go with which rider and was totally right!! Wow, I was blown away by this place and their awesome horses. Would definitely go back in a heart beat!!

My husband and I went to Lake Glendale to celebrate his birthday and to do a lot of horseback riding. We spent 1 night and left! We chose this place based on the excellent reviews and boy were we disappointed! First, we had to wait, in our car, in the rain for almost an hour before we could get into the cabin as the previous people had not left yet. Carol said that we could put our stuff in the cabin and go on our trail ride but we didn't feel comfortable doing that. As soon as we got on the horses, my husband's horse kicked mine as he went by, making my horse rear up. I hung on but my arm hit the horn, and my tail bone hit the saddle. That's when the guide said, "Oh, you need to keep your husband's horse in the back of the line as she likes to kick." Seriously! You couldn't have told us that BEFORE! I ended up that evening with a huge bruise on my arm and a sore tail bone. (We are experienced riders). Then, the cabin was a disappointment as well. The pictures on the website must have been taken a long time ago. Very run down. The claw foot tub had rust in the bottom, the grill looked like it had been in a fire itself, when we opened the lid, bugs flew out, the electrical is very questionable, my husband said that when he went to turn off the lights before bed, the panel felt extremely hot, no smoke detectors, hornets coming in from a hole in the sky light. I could go on. Anyway, my husband called Carol the next day and told her we were leaving, that we were not staying the week. I have asked repeatedly for a refund because of all that happened but she refuses to refund us. This was supposed to be a very happy time, but it really wasn't and we want everyone to know our story and how we were treated!

What do you do when your best girlfriends live all over the country? You find a central location and meet up. For us, that location was southern Illinois. So, we booked a cute little cabin in the Shawnee Forest (sadly not lake glendale) and set about the task of finding fun things to do. Enter Lake Glendale Stables. To start, all our communication with Carol was awesome. She was super helpful, incredibly accommodating, and laid back. Then we got to the stables. They were easy to find and there was ample parking (is parking ever an issue in Southern Illinois?). We arrived a bit later than we intended (rude, i know) but the guides and Carol took it in stride. We had wait a little bit for a short ride to end so we went over to the house to chat with Carol. There were so many animals! We got to meet their new donkey (who we named Herbert - he was such a sweetie), the chickens, their sweet dogs, and a very cuddly kitty. Between the animals and the great conversation with Carol, the time flew by. Onward to the ride! This was my very first time on a horse but my two friends had a good amount of experience. The guides hooked me up with a sweet little horse named Jackie. She was perfect for my first time. We didn't end up going out with the guides because there was some confusion on our part about whether or not they were going to be busy (we were sleep deprived, confusion happens) with another ride. They weren't, and I would have loved to have them come out with us - they were really friendly and helpful, and they knew so much about the area and the horses. I think it definitely would added to our experience to have them with us. Once I was saddled up, they took me through the basics of how to go, "steer", stop, etc. But honestly, the horses are so well trained that I had to do very little to get Jackie to do what was needed - talk about perfect for a first timer! We opted for the two hour ride. It was a pretty easy ride with really enjoyable scenery. We took lots of pics, of course. On the way home my friends wanted to trot and cantor. Again, my horse was great - very low key, but gave me a taste of the trot (that's some addictive stuff, it is). Over all, she didn't seem to want to cantor or trot much (though it could have had something to do with me inadvertently pulling the reigns back telling her to stop) but that was just fine for my first time. Great practice, really. When we got back we decided to head out for lunch and come back to ride some more. My friends really wanted to get more running in and the guide said she had a great place for us to do just that. Before we went out for ride 2 we got a tour of the lodging at the barn. We were so sad that we had booked another cabin and didn't realize we could stay at Lake Glendale until it was too late. Next time (yes, there will be a next time) we're staying there (either the house or the stables). The accommodations looked comfortable, albeit small (though they said they've had up to 14 people stay in just that area!). It definitely looks perfect for a group of people who want to spend most of their time riding and the rest relaxing. Riding take 2 - I got a slightly more energetic horse and we headed out to a nearby pasture. The guide gave me some instruction on better running technique and we did a handful of short bursts. Her instruction was incredibly helpful and easy to understand which made the running really great. For what it's worth, they said they don't normally take first time riders out running, but I seemed to take pretty naturally to riding (which is pretty awesome). So don't worry, if you're a first time or new rider, about having to do anything you aren't comfortable with. I only did exactly what I was comfortable with and what the staff thought was safe after consideration. They have everyone - horse and human - best interest at heart.So, just before we got back the guide and one of my friends went out by the levee and did a nice, fast run while my other friend and I watched. Then we got to see the guide ride her horse bareback and it was *amazing*. You really can't appreciate what that takes until you get on a horse. Truly outstanding. Carol said we were welcome to hang out at the lake at any point this weekend while we were in town, but we never got to go back. The land was beautiful and I *need* to try that zip line into the lake. In the evening they were having a nice little wine and cheese plate with some guests at the house. It was hard to leave! We spent the rest of the weekend talking about how great our experience was. And yes, I would prefer to use horseback riding as my primary source of transportation from here on out. Sadly, that's not going to work in the city. Ah well. More trips are necessary, obviously. To note: our guides/the staff we spent time with were Emily and Stephanie (and Carol, of course). Emily took us running. Both gals were working there for the summer between school, so if you want to get an awesome experience with them get there before the next semester starts! The *only* reason I'm giving this a 4 star rating is because we didn't stay there so I can't speak to the entire experience (yet).the tl;dr - Don't be late; it's rude (just good life advice, really) but if you are - go to the house and play with the animalsGreat for first time ridersBeautiful land and ridesIncredibly well trained horses Wonderful staff Go here! Go here right now!

We went with our 7 and 11 year olds, none of us have any horseback experience. Wow, was this fun. Our guide was so sweet and she made sure the kids were fine. The trails and scenery were beautiful. The kids had an absolute blast, they had their own horses and were giggling happily who am whole time. The horses were so very sweet, we felt instantly at ease. The owner was there making sure we had everything we needed. We'll go back and also recommend this place to friends.

We went on a two hour ride , our guide, Lee, was very conscientious about safety and knowledgeable about the area~talked some and enjoy the scenery in silence as well.

My son and I have an annual riding weekend at the end of the summer. This year, we chose Lake Glendale Stables.It was great! We stayed in the Inn and our room was very cozy and comfortable and private and quiet. It came with a microwave and fridge and we had a private entrance with a deck. And the bed was awesome! It was a memory foam mattress. I slept like a rock.The property is really nice and the trails range from easy and relaxed to challenging. There is a lake with a zip line (which we didn't do because we spent all of our time riding). My son also loved the resident kitties and dogs and feeding the chickens.This really is the perfect place for horse lovers. Yes, you can rent a horse for a "trail ride" anywhere - but it is usually very limited and the horses usually just "follow along". At Lake Glendale, you have options.You can always just take a trail ride for an hour or 2 or you can rent a horse for the entire day and ride as much as you want and whenever you want. And you can ride with or without a guide. The horses are not just followers - although they do know their way back to the barn.You can ride a horse that is a bit more mellow and relaxed or you can ride one with a bit more spunk. So you can ride based on your skill level - you don't need to be an expert rider - you can be a beginner. And you can stay right on the property which is so convenient.We chose the unlimited riding package. We literally rode all day long.We woke up in the morning and just walked down to the barn and picked our horses. We would come back for lunch and a bit of a rest and head out again.The horses are like great big dogs. Very well behaved. We hung out with them while they grazed in the evening. They will walk right up to you and want you to scratch their head just like a dog. And they are very sound for riding at any level.The guides (Jessie and Jen) are very sweet and very knowledgeable about the area. We really enjoyed riding with them and getting to know them.Carol, the owner, is also very sweet and very welcoming. It was great hanging out on the porch in evening chatting with her.And my son has bad allergies and I forgot to put his allergy medicine in the suitcase. I was going to drive into town to get some, but Carol had some on hand and saved me a trip to town.If you want to just "kick back on the farm" and really enjoy riding - this is the place to go. It was just so relaxing. We can't wait to go back!Some tips:While you can ride alone without a guide - we tried it and we got a little lost. But not too lost because the horses will eventually bring you back home. But riding alone also means you miss out on some of the scenery.Make sure to do the Fist Rock ride. It was beautiful.And do stop in Vienna for some groceries before arriving - it is a long ride back into town.

I have been going to these stables and staying in the Cabin and new Inn for over 5 years now. It is an unbelievably beautiful place that is kept up very well by the owners, Carol and Martin (who are GREAT people!) The trails are spectacular and groomed well. The scenery is breathtaking. The horses are great to ride and very kind. They always give a rider of any experience level the perfect ride for them. There are so many good things to say about the riding! The cabin and new Inn are spectacular as well! Definitely a must stay. Lakeside camping, zip-line over the lake, canoeing, and fishing are just some of the other things to do while you're there. Everything Lake Glendale Stables does, it does well! I can't say enough great things about it!

Stayed weekend at Glendale Stables and had the best time and wonderful experience!. The Trail rides were great family time and provided wonderful scenery in the forests. Our guide was so sweet and showed us many great spots to include the the waterfalls, caves, and other places along the trails. Our daughters, who are riders, loved spending time at the stables with the horses and trail riding! The hosts were just amazing and made the weekend very enjoyable and complete. Cant wait to go back!!

Our family can't get enough of this beautiful quiet no place like home spot. We now want to moveVery close to it. Family time is the best time ever here. I have never felt so comfortable in someone else's home or barn. The host, and her dogs and horses are the best I have ever experienced. You would be crazy to pass this place up. A six hour ride to the farm is very wellworth it to my family. And fishing is the cats meow!!!!!! Why leave Illinois they have it all there!

We did a 1 hour horseback ride through the forest and had a great time! The people are super nice and the horses are well behaved. The property and trail were beautiful and it looks like it would be a good place to camp out or have some kind of group activity. There is a big lake, zip line, bonfire area, lodging, etc. I would recommend this place to anyone!