Kensington Stables

The horses has horrible living conditions... went there once and I saw the skinniest horse ever. They told me not to go over to that side of the barn, but out of curiosity I did. A gray pony was standing there, all skin and bones. I felt terrible for this pony. A few days later I checked their Instagram, seeing that they posted about a passing of a horse. I wouldn't be surprised if these horses get ill frequently. The stalls are disgustingly small and filthy. The trainers where also as terrible as the place. I am a very experienced rider and have been to many different stables, switching and switching to find a suitable place. And this stable, out of the many I've been to, is the absolute worse. This so called "stable" should be closed down for the sake of the horses' health.

I would recommend avoiding this place at all costs! I visited New York for 10 days and I figured it would be a good idea to go horseback riding because I have never went before. I also wanted to save time and energy by getting on a horse and strolling through the park. I was so surprised I was only given three basic instructions. Pull to the left, right, and tug. I started to feel anxious as soon as my horse started to veer off to the left. He started eating the bushes. There were three horses. The lead horse (instructor bill ), my friend was riding the second horse and I was riding the third horse. We had to cross traffic to get to the park which was a little nerve wrecking but after a while, I got comfortable.

I couldnt help but ask Bill, what should I do if my horse takes off?? I was so surprise they didnt tell us what to do in an emergency situation. He said oh, whats the chance of that? its like a shark attack.

Well, next thing you know. A car near by had hit the curb and scared the horses. The lead horse that Bill was guiding started freaking out and he was not able to get his horse under control!

I was getting nervous but my horse and my friends horse was feeding off the lead horse. I lost faith in Bill bc i could see he wasnt able to control or tame his horse. He wanted me to bring my horse closer to his horse and I said "no, what if your horse freaks out and my horse starts to do the same?"

I immediately wanted to get off my horse but I didnt want to scare my friend and leave her hanging. My horse threw my on the floor and i fell on my back, i quickly got up and ran. I told my friend to get off of her horse. She fell off too.

The horses were running around and my head was hurting pretty bad. We both were very lucky we did not get trampled.

This was a horrific experience. I couldnt believe the staff just carried on normally. Needless, to say I got my money back. Bill was pretty shook up himself. I tried to comfort him but he said he was afraid we were going to get hurt badly.

I feel like this happens often. I dont know much about horses but had I known they are easily startled by noises, i would not have done this. New York is full of traffic and anything at anytime can and will freak out the horses..

This is my home away from home.
I take lessons with Darya, and she is a very helpful instructor, she notices details very well accommodates her students.
Now a little about the barn in general.
This place has a lot of heart and soul.
The most of staff members have approachable personalities, others need a little bit of warming up, but that is all people.
Sure the barn is a little worn down, but it is constantly being tuned up in places. For visitors who come around, do note that the stalls are cleaned each day and horses are always properly fed and watered.
Word of advice for trail riders, if you want to trot on your ride, state that you are experienced and prefer trotting. Though if you are honestly a beginner do not fib about it, safety always comes first!
Things sometimes run late, trails don't go out on the dot when they need to, because the barn runs on the horse's time.
The staff always looks to be helpful, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask before making assumptions. Addressing another review: A woman who clearly thought wraps on a horse's legs are due to injury which is in FACT used to prevent scratches and other injuries. The staff does not take out any injured or crippled horses to be ridden in the park or for lessons.
Just because you may have ridden a horse once or twice, or taken a lesson elsewhere, does not mean that you know everything about all horses. It's like generalizing people into one group, horses are all different and it takes a time to understand them.
Lastly, sometimes trail guides or instructors may seem loud and always annoyed out in the park, do not take it personally.
You must have been doing something unsafe, and rather than shout back, look at your surroundings and see it through the rider's eyes. The main priority for the instructors is that their students have a safe ride without joggers or people coming too close to oogle at them with DOGS, BABY CARRIAGES, or choosing to play some sort of sport next to designated horse riding areas. Horses are skittish animals, they do not have a great depth perception, and their eyes on on the side of their heads. Which means that they can not see in all angles and can easily be started. They also have excellent hearing, so loud noises or strange hidden rustling from people playing in the trees will grab their attention.
Lastly (I promise)- For those who complain about the manure on the STREETS, it is not the barn's job to clean it up, it is sanitation's duty. They do have a diligent staff worker who each day goes out with a wheel barrow to cleanup what he can.
This place is what it is, if you give it some time, you will love it and all of it's quirks!

short review, an employee of Kensington stables attacked my wife, puppy and I in Prospect park informing us that we should "go back to where we came from" and calling my wife the most horrible names imaginable. she followed us from the park, abandoning her tour, to insult my wife calling her names not able to be viewed as per Google review regulations. They did not fire her, they did not reprimand her. If you are into racism and xenophobia with your horse ride, please visit Kensington Stables.

First time rider. I liked it. They could have paid a little bit more attention to the riders coz at take off, I was very shaky with my horse and they seemed to be too far off to help if I needed it, but it turned out fine.