pure horse play

There were no pictures or facility details on their website. I think because there were not much to show except a dirty barn and a tiny mosquito net gazebo for message. There were no ranch or lake or picnic area and no scenery to enjoy. The horse back riding, message and the food were just disappointments. Please don't get deceived by their old reviews and advertisement.

Not your typical trail walk like most places provided! I attended Pure Play with a friend of mine Memorial Weekend (last minute reservation). I did not know the roads were under construction however when I called I was given very clear instructions to get to the stables (just a road over). Upon arriving we were welcome by a very nice funny man and the owner. We waited for about 15-20mins for the group to return. I was expecting to go on a trail walk but I was informed by the owner that it was free range riding. I was introduced to my horse "Big Mama" and had a introductory ride where we were told how to keep control, the correct ways to stop, go faster & safety. I really enjoyed how intimate it was as far as being able to understand my horse instead of the usual "get on, do this & go" very good for first time riders & not so frequent riders. I was warned that Big Mama was a champion horse and loves to take off. Big Mama did exactly that and it was awesome!!!! I can't wait to go back again!!

Took my daughter for her first real horseback riding experience using a Groupon. Maybe that was my first mistake. In case you don't already know, the roads near Pure Horse Play are under construction and are marked impassable. I had to call them to figure out how to get there. Would have been nice if they would have given me a heads-up before our appointment so I wouldn't be late. Once there, I saw one or two women that worked there. No hello. No welcome. Nothing. We were standing around waiting for someone to acknowledge our presence, when a nice gentleman invited us to look into the stables at the horses while we were waiting for our ride to begin. I know it's a stable, but there were "things" crawling all over the ground, and we had to keep our feet moving so they wouldn't crawl up our shoes/pants, while swatting at flies every minute. Not a good start. When we finally were given horses, I expected to ride a trail for an hour. No such thing. We were put in a small prairie-like arena, and just walked around in circles. We were accompanied by two gentlemen who were on foot, who kept the horses from going back to the stables where they wanted to be. The men were very personable, but this is just not what I had in mind. I expected a trail ride, like every other place I've been to. My daughter didn't know the difference, and I didn't mention it as I wanted to keep this a positive experience for her. I was very disappointed in the attitude of the women on the ranch, who never did say anything to us. No good-bye. No thank you. If it weren't for the gentlemen walking around with us, who were very nice, the whole thing would have been a bust. Never again. Don't waste your money.

I L-O-V-E the new location on Cascade Palmetto Hwy. There is so much open space that me and the other students can spread out to practice the techniques we are learning, yet still remain visible to the staff. There are also trails nearby for those who would prefer to ride off the property. The instructors have been encouraging me to leave my comfort zone and learn to ride more than one horse so that I won't be limited. They are also showing me new ways to keep my balance. I'm having such a great time that I will be inviting my friends to come and ride with me. AND I'll be skipping the gym because I think this is a much more fun way to get exercise.