howell's riding stable

This was such a great time! Amanda, the guide, is so friendly and patient and it was such a great ride! The horses are very friendly and she has a knack and ability to pair people up with the right horse. Trail rides aren't generally my thing but it was really very fun and I would do it again!

Our guide Amanda was wonderful; the trail through pastures, 150 year old apple orchards, oak forest and cedar forest was wonderful; our mounts Trooper and Raven were wonderful. A Great way to spend some time in northern Michigan.

Talk about a great place for a family adventure! We got our reservation time mixed up and arrived 2 hours early! The guides were getting ready to take a couple of friends out & asked them if we could join them. The guides had our horses saddled in short order. The guides were friendly, professional and just a hoot! :-) I believe it was a mother and teenage daughter who were our guides. They were wonderful with the 3 tween girls we brought. All the girls were impressed with how professional the teen guide was but our daughter was completely enamored by her. Since none of the girls had ever ridden anything larger than a fairground pony, we were extremely impressed with the instruction the teenager gave us BEFORE letting get on the horses and then she walked each of the girls around in the yard until they were comfortable with the horse. Talk about individual attention!When we got out on the trails, the guides gave us a bit of a wildlife lesson. We saw hawks flying overhead, telltale signs of raccoons, and too many deer to count. We were told to be kind of quiet on different parts of the trails and then the deer were within 10 to 15 feet of us. It was difficult to stay quiet when you're excited!The guides even picked some apples for us to feed the horses when we finished our ride.Now for you fancy pants, I will tell you that the buildings and grounds are bit rundown but the animals are well cared for and the overall experience is not diminished one bit. The people are what makes this one of the best entertainment values anywhere in the area!The owner is an 80+ yr old lady who was raised right there. She's a great storyteller if you like to hear about how things were done in rural areas back before cars and telephones were common place! Footnote: Although it says we were there in June of 2013, the review I wrote was from our first trip to Howell's in September of 2011. We have been here 4 more times, the last being June 2013! Now the 87 yr. old owner is "guiding trail" again after hip surgery 2 yrs ago!

Family-owned stables and wooded property near Burt Lake. The stables are a series of small sheds that are in poor condition, but the 50+ horses are in fine condition. Family members or neighbors direct the riding sessions through open fields and heavily wooded sections around ponds and streams. Very scenic and enjoyable and very reasonable costs compared to others. Don't be put off by the appearances, it is run down a bit, but good people and a fun horseback ride await. Finish up your deal with a meal at Hoppies Tavern across the street. The stables and Hoppies are 100 yards from Burt Lake, and the public boat launch and dock.