Ages 8 and up, no experience needed
Beach and trail rides
Groundwork and a safety orientation at the barn, then a guided ride on the bluff trail toward the Pacific.
See the rides
Horseback riding on the beach in Daly City Ride the coast. Start with the horse.
Guided rides from Ocean View Stables along the bluff trail above the Pacific, and down onto the sand when the tide allows. No experience needed: every ride starts at the barn, with the horse.
Book a beach ride Find your lesson
- No experience needed
- Beach rides from age 8
- Lessons from age 3
- 15 minutes from downtown SF
The Tiny Dude Ranch in San Francisco: private oceanfront pods on a working horse ranch, 15 minutes from downtown. The best-kept secret in the San Francisco area. Check dates
Horses on the Beach Experience
New to horses? Start with a beach ride.
No experience needed. Every ride begins at the barn with a hands-on introduction to horse behavior and safety. When the team sees each rider is ready, the guide leads the group out along the coastal trail, and down onto the sand when the tide allows.
- Plan for 75 to 90 minutes, including check-in and a safety orientation.
- Riders 8 and up, under 250 lbs.
- Beach access depends on the tide and is not guaranteed on any given ride.
Two names, one barn
Leyden Horsemanship teaches. Ocean View Stables is where: a working barn on the coastal bluffs of Daly City, with the herd, the arena and a trail that runs down to the Pacific. We teach Western horsemanship in the vaquero tradition, and one rule sits above the rest: the horse comes first.
- Leyden HorsemanshipThe school: the method, the lessons, the books.
- Ocean View StablesThe barn: the herd, the arena, the trail.
- The horse comes firstOur standard: calm, safe, willing, in that order.
Ways in
Four ways to start
A ride, a lesson, a camp or a stay on the bluff.
Ages 3 and up
Horsemanship lessons
Western horsemanship in the vaquero tradition, taught at the barn and in the arena. Every student starts at Level 1, on the ground.
See the lessons
Summer and holiday camps
Kids’ horse camps
Day camp at the barn, 9 AM to 3 PM. Each camper gets a camp horse to catch, groom, saddle and ride.
See camp dates
Pods on the bluff
Stays by the sea
A whole private pod on the bluff, two-day minimum. Each stay comes with one experience: a ride, a lesson or Sip & Paint.
See the stays- More ways to spend a day at the barn
- Private VIP ride
- Birthday parties
- Corporate and leadership
- Horse photography sessions
- Gift cards
Book online
Live times and prices
Rides and lessons, straight from the booking calendar. Prices shown are before a 3.6% payment processing charge, itemized as its own line and shown to you before you pay.
The Leyden way
From the ground up
Every student starts at Level 1, on the ground, next to the horse. Level 1 Foundational Horsemanship runs in four courses, from the barn aisle to the trail above the Pacific.
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Course 100Care comes first
Equine Science and Care: barn safety, grooming, saddling and aftercare. You learn what a horse needs before you ask anything of one.
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Course 101Read the horse
Ethology and Safety: reading the horse, the catch and the draw, leading, tying and knots, bridling, and hooking on in the round pen.
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Course 102Groundwork
Ground Mechanics: lateral flexion, moving the hindquarters and the forequarters, backing, and desensitizing. The language is pressure and release, and the release is what teaches.
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Course 103The saddle, then the trail
Applied Equitation: mounting, a balanced seat and independent hands, steering with direct and neck rein, transitions and stops, and the trail.
A skill counts only when you can do it on your own, with no coaching. We call that the Zero Assistance Standard. The four Level 1 courses are also online and free, so you can start at home.
How we teach
Soft is strong. Clarity is kindness.
From Soft Is Strong, by Zachary Leyden with Kalea Leyden
We teach inside the lineage Tom Dorrance opened and Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman carried forward. Three things run through all of it: feel, timing and balance. The language is pressure and release. Ask with the smallest pressure that gets a try, and release the instant you get it. The release is what teaches.
It is Western horsemanship in the vaquero tradition, and the only kind we teach. The Leyden Standard asks one thing of everyone who handles the herd: leave every person and every horse calmer, safer, and more willing than you found them.
The horse comes first.Who we are
What to expect
Before you come out
Arrival
Arrive 20 minutes before your start time to check in, fit a helmet and complete paperwork. Everything here is by appointment, with no walk-ins. Parking is on site.
What to wear
Long pants and closed-toe shoes with a slight heel, which keeps a foot from sliding through the stirrup. Bring layers: the coast is cooler and windier than the city.
Helmets
ASTM-certified helmets are provided. Riders under 18 must wear one. Adults are strongly advised to wear one and may decline only by signing a refusal at check-in.
The waiver
Everyone signs the Ocean View Stables Participant Agreement before any hands-on time with a horse; a parent or guardian signs for a minor. Sign online beforehand or on paper at check-in.
Phones on the ride
Bring your phone. Keep it in a zipped pocket while you ride, and take your pictures when the guide says it is a good moment, or hand it over and the guide will take them. The one thing we ask is that nobody rides with a phone in their hand while the horses are moving.
Weather and tides
Weather, surf, tide, ground conditions, safety and the welfare of a horse are our call, and we make it for safety. If we cancel, you choose: a new date at no charge, or a booking credit for the full amount paid. Credits do not expire. We do not issue cash refunds.
Where we ride
The closest place to San Francisco where you can ride on the Pacific
Ocean View Stables sits on the coastal bluffs of Daly City, minutes from the San Francisco Zoo. Everything here is by appointment, and parking is on site.
Ocean View Stables, 2152 Olympic Way, Daly City, CA 94015From riders
What riders say
The trail is absolutely beautiful. The views are not just a flat beach. You ride a gorgeous trail with vegetation and cliffside views as well as the beach.
I loved feeling no pressure as a beginner, being taught the basics and supported along the whole ride. The scenery was unreal, and they even took pictures along the way...
...Beautiful views, the horses are well taken care of, and the trail is just gorgeous. Staff is amazing...
From reviews of Ocean View Stables on Google, quoted as written. An ellipsis marks where a review is shortened.
No. Riders with no experience are welcome. Every ride starts with a hands-on introduction to horse behavior and safety, then riding instruction, and we match each rider to a suitable horse from the herd before anyone heads out.
Beach and trail rides are for riders 8 and up, and a child under 8 cannot ride double with a parent. Lessons and arena pony rides start at age 3, because they stay at the barn and in the arena.
Long pants, closed-toe shoes or boots with a slight heel, and layers, because the coast is cooler and windier than the city. Bring water and sunscreen; fog is not shade. ASTM-certified helmets are provided. Riders under 18 must wear one.
Yes. Riders must be under 250 lbs and able to mount and dismount with minimal assistance. The limit is there for the horses’ safety, and we match each rider to a suitable horse from the herd.
Reschedule at no charge up to 24 hours before your start time, subject to instructor, horse and facility availability. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead and we issue a booking credit for the full amount paid; credits do not expire and are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Inside 24 hours, or a no-show: no refund and no credit.
Weather, surf, tide, ground conditions, safety and the welfare of a horse are our call, and we make it for safety. If we cancel, you choose: a new date at no charge, or a booking credit for the full amount paid. Credits do not expire. We do not issue cash refunds. If we shorten or change an experience for safety once it has begun, we will offer a fair partial credit.
Yes. Every participant signs the Ocean View Stables Participant Agreement, Release and Assumption of Risk before any hands-on activity with a horse, and a parent or guardian signs for a minor. Sign it online before you arrive, or on paper at check-in.
At the barn office at Ocean View Stables, 2152 Olympic Way, Daly City, CA 94015. Parking is on site. Arrive 20 minutes before your start time; the facility is gated and staffed.
Notes from the barn
From the journal
Notes on horse behavior, riding and the history of horsemanship.
Ocean View Stables, Daly City
Come meet the herd
Book a beach ride, or start with a lesson. Either way, you begin on the ground.
Book a beach ride Book a lesson
Rather talk it through? Call (415) 969-1223.