Guide N Gallop LLC - Springville, Utah

Ben R.

Afton is phenomenal, professional, patient, kind, caring and extremely knowledgeable!!! She went out of her way to do a special trail ride for my daughter and I with just a days notice! My daughter said "it was so cool and special!" By far one of the best horseback riding experiences we have had! We look forward to coming back with family and friends!!! What sets her apart is that she has learned the ropes by herself over the years and wants to share what she has learned with everyone, empowering and striving to make a difference in the community!!! It was also wonderful getting to know her daughter Una and her assistant!!! Thank you so much Afton!!!👍😊🙌

Dania E.

This place is pure magic. I have been taking lessons along with my sons (ages 6 and 4) for a few months now, and from day one Guide N Gallop has blown me away. One of my boys can be quite reserved and the other is extremely energetic, and Afton and her team have so beautifully held space for both of them while also pushing them to grow. For one, riding here has been teaching him how to slow himself down, and for the other it's been about learning to step into a bigger version of himself. Both are learning about horse care and hard work, and that it is satisfying and even fun to get in and do the dirty work.

I had a baby this year and, as I'm working on getting back into the swing of things, my lessons with Afton have been so healing both physically and emotionally. I knew the horses would do me good, but I wasn't expecting how much the people would impact me too.

Guide N Gallop is a place to learn to ride, and it's also a place of community and personal development. I can't sing their praises enough. 5 stars doesn't feel like enough—I'd do 5 million if I could!

Kristen M. (.

Afton has created a program that fosters confidence and learning. She knows her horses and students and knows what each rider can learn from certain horses. If you're looking for a program where you show up and skip the hard work and go straight to riding, this isn't the place for you. If you're looking for a place that will teach you what goes into creating a trust between a rider and a horse, you've found it. Afton teaches the how and the why for everything. Guide N Gallop has become a family to us and I feel lucky my kids get to experience such a rewarding part of life!

Kris S.

My 10 year old daughter just recently started riding lessons with Afton at Guide N’ Gallop and she couldn’t be happier! Afton is kind, patient, fun, and very knowledgeable with horses! We love that not only do you get to learn to ride but also get to take part in learning about the horses, how to take care of them, brush, saddle, etc. My daughter’s favorite day of the week is any day that includes horse riding lessons! We look forward to many more lessons with Afton! She’s fantastic!

Rebecca D.

I took lessons here for about a year, and while I enjoyed the people I was able to meet and certain parts of the experience, I would not recommend. I came to GNG when my last riding school decided to close shop. It was the only school in the area I could find at the time. Though I wasn’t super happy with how I was being taught, all seat time was good seat time. From the perspective of an adult rider, the program tends to be quite elementary, and I found that progression plateaus very quickly. Many of the horses need more training, and students were expected to contribute this during lessons. While it’s valuable to gain experience with greener horses, this was only frustrating in a lesson setting. It leads to bad habits in both the horse and rider.

Scheduling my introductory lesson took some time—about 2-3 months with multiple follow-ups needed for a response. Once I was scheduled, communication seemed to improve. A relative interested in enrolling her daughter faced similar difficulties and ultimately chose not to continue lessons due to these challenges and the program’s basic nature.

Though they advertise both Western and English riding, in practice, it’s English riding, even if Western tack is used. As of my last lesson, all of the instructors were English riders. They teach concepts and styles that are very much English and it’s misleading to market the program as catering to both riding disciplines.

The experience with their cancellation policy was particularly disappointing. I was expected to pay a couple hundred dollars just to cancel, which was disheartening given my dedication and willingness to help around the facility. I always tried to help after lessons with putting away horses and cleaning up, I often helped with younger students during classes, and even stayed behind to play with the owner’s children so she could focus on her duties. To be faced with such a steep cancellation policy when I needed to take a break for personal reasons was saddening. I had felt almost like part of a family and like I was building a community, but this and these other reasons made me realize the priority was on finances and not building a community or anything bigger.

There were also instances where the treatment of employees was less than ideal. On several occasions, I felt uncomfortable by how other older students or staff members or myself were addressed or treated. The owner’s approach can be rigid and at times contribute to a hostile-feeling atmosphere.

I planned to take a break and come back to lessons here; but, ultimately, I decided to try a different instructor, and the experience has been night and day! I’m progressing more quickly, riding well-trained horses that enhance my learning, I feel confident I’m being taught correct Western riding and good horsemanship, and I am a name and not just a number now.

As someone who has been to multiple riding schools in the area, I would suggest looking elsewhere, especially if you’re interested in Western riding and/or you are an older/more advanced rider. GNG seems to experience high student turnover, which is likely due to some of these ongoing issues. I am not alone in these experiences. I’ve come to find that GNG has a rather poor reputation among the Western riding community, and I know several former employees and students who left unhappy—but their reviews are not here.

Rachel R.

New riders use caution and get everything in writing. Our 10-year-old daughter rode with Guide N Gallop for a few months. She loved riding so much that she paid for her final month of private riding lessons with her own money. Afton, the owner, told us two separate times to go ahead and schedule my daughter’s final riding lesson. Afton even sent us the email link to schedule and we scheduled. Days before the lesson she suddenly and adamantly changed her mind. When I asked her to help me understand why, she dug in harder insisting if we wanted another lesson that we would need to pay an additional $50. My daughter had just paid $240 of her own money for the last month and didn’t have an additional $50 to pay for another lesson. This was disappointing and confusing for her. Afton admitted her error multiple times via text and also admitted to poor communication and policy, yet insisted we pay for her mistake. It’s not about the $50 so much as her unprofessional communication and dishonesty. I wish I could recommend them, but needless to say this frustrating experience cost them any future lessons from my daughter or other children in my family.

Mark A.

Guide N Gallop has been life changing for my daughter! Learning not only how to ride horses but care for them has helped build her confidence so much! She has improved her interactions with her peers, increased her activity level, and she is learning a unique skill.

Hannah S.

I have had a wonderful experience with Afton and her horses. Afton is a natural teacher, knowledgeable, patient, and kind. I'm feeling more confident in my skills with each lesson. Her horses are well taken care of and are equally great teachers. Love this place!