KOLI Equestrian Center

We were in town for a girls weekend, staying at Gila River Casino Wild Horse Pass. Went online to find something fun/different to do. Found Koli Equestrian. They have a sunset ride that starts at 6p. It also includes Margaritas, chips and salsa after the ride. This was so fun and a nice change to the normal busy running around most people typically do on a weekend trip. The weather was very hot, but once we started riding, it was so much cooler and we didn't even notice the heat.

Ben was our guide. He was so nice and accommodating. He was very knowledgeable about the Reservation and made us feel so warm and welcome. He told us all about our horses, helped us get up on the horse (which wasn't a easy thing for early 40 something women with no step stools or elevated steps). It was fun and light hearted. We laughed a lot, learned so much and really had a great time. While riding he told us so much about his home, stories about the Reservation and all the amazing people who live in the wonderful pace. At the end of our ride, Ben made us some very good margaritas and served them with some chips and salsa. A perfect ending to a great evening.

Everyone come see Ben and make sure to tip him WELL. He is so fun and will make your ride memorable.

I was researching on what to do for my Phoenix foodie weekend while my food is digesting and horseback riding came up! I was like yee-haw why not? Koli came up as top of the list on Yelp and I booked online a Friday night Sunset and Margarita in Jan 2023. We arrived about 15 minutes before our ride. I noticed the worker did tell one girl to changed her high heel cowgirl boots (about 2 inches?) into tennis shoes for safety reasons. If you opt out of a helmet you do have to sign a waiver.

After some very basic instruction, then off to a horse we go. All the horses are very well behaved and trained to do their sunset walk. I thought we had a pretty big group maybe about 20+ horses. But mid ride another group of about 10 girls (clearly for a Bachelorette) joined us and we became a gigantic group. But all the horses are pretty spread out, and we were welcome to go to the front as well to our guide.

The guides does warn you to not to use your phone while riding, that they will help you take pictures at the end. That part was not the truth, they take horrible pictures and only 2 shots. (This is the reason for the one star knocked off) Because they were in a hurry to get us off the horses and put them back into the barn. We had to ask the worker to re-take for us and still it came out just okay. So just use your phone very carefully and with caution during your ride if you want more pictures and videos. The sunset was lovely and at the end chips, salsa and margarita was waiting for us. It was a nice experience to end a Friday night in Phoenix.

They are THE BEST! Omg. This is our 3rd year at this location. We actually made our reservations for the wrong date and Amber so graciously accommodated us without penalty.

I've been here a few times now and I always leave satisfied with the experience.

Not only are the guides funny and friendly, the horses are well loved and easy going.

If you are nervous or new to riding take comfort in knowing that they always pair you with a horse you can handle.

I can't wait for my girlfriends to visit again because we already plan to do this again when they are in town.

Cherry on top was being able to relax with chips, salsa and a strong margarita at the end of a fun ride.

You can never go wrong scheduling horseback ride at Koli!

Great experience and the guide was a pleasure to have on our horse ride. We were lucky enough to come up on a herd of wild horses, which helps explain how they got the name for the nearby casino.

I visited Koli Equestrian Center on my last day in AZ for a conference. I'd never been horseback riding before and decided to cross this off my bucket list. My wrangler Morgan was amazing! She gave very clear instructions on how to handle the horse. She was calm, which made me calm. During the ride we saw wild horses, a blue herring, burrowing owls flying out of their nest, a red tail hawk, and snake tracks. I would 100% recommend doing the 7am ride if you're near Wild Horse Pass and can spare the time. Ask for Morgan when you visit and see if River is available to go out on the ride.

The horseback riding and the guides were wonderful! I love that you don't have to ride single file but are allowed to spread the horses out.
My star rating is knocked down a star by the reception I received when I arrived with my two granddaughters. I knew we were supposed to arrive by 12:45 but unfortunately traffic held me up and I arrived at 12:50 for a 1:00 ride. The lady who checks people in yelled at me, told me I was late and they were about to leave without me. Who yells at a paying customer? And it was only 12:50! I didn't know they would be leaving 10 minutes early! So be sure to arrive way before the scheduled time to avoid being yelled at and starting your experience with a bad taste in your mouth!

Tristan was my wrangler on a solo morning ride in the desert. We didn't see any wild horses but we saw many animals and birds! He was knowledgeable and kind! I highly recommend the early morning rides! Extremely peaceful and beautiful!

I came here with my sister in law for a private 90 minute ride. After signing some papers we were on our way.
One of the best guided horse experiences I've had and reasonably priced.
I like how they don't ride the horses in a single line.
We got to ride out and see the wild horses. We even got to see them fight. Our guide Ben was very knowledgeable and made the ride fun.
The scenery is beautiful and the ride is so relaxing.
I will definitely be back!
Highly recommend you pay this place a visit!

Awesome private ride for me & my family. Our guide (we don't think she told us her name) was awesome. We went on a 9am ride in early December and were lucky enough to see a herd of wild horses. Everyone really enjoyed the ride and wants to do it again. Highly recommend!